HERO DEENEY PLAYING IT COOL
EXPERIENCE, both in the dressing room and of recent seasons, will stop Watford getting ahead of themselves.
Their return to form and a victory at the London Stadium made Europe a post-match buzzword again.
And if there were any players who might have been forgiven for talking up the prospect, it would be stalwarts like captain Troy Deeney and Craig Cathcart.
Exciting
Deeney and Cathcart are two of the four surviving players from Watford’s 2015 Championship promotion-winning squad who are still on the club’s books.
And a European tour would be an exciting reward and the next step on their climb with the club.
But both swatted away the suggestions like the seasoned pros they are, especially with the last couple of seasons still fresh in their minds.
Watford have been well-placed around the halfway mark both times but ended the season much closer to the drop zone If you’re not 100 per cent every game, then you won’t pick up points.
“We’ve definitely learned from that the last few seasons.”
Deeney added: “I let everybody else do the ambitions. We know what we have got in the dressing room. We are not a bad outfit.
“But we have just got to keep doing what we’re doing, be a little bit arrogant in terms of knowing what we have got but also humble enough to know you have to work hard to win anything in this league.”
Deeney scored Watford’s first from the penalty spot before milking his celebrations after being jeered by the Hammers fans before he stepped up to take the kick.
“You know me,” he smiled. “I’m a big old boy.
“They give me grief, I give a little bit back and just keep it moving.
“It is Christmas, it is time to be happy. I am not a negative guy so it’s done.”
Gerard Deulofeu sealed the win with a late second after twice exchanging passes with Roberto Pereyra.