With players available again after injury, new signings bedding in and some of the squad starting the season in excellent form, Watford head coach Tom Cleverley faces the sort of headache ahead of tomorrow’s game with Norwich City that managers don’t mind.
“This will be the toughest team selection I’ve had to date,” he said looking ahead to the trip to Carrow Road.
“We have more strength in depth, and it’s a nice problem to face.”
Having been stretchered off during last weekend’s draw with Coventry, the outlook appeared bleak for Giorgi Chakvetadze, but the outcome is far better than first feared and the Hornets are hopeful he will be available.
The same can be said of Kwadwo Baah, who missed the visit of the Sky Blues, while both Imran Louza and recent signing Angelo Ogbonna are available for selection.
“Giorgi has responded well. He’s not trained with the group yet this week but we’re hoping that he will be available for selection,” said Cleverley.
“He’s a bit more than 50/50. The plan is that we’ll see how he responds to training tomorrow (Friday) but the aim is to have him available for selection.
“He’s just a good player, and a top professional.
“He wants to learn and he has really high game intelligence, and it’s that of a Premier League player.
“When you have that, along with his technical attributes, then he is someone who can be exciting.
“The challenge for Giorgi, certainly from me, would be to add goals and assists because he has the ability to do that, and now it’s just a mentality of being in the right place at the right time, every time.
“If he continues to do that then I expect to see big, big numbers from Giorgi this season.”
The Watford boss gave updates on other in his squad.
“I can’t say Baah is definitely going to be available, but we’re on the hopeful side of 50/50,” he said.
“He was 50/50 for last weekend and didn’t make it, but he’s trained today and we’ll see how he reacts to that.
“Louza and Ogbonna come into the squad for this weekend and they are good additions because we’ve been light in those positions for the last few weeks.
“They are both experienced players and I’m happy to have them back.”
Daniel Jebbison, who joined last month on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, is still waiting for his first start.
“I’m a coach that values the game plan, and you really have to understand and buy into that,” Cleverley explained.
“I just felt last weekend was too soon.
“Daniel is a fantastic player and he has high potential, and he was someone I just felt I needed a bit more time with to integrate, and to get him understanding what I want from my No.9.”
The Hornets have conceded a goal inside the first five minutes of each of the last three league fixtures.
Last week Cleverley said he felt the issue had been fixed on the training ground, but a repeat against Coventry meant more work was required.
“It’s been addressed without making it an absolute fear,” he said.
“We’ll change a couple of things within our preparations, subtle changes, and they should have the desired effect.
“I don’t think we’ve become predictable at all, though.
“We have answers to teams who might try and second guess what we’re doing to them, and we have patterns and rotations to counteract.
“I think Sheffield United was just a flat performance from us, and Coventry was a game of two halves.
“Let’s not disrespect Coventry: they reached the FA Cup semi-final last season, Play-Off finalists the year before, spent a lot of money.
“We’ve played a relegated team, and another team who will be thereabouts this season.
“I feel like we pushed both of them all the way, and 10 points from five games is still a good start.
“You can never lose sight of who you are yourself, but you have to take into account what the opposition are doing, what you think they might do, and how they might respond.
“I do enjoy that part of the role.”
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