IT’S A REAL DEAD BALL SITUATION

Hornets desperate to end marathon free-kick drought

UNDER ORDERS Watford boss wants to get more from the likes of Deeney and Quina

Championship: 3pm

VLADIMIR IVIC may have broken the jinx of Watford’s dismal away form – but now he must solve another riddle going back four-and-a- half years.

The Hornets’ head coach was relieved to bank only his second win on the road at Birmingham last weekend, just the club’s third away success in the whole of 2020.

But Watford’s set- piece quality has been a source of despair among supporters because the last player to score from a direct free-kick was Almen Abdi – in May 2016 against Aston Villa.

Since then, a huge cast of dead-ball contenders has shovelled their goal attempts either ther into the wall or into the he stands.

The only y possible e exception n was Younes es Kaboul’s heavilyd avilyt e f lected e d , indirect free-kick e-kick in the 2-1 win at Arsenal in January 2017. It remains a glaring anomaly that Watford have sustained four seasons in the top flight, and now a promotion challenge, without executing any opportunities from dead-ball shooting positions. One player who could end the bizarre ‘drought’ – leftback back Adam Ma Masina, who has not played this th season due to injury – cou could be back for the trip to Huddersfield. Hu Mas Masina ( left) said: “It’s been hard not en enjoying what I do for a living. F Football is my p passion but life i isn’t always fair a and you have to fight when you are out injured.

“I am ready now to help the team achieve our goal. We have to fight together to go the same way and we know how tough the Championship is, so we have to push more.

“I think we can do a lot of things better. On paper we have everything: good players, a good team and, if we find the right balance, we can make a really good season.

“Maybe we have to clear our minds, push on and really enjoy more what we have done. We have to have fun, too.”