12 games into the Premier League season and Watford are eighth with 18 points. Seem familiar? That’s because after 12 Premier League games last season, Watford were eighth with 18 points. Of course, there are a number of differences between Walter Mazzarri’s side and Marco Silva’s Watford team, yet for all the plaudits thrust in the latter’s direction, to be in the same spot after the same number of games 12 months apart isn’t coincidental.
The real question now is whether they can maintain their good form and not endure a second half of the season collapse as they managed last term under Mazzarri and the previous campaign with Quique Sanchez Flores at the Vicarage Road helm. Indeed, Watford lost their 13th match of the season under Mazzarri that kickstarted a run of just one win in 10 league games. Saturday’s trip to Newcastle, then, is a real acid test for Silva to determine just how far the Hornets have come in his short reign as Watford boss.
The young Portuguese manager has been courted by Everton in recent weeks as the Toffees seek a replacement for Ronald Koeman, though to Watford’s credit, they’ve remained steadfast in their bid to retain Silva’s services. You can’t exactly blame them either, with Watford appearing to be headed in the right direction after a period of stagnation. Silva deserves the plaudits, of course, but his greatest achievement has been to successfully build the team around the effective Abdoulaye Doucoure.
The 24-year-old played a bit-part role under Mazzarri last season, before establishing himself as a first team regular, but Silva has made the Malian his midfield lynchpin, with Watford benefitting as a result. He’s the only Watford player to play every Premier League minute this term in Silva’s pursuit for control in the middle of the park. Doucoure excels in that regard as he averages more passes per game (67.8) than any other Watford player, while his pass success rate (86.7%) is the third best for the club.
There’s a reason Watford have drawn so many plaudits and while Richarlison is a poster boy for the Hornets thus far, Doucoure is the heartbeat to the side. Having excelled with Rennes, and briefly with Granada, it’s no shock that he is now establishing himself as one of the best ball playing midfielders in the Premier League. Were he playing for a more fashionable side in England’s top tier, chances are fans would be beside themselves to lavish praise on Doucoure, when the fact of the matter is he already deserves to be one of the more revered players in the league.
He’s not afraid to get stuck in either as returns of 1.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game suggests, with the latter trait arguably his better quality in easing pressure on the Watford goal. A player of Doucoure’s calibre is able to read the game to the highest standard, a required trait for any midfielder, but his ability to effortlessly help break down attacks without having to needlessly lunge into challenges allows for him to retain possession and quickly recycle the ball. It’s ensured he has won possession in the midfield third more times (69) than any other Premier League player this season.
His performances undeniably warrant greater adulation and if Watford are to maintain their good form, Doucoure’s influence in the middle of the park is crucial. The trip to Newcastle on Saturday is as good a chance as any to prove just how far Watford have come in the short time Silva has been at the helm and if Doucoure is able to control the tempo of the game, another three points is certainly on the cards.
Watford remain a work in progress and it’s vital Silva remains at the helm if they are to take the next step in their development. Instilling Doucoure as a regular started, however, has proven a masterstroke by the Portuguese boss and retaining the midfielder’s services is as important as keeping Silva at the club in the long run.
