Watford secured an immediate return to the Premier League as they achieved automatic promotion by finishing second in the Championship.
Whilst Ben Foster was grabbing headlines for his YouTube escapades, his teammates on the pitch were providing content of greater significance and excitement for the supporters.
The key aspect of their reinstatement as a Premier League club was their defensive robustness. The final tally of 23 clean sheets in 46 league games equalled a Championship record that had stood for 15 years, this alongside the fewest goals conceded in a season with just 30 goals breaching their sturdy defence. Ensuring that Vicarage Road became a fortress was also crucial as The Hornets recorded a club record 19 home wins during the campaign.
Despite this, Watford were by no means a shoo-in for promotion earlier in the season. Vladimir Ivic was tasked with the job of getting Watford back in the big time when he was given the managerial job in August. Despite some strong performances, the severe lack of consistency deeply affected promotion hopes and ultimately Ivic's job. It appeared to be one step forward, two steps back as his Watford side failed to win more than two league games on the bounce, during his tenure.
Early draws with Wycombe and Sheffield Wednesday put early doubt on the manager who was ultimately relieved of his duties in December. Watford did what Watford do, and the managerial merry-go-round continued as new gaffer Xisco Munoz became the fifth man in the Watford hot seat, in just over a year.
Sitting fifth in the league with an established defensive record, Munoz was provided a platform from which to build a promotion charge. His main task was to achieve stability and turn all-too-frequent draws into wins for the rest of the campaign.
Much to the dismay of the half-a-million subscribers to ‘The Cycling GK', a lot of the further established defensive fortitude under Munoz came through installing Daniel Bachmann as number one ‘Keeper, alongside a steady defence of Sierralta, Troost-Ekong and Femenia. The attacking prowess of João Pedro, Ken Sema and player of the season Ismaïla Sarr was perhaps most pivotal in the revitalisation of the squad.
The push for promotion came when the club achieved 18 wins in 26 matches, including an impressive run of 10 in 11 games. The pivotal moment in this sequence of wins saw champions elect Norwich defeated 1-0 and, although it was mathematically secured in the win against Millwall, the win ensured automatic promotion back to the Premier League for The Hornets.
Heading back to the Premier League will provide new challenges for the squad. However, with most of the players remaining in the team from their relegation in 2020, they will hope their experience will provide them the tools to reestablish themselves as a stable Premier League club. Ensuring that star player Sarr remains in Hertfordshire will be crucial and Munoz will surely be hoping to bolster his squad ahead of a big campaign.
It was certainly a season of two halves for Watford but heading into the big time with a 91-point tally, a record breaking defence and an exciting front line should make for an interesting year at Vicarage Road for the 2021/22 Premier League season.
PETER KENNY JONES
If you enjoyed this article and would like to view more, please subscribe to receive email notifications when a new article comes out.
Peter Kenny Jones
@PeterKennyJones
https://peterkj.wixsite.com/football-historian
Comentarios