Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
New Swansea boss Bob Bradley makes his Liberty Stadium now this afternoon and he will be able to take positives from their 3-2 defeat to Arsenal last Saturday at The Emirates. Today he will look to register a first ever Premier League win with the visit of Watford on the horizon.
Although Arsenal probably deserved to win on the balance of play last weekend, Swansea refused to lie down and had they had more of a cutting edge upfront they could have made better use of their on pitch numerical advantage and snatched an equaliser.
They certainly had Arsenal on the ropes but they just couldn’t deliver a knockout blow to snatch what would have been a memorable point in Bob Bradley’s first game in charge. In theory that was somewhat of a free hit, the rest now for the former U.S. national side coach is whether he can deliver in what you would consider more winnable matches.
Their opponents Watford visit South Wales on the back off an away win against Middlesbrough last Sunday. It was Jose Holebas’ puledriver that gave Watford all three points and subsequently their third win of the season. It’s fair to say that Walter Mazzari has adapted to Premier League life pretty quickly.
The aim for Watford this season will be to no doubt establish themselves as as Premier League side, I think the European places is something that will allude them but if they can finish in the top half come May then you would have to define the campaign as a success.
Last season it was all about goals from Troy Deeney and Orion Ighalo and when those goals dried up post Christmas then Watford slipped down the table. This season even though Deeney and Ighalo haven’t scored at the same rate this season it hasn’t been to the detriment of the side as the rest of the squad has picked up the slack.
A more squad based effort sees Watford sit 10th and with two of their three wins coming on the road they will fancy their chances of recording another victory this afternoon. Will The Hornets have too much wrong for Swansea?
I think with the now expected ‘new manager bounce’ and valour in defeat last week then Swansea won’t be an easy task to clear. I think that first win might allude Bradley but I do reckon he will earn his first point. Honours even this afternoon at The Liberty.
