Hopes, disappointments, celebrations - these are just a few of the many emotions that clubs experience as they try to reach the highest division in England.
During a long and grueling season, teams must endure numerous ups and downs until this marathon finally ends with either the main prize of Premier League football or another disappointing season in the strongest league in the country.
Most clubs that have achieved promotion to the highest division have faced a myriad of emotions brought on by the drama on the football pitch, but Watford fans were mercilessly tormented by problems that arose beyond the stadium walls.
Over a 37-day period, they witnessed four different coaches leading the team. Finally, with the club opting for strategist Slaviša Jokanović, the former Serbian national team player, the fruits of their choice began to show as they secured second place in the Championship division, ultimately saving their proteges from the league where they had been stuck since 2007.
Despite this achievement, the coach's contract with the team lasted only one year, and when Jokanović felt undervalued by the club's offered contract, their paths diverged. In a short time, the Serb went from hero to just another coach in the long list of specialists who have worked at Watford recently. What did the team's leadership do to find a suitable replacement and satisfy the team's fans, who clearly showed anger at the club's decision to part ways with their long-awaited savior?
The owners of the team decided to choose former Real Madrid defender Quique Sánchez Flores, who from the beginning of his career held a place at several famous clubs, including the name of Atletico Madrid. The team's management felt that the team needed a known coach to successfully lead the team into a new era in the Premier League and believed that Flores's appointment would make fans at Vicarage Road stadium eagerly anticipate the new season.
In early June, the new coach was appointed and entered a team that was successful in the Championship but did not have the quality or rotation of players needed to stay in the top league for several seasons at least.
However, this does not mean that the team lacked talent - their striking duo, Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, scored a remarkable 42 goals in the league, contributing significantly to Watford's promotion to the highest division.
Before accepting the English offer, Flores knew that most of his new team's areas needed reinforcement to successfully deal with the challenges that arise when competing against the strongest English football teams.
The club acquired several new players, but did the Spaniard do enough for his proteges not only to compete but to demonstrate such a solid game that would satisfy their fans next year? We will continue to look at Watford's summer player transfers and what those acquisitions should bring to not only keep the team above the relegation zone but perhaps also help the team become one of this year's Premier League surprises.
Perhaps surprising, however, Watford's most prominent star was acquired on the cheap before. The team's top scorer and captain, Troy Deeney, justified his excellent reputation when he arrived in 2010 from Walsall.
Although many Premier League clubs were interested in him last year, Deeney stayed and had another excellent season in attack, forming a great duo with the aforementioned Ighalo.
As the season draws to a close, it seems that Flores has done enough to convince the team's most important figure to stay at the club and form the deadly duo that troubled Watford's opponents last season.
While there is an obvious difference in quality between the leagues, the strongest Championship teams do not necessarily fall far behind the weakest Premier League teams, so this striking duo should be expected to score at least half of the goals they scored last year. Strikers who score goals so easily are not so easily replaced, and the sums needed to acquire high-level players are enormous.
The team's coach from Spain has safeguarded substantial sums in the transfer market to convince this striking duo to stay. Obviously, the abilities of these players can be one of the main factors in helping Watford secure their place in the Premier League.
Flores understood that the weakest point in a team that was one step away from the highest league was defense, so his biggest investments during the summer period were focused on strengthening the defensive line. Watford conceded 50 goals last season, a decent result as the team finished fourth in the Championship division in this regard. However, when the team faces players like Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney, or Alexis Sanchez, Watford's defense faces a much greater threat - one that can be incredibly difficult to deal with.
Thinking about this, the team's strategist brought in experienced faces that immediately brought the much-needed high-level playing experience to the team. Sebastian Prödl arrived as a free agent after 7 years in the Bundesliga at Werder Bremen. During his time at the club, he not only played successfully but also managed to win the country's cup. At the age of 28, the center-back is now at the peak of his career. Despite his former team's fight against relegation last year, the Austrian helped his club secure a place in the Bundesliga and this experience will probably be very helpful, especially as he may find himself in a similar situation in May next year.
Another player acquired to strengthen the defense this season was Napoli representative Miguel Britos. After moving from Bologna to Napoli, Britos won the Coppa Italia twice and represented the club in European competitions. Combining this defender's winning mentality with the fighting spirit demonstrated by Prödl could create a perfect combination that would bring victories to Flores's proteges.
Knowing that the team also has one of the best players from last season, Craig Cathcart, in this position, who is determined to compete for his chance to show his abilities against England's football elite, competition will be fierce, and the reputation alone will not be enough for newcomers to secure starting spots in the team.
It will be interesting to see which defensive duo will run out onto the pitch at Goodison Park stadium for the season debut, and although Cathcart has been with the team for the longest time, he is not the coach's new acquisition, and it is likely that he will remain on the bench and have to give way to the newest pillars of the team's defense.
Adding new players to the defense has also included new players on the defensive flanks - World Cup participants Allan Nyom and José Holebas.
Nyom was acquired due to Watford's ties with the Italian team Udinese, which belongs to the same Pozzo family that controls the Watford club.
This will be the Cameroonian's first attempt to establish himself in England. While he belonged to Udinese, he did not appear in any Serie A matches and spent time on loan to the Spanish team Granada, which also belongs to the Pozzo empire.
During his time in southern Spain, the full-back played a total of 210 matches, but only managed 5 assists in La Liga since 2011. However, it is debatable whether this statistical result is due to the player's ineffective crossing or the unsuccessful attacks of his teammates, but if Nyom can successfully deliver the ball from the flank, Watford fans can be assured that their attacking duo will do everything to get that ball to the goal.
After not the most impressive career at Granada, the Cameroonian will have a lot to prove to himself and to all those who doubt his chances of playing in the Premier League.
In the other defensive flank will be Greek player José Holebas, who until the age of 23 had not signed a professional contract with a football club, but despite this, played 27 matches representing the national team. Last season, he played 33 matches for Roma, including 5 Champions League matches. In the Italian capital club, where there are certainly many famous names, Holebas did a great job securing a place in the starting lineup, and there is almost no doubt that the Greek will do the same in his new team.
Although he is not particularly good at scoring goals against opponents' nets, Holebas brought a lot of benefits to Watford's defense, and his experience playing top-level football can be another important factor in the fight to maintain the club's place in the Premier League.
Flores undoubtedly sought to add experience to his new team, and the mentioned defensive reinforcements significantly increased Watford's chances of remaining in the top division of England.
Whether this will be enough to rise above the relegation zone is still debatable, but if the new acquisitions can quickly adapt to Britain and the football played in this country, then Watford's chances for survival should be much better than those of their main competitors.
Of course, improving the defense alone is not enough to stay in the Premier League, so other aspects of the team were also taken into account, which will be discussed in the next article. Players such as Etienne Capoue, who did not impress at Tottenham, and the Spaniard José Manuel Jurado, who makes interesting decisions on the pitch, will also be reviewed.
A.Simeoni, eplindex.com
