Giving Watford What For?

The Clarets return to their promotion campaign in the Championship on Tuesday night visiting Vicarage Road for a match against strugglers, Watford.

This will be their 8th of nine games in the month of January alone following all their exploits in the Carling Cup and FA Cup and their 39th game of the season. Only Manchester United have apparently played more games in 2008/9.

We don`t exactly have one of the biggest squads in the Championship and the physical and emotional roller-coaster during this month in particular you would think could take its toll eventually. After the huge disappointment in the Carling Cup semi though, we still managed to bounce back and get a result against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup after drawing 2-2 with West Brom on Saturday.

Who knows what team will turn up on Tuesday night!

The Clarets form has suffered in the League recently and we have now gone four games on the trot without a point, dropping out of the play-offs positions for the first time since October. We are currently 7th on 43 points, four points behind fifth placed Preston who got two jammy penalties against the run of play to defeat the Clarets 2-1 at Deepdale in our last league game. We played well in that game unlike the previous three league games against Barnsley and Swansea at Turf Moor and Doncaster Rovers away.

Watford on the other hand have been struggling badly in the League and they are currently fourth from bottom in 21st spot. We do however need to be on our guard, since their tails could be up after defeating Crystal Palace 4-3 in the FA Cup on Saturday. They were actually 4-1 up with seven minutes to go before Paul Ifill got a brace of goals setting up a tense finale.

We definitely need three points on Tuesday night to keep the Clarets in the play-offs hunt and with a match against bottom club, Charlton coming up this Saturday at Turf Moor we should get six points from these two games.

Stephen Jordan is presumably still sidelined with a knee injury so Christian Kalvenes will continue in the left back role. Duff is understood to have picked up a hamstring strain against the Baggies but with no other news of any injuries from the FA Cup game against West Brom at the Hawthorns on Saturday, it looks like Owen Coyle will virtually have the whole squad to choose from again and I suspect he will name the same starting eleven and 4-1-4-1 formation as per West Brom with Alexander in the holding midfield role (unless Duff does not make it).

I just have a little doubt at the back of my mind that Eagles will play. He looked to be the one that was jaded the most after the Spurs battle and he was substituted with 30 minutes of the FA Cup game against WBA still to play.

The sixteen though could look something like this:

Jensen, Duff, Caldwell, Carlisle, Kalvenes, Alexander, Elliott,, McCann, Eagles, Blake, Paterson

Subs: Penny, Mahon or McDonald, Gudjonsson, Rodriguez, Thompson

We will bring you details of any Watford team news as it is announced and provide the information in the comments section below this article.

The striker turned right winger is now in his second spell with Watford and is currently their leading goal scorer this season with 12 goals.

Jordan could still be sidelined with his knee injury but Owen Coyle looks likely to put out a similar staring eleven to last Saturday in the FA Cup. Duff however could miss out with a hamstring strain.

Paterson is our leading goal scorer this season with 10 goals in the league alone. He also got a late goal in the FA Cup game at the Hawthorns on Saturday and seems to have boundless energy. He could be the key to getting three points or not against the Hornets on Tuesday night

We beat Watford 3-2 at home this season back in September thanks to goals from Alexander, Paterson and Elliott.

Last season we beat them 2-1 at Vicarage Road in November 2007 with Gray and Gudjonsson getting on the score sheet.

James Linington (Isle of Wight)

If the team plays like they did against Spurs, Preston and West Brom, it should be an easy three points against struggling Watford. My fear is that we start playing like we did against Swansea, Doncaster and Barnsley over Christmas with all the January games and emotions catching up with us. Let`s hope not, 2-1 Clarets

Bottom club Charlton at Turf Moor this Saturday (31st January) @3pm KO

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