Watford ‘Could Be Very Dangerous’ If – Ex-Striker On Missing Ingredient | OneFootball

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Former Championship attacker Chris Martin has highlighted Watford’s potential, noting the pace, power, and dynamism within the squad, and believes Edward Still’s side could be very dangerous if they fully harness their strengths.

Watford welcomed Derby County to Vicarage Road on Saturday, claiming a 2-0 victory with summer signing Luca Kjerrumgaard opening the scoring and Mamadou Doumbia adding the second.

The win ended a poor run of form, giving the Hornets their first league triumph since New Year’s Day and moving them up to ninth place, just three points shy of the playoff spots.

Back in December, a former Championship star suggested Watford had an outside chance of reaching the playoffs, but after Javi Gracia resigned just before deadline day, the same player noted that successor Still would need to adapt to working under various restrictions, tempering the club’s playoff ambitions.

At the reverse fixture at Pride Park in November, which ended 3-2 in Watford’s favour, Martin noted the flair and talent within the Hornets squad but felt the side sometimes played more as a collection of skilled individuals than a fully cohesive team.

However, over the weekend, the former Scotland international praised the Hornets for the quality and competitiveness of their squad, highlighting how the players work for each other and function effectively as a unit.

The 37-year-old acknowledged that while the team possess individual talent, there have been moments, such as the Pride Park clash, where they appeared disconnected.

He suggested that if Watford can build on their togetherness under 35-year-old Still, their blend of dynamism, pace, power and skill could make them a very dangerous side.

Martin said on EFL All Access (28:36): “They’ve got some very good players.

“I think one thing they’ll be really pleased with, and for the manager, is just how competitive they were, how they seemed to work for each other, and that they were a real team.

“I think if there’s ever been a criticism, certainly in the game I watched back at Pride Park at the end of November, especially when they were 2-0 down in that game, I know they did turn that around, they looked like a team of individuals.

“They weren’t quite playing for each other, but still a team of very, very good individuals.

“If they are able to harness a bit of togetherness, maybe the new manager is trying to put that across, I do think that they could be very dangerous because they’ve got some real dynamism in that team, and pace and power, and some real ability too.”

In the January transfer window, the Hornets bolstered their squad by bringing in Stephen Mfuni, Pierre Ekwah and Saba Goglichidze, while making a concerted effort to retain Othmane Maamma, reflecting their ambitions to push for promotion to the top flight.

Tonight, Watford host Ipswich Town, who are coming off a heavy defeat at Wrexham and have been warned about conceding too easily.

With both sides chasing promotion, with the Tractor Boys aiming for automatic spots and Watford targeting a top-six finish, it remains to be seen which team will rise to the occasion and get the job done.