Watford 0–2 MK: Chickens come home to roost against McFranchise
In football, but particularly at the start of a revolution, the next result is king.
After three draws and a pair of Championship wins, a resounding win over League One strugglers Milton Keynes would have been just the tonic; Watford’s start would have been looked upon favourably. But a wretched display and 2–0 defeat did not provide the relief Rob Edwards desperately needed — not that he should be feeling the heat.
This was everything Watford have got away with so far, amplified and put under a microscope at a half-full, lifeless Vicarage Road in the last of the August sun. The temperature might (finally) be dropping but the heat is rising for the Hornets and their power brokers.
Here are five quick-fire thoughts from yet another League Cup exit to a lower-league side…
1. First string well below par: Typically in these fixtures, we have seen the backup brigade get and spectacularly fail to take their chance. But with such a thin squad available, Edwards was virtually forced to use a number of regular starters or, at least, first-team squad members. Without the Newcastle United-bound João Pedro, injured Ismaïla Sarr, Tom Cleverley and Tom Dele-Bashiru, or unfit Kortney Hause and Keinan Davis, this was pretty much it.
That meant six changes with Maduka Okoye, William Troost-Ekong, Mattie Pollock, Mario Gaspar, Dan Gosling and Joseph Hungbo coming in. Craig Cathcart, Edo Kayembe, Yáser Asprilla, Vakoun Bayo and Rey Manaj retained their places.
Of those brought in, only Pollock and Hungo can be considered true ‘backups’. Okoye might have started the season as No1 ahead of Dan Bachmann, while Troost-Ekong, Gaspar, and Gosling will likely play a hefty chunk of football this season. It might not have been the first XI but we didn’t see the lesser-spotted Adalberto Peñaranda — the true sign of an early League Cup tie.
And they were largely awful. Against a side third-bottom of League One — albeit they did well last season under Liam Manning — they were comprehensively out-coached, out-played and could have no qualms about the result. In fact, MK looked far more likely to score a third than Watford did to get one.
2. Mario Gaspar is not a wing-back: Add right wing-back to the list of positions we desperately need an upgrade for. Though much-improved against Birmingham City, Gaspar was so out of his depth against MK it was painful to watch at times.
His complete and utter refusal to cross the halfway line — even when there were acres of space to amble into — was reminiscent of Ken Sema at his most reluctant. In fact, the Swede’s cameo off the bench was the one bright spot on the night. He showed urgency, forward thrust and frustration at those not displaying those traits.
There has been plenty of debate about how and where Gaspar will fit in. After seeking the insight of a Villarreal-supporting friend, I was told ‘His legs have gone’ and he could not play as a wing-back. On this evidence, they were right.
Edwards spent a lot of the first half encouraging the former Spain international to get forward. Reluctantly, he did. But his evident discomfort receiving the ball in anything other than total freedom was painfully obvious.
He does not have the pace to go beyond the opposing full-back and his delivery has been hit-and-miss — at best. If Jeremy Ngakia is a non-option — and his lack of involvement so far suggests as much — a right wing-back has to be on that ever-growing shopping list between now and September 1.
3. Maduka does ‘Okoye’ but no more: Excuse the mediocre pun, folks, it seemed better at the time. Possibly like Okoye when Watford paid somewhere in the region of £5million to sign him in January.
Much has been made of that transfer fee — not insignificant for a goalkeeper at Watford — and the subsequent decision to continue with Bachmann between the sticks. Okoye got his long-awaited debut against MK and did…OK.
The second goal looked a little awkward in real-time and so it proved after seeing the replay. Being 6ft 6in comes with perks and drawbacks — one of which is not being able to get down quickly enough. But let’s not write him off after 90 minutes.
Otherwise, Okoye didn’t put a foot wrong. There was one clearance that spun upward rather than forward but his kicking was largely good and he did everything else well. Most notably rushing off his line to make a near-post block in the first half.
In all, nothing to suggest Edwards got the No1 decision wrong.
4. Striking contrast up front: As things stand, Bayo and Manaj are Watford’s first-choice strike partnership. Davis is on the path to full fitness, while Sarr and Pedro are out of contention. Cameron Archer could still join on loan — if Aston Villa sign a replacement — but for now, it’s these two.
Manaj gave the kind of performance that suggested any positivity about his arrival might be woefully misplaced. He spent as much time on the floor as he did upright, struggled to impose himself physically, and did not bring others into play.
We accept, largely, he will not be a 15–20-goal-a-season striker. But if that’s the case, he has to do the selfless, unglamorous work to benefit those around him. While he showed a willingness to drop off, he was wholly ineffectual.
Bayo was not much better but at least managed to keep himself vertical, rather than horizontal. The Ivorian only had one real sniff of goal — stabbing straight at Jamie Cumming while falling over — but again showed a willingness to run in behind.
Until they get some consistent and decent service, the jury is out but the verdict is not expected to be favourable.
5. The honeymoon is officially over: Not for Edwards but for this new era of transparency and doing things differently. The full-time boos were justified. This was a limp display from a disjointed team, many of whom will be expected to play against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Edwards took the blame afterward, which was generous of him, though there were some strange decisions. For example, withdrawing Pollock for Francisco Sierralta with 10 minutes remaining. Quite how Gosling managed the full 90 remains a mystery.
This was a highlights reel of the worst bits of the opening five games — not one anyone will want to rewatch.
Transfer market developments have tested fan patience and, with only a week of the window remaining, the need for reinforcements is desperate.
The next week, rather than this game, will determine whether Watford have a successful season or not. But this was a bleak glimpse into the future nonetheless.