Watford FourFourTwo preview and prediction: Will they stick with their manager for more than five minutes?

This preview appears in the August 2021 edition of FourFourTwo.

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One of the hallmarks of the Pozzo family’s Watford era since their 2012 takeover has been a clinical decisiveness when it comes to changing head coaches. This trigger-happy policy continues to garner criticism from those unfamiliar with the inner workings at Vicarage Road, although a more forensic look reveals the seemingly hard-nosed approach is actually very successful.

The hiring of incumbent Xisco Munoz in December 2020 provides the perfect case study. Predecessor Vladimir Ivic was removed with the Hornets 5th but in touch at the top of the Championship, his reign still in its infancy. However, the mood at the club was as sombre as the football on display, and the Serbian bit the inevitable bullet after just four months. 

The impact this decision had was evident straight away. In his first game, former Valencia winger Xisco inspired a 1-0 win over eventual champions Norwich. Hitherto forlorn-looking players hit their straps, and there were soon as many smiles as there were impressive performances and victories. The change engendered a complete turnaround in atmosphere, the owners’ decision fully vindicated.

Of course, this means that the same fate could also befall Munoz. The Premier League is famously unforgiving, and with the memories of how hard it is to recover from a difficult top-flight start still painfully fresh – the Hornets won one of their first 17 games in 2019/20’s relegation campaign – Watford fans will hope the likeable Spaniard can help his side adjust to life back in the big time quickly. 

That said, the 40-year-old gaffer brings with him an enormous amount of goodwill. The change in aura at the training ground when he arrived was palpable, and the players – many of whom are hugely talented but were quiet or inconsistent under Ivic – shone under Xisco’s attacking sensibilities. Team spirit was a significant part of Watford’s post-Christmas surge to automatic promotion, and the esteem in which the squad clearly holds their manager may provide him with more slack than previous bosses.

Xisco is no less popular with the supporters, either, so there is an unmistakable groundswell of backing and a genuine hope that the man very few fans had heard of prior to his appointment can keep Elton’s Hornets standing come the season’s end. One thing remains certain, however – the owners will not fail to react quickly if things don’t go to plan.

The five-point plan

1 Stay on top
Watford came up with a smile on their faces, Xisco combining excellent man management with a 4-3-3 formation that made the most of the Hornets’ attacking assets. Maintain this momentum – they won 18 of the new boss’ 26 games in charge – and the spirit it creates will be crucial to survival.

2 Solve the striker situation
The Hornets boast a number of eye-catching difference makers in the final third, though goalscoring remains a problem. Watford don’t have an established top-flight striker to rely on, with Troy Deeney 33 and only Ismaila Sarr managing more than double figures last season. Emmanuel Dennis, a 23-year-old Nigerian international who scored twice in a Champions League draw with Real Madrid in 2019, should help, while Ashley Fletcher and Joshua King also bolster the frontline.

3 Get the best from the best
Xisco’s side includes several players who are expected to go on to greater things, with Sarr and 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Pedro among those considered to be potential elite level. Keeping them focused throughout their  Vicarage Road stay is essential for survival. The club have been stung before when heads are turned.

4 Stay hard to beat
The team posted 23 clean sheets and equalled the Championship record for the fewest goals conceded (30) to win promotion. Xisco deserves credit for spotting Francisco Sierralta’s potential, partnering the Chilean international, 24, with ex-Spurs prospect William Troost-Ekong at the heart of a miserly defence. Such parsimony went a long way towards securing 19 victories in 23 home matches last campaign.

5 Make the most of set-pieces
Adam Masina’s 90th-minute free-kick at Cardiff in March was the first time the Hornets had scored from such a situation in five years, when Almen Abdi netted against Aston Villa. The Golden Boys can’t afford to wait that long again, with clear-cut chances now harder to find against the big boys.

FFT verdict: 19th

Defensively sound, the Hornets need King to complement Sarr if Xisco is to do the impossible.

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