The mood in the stadium on Monday evening was buoyant. It was a cauldron of optimism and genuine excitement, which following the disasters of Claudio Ranieri and Roy Hodgson, was a feeling that was not too familiar to Watford fans over the last few months.
Joao Pedro’s goal was able to relax some tension building in the air, and it was his goal that marked the beginning of the Rob Edwards revolution at Watford.
However, despite all of these positives which have to be acknowledged and praised by Watford fans, there are still plenty of areas that need to be addressed regarding certain performances and some transfer speculation.
The Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis situations
Both Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis were crucial in Watford’s win over Sheffield United on Monday night.
Sarr provided the all important assist for Joao Pedro, when he was able to put in the perfect cross for the Brazilian after a rapid counter attack from the Hornets.
Meanwhile, Dennis was a nuisance for the Sheffield United defenders. Having also played a key role in the buildup to the winning goal, Dennis completed 51% of his duels on the pitch from a possible 35. Subsequently, he was able to win the ball high up the field and create a few opportunities during his time on the pitch.
If Watford manage to keep hold of Sarr and Dennis, then the Hornets are in for a fun season. Sheffield United arguably have one of the stronger defences in the league and they simply could not handle Watford’s forward line. If they do stay, then Watford will be up there challenging with the top two.
However, there is still a good chance that at least one of them will depart by the end of the window. As reported by Adam Leventhal at the Athletic, it is more likely that Dennis will be the one to move on, with multiple Premier League clubs interested. Perhaps with Dominic Calvert-Lewin ruled out for Everton, the Nigerian forward could make a move there.
As for Sarr, Leeds Live have reported that Leeds United are interested in bringing the winger to Elland Road as a replacement for Raphinha, who recently left for Barcelona.
Whatever happens with Sarr and Dennis though, the club will be keen to get their situations resolved as soon as possible. It is not only unsettling for both the two players linked away and the current squad, but tactically things will change if they do depart.
It is likely that if Sarr leaves, Watford will revert to two up front instead of the attacking trio seen the other evening against the Blades. It is something that Rob Edwards will want working on immediately if they are to depart, so a resolution to their situations will help him and his coaching staff hugely.
Midfield worries
The main area of weakness to Watford’s game the other night was their midfield.
While Edo Kayembe and Tom Cleverley grew into the game, their slow start could very easily have cost Watford, where they were probably lucky that the likes of John Fleck and Sander Berge were not fully up to speed.
It seemed at points that Watford were being slightly overrun in the middle, and this is something that is going to have to be rectified before an opponent punishes the Hornets.
Imran Louza is still out for the next few games, and there are no signs of any new central midfielders coming in. With the ‘rule of eleven’ quota as well, it may be difficult to find room in the squad for the likes of Tom Dele-Bashiru and Domingos Quina for the time being.
While having Sarr and Dennis is obviously a great blessing in the Championship, their inclusion is perhaps to the detriment of those in the midfield for Watford who could have done with another runner in the middle.
Square pegs in round holes
Another problem that will need to be examined is the problem of having players in the wrong position, particularly in the full-back areas.
While both Hassane Kamara and Ken Sema had solid games in their season opener, the former looked slightly uncomfortable at points at right wing-back, where he was having to use his unfavoured right foot more than he would have wanted to.
Having Kamara on the right isn’t necessarily a problem in itself. Rather, due to his capabilities on the left that won him the player of the season award last time out, some may feel that Watford are losing out by not playing the Ivorian in his favoured position.
This issue may be sorted in the coming days with Ethan Laird set to join according to Fabrizio Romano, and along with the signing of Mario Gasper, the Hornets should have enough depth on the right hand side to move Kamara back over to the left.
The importance of being clinical upfront
Rob Edwards had few criticisms of his team when talking to the Watford FC website after the Sheffield United win, but he did pick up on the importance of Watford being a “bit more ruthless” in order to seal the three points sooner.
Pedro, Sarr and Rej Manaj missed chances to score at different points in the game for Watford, and perhaps a team with a little bit more sharpness in front of goal than Sheffield United will punish them in the coming weeks.
Too many times last season, Watford squandered leads when they had the chances to seal the win, which eventually came back to bite them. If this Watford side are indeed learning from the calamities of last season, then being ruthless in front of goal will have to be a priority following the Sheffield United game.