Watford failed to secure top ten finish yet again, but the Hornets were at least solid enough to stay out of the bottom three all season and despite changing managers midway through the campaign and dealing with long-term injuries to at least five-six players almost constantly the Hornets should celebrate the fact that they didn’t have too many turbulences this campaign.
Promising start for the signed in the summer coach Marco Silva saw Watford securing four wins and three draws in the opening eight rounds and come October the Hornets were even knocking on the top four. Doucoure and Chalobah formed formidable midfield partnership early in the season and it was very unfortunate that the latter suffered a season-ending injury in round 5. Kaboul also played his last match in round 4 and these problems to two of the regular starters unsettled Watford in the long term.
The problems started in late October with Watford losing 8 of 11 between then and Christmas. Coach Silva only just has refused to take charge of Everton at the beginning of this poor stretch. He must have regretted that as come round 24 in mid-January he was surprisingly sacked after Watford began 2018 with one draw and two defeats.
Javi Gracia took charge then and his first five games at the helm brought ten points, which again lifted Watford way above the teams in trouble. Quickly the sacking of Silva proved harsh though as it was the many absent through injury players that were affecting the performances, not so much the style of play or the effort put in, and even under Gracia Watford had difficulties late in the season as they earned just two points between rounds 30 and 36. Despite that the point tally was good enough to keep the side safe comfortably and many wonder how far the Hornets could have gone if all their starters had been fit.
