Watford FC: Parallels, Playoffs and Promotion
Watford face Leicester City in a televised lunchtime fixture on Saturday in a rematch of one of the most remarkable games of last season. No one who was at Vicarage Road last May, and many who were elsewhere, will forget the sweeping emotional rollercoaster of the final minutes of the last season’s playoff semi-final between the teams.
Locked at two a piece on aggregate the game was headed for extra-time when Anthony Knockaert went to ground under an innocuous challenge from Marco Cassetti. To the disbelief of many in the ground, the referee gave a penalty. Knockaert stepped up and Watford keeper Almunia made a double save. Twenty seconds later and a swift Watford break saw Troy Deeney power the ball home for an astonishing win.
Fair to say, therefore, that Leicester will be up for it come Saturday lunchtime.
If we take a moment, however, to go further back into last season we will see by a curious coincidence that the first match in November saw Watford entertain Leicester. That match a year ago saw Watford’s collection of international loans finally click as a team and Watford not only won the game, but used it is a catalyst for a run of one defeat in eleven that propelled the Hornets into playoff and promotion contention.
Come forward a year and Watford are six points better off and ten places higher up the table. So for a team sitting just outside the playoffs you would think everything was going well. Think again. Expectation is high at Watford this season and costly lapses in concentration in key matches have surrendered points that might be crucial come May.
The issue, as always with Watford at the moment, is who will start. Following Monday night’s draw at Brighton it is probable Gianfranco Zola will make his customary five or six changes as he tries to find the right combination. In reality, however, a couple of changes might just do it. Bringing Cassetti in for Ekstrand at the back and the return of Anya as wingback to replace Faraoni could be enough to give balance to the side.
But let us not forget Leicester. They have a resilience about them at the moment that has seen them rise to second in the table with seven wins in the last ten. Right now they are arguably the team to beat in the division. Their midweek win against Fulham was no fluke and they will be confident of avenging the result of last May.
Even at this stage of the season a win for Watford is more important. Already seven points behind their opponents a defeat would give Leicester a handy points advantage heading into the winter months. I expect Watford, therefore, to look to press from the outset with Leicester perhaps content to defend in numbers and exploit Watford on the break.
Both these sides are capable of securing automatic promotion, but failing that what price more playoff drama in May?
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