BORO STILL ABLE TO PUL THEM IN
BY the time Watford’s team bus arrives at Turf Moor tomorrow the meter will have ticked over to 229 days without a goal away from home – the longest sequence of its kind in all four divisions.
Never mind heatwaves, hosepipe bans and parched lawns after Britain’s recordbreaking summer: the biggest drought of all has been the Hornets’ barren scavenging for 13hr 34min on the road.
Not since Andre Gray hit a late consolation in the 3-1 defeat at champions Manchester City on January 2 have Watford scored on their travels.
Since then, eight Premier League excursions – to Leicester, Stoke, West Ham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Huddersfield, Tottenham and Manchester United – have come and gone without a goal, plus a supine FA Cup defeat at Southampton.
And the Hornets’ only away point on head coach Javi Gracia’s watch came from deadlock at Stoke.
Gracia (above), who has presided over an impressive home record of five wins and two draws in eight games, is baffled, but the solution may be staring him in the face: two strikers up top instead of one.
Watford have won both games where Gray and skipper Troy Deeney have started together, at home to Newcastle in May and Saturday’s impressive 2-0 win against Brighton.
But record £18million signing Gray, who was booed when he came off the bench in Watford’s 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor in December, does not expect the going to get easier on his return tomorrow.
He said: “I know what to expect but I don’t think they will be as bitter now because they finished above us last season. I bear no grudges – I still have a lot of love for that club – but I felt it was the right time to leave and I’m very happy here at Watford.” TONY PULIS insists that players do want to come to the Riverside, despite failing to land many of his top targets.
The Middlesbrough boss (above) said: “It’s just a case of getting the deals done. I’ve not had anybody being disrespectful or saying they don’t want to join Boro or move to the North East.
“It’s always been hard to get players in and I don’t think it’s any harder today than it used to be. The money situation is different but it’s not just Middlesbrough, it’s everywhere in football and that’s the nature of the game.”
Defender Aden Flint returns to Bristol City today in a Boro side still unbeaten in league and cup this season. Flint left Ashton Gate in a £7million deal in the summer and the centre-half has already proved a shrewd acquisition. “It was very good business for us,” said Pulis.