Watford

Sam Ashoo
Final Score

Image source, Shutterstock

I was hugely impressed with Watford on Saturday.

It was a performance that had a little bit of everything.

Ed Still's side were well-drilled and robust when they needed to be, pressed high on occasion and attacked in numbers; traits that will greatly please the new manager.

There was, though, one man who stood out - Nestory Irankunda. The winger was back in the side following a suspension against Preston and more than justified his pick.

Naturally, it helps when you are absolutely rapid, but the Australia international has an end product too and was denied what would have been one of Watford's goals of the season when he sprinted 60 yards past three players only to be denied by Josh Vickers in the Derby goal.

Speaking before the game, Irankunda cited Still's desire for aggression and intensity, and it's safe to say he gave the manager what he wanted.

For all Watford's criticism regarding new managers, they may just have brought Still in at exactly the right time, and Irankunda might be one of the first names on his team sheet.

Watford head coach Ed Still spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio following their 2-0 Championship win over Derby.

Othmane Maamma's low cross was pounced on by Luca Kjerrumgaard to give the hosts the lead.

Substitute Mamadou Doumbia converted a swift counter-attack at the end to record Watford's sixth straight victory over the Rams.

"It was to be able to start the game in the way that we did, to be able to score early and not step back too much after that," replied Still when asked to summarise the victory.

"There was a phase in the first half where we were maybe a little bit too passive, but we managed to keep stepping forwards.

"Everybody had to make changes early in the game, but seeing that the subs who came on stuck to the game plan was also great to see.

"It was special to be able to give the fans something to cheer about. We felt the energy and the support from kick-off all the way to the end so to be able to send everyone home happy and hopeful for the coming weeks is great."

Ed Still takes charge of his first home game since being appointed Watford head coach last week.

The Hornets are three points behind their sixth-placed opponents but a win by five or more goals, however unlikely, would see them jump from 12th position and overtake Derby.

• Watford have won their past five league games against Derby – they last won as many as six in a row against an opponent in league competition in August 2008 (6 v Ipswich).

• Derby have lost their past two away league games against Watford (1-2 in February 2021 and August 2024), while they have never lost three in a row away to them.

• Watford are winless across their past seven games in the Championship (D4 L3), their worst run without a win outside the Premier League since a 10-game span between October and December 2013.

• Derby County have won each of their past three away league games, last winning more in a row in January 2024 (5 wins). Meanwhile, Derby's last away league win at Watford was back in November 2014 under Steve McClaren (2-1).

• Derby have scored 13 headed goals in the Championship this season, the joint-most in the league this season alongside Coventry City. Indeed, six of those 13 came from Patrick Agyemang – he is a league leader in that category.

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Image source, Geoff Doyle/BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford head coach Ed Still has described Edoardo Bove's return to action after 13 months out as "classy".

He signed for the Hornets last month, and came on as an 86th minutes substitute in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Preston North end.

"He got a massive round of applause back in the dressing-room because everyone appreciates what he's been through," Still told BBC Radio Three Counties.

"Hats off to him because of what's he's been through and what he's had to deal with away from the pitch, and away from football. To come back in the frame of mind he's come back in is classy".

Bove collapsed on the pitch two years ago during a loan spell with Italian club Fiorentina and was taken to intensive care. He was later fitted with a cardiac defibrillator, and had not played a senior game until Saturday.

The former Italy Under-21 international gives newly-arrived Still another option as he looks to keep Watford in the hunt for the play-offs.

They welcome sixth-placed Derby County in a pivotal game on Saturday, and Still is impressed with the squad he's inherited.

"I need 14 spots in the starting line-up. We'll see. Those who are picked to start next week will have deserved it throughout the week," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

New Watford head coach Ed Still hopes his players will be heartened by their 2-2 draw with Preston in his first game in charge.

Watford came back from 1-0 down and were denied what would have been their first win in eight games by Preston's equaliser.

Still felt they showed many positives and told BBC Radio Three Counties: "I'm exhausted, but it's not about me, it's about the performance the team have put in there. The first half wasn't so bad, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. It's a shame that we did have that one moment where we switched off. Apart from that, they didn't have much.

"We conceded a goal from a throw-in where we're not quite sharp enough in the box. We need to get better at that quickly and the second goal, there is a transition where we had an overload on the midline and we can manage that better as well.

"So there are things we can improve on and we need to improve on quickly to be able to capitalise on the good stuff.

"I really hope the team has felt and taken a lot of confidence from the second half, the speed and tempo that we put in the game. We put them under a lot of pressure and created enough chances to win.

"In the end, it's a good point, but I'm disappointed for the dressing room that they didn't get more."

Italian midfielder Edoardo Bove is set to make his first appearance in the Watford matchday squad since joining the Championship club last month.

The 23-year-old has not played any first-team football since suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for Fiorentina against Inter Milan in Serie A in December 2024.

