Boss Xisco Munoz 'changed Watford mood', says Nathaniel Chalobah
- Published
Watford have kept clean sheets in exactly half of their 44 Championship games this season
Watford head coach Xisco Munoz "changed the mood of the place" after taking charge in December, says Hornets midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah.
Spaniard Munoz, 40, has won 17 of his 24 Championship matches and the Hornets secured promotion on Saturday.
When he replaced the sacked Vladimir Ivic, Watford were fifth in the table and struggling for consistency.
"He [Munoz] knew we had good players and we knew we had good players, but we were low on confidence," Chalobah said.
The once-capped England international told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He came in and he changed the mood of the place.
"A few would've doubted us at the start of the season but the character and resilience in our squad has obviously shown."
All did not seem well at Vicarage Road prior to the arrival of former Valencia, Levante and Real Betis winger Munoz as club captain Troy Deeney was dropped for Watford's defeat at Huddersfield because of a "discipline issue", in what would prove to be Ivic's final game in charge.
Munoz believes "the team spirit" was key to the club's turnaround, while midfielder Will Hughes says a switch to a 4-3-3 formation has also been "a big factor".
"It's simple to say it but it makes such a difference with the personnel we've got," Hughes told BBC Three Counties Radio.
"It suits the individuals we've got and it just clicked, and you can tell by the results we've had.
"The individuals we've got are too good for this league but it's easy saying that, you have to produce it on the pitch, and I don't think we did that during the first part of the season.
"We corrected that - new formation, new manager - and luckily we've just got it over the line."
'Club won't need to sell crown jewels'
Watford's promotion comes after their relegation from the Premier League last season, when they went down by just one point.
Ex-Derby man Hughes says they can right those wrongs this time around.
"We know how tough it was last year for us, coming off one of the best seasons we'd had in the Premier League," he added.
"The players were a big part of the reason why we went down last year, so we're eager not to make that same mistake again next year."
It remains to be seen whether Ismaila Sarr (left) and Troy Deeney will be at Watford next season
There is likely to be more speculation about the future of 13-goal top scorer Ismaila Sarr, who was linked with Liverpool last summer, but Peter Brown, chair of the Watford Supporters Trust, thinks the forward will be going nowhere.
"It doesn't matter who comes sniffing," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.
"Watford want to stay in the Premier League and you don't sell your crown jewels, and the club won't need to sell their crown jewels, thanks to the astute ownership that's been going on during this awful pandemic."
And what about the future of talismanic striker Deeney?
The 32-year-old has been at the club for 11 years but has not played since early February because of an Achilles injury.
"Who's to know with Troy," Brown said. "Who's to know what his injury is really like - has he lost that yard of pace in the Premier League now? Who is to know."