Watford

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It was a season which ultimately ended in disappointment for Watford, with their return to the Premier League lasting just one season.

But who were their best performers across the campaign? We asked you to select your Hornets team of the season and the results are below:

Goalkeeper

Ben Foster was the most picked Watford player overall after featuring in the majority of games this season, his last with the club.

Defenders

Craig Cathcart and Christian Kabasele made up your centre-back partnership, with Kiko Femenia - your third most popular player overall - at right-back and Hassane Kamara on the left.

Midfielders

Your most favoured formation was 4-3-3 - and Tom Cleverley was actually the most selected player in two of the three midfield positions. Moussa Sissoko was the most popular in the centre, and Juraj Kucka earns a place on the left.

Attackers

Joshua King was your most selected outfield player overall and takes his place in the centre of your front three, flanked by Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis. Cucho Hernandez and Joao Pedro both received a considerable amount of picks overall, but neither made the top two in any one position.

How does your team compare with that chosen by BBC Three Counties Radio reporter Geoff Doyle? Scroll down to 26 May, 12:35 to find out...

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We asked you to pick your Watford player of the season - and Emmanuel Dennis came out as the overwhelming favourite.

BBC Three Counties Radio's Geoff Doyle named Dennis on his shortlist, along with Hassane Kamara, Moussa Sissoko, Joao Pedro and Cucho Hernandez.

Forward Dennis took 55% of the vote after finishing as the Hornets' top scorer with 10 goals in all competitions.

Sissoko finished second with 22%, followed by Pedro on 9%, and Kamara and Hernandez both on 7% - though the former received the fourth-most votes, with percentages rounded up or down.

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Voting is still open for you to choose your Watford player of the year - so don't miss your chance.

BBC Three Counties Radio's Geoff Doyle has picked a shortlist of five nominees for you to choose from - and you can scroll down this page to read his reasoning (17:05, 25 May).

Hassane Kamara, Moussa Sissoko, Emmanuel Dennis, Joao Pedro and Cucho Hernandez made his shortlist, but which one gets your vote?

You can have your say until 12:00 BST on Monday, 30 May.

Choose your Hornets player of the season and get T&Cs here

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We've been asking for your views on this season - and the future - after Watford's relegation from the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Lee: The only reason for appointing Edwards is to give him time to craft a team not only capable of getting promoted but of remaining in the Premier League. This takes time and resources and STABILITY! It would be good to bounce straight back but only if there is a real will to build for the Premier League a la Brighton. I'm hoping Edwards is the new GT.

Keith: Will Watford keep the core of the team or will the best players want to leave for Premier League football? Watford have talented players throughout the squad from defenders to attackers but it’s no good having this talent if they don’t gel as a team. Finding the correct blend of mature players and the young blood is very important for the future of WFC.

Jonathan: An awful season. I've had a season ticket for 48 straight years, but this was the most disappointing/under-achieving of the lot - including the first of the 4, the 1974-75 relegation to Division Four under Mike Keen. I've signed up for number 49, of course, but fear that if things don't change they'll stay the same...

Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster is one of five players to leave Watford at the end of the season.

Defender Nicolas Nkoulou and forward Andre Gray have also both departed, while Juraj Kucka has chosen to activate a release clause in his contract and Peter Etebo has returned to parent club Stoke following a loan spell.

There's no denying it's been a difficult 2021-22 campaign for Watford but BBC Three Counties Radio reporter Geoff Doyle has gamely pulled together his Hornets team of the season.

What do you reckon? Do have a go and see if you can do any better

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Stuart Brown, BBC principal data analyst

In a season during which you only amass 23 points - and a record-breaking run of home losses - there are inevitably a lot of factors that contributed to relegation.

By looking at how Watford fared in certain fixtures compared to their other main rivals for relegation (Burnley, Leeds and Everton), we can see the teams that could have really made the difference had the Hornets managed to get results against them.

Crystal Palace turn out to be the main side they underperformed against. Leeds picked up four points, Everton got three and Burnley managed two draws against Palace. However, Watford were beaten home and away by the Eagles.

Brighton and Wolves are the other two most obvious teams that show up. Burnley and Everton both managed a win against Brighton, while Leeds drew home and away. Again, Watford lost both fixtures. Against Wolves, Burnley and Leeds went undefeated, picking up four points each. Everton joined Watford in losing both fixtures.

It’s also worth looking at games against each other. Against Burnley, Everton picked up three points and Leeds got four from a win and a draw. Watford fared worse, only managing one point, worse than their fellow relegation battlers.

Against Leeds, Everton got four points, with Watford again not getting any. Although Watford did perform better against Everton, taking four points from a win and a draw, Burnley also managed three points from a win and Leeds took one from a draw so not too much of a differential fixture.

For balance, there should also be mentions of the teams Watford fared better against than their relegation rivals. Against Aston Villa, Watford picked up the maximum six points, while Burnley and Leeds only managed one point and Everton lost both games. Manchester United also proved fruitful, Watford taking four points. Everton matched this, but Burnley only managed one point from a draw and Leeds took none from the Red Devils.

