Silva could be a new Special One
IT IS not just Watford’s manager who should be the envy of other Premier League clubs. Yes, they were aided by a shambolic Newcastle here, but Marco Silva’s side were ruthless in exposing those home faults.
And this, it should be noted, is a team with just one current international, Jamaica’s Adrian Mariappa.
Their best player at St James’ Park was Marvin Zeegelaar. Never heard of him? That’s because he only made his debut last week.
Quite how Holland have ignored this marauding left wing-back is a mystery, certainly on the evidence of this performance. He wore a protective mask as a result of a broken nose inflicted by Andy Carroll’s elbow on his English bow, but given the manner in which he raided Newcastle’s backline, it was an apt accessory.
He provided two assists — one for Will Hughes’s opener and the other for DeAndre Yedlin’s own goal — and it would have been more had it not been for Andre Gray’s errant finishing.
Zeegelaar represented everything which is so impressive about the unheralded Hornets. In short, they are big, fast and strong.
Abdoulaye Doucoure in the heart of their midfield is a different player to last season now he is under the guidance of Silva. He had looked like another foreign import of the Pozzo regime who would pass through Vicarage Road without making any impact — he was sent on loan to Granada after signing in 2016 — but the 24-year-old is now the key to Watford’s unlikely assault on the European places.
Doucoure is an imposing presence who marries craft to his graft and four goals this term is already three more than last, when he was restricted to a holding role.
But Silva sees the Frenchman’s potential as so much more than that, just as the Portuguese boss is bringing the best from every player right now.
Richarlison is a 20-year-old who should be taking time to adapt to his new surrounds following his £11.2million arrival from Fluminense in July.
Instead, opponents are having to adapt to him as they try to work out a way to stop the Brazilian picking holes in their defences, as he did at will against Newcastle, laying on the third with a cross for Gray. Watford have now scored more goals than fourth-placed Spurs and they trail them by just three points. It is easy to see why Silva has been the subject of interest from managerless Everton, who were prepared to pay in excess of £10m to free him from the club he joined in May. ‘It’s probably not helped our cause by winning the last two games, it’s made him even more in demand than ever,’ said striker Gray, signed by Silva for a club record £18.5m from Burnley. ‘His stock goes even higher now and it just shows what he’s done to our team. ‘At the start of the season everyone was dissing us. Even when we’ve gone through blips, he’s kept confidence in us. ‘He’s got this knack of getting us to forget bad performances and reminding us how well we played in other games. He puts his confidence in the boys, especially the young ones. ‘Just look at the way Richarlison is getting better with every game, that’s down to the manager. ‘Will Hughes wasn’t in the team at the start of the season. Now you look at him and I can’t see why he shouldn’t break into the England side. ‘It just proves what a good manager he is, knowing exactly when to pick someone and his timing seems to be right all the time — he knows when to stick with formations and when to change them. His tactical awareness is fantastic and he makes the job easy for us.’
Is there a fear Watford could lose him? ‘Kind of, yes,’ said Gray. ‘But we’ve got a good thing going here and we really hope he doesn’t leave. All the players want him to stay, and for a long time to come. Hopefully Everton will now go and get a different manager.’
Next up for Watford is the visit of Manchester United tomorrow, when Silva comes up against friend and compatriot Jose Mourinho.
Win that and we might well be christening the new Special One.