Alan Smith: Watford have got themselves in a mess... now the players have to rise above it

Like it or not, Watford’s controversial model has worked so far.

Under Gino Pozzo, the club have shown a liking for sacking managers, Nigel Pearson being the latest shocking

example. Yet under this cut-throat policy the club have managed to stay in the Premier League, which I’m sure is the only justification needed by those in charge.

I just wonder, though, how long this can continue. Has this method finally run its course, what with Championship football now a real possibility? I mean, clambering out of that division takes proper stamina, guts, leadership and stability. Watford’s managerial merry-go-round doesn’t look best suited.

From what I hear, the culture at the club is a bit of a mess. There are too many voices saying different things, too many people with over-blown opinions that quickly find their way back to Pozzo’s people.

That kind of set-up only leads to confusion and fear. With the message getting muddled, people start looking after themselves. It’s the worst kind of climate for a club.

And what happens in the week gets mirrored on a matchday. Togetherness goes missing when needed most. Because of that, Hayden Mullins and Graham Stack, holding the fort for this one, have it all to do. They can only say so much in that dressing room on Sunday.

It’s down to the players to motivate themselves, to decide whether they really want to give it a go. Yet recent signs suggest that won’t be enough. The attack, for a start, isn’t functioning properly. Troy Deeney, struggling for mobility as it is, needs a lot more help from those either side.

In the 4-0 drubbing by Manchester City, Ismaila Sarr and Roberto Pereyra hardly got a kick, which was as much down to their own

shortfalls as City’s excellence. Likewise, Abdoulaye Doucoure has got to liven up in that support role just behind Deeney.

Because if Watford don’t score, that defence isn’t good enough to shut out Arsenal. You can see only one outcome from the afternoon.

The Gunners, in stark contrast, have other fish to fry. The FA Cup Final against Chelsea six days later will dominate Mikel Arteta’s thoughts. With little to gain in the league from a win, this is all about preparation and performance ahead of Wembley.

The Spaniard won’t want to see another flat display like the one at Villa where the visitors didn’t register a single effort on target. I’d expect a strong reaction to both lay down a marker for next week’s Final and finish a poor league campaign on an optimistic note.

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