Watford have been relegated for the second time in three years. Are the Hornets going to continue to be a yo-yo club and win promotion back to the Premier League in 2022/23?
What happened last year?
There was a lot of hope within the Watford fandom that last year was the year they could progress as a club and attack the middle pack. With shrewd signings like Danny Rose, Moussa Sissoko and Josh King, many would have thought this possible too. This didn’t turn out to be the case. They finished second bottom with the most losses in the league and the second worse goal difference, as well as being knocked out in both the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the third round.
With three coaches in one season, they were always destined to fail. Neither Claudio Ranieri nor Premier League veteran Roy Hodgson could help them, with the pair achieving a total of four wins in 32 matches.
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Key signings?
Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards takes over this season, becoming the 18th Watford manager in 10 years. He joins from Forest Green Rovers after winning the League Two title. This signing breaks the mould of Watford’s previous managerial appointment structure. Rob is a young, forward thinking English coach with a lot of ambition and lots to prove. Hie previously managed AFC Telford, Wolves U23’s and England U16’s with Watford being his biggest task yet.
Vakoun Issouf Bayo
Signing from the Charleroi in the Belgium Jupiler Pro for £5.22 million, Bayo scored 11 goals last season and registered two assists. Before signing for Charleroi from Genk in January he played for Celtic, appearing in the Europa League and Toulouse, scoring 10 goals in Ligue 2.
And who’s out?
They had a big clear out this summer, with many top earners leaving for greener pastures. Notable departures include Andre Gray, Josh King, Moussa Sissoko, Philip Zinckernagel and Cucho Hernandez.
Ben Foster
Ben Foster is the biggest name departure and one most likely to be missed. The experienced keeper has put an end to his second stint at the club, being followed out the door by Rob Elliot, and has left the Hornets questioning who will be their new No.1 for this season.
Foster’s future is still uncertain, with a move back to the Premier League as an experienced No.2/3 being heavily tipped.
Who is their star man?
Ismaïla Sarr
Unquestionably, Ismaïla Sarr is the Hornets star player. The Senegal international is still only 24 years old and has been tipped with a big money move for the last few seasons. Watford signed him from Stade Rennais for £27 million back in 2019 and he has been excellent ever since. He was a major player in their promotion charge in 2021, contributing to 23 goals in the league. He was troubled with injury last season but still contributed to 7 goals in the Premier League. If Watford can hold off the vultures once again this year, he is sure to be a vital player for Rob Edwards.
What can we expect from them in 2022/23?
If the last few seasons have been anything to go by, which they usually are, Watford will be near the top of the pack once again and will be pushing for automatic promotion. They are currently second favourites behind Norwich to win the league outright with odds as short as 11/2.
If Watford add one or two more quality pieces to their squad and manage to keep their best players, they have a real chance of doing just this.
Where do the odds project them to finish?
Watford are currently second favourite to win the League at a best price 7/1 (11/2 Shortest).
Any recommended bets?
The Championship is always the most open league with an outright winner almost impossible to predict. However, Watford are one of the clubs to go down this past season and one club usually goes straight back up. With odds as short as 13/8 for Watford to be promoted, it would be more worthwhile betting on them to win the league outright (7/1 best)
