http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/watfordfc/watfordfcnews/11108895._/ Some views from the manager and Deeney as to what the problem is. The message that's coming across, from within the club, is concentration, personality, spirit and courage have all been lacking. I remember Zola saying similar things that the players had lost confidence and they had to show more personality. This is an area I hope the club address in the summer transfer dealings. We need to sign players, not just on technical ability, but that are winners with real heart and desire. This is what we lack and I think if we sign only a couple of players with big, positive personalities, it will make a huge difference.
We've lost our last 3 away matches. The last time that happened (in the league) was near the beginning of Dyche's run, when we lost 4 in a row..Southampton, Leicester, Hull and Middlesboro. I seem to remember the Hull match was 2-3 and we lost to an injury time winner? Plus ca change! It's hard to answer the question about our recent away form. Several of the team who've not won away since October were also in the teams that won at Birmingham, Barnsley and Huddersfield at the start of the season, while more than a few were regulars in our team that boasted such a good away record last season. The curse of late goals has obviously played a factor (so close to wins at Leicester and Middlesboroand and a draw at Wigan). Confidence obviously plays a part too. The longer a winless run goes on, the harder it must be to go into an away match feeling positive. And as it happened in the first of our run of 12 winless away games, I still think the 'goal that never was' at Brighton has played a more significant role in our season than felt possible at the time.
Sannino has said he doesn't set the team up differently for away matches, as if that can't be the reason. But if we aren't winning away and are at home, then surely that smacks of the fact we should be setting up differently? It's not just the normal difference of home and away, winning 6 in a row at home with clean sheets and not winning in 14 away is ridiculous. http://www.soccerstats.com/homeaway.asp?league=england2 8th vs 15th, but that's probably evening out with Zola's opposite pattern.
I've highlighted that part because we then have Deeney's comments that suggest we aren't playing as far up the pitch as we do at home. It's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. I really do feel that going forward from the start of next season we will see a change. As a side not to change, let's not forget that the players Nani has brought into the club after last summer's influx have all been ideally suited to the 3-5-2 set up. Whilst our squad depth was great, it was only really for one set up.
Interesting that before todays game we had taken the lead in 9 of our last 14 away games. None of them ended in victory.
