As Palace prepare to meet Watford for the FA Cup semi-final, we had a chat with Bradley Hayden from Watford FC Blog about the season so far and thoughts on the big game.
Q. How has your first season back in the Premier League been for the Hornets?
On the whole it has been superb. I think any Watford fan would have taken being in twelfth place on forty-one points with four games to go and being in the semi finals of the FA Cup. We have kind of been the architects of our own downfall in one sense, as after a magnificent first half of the season, we have not performed as well since January/February and that has disappointed some. But on the whole, it has been a brilliant season. The main aim for any promoted side is to stay up and we are on the brink of doing that.
Q. Have the fans been impressed by manager Quique Sanchez Flores?
I like him. He has made us very difficult to beat and he really drills the players so that they know the game plan and what they are set to face. Some doubts have started to creep into my mind in the last month, given how poorly we have played at times and the slump we were in, but four points from our last three games has put me at ease. Quite a few fans like him, however there are a section of supporters who are not happy about the style of play and are concerned about our form since January. There have been reports this week that we might sack him in the summer, but I cannot see that happening.
Q. Who is your player of the year?
Heurelho Gomes, without a shadow of a doubt. It would be a travesty if he did not win the award. He has been superb. Gomes has been so consistent ever since he joined the club and has become a firm fans favourite, but this season I think he has proven his doubters from other Premier League sides wrong. He has pulled off a number of superb saves and has kept us in games virtually on his own at times this season. Whilst Deeney and Ighalo have grabbed all the headlines, Gomes has really been the star man and the club’s most consistent performer this season.
Q. What business do you expect the club to be involved in during the summer?
I think it could be another frantic summer. We already have Abdoulaye Doucoure coming in and there are strong rumours that he will be joined by Jerome Sinclair and Isaac Success. Adelbuerto Penaranda was announced in January but has spent the rest of the season on loan at Granada. It was thought he was linking up with us in the summer, but recent comments from the player have suggested otherwise. Aside from them, I expect a right back and two new left backs will come in. I would imagine another striker or two will join as well, as we have relied heavily on Deeney and Ighalo this season and I would not be surprised if the latter was sold in the summer. I could also see another winger joining the club as well.
Q. How has your run to the semi final been and did you have a feeling Watford would get this far?
I never thought we would get this far, especially as we never really played very well in the competition right up to the quarter final. We beat Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Leeds all 1-0 during the third, fourth and fifth round. Then it got to quarter final time and we were drawn against Arsenal and no one gave us a chance, especially as it was at the Emirates. But we have proved everyone wrong. A magnificent strike from former Palace man Adlene Guedioura put us 2-0 up, before Danny Welbeck pulled one back with three minutes of normal time left to set-up a nervy finish. Welbeck then missed an open goal deep into stoppage time, but we managed to hold on to secure a famous victory. Now it is semi-final time!
Q. Is the magic of the FA Cup still well and truly alive?
I think, from both our experiences in the cup this season, the magic of the cup is still alive. Anything can happen and it will be great to see a smaller team fighting it out in the final. We may not see as many shocks as as we used to, but the FA Cup is still a magical competition where anything can happen. You only have to look back to Wigan Athletic’s victory over Manchester City, where a certain Ben Watson popped up with the winning goal!
Q. Your thoughts on Palace this season?
You started off the season so well. I am surprised you are actually in the position that you are currently in. I genuinely thought a top ten finish was on the cards given your early season form. I likeYohan Cabaye and your wingers Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie. I think where you have struggled this season is up top. You do not really have a clinical 15-20 goal a season striker. Wickham is a good player but I am not sure if he is a regular scorer of goals as of yet. I think a striker should definitely be on your shopping list in the summer. I like the way you play though and think you will see improvement next season.
Q. Name a player from each side that you think the opposition should be concerned about.
For Palace I will say Wilfried Zaha. He always seems to go up a notch when he plays against us and no one can seem to handle him. His pace and skill always causes problems and whoever we seem to deploy, no one can stop him. He has so much talent and he always seems to play at his very best against us.
For us, Troy Deeney. He brings so much more to this side than goals. He works so hard for the team and always tracks back to help out defensively. You can always rely on him to give 100% every single game and he is the heart beat of this Watford side. He is so important to this side and you recognise when he is not playing. If it was a toss up between losing either him or Ighalo in the summer, then I would pick Ighalo every day of the week. Deeney is virtually irreplaceable.
Q. Prediction?
1-0 Watford.
Q. Perhaps you could tell us a little more about your fan group and any projects that you are working on?
I set up www.thewatfordblog.com in 2012 and it has continued to grow and develop. I am the sole writer and am in charge of all of the content that goes on the website and Twitter page. I genuinely produce opinion features and other newsworthy content, such as match previews, who the referee will be, match reports and the like which is uploaded on to the website for people to view. It has proven to be a huge success and I really enjoy what I do. As well as my blog, I am currently at Brunel University studying for a degree in Journalism. I also write for a website called Careersinfootball.com where I interview professional footballers, coaches, managers and other professionals in the football industry to inspire people hoping for a job in football to follow their dream. I also write the fan’s view for the Watford Observer, where I give my view on the club every couple of weeks.