But new Watford boss Ed Still has confirmed Bove will be on the bench for his first game in charge at Preston on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

"He's a top player, he's shown that in Italy. He's been out for a very long time but he's chomping at the bit to get going again," Still told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"I'm really happy we can have him on the bench. His game time is going to be limited this week and probably in the next couple of weeks, as we need to get him up to speed."

Bove moved to England because he could not play in his homeland after having a cardiac defibrillator fitted and Still says it will take time for him to feel comfortable on the pitch again.

"He has been out for a very long time - we need to channel his energy so he is good for the team and not just focused on himself. We need to get him up to speed in competitive games," he added.

Watford are also monitoring the fitness of defender Mattie Pollock, who has returned to full training after missing the past four games with a hamstring injury.

Image source, Opta

Preston will seek a return to the Championship play-off places when wobbling Watford head to Deepdale on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

North End lie seventh, outside the top-six on goal difference alone, but ended a four-match winless streak, from which they earned just a point, with a 1-0 home win over Portsmouth last weekend.

Watford, now under new head coach Ed Still, are five places below, but only three points back, despite a run of six games without a win, which earned them three points and saw them score only twice.

• Preston have won two of their past three league games against Watford (D1), as many as they had in their previous 13. They won this exact fixture 3-0 last season.

• Having won just one of their first 17 away league games against Preston (D6 L10), Watford have now won on two of their past four visits to Deepdale (D1 L1).

• Preston have won just two of their past eight home league games (D3 L3), though they did beat Portsmouth 1-0 last time out.

• Watford are winless in their past six league games (D3 L3), failing to score in the last three. They last went four without a goal in February 2022 in the Premier League, while they last did so in the second tier in December 1992.

• Though he's registered a goal or assist in only one of his past 14 league appearances, Imran Louza leads all Watford players for goal involvements (12 – 6 goals, 6 assists), chances created (55) and total shots (59) in the Championship this season.

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

So another new head coach is in at Vicarage Road. Can Ed Still find the winning formula and get Watford back on track in their play-off pursuit?

Despite no win in five Championship matches, the Hornets are still only three points from sixth place which is why the appointment of the relatively inexperienced Still came somewhat as a surprise.

The Hornets will know him from his spell at Charleroi where he worked under Mehdi Bayat the brother of Mogi Bayat, a football agent who works frequently with Watford.

So what does Still need to do at Watford to get this potentially talented young group to start picking up results again?

It feels like he needs to start on the training ground. Interim head coach Charlie Daniels hinted some players needed to be better prepared if they wanted more game time.

Before him, Javi Gracia did not start certain players and did not select others in his squad indicating that there was a reason for that. Chris Wilder previously spoke of the need for a cultural reset.

So Still needs to get his players on board early, install some discipline and try and get all of their attitudes right to create a culture of a tight, hard-working squad. How easy that will be is another matter.

A big deal has been made of the fact that he speaks fluent French with Watford having a number of French-speaking players in their group, including captain Imran Louza.

If there is a French-English situation then he needs to address that and make sure the group is in harmony. And of course he needs results. He needs wins and he needs to get a weary fanbase back on side.

The anti-Pozzo song was heard for the first time this season in the 1-0 defeat at Southampton.

The owner could do with his new head coach getting off to a quick start to stop the dissatisfaction becoming more widespread.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you for your thoughts on Watford appointing Ed Still as their new head coach and there are more than a few concerned fans in the replies.

Here is what you had to say about the Hornets' new boss:

Lee: Hardly any point in appointing yet another coach this season. We're not in danger of promotion or relegation and it would have been a chance for [Charlie] Daniels to try to mould the young squad.

The appointment of Ed Still seems a hasty decision. Yet again another punt in the dark with a coach with no Championship experience (indeed no English coaching experience). Good luck to him and hope he's still here at the start of next season.

Ian: We had a new, young head coach last year and the club's owners decided that Tom Cleverley no longer fitted the bill. I don't think they really have a clue!

Rob: The squad is young and full of promise. If a young and enthusiastic manager can get them playing to their strengths then we can still have a decent end to the season I reckon.

Richard: A two-and-a-half-year contract for an unknown family member of a failed Championship manager? We all know he won't be there by the end of the season.

Despite being a season ticket holder for almost 40 years, and I know they've already had my money, I'll be voting with my feet and staying away from Vicarage Road, and I won't renew my ST until the clowns in charge have gone.

Paul: Until 12 hours ago I didn't even know Will Still had a brother. Looking at his previous record in management, which is very limited - his win ratio is awful.

Nothing about this appointment can inspire the fans let alone the players. Not his fault, but our club takes one step forward, two steps back constantly.

Stew: A low cost appointment - easy and cheaper to fire come April. Unspectacular track record. An underwhelming appointment.

Ian: Absolutely absurd appointment! We shouldn't be in this position in the first place, because if the board would have backed Javi Gracia with the recruitment he wanted in the window just gone then he would still be in charge.

