OPINION - Five thoughts following Watford's 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Watford returned to winning ways on Saturday, as goals from Odion Ighalo and Craig Cathcart of all people, secured a 2-1 win over Newcastle at Vicarage Road.
The result moves Hornets up to 10th place in the table and also means the Golden Boys have done the treble over Steve McClaren's men this season, having beaten them in each of the three meetings.
In a tight first half, Etienne Capoue had a golden chance to put the Hornets in front but he fired straight at Rob Elliott with the goal gaping.
At the other end, Heurelho Gomes pulled off a fantastic save to deny a low effort from Aleksandar Mitrovic, which was heading for the back of the net, with his out stretched foot.
However, one minute after half-time, the Hornets went 1-0 up after Troy Deeney's delightful through ball found Odion Ighalo, who took a touch, rounded Rob Elliot and slotted the ball into the net.
One things for sure; Elliot must be glad to see the back of Vicarage Road, having been rounded twice in his two visits to the Vic this season with the Magpies by Deeney and now Ighalo.
Ten minutes later and the Golden Boys were 2-0 up, as Catchart fired home on the volley inside the penalty area, having been set up by Ighalo.
Jamaal Lascelles pulled one back for Newcastle with 20 minutes to play but it proved to be just a consolation, as Watford held on to secure their first victory in five Premier League games.
Having attended Saturday's victory at Vicarage Road, here are five of my thoughts:
1 - Hornets much improved.
On the whole, Saturday's performance from the Hornets was much improved compared to recent games. Quique Sanchez Flores' men were very poor against Southampton and Swansea and never really came close to scoring against either side. However, the performance against Newcastle was much better and it ended the Hornets' recent slump. It was the kind of performance from this side that we have grown accustomed to seeing this season; It was full of grit, determination and quality. Defensively the Hornets stood resilient and coped with the majority of Newcastle's attacks. In midfield, Ben Watson, Etienne Capoue and Valon Behrami hassled Newcastle in possession all game, whilst Jose Manuel Jurado was calm and creative in possession. Up front Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo caused problems all game and on the whole, it was a good performance from Quique Sanchez Flores' men. Ultimately, we could and probably should have won by a larger margin.
2 - Jurado shines in new position.
(Picture - Zimbio)
Since joining the club from Spartak Moscow in the summer, Jurado has become something of a marmite figure among fans. Some love him and the work he does for the side whilst some believe him to be Quique's lovechild and don't see how he starts ahead of Almen Abdi and Adlene Guedioura. On Social Media especially, there has been much conflict among Watford supporters about what Jurado brings to the side. I for one don't understand the abuse he gets. He's certainly a talented player who is still adjusting to the Premier League and is being played out of position. We've seen moments of brilliance from him at times and he was excellent against Manchester City earlier this month.
On Saturday against Newcastle, Jurado was superb. Deployed in a free role behind Deeney and Ighalo, the Spaniard shined and the position really suited him down to the ground. He kept hold of possession well and always looked to do something positive in possession. He was Watford's creator in chief and proved to be a crucial link between midfield and attack. The 29 year-old showed some great moments of skill and he pulled of a superb well-time sliding tackle on a Newcastle player mid-way through the first half, to put a stop to a promising looking attack. It was his best performance in a Watford shirt without a shadow of a doubt.
3 - Behrami impresses
(Picture - Empics Sport)
Another player who impressed on Saturday was Valon Behrami. The Swiss international has struggled since his sending off against Swansea with injury and has found it difficult to displace Ben Watson and Etienne Capoue. He is another one who has divided opinion among Watford fans, with some labelling him as a 'hot-head' but on Saturday, the Swiss international really showed what he can offer. Behrami was always hassling and harrying Newcastle in possession and never gave some of their players a moments piece. He was like a Terrier, always snapping at a Newcastle player's heels and he pulled off some fantastic interceptions and tackles over the course of the 90 minutes. He wasn't afraid to get forward either to help Deeney and Ighalo in attack, although the only black-mark on his performance was when he went down theatrically in the penalty area under pressure from Coloccini to try to earn a penalty and he was rightly shown a yellow card by referee, Andre Marriner. Despite this, the Swiss international showed great leadership late on in the game, constantly talking to the players around him and giving out instructions to ensure the Hornets got over the finish line. Behrami played an important role on Saturday and has certainly given Flores some food for thought.
4 - Paredes does himself no harm.
(Picture - Action Images)
Juan Carlos Paredes made only his second Premier League start of the season on Saturday and he did his case for a regular position in the starting line-up no harm at all. Replacing Allan Nyom, who has been poor for a few weeks in my opinion, in the only change that Flores made, Paredes had a good game. Going forward, he offered some much needed pace and width, something the Hornets have been crying out for in recent weeks and he linked up well with Etienne Capoue down the right on a number of occasions. He proved to be an attacking threat all afternoon and caused Chancel Mbemba problems all afternoon. Defensively, I'm not going to lie, there were some heart in mouth moments from the Ecuadorian; he's always prone to making errors defensively as we have witnessed before and he didn't track his runner sometimes. But despite this, he did ok defensively and combined his roles well. On the whole, it was a good performance from Paredes and one that will certainly give Nyom a kick up the backside.
5 - Britos is a class act.
(Picture - Zimbio)
To think back in August, some fans called him a hot-head and didn't believe he was good enough. But ever since he stepped into the side against Stoke City, he has proved all the doubters wrong and is now one of the first names on the team sheet. Britos has barely put a foot wrong since he slotted into the defence and it was another good performance from the Uruguayan on Saturday. He was dominant as ever in the air and wasn't afraid to put his body on the line for the side. The defender pulled off some good tackles and interceptions and was as calm as ever on the ball. On the basis of what I've seen this season, it's hard to believe that the 30-year-old has never been capped at international level by Uruguay. He is a class act and I for one hope he can maintain his impressive form for the rest of the season.