One of the most overlooked storylines from this past season is Watford’s promotion to the Premier League as they finished second in the Football League Championship table with 89 points. As good of a season as it was, they still sacked their manager and hired Sanchez Flores instead to take over the team as they head into the big league. Flores comes over from La Liga where he had an short, inconspicuous season with Getafe but on the whole, he is a man with a track record of success. So what should we expect with an EPL up-and-comer with a new bench boss next season?
The Belief That They Belong
Flores brings with him an impressive resume to Watford and perhaps the most important thing, he will bring with him is the belief that he can win in his first year with the club. Watford has struggled in each of its previous two Premier League stints including when they registered just 24 points in 1999-2000 and when they secured only 28 points in 2006-07 – finishing at the bottom of the table in both seasons. This Watford team has more talent than each of those two clubs that struggled in England’s top flight and perhaps just as important will be Flores’ ability to make them believe they can perform. Flores is a master motivator with a strong resume that includes success in La Liga when he helped guide Atletico Madrid to the Europa League title in 2010. With his arrival comes the belief that Watford belongs this season.
The Attack Will Not Be Altered
Only Watford’s fellow promotional side Bournemouth scored more goals in England’s first division a year ago and there is no reason to expect Flores to tamper with something that worked so well for the team a year ago. Troy Deeney, Odio Igalo and Matej Vydra scored a combined 57 of the 91 total goals the Hornets scored a year ago and with all three back in the fold, there is no reason for major change up front. Their 91 goals were the second-most in the Football Championship League, only second to the champs.
Watford played the majority of the games with either Igalo or Vydra slotted up front with Deeney while the other slotted in to the five-man midfield. While Flores could go with a different structure in the middle of the park, there is a good chance he doesn’t mess with too much with what has worked up front for Watford.
A Defensively Sound Squad
The Hornets’ defense ranked fourth-best in the first division a year ago and there is every reason to believe they will be very technically sound at that end of the pitch next year. Watford will have a much tougher time keeping teams like Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal from scoring multiple goals per game against them but they do bring with them a talented back line. The 50 goals they allowed were the fourth-best in the league. Expect Flores to make sure attention is paid to keeping his team very disciplined on the back end. The fact that Dean Austin will remain with the staff will help in that area as Watford makes the transition.
A Fight From Start To Finish
Even with all of the factors, we just talked about there is no doubt that Watford will be in tough to stay in the Premier League after next season. History has shown us that they don’t last long in the EPL but with the change in managers, it’s pretty clear management is trying to break the pattern. Watford will be forced to fight from start to finish to avoid relegation but Flores will make sure that his team’s compete level does not falter. We’ve seen that from Flores’ teams in the past as they have a tendency to work hard for him – even when things aren’t going well. The consistent effort level could be the difference between whether this Watford club survives a full year in the Premier League.
