WATFORD return to Vicarage Road on Saturday to take on divisional minnows Yeovil Town for the first time in their history.
After Saturday`s 1-0 reverse at home to Bolton Wanderers, a visit from former Hornets` coach Gary Johnson and his Glovers side could be just the tonic for Gianfranco Zola`s men, low on confidence after a winless November that has yielded just two points thus far.
The Glovers will surely smell blood themselves, though, and having beaten the highly-fancied Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Huish Park for just their second Championship win of the season at the back end of October, the Somerset outfit will fancy another upset.
It`s been a tough season thus far for Yeovil, who are competing in the Championship for their first time in their 118 year history. It has, however, been a remarkable rise to the second tier of English football for the Glovers, who were only promoted to the Football League 10 years ago.
The role that former Hornet Johnson has played in Yeovil`s success cannot be overstated and it is for perhaps that reason that the 58 year-old has not found himself under greater pressure this season, despite recording just two league wins as they prop up the Championship table.
Promotion to the Championship came as something of a shock in itself, with Johnson only returning to Huish Park in January 2012, replacing former player Terry Skiverton, who stepped back into Johnson`s coaching setup.
Seventeen months later and the Glovers were celebrating the most unlikely of successes as they beat Brentford 2-1 in the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley to reach the summit of the Football League just 10 years after entering the competition.
Cue a Supermarket Sweep style dash from Johnson in order to put together a squad with a fighting chance of retaining their Championship status beyond their first season at this level.
Eight players arrived on free transfers from clubs as varied as Southampton and Dorchester Town, with a further 11 players having spent loan spells with the West Country outfit already this season.
A 1-0 opening day victory at Millwall gave Glovers supporters cause for optimism, but that early triumph has given way to the harsher realities of this level, with just six more points added to their tally since then.
The Championship is a particularly cruel mistress and no-one has found that truth out more definitely than the Glovers, who have lost out by the margin of one goal no fewer than seven times already this campaign.
Indeed, only Middlesbrough and Derby County have succeeded in putting more than two goals past a backline which has proven to be far from the most porous in the division with 24 goals conceded – only three more than the 10th-placed Hornets.
Playing a big part in that success was Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee, Wayne Hennessey. The Welsh international joined on loan from the League One side following injury to regular No.1 Marek Stech, but has recently returned to Molineux following the expiration of his loan agreement.
Reading`s former Arsenal and Manchester City goalkeeper Stuart Taylor agreed a loan move to Huish Park on November 18, but just two days later returned to the Madejski Stadium for ‘personal reasons`.
There has also been the ongoing furore surrounding last season`s top-scorer Paddy Madden, who in the build up to Saturday`s game, has been transfer-listed. Dropped early in the season due to his ‘poor attitude`, the former Carlisle United forward has since been formally transfer listed.
It`s that kind of fortune which has deserted the Glovers so far this campaign, but with a trip to Vicarage Road to face an out-of-sorts Watford side, there could well be cause for renewed optimism in Somerset.
With no Stech, and at the time of writing, no other goalkeepers available, former Coventry man Chris Dunn will start in goal once more.
Madden will not be involved following his transfer listing, meaning experienced forward James Hayter could lead the line for Yeovil.
Watford have a plethora of injury concerns which we will bring you up-to-date with on Friday, but Ikechi Anya, Tommie Hoban (ankle) and Almen Abdi (foot) are all definitely out.
Lewis McGugan returns from suspension to ease Zola`s headache slightly. Fitz Hall could be handed his second debut at centre-half.
Predicted line-ups:
Watford: Almunia (capt); Cassetti, Nosworthy, Ekstrand; Faraoni, McGugan, Thorne, Battocchio, Pudil; Forestieri & Fabbrini.
Yeovil Town: Dunn; Ayling, Webster (capt), Duffy, McAllister; Grant, Upson, Edwards, Ralls, Davis; Hayter
Kick-off: 15.00
Referee: Mr S Mathieson
Commentary: BBC Three Counties & Hornets Player
Highlights: The Football League Show (BBC1 @ 23.40) & Hornets Player
