After its impressive comeback from near obscurity in recent years, and particularly after playing its historic 2018-2019 season that saw the team advance to the FA Cup Finals, the Watford FC has already played its first five matches of the 2019-2020 season in the U.K.’s prestige Premier League. Of these, the Hornets have lost 3 games (against Brighton, Everton, ad West Ham), tied one match 1-1 against Newcastle, and scored one 3-0 victory against Coventry. Their next match is scheduled against Arsenal on Sunday, September 15th.
Over the course of its recent revival after decades of obscurity, Watford has become one of the Premier League’s most stable and closely watched clubs. Its particularly impressive climb to the FA Cup finals over the past season under the leadership of manager Javi Gracia has fueled the squad’s ambitions for future victories, and given the team’s supporters cause for plenty of celebration.
The Hornets have gone through several managers in the years since Gino Pozzo bought the club back in 2012. At that point, the club began its gradual upgrade, finally making their way back to to the Premier League table after decades of obscurity in the lower leagues. Under Pozzo’s careful grooming and watchful eye, the club has remained on a steady course of growth for several seasons, improving their outcome each year. And the future continues to look ever more promising for the squad with Javi Gracia signed on to continue at the club’s helm for four more years.
Pozzo, who comes from an Italian family with a history of raising European football clubs from near-death, is a passionate, picky, and demanding fellow, with exceedingly high standards and a hands-on approach to presiding over his beloved football club. In his efforts to restore the Hornets to the former glory that the club enjoyed during its years under Elton John’s ownership and management by the legendary Graham Taylor back in the 1970s and 80s, Pozzo has put in considerable thought and strategic energy into reshaping and upgrading the club.
Pozzo’s determination to elevate Watford from their obscure status in the lower leagues and place them securely back at the Premier League table has led him to not only hire and fire several managers, but also to recruit several key players. It seems that after last year’s successful and exciting season, Pozzo has finally gotten comfortable with settling on the understated Gracia as club manager. Gracia was hired after demonstating his skill at Malaga, where he led the squad to two impressive 10-0 victories during the 2013 UEFA quarterfinals in 2013.
Gracia has definitely been good medicine for the Hornets, employing a down-to-earth coaching style that builds confidence in each individual player and emphasizes team unity. His success with fortifying the team into a force to be reckoned with has earned him a vote of confidence from both Pozzo as well as from all of his players. Gracia has been signed on to continue managing the club until 2023, demonstrating a dramatic level of commitment on Pozzo’s part. For the squad, the news is as good as can be, as Gracia has successfully led the team to its biggest and most dramatic growth season in recent history.
The Watford squad is driven by diverse talents such as Troy Deeney, who brings pure power to the field, as well as the refined Gerard Deulofeu. The combined power of midfield heroes Abdoulaye Doucouré and Etienne Capoue, a duo that is worth its weight in gold, endows the club with solid force and strategic defensive strength, along with an impressive penchant for scoring goals.
Doucouré in particular is one of the squad’s most beloved players among Watford’s bevy of supporters, and is a powerful force at Vicarage Road with an impressive record of scoring goals, considering his position as a midfielder on the defensive line. In fact, several teams have demonstrated interest in the Hornets’ 26-year-old star player, yet none have managed to lure Pozzo into selling off Watford’s shiniest star.
But Doucouré is by no means carrying the club singlehandedly. Thanks to Gracia’s coaching style that encourages the strategic joining of forces and team unity over ego and star worship, Doucuré’s game is richly embellished by his cooperation with his teammates.
In particular, Capoue plays as a strategic partner with Doucoure and the two have become a force to contend with, recording nine goals and nine assists last season between them. In fact, it was Capoue who was named the Hornets’ Player of the Season, after making the club’s highest number of tackles and outfield ball recoveries, as well as 86 interceptions, topping all other Premier League players.
Additionally, the duo’s follow-through as defenders also allowed fellow players Roberto Pereyra and Gerard Deulofeu the capacity to cover more ground and make more strategic advancements for the team.
Summer break saw the team quietly sipping on their overflowing cup of promising potential, with few alterations and nearly all stars holding tight in their places. The few notable changes in the squad’s composition have been the club’s recent acquisition of Craig Dawson, whom Pozzo recruited from West Brom through his expert scouts for a sum of £5.5m, along with the young and promising Brazilian Joao Pedro, and the sizzling Ismaila Sarr.
Meanwhile, Gracia continues to perform his job impeccably, undaunted by media attention and unfettered by the lure of fancy titles, simply and serenely leading the squad to their best finish since the Premier League started. And he’s done this in spite of losing one star player, and without costing Pozzo a lot of money. In fact, the only loss the squad suffered was the sale of Richarlison for £40m. But more importantly, the club managed to permanently secure the impressive Deulofeu.
Scott Duxbury, the team’s Executive chairman said prior to the FA Cup match, “We are not going to wait 35 years for another cup final.” And the Hornets are taking that mission to heart. After their 11th place finish last season, their goal for 2019-20 is breaking into the top 10, with a vision toward an entry into the coveted Europa League. And of course, it would be great to get another crack at that FA Cup. In any case, the team’s display of growth and perseverance is one to admire and certain to cause even more celebration for their supporters this season.
Follow the latest on Gino Pozzo and the Watford Club: https://twitter.com/watford_1881
