Watford v Sheffield United Preview

Posted on | January 17, 2009 | No Comments

It was only last season that Watford were battling out in the play offs, while Sheffield United were positioned in a dull mid-table position. Now, the tables have completely turned though and the Blades are aiming to cement their top six place while Watford are in something of a relegation battle and currently sit in 19^th position.

Watford acted quickly in the early stages of the season by dismissing Aidy Boothroyd and while predecessor Brendan Rodgers had an impressive start, it’s gone downhill since then. The Hornets haven’t won in the league since mid-December and after being thumped 4-0 by Reading in their last league outing, there could be trouble ahead at Vicarage Road. While there’s no doubting Rodgers’ coaching credentials following a successful spell with the Chelsea youth team, Watford fans are worried that he’s not going to make the successful transformation into management. They claim that he sounds dull and uninspiring in interviews, which doesn’t bode well for motivating a team. The club are now sat in 19^th, just one point away from the relegation zone and as we enter the business part of the season, Rodgers knows things have to improve.

As for Sheffield United, their season has finally started to turnaround. A lot of fans were disappointed a few weeks ago with their form, but since they’ve recorded three straight victories over Charlton, Norwich and Leyton Orient. Admittedly, all of those sides are struggling, but a win is a win and it now means that the Blades are back up to 4^th and back in the play off picture. However, one thing that could scupper their plans is the sale of top scorer James Beattie. Beattie was transferred to Stoke earlier in the week and while they coped against Leyton Orient without him, it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll be as successful against the better sides, especially as no replacement has yet been found.

As for team news, Watford don’t have much to report on with the only news being John-Joe O’Toole’s suspension. Following a midweek cup victory over Scunthorpe, it’s thought that Brendan Rodgers could try and keep things as similar as possible. As for Sheffield United, they’re in a similar situation and have very little news as well. Gary Speed and Ugo Ehiogu will continue to sit out with long term injuries, but other than that Kevin Blackwell has plenty to choose from.

In terms of a prediction, we can only go for a Sheffield United victory. Watford may have won in the cup midweek, but other than that they’ve been poor and the Blades have had something of a resurgence in recent weeks. They may have lost Beattie, but they’ll still have enough to overcome the Hornets – 2-1 Blades.

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