Football Season Review

Watford's 2013/14 Championship campaign ended up fizzling out with a real whimper. Giuseppe Sannino's men had an outside chance of sneaking into the Playoffs with just five games remaining and after an Easter weekend win over Ipswich the Hornets were within reach. Nevertheless, the Hertfordshire side promptly lost all four of their remaining matches and ended up finishing in a disappointing 13th position. Italian boss, Sannino was appointed as Watford's new boss in December 2013 after the departure of Gianfranco Zola. Sannino is a vastly experienced manager in Italian football and his sides are always regarded for their work-rate and team shape. It took Sannino a while to get them playing in his style but by March they were beginning to mix things up with a more direct, rugged approach at times. Top scorer, Troy Deeney remained Watford's attacking focal point with 24 league goals to his name. Playmaker, Almen Abdi returned to action in the latter half of the campaign after a troublesome foot problem and he, along with Cristian Battocchio, made positive contributions from the middle of the park. Defensively, Gabrielle Angella shone as part of a three-man central defence, and Sannino will have his work cut out ensuring Angella and many of the other Italian players in the squad remain at Watford and are not lured back to Serie A for the 2014/15 season.

Player of the Season: Troy Deeney