Hodgson close to153 rock bottom with Watford booed off
Maupay’s superb goal for Brighton shows gulf in class
NEW manager, new signings, same old problems for Watford, who are hurtling towards relegation after another thorough defeat, leaving Roy Hodgson with a mammoth task on his hands.
Brighton rocked up to Vicarage Road and eased past Watford without being at their best, with goals in each half from Neal Maupay and Adam Webster. ‘Sacked in the morning,’ chanted the travelling fans to Hodgson.
It was probably intended as a joke but, as daft as it sounds, the former England boss is already under massive pressure at a circus-like club that has sacked two managers this season. Watford fans were booing by half-time and jeered again after the interval.
Three matches under Hodgson, two defeats and — perhaps most worryingly — no goals scored. Emmanuel Dennis rattled the bar in the second half but that was genuinely the only meaningful chance Watford had.
In his 23rd job and with more than 1,200 matches managed, the 74-year-old’s credentials are clear. But this Watford side look turgid and keeping them up could be Hodgson’s toughest task yet.
This was a record-equalling 17th straight home Premier League match without a clean sheet for Watford, who are Hornets without any sting: they have scored just once in six league matches.
‘Our first-half performance was much worse than I was ever expecting,’ said Hodgson, who later had a rant at journalists’ post-match questions. ‘I had high hopes after seeing the lads in training but they were soon dashed. The worst thing was that we were unable to put them under any pressure. A lot of things in our game today were not good.’
Brighton put in a business-like performance. This took them to seven matches unbeaten in the league.
Fresh from a rest after having no game in midweek, Brighton players scrambled around the pitch and fought for every ball with intensity, in contrast to Watford, who looked disinterested and tired.
Maupay scored his ninth goal of the season on the stroke of half-time and, after that, only one outcome ever seemed likely. But what a finish it was. Wing-back
Tariq Lamptey’s ball dropped slightly behind Maupay but the Frenchman adjusted his body shape and hooked the ball past Ben Foster into the top corner.
‘It was a very good finish from Maupay,’ said Graham Potter, the Brighton manager. ‘It was technically a fantastic execution.’
It was also his 26th Premier
League goal, equalling Glenn Murray’s club record.
Watford players trudged around the pitch with the body language of a relegated team. They will be rock bottom if Burnley get a point or more today.
The atmosphere was eerily quiet at Vicarage Road and the loudest cheer of the afternoon from home
fans was before the match. Not for the introduction of Hodgson or assistant Ray Lewington on their first home game. Watford fans were delighted to see the reintroduction of Ismaila Sarr, on the bench after missing 12 matches through first a knee injury and then the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Senegalese forward came on at half-time and gave them more attacking impetus but Brighton’s goalkeeper Robert Sanchez still did not make one meaningful save.
Dennis struck the bar after wriggling through a number of defenders. He started the season on fire with eight goals, but has not scored since November.
At the other end, Brighton continued to threaten, as Jakub Moder and Marc Cucurella came close. Foster was key in keeping the scoreline down for Watford.
The game was finally put out of Watford’s reach on 82 minutes when Webster pounced on a loose ball in the box after a corner. ‘It was a really, really good performance and result,’ said Potter.
Hodgson was in a dismal mood. Asked if his side were overly conservative, with Sanchez having made his first save in the 88th minute, Hodgson said: ‘These are unbelievably simplistic questions. Don’t criticise my team for being too conservative when I had four forwards on the pitch. If anything I would expect you to criticise us for being too gung-ho.’