West Ham welcome Watford to the London Stadium this Friday evening, for a genuine 6-pointer. The winners will be safe, whilst the losers will have to endure a nail-biting week or so until the final curtain is drawn on the season. Ahead of the game I once again spoke to Jon Southwood, from Watford fansite GloryHorns to discuss the match and the dying embers of the season.
It’s been a strange old season, with both our clubs changing managers, (Watford twice). How is life under Nigel Pearson?
Life under Nigel Pearson is pretty good I think. He started brilliantly after taking over when we were 6 points adrift at the bottom and then the results kind of dried up. Since the restart we got a good draw with Leicester followed by some disappointing performances. Winning the last 2 games has been great but we’re still right in the mire. Good to have an English coach at last.
I expect like me, you were cursing the results at Bournemouth and Aston Villa, after our own wins? Are you confident that Watford will be able to stay up? Who are going down with Norwich?
Absolutely, being 6 points ahead of Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime felt a bit like job done, we’re safe. Then come Sunday the situation reverts to being the same. It would have been nice to have been playing out a draw on Friday safe in the knowledge that a point for each side would probably enough. I’m not confident that we can stay up unless we get something out of Saturdays game. Villa will go down with Bournemouth or Watford.
Switching to the top of the table, which teams are going to join Man City and Liverpool in the Champions’ League? And which two teams will take the next 2 places?
Chelsea and Man Utd for Champions League, Leicester and Wolves for Europa
Which opposition teams and players have impressed you this season?
I think Southampton have impressed me most for the way they have played since getting drubbed 9-0 at home. The reaction there has been superb and Hassenhutel has done an excellent job as has Danny Ings….surely a shoo in for the next England squad.
Who gets your vote for Watford player of the year?
Etienne Capoue
Which player(s) have most disappointed?
Andre Gray …hopeless and a complete waste of £18,000,000
What have been the highlights and lowlights of this season?
The 3 – 0 win over Liverpool was the absolute highlight. We played them off the park in every department and scored some great goals to boot, a brief glimpse at how the season could have been. The rest of the season has been a lowlight really missing out by inches too often and not getting the points that some performances have merited but also putting in far too many weak efforts
Looking ahead to next year, what do Watford need to do to improve on this season?
Concentration and discipline in defence and burying chances upfront
How will Watford line up against West Ham this Friday? Players/formation?
Foster
Femenia Cathcart Dawson Holebas
Sarr Capoue Hughes Pereyra
Deeney Wellbeck
Are you confident going into this game? Prediction for score please?
I’m confident that we’ll be up for it, we have to be because (with no disrespect to you) Man City and Arsenal away aren’t likely to be anything but losses. I’d hope we can share the spoils on Friday night.
Well many thanks to Jon for his time and thoughts. Let’s hope that we can see off Watford, if merely to prevent me spending more hours staring at the fixture list and table, wasting hours working out the permutations. 2 – 1 West Ham. COYI