Ighalo – Clubs Will Respect Watford

Rightly so in the wake of the incredible season Watford are having after coming up from the Championship last season! As we stand (which I think most will accept isn’t going to be achieved….or will it) the Hornets just a point off the Champions League places after a four-match winning run!

As the dust settles on the win over Liverpool on Sunday Watford begin preparations for the trip to Chelsea on Boxing Day, with the Hornets going into this 10-points ahead of the ‘struggling’ Blues.

Having taken his tally to 12-goals for the season with his brace against Liverpool, whilst not getting carried away, Odion Ighalo is also not underselling what Watford are capable of. Despite the difficult a job it’ll be at Stamford Bridge he feels clubs are starting to sit up and take notice of them with the Hornets (as I say, quite rightly) commanding respect, which the likes of Chelsea will give them.

Ighalo has been quoted by the Evening Standard as saying.

‘They will have more respect for us and treat us not as a team who has just gained promotion but one who has been playing in the Premier League for a long time.

‘I see the team working hard for each other, running for each other, fighting for every ball and I’m not surprised any more at how well we have been playing. We can cause more upsets if we keep going like this. It’s not going to be easy at Chelsea because all their players will want to impress the new manager and it will be a massive game but anything can happen. We have to push ourselves.’

Forget dreaming about a white Christmas, Watford fans are dreaming about Champions League football next season! Like I say the vast majority will accept, at least expect, this not to be the case but you never know….

At the moment Premier League survival is all the Nigerian international added the club are focusing on, when they ‘magical 40-point marker’ is reached Ighalo will be happy with anything else beyond survival a bonus.

‘We’re not thinking about European football. We’re not safe yet and we’re still looking for 12 more points to be safe in the Premier League next season. Our main aim is to fight relegation. We will be happy to get to 40 points and we will be thankful for anything that comes after that.’