Sometimes brash, often right-on, Troy Deeney never minces his words. The Watford captain is proudly outspoken, dependably honest and possesses a clarity of opinion. It is these attributes that have made him a great leader since he assumed the armband at Vicarage Road half a decade ago, and will make him a coveted television pundit once his playing career winds down. Beneath it all, though, first a...

Being a football manager is similar to being Prime Minister. It’s one of the few jobs which is public enough everyone takes an interest and feels they could do better. Watford coach Javi Gracia will have felt that way at numerous points throughout his brief Vicarage Road tenure, but never more than last Saturday. Matchday 37, the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, and the Span...

Watford fan Mike Parkin, of From The Rookery End podcast, discusses the Hornets’ recent plight and his hopes for improvement following a spat at St Mary’s on Saturday… Watford’s FA Cup fixture with Southampton was a largely forgettable affair, with neither side serving up a performance likely to allay relegation fears. Despite the paucity of on-field entertainment, the game was b...

The flirting between Islam Slimani and Watford has been nearly as blatant as Marco Silva‘s fluttering of his eyelashes when Everton‘s interest became clear. Slimani, who is Leicester City‘s record signing at a whopping £29million, is out of favour at the King Power Stadium for the third manager in succession and it seems inevitable he will leave. The Algerian worked under Silva a...

In a relegation battle, you need cojones, and maybe that’s why Watford striker Troy Deeney is a Newcastle United transfer target. Despite sitting in 13th, the Magpies are just two points off the bottom three, and ESPN claim Rafa Benítez has identified the Watford striker, who shot to prominence after claiming Arsenal lacked ‘cojones’, as his No.1 January target. It wasn’t a secret that...

No-one better encapsulates Watford‘s decline this season than captain Troy Deeney. The battering ram forward has, like his team, seen his star wane dramatically. Now he finds himself out of form, out of favour and, maybe, out of time at the club. Deeney, unlike those inside Vicarage Road, could see what was going to happen when he set off in the 33rd minute of Watford’s defeat to Hudde...

For Watford fans defeat at Chelsea was just about excusable. They had seen their side come from behind against the Premier League champions only to be undone late on. Whereas against Stoke City, typically a hard nut to crack, the Hornets were unable to break down Mark Hughes‘ limited side after falling behind. But it was a different matter altogether at Everton on Sunday as Marco Silva‘...

When the transfer window closed on August 31, West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis had reason to throw his baseball cap in the air in delight. The Baggies made a slew of impressive signings throughout the summer, including Kieran Gibbs, Jay Rodriguez, Oliver Burke and Gareth Barry, while capturing Poland international Grzegorz Krychowiak was hailed as a particularly eye-catching coup. On top of...

Having waited until October to get a run in the Watford side, Troy Deeney will now sit out the Hornets’ next three Premier League fixtures after he was retrospectively banned for what can best be described as trying to burst Joe Allen‘s head. The Stoke City midfielder riled the Watford skipper late in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Vicarage Road and, in the ensuing meleé, Deeney reacted b...

If there is ever a time to go to Stamford Bridge and face Premier League champions Chelsea, then it’s this weekend. And that’s the task in hand for Watford and Marco Silva. The Hornets have been the Premier League’s surprise package this season and are riding high in fourth place heading into the weekend’s early kick-off (12.30pm). That is thanks to a third consecutive game...

When Tom Cleverley joined Watford on loan from Manchester United ahead of the 2009/10 season then-Hornets boss Malky Mackay had to beg, borrow and steal to afford the loan fee. After six-and-a-half years away Cleverley returned to Vicarage Road on loan from Everton in January. In March the move was made permanent on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee. And the Mancunian wrote another chapt...

Watford captain Troy Deeney has caused quite the stir in the wake of his comments about Arsenal. As he often does, Deeney spoke his mind when asked about the Gunners’ performance at Vicarage Road on Saturday that saw them squander a lead to lose 2-1. “I’ve heard [Arsene] Wenger’s already blaming [the penalty] as the reason for why they lost,” Deeney told BT Sport. “Well, I’m not...

It would have been unthinkable, even crazy, to predict at the start of the season that after eight Premier League games, Watford would sit in fourth place ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Going into Saturday’s game, both the Hornets and Arsenal had the chance to make that jump and despite the positive effect Marco Silva has had on their improvement, the Gunners would have been the fa...

When Watford stunned Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in January it was the Hornets’ first league win against the Gunners since 1988. Now Marco Silva’s side are looking to clinch their first home win against the north Londoners since a 2-0 triumph in 1987. Arsène Wenger brings his side to Vicarage Road for Saturday’s tea-time kick-off having won four in a row in all competitions,...

Under Walter Mazzarri, Watford were an uninspiring watch last season but now the regime of Marco Silva has given the Hornets a new lease of life. The 6-0 loss to a rampant Manchester City side at home, when arguably their best three centre backs were out injured, was Watford’s first league defeat of the campaign, having won two of their opening four Premier League fixtures and picking up eig...

Watford’s hierarchy wasted no time appointing Hull City boss Marco Silva as Walter Mazzarri’s successor and the Portuguese will have to follow suit in order to get the Hornets ready for a third consecutive season of Premier League football. The end of Mazzarri’s reign was acrimonious. The Italian was unpopular amongst the club’s supporters and there were few tears when it w...

Newly appointed Everton manager Ronald Koeman wasted no time dipping into the transfer window upon his appointment in June. The Merseyside club spent over £45m on Yannick Bolasie, Ashley Williams Idrissa Gueye and Maarten Stekelenburg as well as managing to keep Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley at the club despite interest from Champions League clubs. Their only significant loss being John Stones wh...