Watford Football Club: remember them? Yes, yes, of course you do. Many perhaps recall a yo-yo side, more ups and down that the Eastenders Christmas specials. Not quite true, though. In fact, they quietly very much earned the tag of a Premier League staple in the late 2010s. Not particularly glamorous but solid enough.
From the start of the 2015/16 season, Watford spent six out of seven years in the top-flight, and so, when they dropped out in May 2022, most expected to see an immediate return. When they started the following campaign with a front three of Ismalia Sarr, Emmanuel Dennis and Joao Pedro, those expectations only grew.
However, while they’ve continued to burn through managers like flames through tissue paper – 10 in all since the start of the 2021/22 season, their most recent in the Premier League – the expected bounce has not come.
Watford enlist help of world champion to arrest Championship purgatory
Watford and their supporters are now doing the Championship rounds for a fourth consecutive year. The parachute payments (money teams continue to receive for up to three seasons post Premier League relegation) have all landed and so they are now competing on a level field.
The club’s three efforts to be upwardly mobile ended in 11th, 15th and 14th place finishes. Each season they flirted light with the Play-Offs – a running joke amongst fans was that they were always within a win or two of the top six whatever their run of results – but never really looked like realistic, sustained contenders.
And so, a change of tact was required ahead of the current season. A 2025 summer of signings – double figures in terms of arrivals – saw a focus on youth, on promising talent. There were few, if any, recognisable faces. It left fans excited, albeit the off-season appointment of manager Paulo Pezzolano was seemingly a disaster waiting to happen.
By October, Pezzolano had gone and Javi Gracia, the man who took Watford to the 2019 FA Cup Final (ok, ok they lost 6-0 to Manchester City at Wembley but there is no need to mention that) and their highest ever Premier League finish (11th), re-appointed in his place.
Gracia’s return got supporters in the mood and, if nothing else, he at least knew exactly what he was walking into with the…how do we put it…inconsistent? Hmmm, not quite right. Volatile? Yes, 'volatile' owners will do.
Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wrexham was billed pre-game as the Championship’s youngest squad versus the oldest. Phil Parkinson spent plenty of millions last summer assembling a team laced with Championship experience, whereas Watford had youth everywhere. Their starting line-up included seven players under age 25, with goalkeeper Egil Selvik, who is not 29 for another seven months, the senior statesman.
Having fallen behind at Wrexham, Watford led 2-1 at the break despite an xG of just 0.31. Their goals came from 19-year-old Mamadou Doumbia (albeit via a hefty deflection) and Othmane Maamma, who recently turned 20.
They were ok. Plenty of possession but not much guile. Imran Louza and Edo Kayembe, two of those who remain from their Premier League days, are their standout players, with veteran Moussa Sissoko only used fleetingly on the bench. Tom Ince did not even get stripped off.
Once leading, Watford showed little by way of forward ambition. If ever the term ‘dig in’ applied, it was on Saturday. No shame in that, particularly given that travelling has not been their strength. This was just their seventh point away from Vicarage Road this season. At home they have earned 22.
Improve? Yes, they must. Josh Windass’ opener for Wrexham meant Watford have fallen behind in 16 of 21 Championship games this season. It also ensured their run of clean sheet-less away trips extended to 15 games. A small up-tick on their travels would see them in the Play-Offs.
FourFourTwo had wanted to ask Gracia about the state of the current project, what was realistic, what the plan was.
Alas he was dismissed for arguing that his team should have been awarded a foul in the build-up to Ollie Rathbone’s stoppage time equaliser for Wrexham. He therefore did not do any post-match media.
What might he have said? Perhaps not a lot. But then perhaps he might have pointed to a brighter future, a return of the golden days for the Golden Boys. The 1,200 in the away end on Saturday will certainly hope so.
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