It is not always usual to see a newly promoted side sitting 13th on the EPL table, having won 10 games and drawn seven after 29 games, but that's exactly the story of Watford.
The secret of that success some may say lies with strikers
Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, but looking deep beneath; it won't be inappropriate to acknowledge the work done by Spanish Coach Quinque Sanchez Flores.
Although a big name in Spain after coaching the likes of Valencia and Atletico Madrid, yet that did not stop the criticism on the lips of Watford fans after his appointment in the summer of 2015. Flores is Watford's fifth coach in 10 months and it was puzzling to decipher how he could cope in England . To add to his problems, the club made 16 new signings in the summer alone (2015) becoming the most EPL overhaul this season. This also increased the number of the squad to 22 different nationality players (United Nations Cup).
The team as expected took time to gel as they failed to win a league game in August, thus becoming one of five EPL teams to do so. Since September, it has been a season of exploits for the club as the strike partnership of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney have been in blistering form.
Also not always mentioned is Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who has rediscovered his PSV form after flopping in Spurs. Gomes has earned his team points through his heroics as the games against Chelsea ( home and away) and Sunderland (away) have shown. Gomes has made 74 saves this season with 10 clean sheets , conceding an average of 1 goal per game and also an average save of 2.55 saves per game .
Gomes has also gained an average punch of 76% and an average claim success of 85%. At 35, it seems his best years are far from him .
The teams success won't be complete without the mentioning of French man Etienne Capoune who was was deemed surplus to requirements In Tottenham and hence picked up by Watford in the summer . As a defensive midfielder, Capoune shields the back line of Nyom, Prodl, Ake and Cathcart. He is also the clubs highest complete passer as he has completed 1066 of his passes.
In general , Flores prefers his team to play on the counter attack and catch opponents lacking concentration as the striking duel (Ighalo And Deeney) convert their chances . The team has an average game possession of 47% of which nine goals out of their total 29 goals scored have come through set piece.
Although the Watford's present form hasn't been impressive , such patches are more than normal in a 20 team league like the EPL.
Flores has really shown that his wealth of experience and UEFA League Win with Atletico Madrid is no fluke.
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