Sideways Sammy

Promotion and the title won, the trophy raised, all that’s left for Coventry City this season is to add further gloss to their final record. This trip to Watford will be a chance for a handful of players to say their goodbyes as the Sky Blues begin their preparation for Premier League football in earnest.

The opposition are a Watford side with nothing to play for and with a manager who appears to already know he will be removed from his position. It looks set to be a case of which team will want the win the most, with Watford looking short on motivation and Coventry hoping to put on one last show for their fans.

Expected Line-Up

Frank Lampard has already made it clear that he was looking to hand opportunities for fringe players over the final two games and while that wasn’t really the case against Wrexham, with an eye on putting on a show ahead of the trophy lift, this looks to be the chance to hand those who haven’t played much a chance for a run-out, possibly for the final time in a Coventry shirt for a few of them.

Just how deep the rotation is will only become apparent when the team-sheet is named. The primary signal of how seriously Lampard is taking this game will be whether Ben Wilson is handed a start in goal ahead of first-choice, Carl Rushworth. The latter may just be favoured here anyway to help nudge him towards signing a permanent deal.

Elsewhere, Jake Bidwell, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Joel Latibeaudiere and Luke Woolfenden will probably all slot in as an entirely changed back four. Jamie Allen and/or Victor Torp should get the chance to start in midfield, with Ellis Simms getting one last chance to end his goal drought at centre-forward.

The toughest decisions are out wide, where it’s a case of handing minutes to loan players who likely won’t return next year or potentially risking injuries to contracted players ahead of next season. This would have been a prime opportunity for Janoah Markelo to make his start for the club, but the Surinam international was conspicuous on his absence from the title celebrations.

Last Time We Met

A 3-1 scoreline was not a fair reflection of proceedings as Coventry City grabbed all three points at home to Watford back in October to solidify their position at the top of the league table. After Rocco Vata blew a one-on-one against Carl Rushworth, two goals in the first ten minutes sent the Sky Blues on their way to victory. First, Brandon Thomas-Asante nodded in a delightful Tatsuhiro Sakamoto delivery in the third minute. Then, Jamie Allen was first to a loose ball following a long throw to give the home side a cushion.

Watford pushed hard for a way back into the game, inspired by Imran Louza in midfield, but Coventry grabbed the crucial next goal, when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto fired in from the edge of the area. The away side were down to ten when Haji Wright was hacked down by James Abankwah when clean through on goal. Nonetheless, the Hornets were the better team in the second-half and pulled a goal back from the spot with Louza converting.

The Opposition

The Manager – Ed Still

Brother of former Southampton manager, Will, Ed Still looks like he was chosen as something of a patsy amid the continued managerial chaos at Vicarage Road. Appointed in February following the sacking of Javi Gracia, Still has struggled to motivate a side that is talented but lacking any kind of direction. With just three wins from 15 games, Watford have slid out of play-off contention and are playing out yet another season in Championship mid-table.

Watford haven’t necessarily been terrible under Ed Still’s management, just desperately lacking any kind of killer instinct and allowing their heads to drop after falling behind. The loss of key centre-backs to injury/loan recall hasn’t helped their ability to stay in games, but the bigger issue seems to be a lack of motivation.

Who To Look Out For?

A team with the creative, attacking talents of Imran Louza, Giorgi Chakvetadze, Edoardo Bove, Kwadwo Baah, Nestory Irankunda and Othmane Maama really shouldn’t be anywhere near lower mid-table at Championship level. While fitness has been an issue for several key individuals this season, Watford are a very dangerous side full of match-winners when they are on form and motivated to do so.

Louza is the conductor in midfield, able to drop deep to keep play ticking over at the back before bursting forward to contribute in the final third. Baah, Chakvetadze, Irankunda and Maama are incredible dribblers who draw in defenders and create havoc, while Bove is probably a mid-table Premier League level midfielder who is rediscovering fitness following a heart problem.

Elsewhere, Mamadou Doumbia and Luca Kjerrumgaard are youthful but handy strikers at Championship level. Doumbia is a man mountain who can create further space for those dribblers to cause problems, while Kjerrumgaard is a goal poacher who can finish off chances the others create.

At the back, Marc Bola and Jeremy Ngakia have been solid presences at full-back this season. Egil Selvik has settled down the goalkeeping position at Watford over the last 18 months, with Mattie Pollock at centre-back a solid presence in front of him.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

If Coventry City play a second-string team and Watford play to their potential, this could be a real mismatch in the home team’s favour. In particular, the thought of Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Jake Bidwell having to defend against the individual dribbling skill Watford boast is pretty terrifying from a Coventry perspective, especially with Luke Woolfenden and Joel Latibeaudiere’s lack of pace to cover when gaps open up.

This game could be set to be a real goalfest if both teams show up. Watford’s back-line has been leaking goals at an alarming rate recently. This is because they’ve never really recovered from the loss of Manchester City loanee Max Alleyne and then his replacement, Stephen Mfuni. Mattie Pollock may be a solid defender but those alongside him are much less so. If Simms can occupy Pollock, there should be space around for others to run into.