I do fear for our season now if I am honest. No disrespect to Ed Still but he has absolutely NO experience in English football never mind the Championship. I give us six weeks before we are looking for manager number four of the season.

Robbie: I can only imagine this will go badly.

It doesn't matter who is in charge until we resolve a fundamental conflict, where the club exclusively invest in young players for resale value, while also demanding the incumbent manager challenges for promotion.

Maybe they'll hang on to this one for a bit longer because a young, inexperienced unknown will be easier for them to bully into putting said young players in the shop window.

Christian Fuller
Watford fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Most Watford supporters were open to the idea of a young, less experienced manager if it meant we would see a progressive, modern style of football implemented at Vicarage Road.

And many had come to terms with the fact the calibre of manager we would see take the reins after Javi Gracia's departure would be the level of former Southampton manager Will Still, who was the bookies' favourite to take over.

But in a bizarre turn of events, we have ended up with his brother, Ed Still.

The thought of Will Still as manager was somewhat underwhelming in itself, but putting the club's play-off hopes in the hands of a 35-year-old manager with less than five years' first-team managerial experience is a risk.

With experience almost exclusively in the Belgian Pro League, as well as a stint as his brother's assistant at French club Lens, it is unclear what qualifies Ed Still to guide us to the Premier League.

But as with the many, many new arrivals in the dugout at Watford, we will always back the new man in charge. And will be more than happy to be proved wrong.

But it's not all negatives.

Is the appointment a risk? Yes. Has the season begun to fizzle out, with seemingly less and less chance of a play-off spot anyway? Also, yes.

In Still's arrival interview with the club, he told fans to expect his team to be aggressive, to be compact defensively and most importantly, to attack with pace.

So, if that means we will see the likes of Kwadwo Baah and Nestory Irankunda finally unlock their clear potential, then I am all for it.

And there will be many supporters who are happy to see interim boss Charlie Daniels deservedly get a spot in Still's coaching set-up.

Chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury said the appointment gives the club a real chance to challenge for the play-offs this season.

But unfortunately for Duxbury, we have heard that about the last dozen or so managers who have come and inevitably gone.

Watford have announced Ed Still, brother of former Southampton boss Will, as the man they believe can guide them into the play-offs.

The appointment marks the first managerial role in England for the 35-year-old and he will have quite the job on his hands to overturn the Hornets poor run of form into a promotion push.

What are your thoughts on Still's appointment, Watford fans?

Are you excited by the prospect of your new, young head coach? Or were you hoping to see someone with more experience behind the wheel to steady the ship?

Let us know your thoughts and check back tomorrow to see a handful of your responses.

Watford interim boss Charlie Daniels said that his side "dropped off" in the second half of their defeat to Southampton.

The Hornets conceded in the second period from a corner and have now failed to score in their last three matches.

"I'm disappointed with the result, the performance was good in the first half but levels did drop off towards the end of the second," Daniels told BBC 3CR.

"I thought we created a good number of chances but didn't work the goalkeeper as much as we would have liked.

"We were forced to make a change before the goal as Stephen [Mfuni] was injured so rather than being a man down, we made the change.

"This is how the Championship is - little moments make a big difference and if we want to be in contention for the play-offs, we have to take our moments.

"At the minute it is not happening but that starts on the training pitch."

Interim Watford head coach Charlie Daniels says no decision has been made over how long he will remain in charge of the first team.

The 39-year-old said after his first game following Javi Gracia's departure - a goalless draw at Hull on Tuesday night - that he would stay in the role until the end of the season if offered the opportunity.

When asked on Friday whether there was an update on the situation, Daniels told BBC Three Counties Radio: "No, not so much in terms of developments. I've talked to every single member on the board.

"We've had good chats before the game versus Hull, after the game versus Hull, going into the Southampton game.

"So we're in constant dialogue and it's been good. Unless I'm told otherwise, I'll just keep prepping for the next game."

Daniels said it had been a "whirlwind" five days since Gracia resigned but was pleased with a "really good performance" in which the Hornets were largely the better side at the MKM Stadium.

"It's just a start, it's one game, we're not getting too ahead of ourselves with anything," he said.

"It's a positive performance, obviously not the result that we were looking for.

"Moving forward and going into tomorrow, we need the same energy, need the same enthusiasm, we need the same quality against a strong Southampton side."

New signings Pierre Ekwah and Edoardo Bove will not make the trip to St Mary's on Saturday [12:31 GMT], while Saba Goglichidze has an outside chance of making the squad.

"Pierre and Bove won't be available for this weekend - they're close," Daniels said.

"Bove has been training, has been really good, really excited to see him when he gets on the pitch.

"Pierre hasn't played for a while, so we need to get him up to speed before he can get involved.

"Then Saba [Goglichidze] has trained a few days. We'll see if he's involved or not."