Numerous players came and went in the 10 years after the Pozzos took over ownership of Watford FC.
First featured in last season’s matchday programme, James Garrett picks out some of those individuals who made their mark at The Vic…
French-born Algerian international Adlène Guedioura is well remembered in these parts, initially for two successful loan spells during the 2014/15 season before joining the club permanently.
The mercurial midfielder had impressed at Championship level already before signing for Premier League team Crystal Palace at the start of the 2014/15 campaign. After struggling for starts at the South London club, Guedioura joined Watford on loan in November 2014, scoring a brace against Cardiff City and generally impressing with energy and skill that could light up any difficult Championship match.
However, it wasn’t until his second spell on loan in late February that we truly saw the best of him. In fact, for many of us it turned out to be Guedioura’s Man of the Match performance at Derby on Good Friday that was the turning point on Watford’s road to promotion. Losing 2-1 in the second half and down to 10 men, the midfielder took control of the match and was everywhere. His assist for an unlikely point was one of the moments of the season; reaching for the ball on the right touchline, without really being able to look, Guedioura played a perfect through ball into Odion Ighalo, who equalised. The team never looked back and not only held their play-off place but were promoted automatically with one league match to spare after another excellent performance by Guedioura in the 2-0 win at Brighton.
It came as no surprise that the Algerian signed permanently in the summer and was a very popular member of the dressing room despite the fact that Head Coach Quique Sánchez Flores was not truly convinced of his quality at the highest level, meaning he had to settle for making a good number of his performances from the bench. However, the FA Cup provided some regular football for the midfielder and it was on a sunny March afternoon that he scored one of the club’s greatest ever goals.
Having been drawn away to Arsenal in the quarter-final, there wouldn’t have been too many of us who fancied the Hornets to win. After Ighalo’s opening goal in the early part of the second half, there hadn’t been much time to prepare for what happened next. Troy Deeney held the ball up in the area and passed back to the advancing Guedioura, who thumped it with his first touch into the top corner of the net before the goalkeeper had even moved. It was a moment that we will never forget.
Sadly, Guedioura could never quite make himself first-choice in a Premier League Watford team but he was offered a chance to stay in the top tier when he moved to Middlesbrough in January 2017. Now aged 38, he currently plays for CR Belouizdad back in Algeria.
