Vital Reading season preview
Club: Watford F.C.
Founded: 1881
Nickname: The Hornets
Ground: Vicarage Road (Capacity: 17,477)
When we face off: Sat 17th August (H), Sat 11th January (A)
Last season finish: 3rd – Championship
Manager: Gianfranco Zola – The Italian returned to management, following a two-year absence and has made a great impression with the Hornets. Zola’s attractive and free-flowing style seemed right up Watford’s street, with their young, Italian loaneee’s excelling in the second tier. Despite falling in the play-off final last season, Zola will be more determined than ever to get Watford back to the the top flight.
Key player: Fernando Forestieri – The 23-year old is among many Watford players who are likely to be catching the eye this season, but the young Argentinian has proven his pedigree already at this level. The former Italy under 21 international scored ten times for Watford season, as well as impressing with his superb dribbling and technical ability. The Hornets will be glad they snapped him up on a permanent deal in January.
Season Preview – Some have a problem with the Watford have been going about their transfer business, but I don’t see any problems at all with it. They have signed a fair amount of those loan players on a permanent too, which will be a massive boost to Zola in the long-term. The Hornets just missed out on promotion in the last campaign, but I believe they will be fighting for automatic promotion again, if Zola can once again get the squad settled in quickly and playing some neat stuff.
