Watford hoping to build on Newcastle displaypublished at 19:08 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2022
Watford v Norwich (20:00 GMT)
Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport
Watford’s postponed game at Burnley on Tuesday has really helped out the Hornets. It’s meant they haven’t had to deal with three tense relegation matches in a week.
So they come into the huge game against Norwich having had nearly a week to prepare for it rather than days. Fans have been calling it the last of the three cup finals (two as it’s turned out). Six pointer has inevitably been used.
Certainly a win would give Watford some breathing space from the other three teams down the bottom. A defeat would put them into the bottom three for the first time this season.
The postponement will have helped the three new signings (Samir, Edo Kayembe and Hassane Kamara) adjust even more to their new team-mates and environment after impressing so much at Newcastle on their debuts. Claudio Ranieri emphasised their defensive importance this week: “The three new signings are very good. They have brought quality and experience; new strengths. We now have a very good block."
It also seems likely another signing will be in soon, with news that winger Samuel Kalu is set to join from Bordeaux. Watford have done well to act fast in the transfer window and it’s given fans more optimism they can survive in the Premier League. Expect to see some of the ‘deadwood’ exit the squad.
With Kiko Femenia and Ben Foster back from injury and others recovering well and close to returning to the squad, plus the Africa Cup of Nations players home soon, February should see Watford with a far better squad than they’ve had all season.
The future looks much brighter and now they need to act on that with results on the pitch. The Newcastle draw was a step in the right direction but it’s wins which will keep the Hornets up.