We always like to look at five players to look out for on the opposing team before a game, and we thought who better to ask than senior editor & football data journalist for @optaanalyst, Matt Furniss, who provided us with an in depth look at Watford’s ones to watch.
WESLEY HOEDT
Hoedt isn’t our captain, but he should be. The only man to play every single competitive minute for Watford this season, and a threat in both boxes (… arguably for both teams). His passing range is exceptional, he’s solid in the tackle and reads the game well, but he can be caught off guard by any striker with above average pace and movement and struggles to readjust his tall frame at times when defending – a perfect example was his inability to cope with Josh Coburn’s winning goal at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
His long-range passing ability allows us to quickly switch play from left to right – he’s made more switches in open play than any other player in the Championship this season (29), and you’ll no doubt see a few laser-guided rockets from his left foot into either Yáser Asprilla or Tom Ince on the right wing on Wednesday night.
IMRÂN LOUZA
At the present time, Louza is the player with the most natural footballing ability in our squad. However, the Moroccan international hasn’t had the best of times recently after a brilliant opening day performance versus QPR. When he’s on it, he’s a joy to watch. His exceptional ball control, short and long passing range as well as bite in the tackle make him an influential player in the centre of the pitch. My opinion is that he doesn’t really want to be here, which is displaying quite openly with his performances over recent weeks.
He's our leading chance creator across all competitions this season (23), while as the tempo-setter in the centre of midfield he has been involved in 53 shot-ending sequences of possession in open play this season in the Championship – 10 more than any other Watford player.
MATHEUS MARTINS
The Fluminense to Watford path is one that’s worked well for both Richarlison and Joao Pedro and Matheus Martins is the third player to wander that path. Unlike the other two, who joined the club when we were a decent Premier League side, Martins has unfortunately come to Hertfordshire when we’re not actually that good. He struggled to make an impact in the side last season under our 27 different managers, which was understandable having moved to a new (much colder) country and having to adapt his game. This summer he rejoined on loan from Udinese for another crack at the Championship and looks twice the player and hungry for success.
Bullish in possession and a real joy to watch when cutting in off the left side of the pitch on his right foot, he’s got a brilliant shot on him which could cause Sunderland problems if they allow him too much space. He’s had the most shots (26) and shots on target (9) of all Watford players in all competitions this season.
YÁSER ASPRILLA
The player with the highest ceiling in our squad and probably the next one that goes for big money. Asprilla has so much potential and shows his talent in flashes with his passing range and exceptional centre of gravity, ghosting past players and spinning tackles from Championship meatheads, he gets Watford fans off their seats. The issue with the young Colombian is that he lacks the consistency to be a regular in the side, which is why he’s played only 38% of possible minutes for us in all competitions across 2023-24.
Asprilla had a brilliant summer at the U20 World Cup with Colombia. This, mixed with a new agent, saw him linked to a host of top clubs this summer, but we managed to hold on to him. I’ve watched Watford for over 30 years, and granted I missed out on the Graham Taylor heydays of the 80s, I’ve not seen a player that can thread a pass between a crowd of players with the precision that Asprilla can. He played one such pass to Vakoun Bayo on Saturday versus Middlesbrough to the astonishment of the majority in attendance, but unfortunately Bayo is just a bit crap and couldn’t finish it.
Across the squad, Asprilla averaged the most open play chances created per 90 (4), so given a long run in the side, there’s little doubt he’d be among the top creators in the Championship.
VAKOUN BAYO
In the Asprilla section, I labelled Vakoun Bayo as “just a bit crap.” Now this is maybe a little harsh on Bayo, as he’s not worse than the average Championship striker, but the bar for an acceptable Watford striker has got lower and lower as the years go on.
Bayo is our best striker in the squad, to my eye. That’s not saying a lot, because the competition is Mileta Rajović – who was scoring goals in front of car parks within the Danish second division a year ago – and Rhys Healey, who has played just 17 minutes of competitive action for us this season due to injury/ Valérien Ismaël clearly not fancying him.
Bayo was with us last season, signing for a quite ludicrous £5million from Charleroi (nothing dodgy about this *taps nose*) and was shipped out on loan in January (back to his former club Charleroi *taps nose*) after failing to impress with his four goals in 25 appearances. He became a bit of a forgotten man at the club, with everyone presuming he’d be off this summer, so when he started to play in pre-season, fans became a little worried about him being our main striker.
That arguably still the case, with Rajović rawer than steak tartare and non-existent competition elsewhere in the squad. But Bayo has done okay so far, with three goals in nine competitive appearances, including one at the weekend.
Bayo isn’t going to win any awards this season in the Championship, but if he can provide some threat in the number nine role and free up space for some of our more talented midfielders to get goals in the side, it could work out.
He’s going to score a hat-trick in this game now, isn’t he? n.b. He definitely won’t, don’t worry.