So what have we learned? Watford missed a ton of chances to claw back ground on their relegation rivals but ultimately they were far from good enough over the whole season to stand any chance of staying in the Premier League.

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BBC Three Counties' Geoff Doyle has picked five player of the season nominees for you to choose from.

Here are his suggestions:

Hassane Kamara: The left-back joined in January and the Ivory Coast international has performed well in every game he's played, both defensively and even more so in attack. He has stood out as one of the players who is certainly good enough at Premier League level. Watford will do well to keep hold of him.

Moussa Sissoko: The midfielder was made captain shortly after joining in the summer. He's had a tough time of things in the engine room - an area Watford have struggled in - but has never given up and been one of the players who has shown a decent attitude despite all the defeats. Father time is catching up with him, but Sissoko can hold his head high at the end of the season.

Emmanuel Dennis: The forward is a bit of an enigma and his attitude can sometimes be questioned. But in a poor season, Dennis has hit double figures for goals and been a menace at times down the wings. With undoubted ability, if managed well he could be a real handful. Bought for a small fee in the summer, he's likely to leave for a much bigger sum after his season.

Joao Pedro: Not scored as many goals as he should have done but he has undoubted talent and could really evolve into a fine player if he develops further. In possession he has great balance and glides across the pitch. A player who has shown he cares, Pedro is liked by the Watford fans, who would be delighted if they could keep him for the Championship next season.

Cucho Hernandez: A bit like Pedro, he has shown a mature attitude on the pitch and has obvious ability that could blossom in the next few years. He's scored some great goals this season and is another the fans have warmed to.

Who gets your vote? Choose here

Crystal Palace and Everton both want to sign Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, but Newcastle have ended their interest in the 24-year-old Senegal international. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Mike Parkin, From the Rookery End, external

Rating: Giving this catastrophic campaign anything above 1/10 would be generous. It’s been a disaster and I’m sure the highlight was the merciful sound of the final whistle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Let us never speak of the 2021-22 season ever again.

Best performance of the season: Almost laughably easy to choose, with wins so scarce that I was surprised the club didn’t release a commemorative DVD after each victory. Watford beat Everton 5-2, but that was as much down to their defensive meltdown than Watford’s quality. Therefore it goes to the exhilarating 4-1 win over Manchester United at Vicarage Road. Incredibly, it was the Hornets' last home win of the season - in November.

Player of the season: It sums up the campaign that Hassane Kamara was voted player of the season. He didn’t join until part way through the January transfer window. He was nothing more than consistently satisfactory, but with such a dearth of quality, it - along with his effervescent approach and positive relationship with the fans - was enough to make him stand out. Slightly more objectively, Emmanuel Dennis probably deserves it for his goals and assists, considering the side he was in.

Player whose time is up: Dennis will be off, as will Ismaila Sarr and Joshua King. Moussa Sissoko won’t fancy the second tier again. Ben Foster has departed the club after his second stint at Vicarage Road, and it’s a shame that a pretty good Watford career has ended with such a dismal season. We’ll check YouTube to see where he ends up.

Opposition player you’d love at your team: It’s almost impossible to imagine anyone (of any calibre) making any difference. That said, I’ve always admired Son Heung-min. He offers so much more to the Spurs side than just finishing. Surely the only thing left for him to prove is that he can do it at Championship level? If that doesn’t pan out, we’ll take Virgil van Dijk to shore up our impossibly porous defence.

Happy with your new manager? Hiring a manger from League Two is a gamble, but it’s the sort of appointment supporters have been asking for. Rob Edwards has had almost exclusively positive reviews from anyone that has encountered him and after the disastrous reigns of more experienced managers, the fresh approach of Edwards is sending ripples of positivity through the fanbase.

One learning to take into next season: The players must have the right character. Too many times we saw shoulders slump and fingers pointed. This collection never had the appetite for a relegation scrap, so new recruits must have the heart for what will be a tough campaign back in the Championship.

Do you agree with Mike? Have your say here 

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Matt Rowson, BhaPPY blog, external

Rating: 1/10. Unremittingly, maliciously miserable and chaotic. Big wins over United and Everton were incongruous bright spots.

Best performance: Probably our first ever win at Goodison Park. We could easily have lost this, mind, but it showcased an ability to open teams up on the break that we were able to mobilise too rarely.

Player of the season: Hassane Kamara. Signed in January, a gutsy source of positivity in a team devoid of similar.

Player whose time is up: There are a number, but Ozan Tufan - unfit and unbothered - was supposed to be our midfield creativity. He was returned to sender in January. Honourable mention too for Danny Rose, who was quickly confirmed as a bad idea but did at least contribute positively intermittently before being cast adrift.

Opposition player you'd love at your team: Ashley Barnes. A one-man pub brawl who would inject some much-needed aggression.

Happy with your manager? Which one would that be? Roy Hodgson succeeded in stiffening our limp away performances but left us punchless and shapeless at home, where our miserable record of one point since that trouncing of United in November was every bit as joyless as it sounds. Hodgson’s steadfast refusal to play to the gallery won him little favour. As for new man Rob Edwards... he looks and feels the part. Let’s see.

