Opinion: Perspective needed at the Vic’

As Watford supporters, our collective knickers appear to be in a bit of a twist, but the season is far from over

AFTER a run which has seen Watford win just two of their last nine, there’s been a lot of negativity amongst the Hornets’ support at the moment, but I for one can’t understand why.

Granted, the 1-0 defeat to Millwall last night was extremely disappointing and deflating, as much anything. And, even though automatic promotion still appears to be a huge ask, the play-offs are well-and-truly ours to lose now.

We’re five points ahead of fourth-placed Brighton and although Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers have both been going like the clappers in recent weeks, it’s all irrelevant.

It will take an almight cock-up on Watford’s behalf to not secure a top-six spot and with relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers and nothing-to-play-for Leeds comprising two of our last three, I’m adamant we’ll be extending our season by two matches, at least.

When you consider where we were this time last year – just trying to finish as high as possible after a brief flirtation with the top-six – it’s a lot easier to put everything into perspective.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph earlier in the season, Gino Pozzo made pretty much the same point:

“We want to be there one day but I`m not going to say ‘we have to be in the Premier League otherwise`. Otherwise nothing. We will just do the best we can do to get there as quickly as possible but without forgetting where we have come from.”

This has been a fantastic season, there’s no two-ways about that. With the uncertainty of the takeover and the influx of loanees, last summer was a time of apprehension.

As we stand now, I can’t say I’m aware of one right-minded Watford fan who is opposed to the Pozzo family’s model or plans for the club moving forward.

We’ve not only been treated to the talents of players like Fernando Forestieri, Almen Abdi and Matej Vydra – the likes of which have not been seen at this club for many, many years – we’ve also enjoyed the best football on offer in my lifetime at least.

All this with 16 new faces, a new manager, new coaching staff, new system and new football philosophy.

Quite frankly, we’ve grossly overachieved. Perceived wisdom says you should not be able to cobble together a 40-man squad of homegrown kids, journeyman Football League pros and exceptionally talented loanees from all corners of the globe and make it work.

Yet Gianfranco Zola and his staff have done exactly that.

Whatever happens in the play-offs, this has been a fantastic season and we should never lose sight of where we have come from in the first place.

Turning attentions to the play-offs, there’s been a lot of doom-and-gloom on Twitter (@VitalWatford) about our chances considering our recent form.

Form counts for nothing. You have two games which you have worked towards all season in order to earn the right to a crack at the Premier League. The players are and will be, motivated. We have as much chance as everyone else in the top-six – all teams we have beaten this season.

Let’s get behind the boys & cheer them over the line and hopefully, onto Wembley.