Plymouth Argyle (H): A Hornets’ focused match preview
Well then, who thought we’d be in this position three or so weeks ago?
I’m pleasently surprised to see a team which a lot of Watford fans predicted would be nowhere near the top half of the table now sit in the automatic promotion places with just three games on the board.
It feels funny to see us win all those games in completely different scenarios, in what has seemed a choreographed on stage performance self-written by Tom Cleverley himself, titled “100 ways to win a game of football”.
Even with a strong record, it seems there’s no time for complacency or taking the foot off the gas as Watford travel up north for an incredibly challenging test at one of the favourites for promotion, Sheffield United.
Whether the Hornets can recreate the heroics of the opening day again is open to one’s imagination for now, however it will be the clash of old master vs veteran apprentice as former Watford boss Chris Wilder faces a player as a manager he managed just under 18 months ago. Time flies, doesn’t it?
For now, the Hornets look back to the Carabao Cup after thrashing their somewhat local rivals MK Dons from up the M1 5–0, and a chance to face some of the big giants of the Premier League could await them if they see off Wayne Rooney’s Pilgrims. From weeks gone by, although on paper it doesn’t seem an easy test, it seems expectation has now persuaded many that this will be a comfortable win for Watford.
It begs the question can a Watford side make it to the third round of this competition when entering in the first round for the first time since 2020?
Additions, additions, additions…
Every rumour which we had been begging and pleading Adam Levanthal for from a fans perspective across this summer has recently come out across a three day period. Pierre Dwomoh signing on from this afternoon, and soon to be confirmed defender Kevin Keben from Toulouse alongside Daniel Jebbison in on loan from Bournemouth.
All three men were in attendance at our win over Derby County on Saturday, with Dwomoh appearing at full time to celebrate with the boys as they walked off into the dressing room.
Can we expect to see these signings play regular football? Well, we’re not sure, especially for Dwomoh. Cleverley spoke to Andrew French of the Watford Observer and says he sees the new number 14 as one for the future…
“This signing is one that is more of a project.
“If you look at the signings we’ve made recently then they really represent what we’re about as a football club.
“We want experienced and intelligent leadership, we want to sign players who are in their prime that are young, fit, and hungry, but then we also want to have long-term projects.”
Although the fixture tommorrow evening looks set to be played by several younger talents and newer additions, it might not be Dwomoh’s turn just yet, as we expect to see him possibly after the Christmas period, most likely around 2025.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Watford also look set to sign former West Ham United veteran Angelo Ogbonna, the so dubbed “Ogfather” which has now been re-used and found a new home somewhat after being used by the lads on Watford fan channel WD18.
Ogfather, Oggy oggy oggy (oi, oi oi!), the GOAT, whatever you want to call him, the 36-year-old will join the Championship side very soon and will be given a few weeks to build his fitness up before playing football again.
There’s always a place in anyone’s heart of a Watford fan if you relegate Luton, and Ogbonna was part of the 3–1 win over Rob Edwards’ side at the London Stadium which ultimately sent them packing back where they came from the season before. The Italian already seems to have earnt respect amongst the Watford faithful before even stepping through the door at London Colney.
However, I wouldn’t expect anyone apart from Dwomoh to even have a chance of featuring tommorrow. Anyone who is announced will most likely be shown to the public from Wednesday onwards, so let’s see how that unfolds.
Hornet’s in History: Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Watford, 15th September 2009
Watford pushed themselves into the provisional play-offs after Tom Cleverley scored the only goal of the game with just 5 minutes played as Plymouth sunk to the bottom with a 5th loss in a row.
The Manchester United loanee struck after just four minutes when he swept in a cross from Don Cowie via Gary Sawyer’s outstretched boot.
Henri Lansbury’s powerful strike for Watford hit the woodwork, while Plymouth were denied an equaliser when Karl Duguid’s header struck a post, the closest that Plymouth got to mounting any sort of chance of a comback.
Hornets’ boss Malkay Mackay at the time was delighted to come away with a win in a spirited Watford performance.
“Plymouth threw everything at us in the second half and a really young squad showed immense heart, courage, team effort and maturity.
“I thought in the first half an hour we were immense but perhaps should have dominated more with chances.”
The game featured several throwback names, including a Watford side with Lloyd Doyley, Adrian Marriapa, Ross Jenkins and John Eustance in. For Plymouth, a certain Bradley Wright-Phillips came on for Alan Gow as part of a triple change with under 20 minutes to play.
Can winning experience turn into gold?
Being a winner of this competiton with Manchester United a while ago, this is the first time Tom Cleverley faces this competition as a manager rather than the central midfielder he once was.
It’s been a running gag for a while that Watford never do well in this competition, it’s rather impossible for them to progress especially against sides in lower divisions. Stevenage the year before, Newport County a few years before that, MK Dons after that, the list goes on and on and on.
Thankfully the Hornets progressed past the first round this time after a Tom Ince hat-trick helped Watford get their biggest home win since their 5–0 win over a rather helpless Rotherham United in November of 2023.
There’s not exactly an aim in this cup for Tom Cleverley, but for me a cup run is a definitely desired objective across these next few years, and whether it happens will come with time.
This Watford strong is squad, and even with a rotated team against an also expected to be heavily rotated Argyle side, there is firepower that Cleverley is able to use at his disposal even if it seems somewhat unessecary even if we’re completely dominating the game.
Henry Predicts: 3–1
I watched Plymouth in their 4–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday a few weeks ago and they just looked incredibly off it shape wise, and seem to capitulate against sides who press high and constantly attack.
They’ll be another side who most likely will look to play a low block like Derby County on Saturday, and people need to start realising sitting back against this Watford side will not work.
Baah really impressed me when he came on and completely impacted the game with some incredibly well timed challenges, wing play and some superb game management in the corner. I’d expect him to start the game, and I’d love for him to grab another goal like he did in the last round.
With Vata, Ramirez-Espain and a few others to likely feature, you can’t help but be confident that this Watford side is going to be winning a lot of games at home this season even if that means rotating. There are younger players ready to go and their energetic character will really suit the system Cleverley plays.
What defensive shape we’ll see is a different question. I think we’re still prone to conceding the odd goal so I’d expect another to be conceded, but maybe in a different capacity to the goal inside 90 seconds last week.
Even still, I feel Watford will have far too much quality for Plymouth, and from what has been showcased Cleverley seems to be the more well rounded coach out of the two Manchester United alumni’s.
Written by: Henry Bennett
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