One learning to take into next season: Helps to win at home every now and then.  Radical, I know.

Do you agree with Matt? Have your say here

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It's been a xxx in the Premier League for Watford this season but how much do you remember of the 2021-22 campaign?

We're putting your knowledge to the test with a question from each of the past 10 months.

Have a go at our quiz here

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Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Following relegation from the Premier League two seasons ago Watford owner Gino Pozzo and chief executive Scott Duxbury promised fans they would learn lessons from it and changes would be made. Promotion back to the top flight was instant but once again relegation followed. Except this time, it was worse.

Two years ago, Watford managed 34 points. This time they've scraped 23. They've broken records for defeats particularly at home and lost 27 of 38 games. It's been miserable for the supporters.

Relegation hasn't come as too much of a surprise for those of us who have followed Watford for several years. I once commented to a former coach who was leaving the club that I bet he could write a book on his time at Watford. He replied: "I could write a book on one day here."

Watford haven’t learnt from their previous relegation. Yet the problems seem to stem from the big FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City three years ago, when the Hornets began the following season without winning in their first 11 games. Something wasn’t right.

Since then, seven head coaches have lost their jobs and there has been a catalogue of errors. Dubious manager appointments, poor player recruitment, no long-term policy, switching coaches with one style to the exact opposite, lack of team cohesion, poor morale, questionable attitudes - the list of errors is lengthy. And it starts at the top.

It's particularly hard on the employees who work at the club behind the scenes in sales, ticketing, commercial, catering: hard-working people who will be sad, frustrated and privately annoyed at what has gone on again. Hopefully, jobs won't have to be lost.

At least Championship football will be easier and much more Watford's level. This squad should easily be good enough for a top-six charge.

But for those hoping new head coach Rob Edwards will have more of a say on football matters could be disappointed. History and the way this club is run suggests that's not going to be the case.

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Watford's return to the Premier League lasted just a season as, after a campaign featuring more different Hornets managers (three) than home wins (two), they were relegated back to the Championship with somewhat of a whimper.

Xisco Munoz, Claudio Ranieri and Roy Hodgson picked up just two wins apiece but do Watford's problems this season lie deeper than the man in the hotseat after 27 defeats in 38 games including the last-gasp final-day loss at Chelsea?

After a string of foreign or high-profile managers, Watford have mixed things up by appointing Forest Green's Rob Edwards as Hodgson's successor - do you think he can lead you to an immediate return to the top flight or will that job take longer?

Have your say here

You can now relive all the drama from the final day of the Premier League season on BBC iPlayer.

Catch up with the action from all 10 matches here

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• Chelsea are the only team in Premier League history to go through a whole season without ever being behind at half-time.

• Watford lost 27 league games this season. Only once in their history have they ever lost more, doing so in 1971-72 (28 in the second tier).

• Chelsea have never lost against Watford at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League (eight) – only versus Stoke (10), Fulham (15) and Middlesbrough (15) have they played more times without ever losing at home in the competition.

• Kai Havertz has scored more goals in all competitions at Stamford Bridge this season than any other Chelsea player (eight). Seven of his 12 Premier League goals have been scored against teams starting the day in the relegation zone.

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Matthew Howarth, BBC Sport

Having secured third place courtesy of Thursday's 1-1 draw at home to Leicester, Thomas Tuchel made five changes to his starting line-up against the Hornets, handing Kenedy a long-awaited Premier League return for the club and Saul Niguez his first top-flight start since March.

Kenedy repaid his manager’s faith with a lively first-half performance, setting up Kai Havertz’s opener and carving out another opportunity for the German forward late in the first half, which came back off the crossbar.

Dan Gosling’s first Premier League goal for Watford appeared to have earned the visitors a point near the end of a poor second half, but Ross Barkley’s first goal of the season – on his 100th appearance for the club – gave the Blues victory in front of prospective new owner Todd Boehly.

With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to leave in the summer, and Spain internationals Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso linked with Barcelona, Tuchel is expecting "open and honest" conversations with Boehly before a big summer for the club.

Outgoing Watford boss Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, will have enjoyed his team's second-half showing at Stamford Bridge but it was not enough to earn the Hornets a hard-earned point in front of his successor Rob Edwards.

Hodgson, 74, said earlier this month he was planning to retire after leaving Watford - and although he stopped short of ruling out ever returning, he suggested after this game that he would be calling it a day.

Watford manager Roy Hodgson, speaking to BBC Sport: "I thought it was an excellent performance right from the start. We knew it was going to be tough, but I felt we handled it pretty well throughout.

"Unfortunately we shot ourselves in the foot again, as we have done on too many occasions, but I’ve got nothing but praise for the players today and admiration for what they’ve done since we’ve gone down.

"I’m hoping to travel and find something else to occupy my time. It’s not an easy thing for me to wean myself off football. It’s something I’m very grateful for and I’ll now pass the baton to the people who are still here."