A few weeks ago I explained that I would not be doing any kind of season predictions until the summer transfer window closes - that, for me, only make perfect sense; seeing how strong or, otherwise weak, squads then look.
And so with that, you’ll just have to believe me when I say that not only did I have Watford earmarked as a bit of a mystery team but also...I can reveal that I’m gonna place them as-finishing a very creditable ‘mid-table’ or there abouts.
What ARE they about?
Well having FIVE managers in little over 12 months and
shipping in at least 12 new players heading into a new, higher-level of football
doesn’t, on the face of it, sound like good preparation at all. Far from it in
fact – it
sounds like utter madness!
HEAVILY influence by their Italian businessman Gino Pozzo; a lot of their head coaches and
playing staff hail from that region. I don’t know much about Watford in detail
if I’m being honest but what I have picked up in ‘bits ‘n’ pieces’ is that
throughout all of their managerial changes, Watford are a team who like to play
with a certain flare and like to ‘go at’ teams.
In the Championship they
had, what was generally considered to be, the best 4 strikers in the division
(not sure if they’ve all survived the ascent into the Premier League) and I’m sure the foreign invasion of signings since their
promotion are of decent quality.
When I look at
their squad list, however, I do wonder how the HELL they’re getting away with the
home-grown quota rule! Perhaps some Watford (or other) fan could explain it to
me (although it has very recently been suggested to me that promoted teams get a year's grace?)
|
|
Watford squad source: Wikipedia
And in their CURRENT
manager (although by the time I click
‘publish’ on this article that situation may well have changed again)
they have someone who looks like he’s been ‘around quality’ most of his playing
and, in some respects, managerial career.
And in Quique Sanchez Flores Watford also have a manager
who looks quite like Hugh Laurie! Well
in this picture he does at least…
As if to underline my (again
you’ll have to believe me) pre-season feeling that Watford will make good
on their return to England’s top division - a start of 3 games, 0 defeats, 2 clean sheets against Southampton (H) & West Bromwich Albion (H) and conceding just 2 goals against Everton (A);
then they appear to be handling the ‘top flight’ pretty well for starters at
least…and it looks like they can defend a
bit too!
Okay…taking the ‘positive spin’ off their mini-Premier
League record a little – they haven’t won a game yet and have failed to score
at home twice…and they did lose to Preston North End away 1-0 in the League Cup on
Tuesday night (another ‘nil’
in the ‘goals for’ column).
But I share Jesus Navas’
sentiment when I say that we need to be wary of not thinking we can
simply ‘rock up’ to the Etihad and roll
these over on Saturday. The same determined performances that we’ve seen so far
from our electrifying Blues will be needed again to get past these unscathed on
Saturday afternoon (a rare 3:00pm KO BST).
v Watford
 |
| Still can't find a decent aerial shot with the newly extended South Stand... |
Predicted line-up,
subs and outcome…
4-5-1 come 4-3-3:
____________________Aguero____________________
_____Sterling________________________Navas_____
_____________________Silva_____________________
___________________________Toure______________
____________Fernandinho_______________________
_____________________Hart______________________
A ‘Copy & Paste’ starting 11 again but on the bench, a
few surprises forced on Manuel Pellegrini through injury, which I’ll come on
to.
As for the new additions there is, of course, some
considerable room for error in my prediction. But with the only available
substitute striker being Kelechi Iheanacho, I’ve gone for the inclusion of new
signing winger / forward Patrick Roberts to 'get the nod'.
It’s a bit more difficult to guess what EDS
defensive cover our manager might give a 'bench spot' to and I’ve only really gone for
right-back Pablo Maffeo because ‘The Engineer’ mentioned his name in his
pre-match ‘presser’. Also, should
anything happen to Aleks Kolarov then I suppose the young Pablo can take the right-back
slot whilst, perhaps, the more experienced Bacary Sagna swaps sides to cover.
Other possibilities in terms of young defensive cover could
come in the form of pre-season debutants James Horsfield (Defender
/ Midfielder – Right / Centre) or Cameron Humphreys (Defender – Right / Centre).
Notable absences: Gael Clichy (injured again, this time out for 6 to 7 weeks with an ankle
problem), Pablo Zabaleta (injury – another 3 to 4
week with knee ligament trouble), Nicolas Otemendi (work permit issues), Fernando (recovering
from a muscular injury – length unknown), Wilfried Bony
(injured with a cut to his leg received in training – should be fit for the
resumption after the international break).
Result? Our manager, in his pre-match press
conference, also continues the theme of not dropping our guard at home to
newly-promoted Watford. Although he OFTEN uses the words “…same concentrate” & “…same
intensity” he is, of course, correct to do once again.
This relative
‘unknown quantity’ could throw us a ‘curve ball’ and provide an in-game shock
or two…but Pellegrini & Co. will have studied more footage of The Hornets
than I have, which is zero by the way.
And it’s comforting
also that we should be starting with the same 11 who have played so very, very
well in the opening 3 games. No complacency whatsoever of course…but this
should, eventually, be a comfortable home win.
No comments:
Post a Comment