Roy Hodgson expects a difficult test at Anfield on Saturday (April 2, 12.30pm KO) as Liverpool host the Hornets in the Premier League, but he insists a positive team spirit and competition for places can aid his side in the battle against relegation.
Three weeks have passed since the last first-team game, a successful 2-1 outing at Southampton. With the full squad training together for a week before some departed to represent their countries, Hodgson and his players have had plenty of time to continue their work in London Colney.
The win over the Saints saw Christian Kabasele make his first start under the former England boss, and Juraj Kucka return to the fold, with both impressing. That, coupled with strong performances from João Pedro and Cucho Hernández, has Hodgson excited, with a wealth of options in the squad and an increase in ‘spirit’.
“I think the competition for places has become hotter,” Hodgson explained. “I was happy with [Craig] Cathcart, I was happy with Tom Cleverley, and [Emmanuel] Dennis, [Ismaïla] Sarr and [Joshua] King, but the other players that have come in have made me think.
“That’s good going forward. We need to keep these players fit, keep the competition going, but most important of all this club needs spirit!
“If Watford survive this year, it will be partly because the players have shown themselves to be good enough, but it will be because the spirit is good, and they’ve really wanted it.
“You can try to transmit spirit, but it’s got to come from the group itself, it’s got to accept it and build on it. If we do survive, it’s because the spirit at the club has been very good.
“Every time you play a team like Liverpool away from home you know the odds are stacked against you. There’s no secret to how good they are or why they’re good, the quality of their players and the quality of their work. All we can do is hope that we’re able to produce a performance on the day that will give us a result.”
On the injury front, there is plenty to be positive about, with internationals returning free from ailment.
“We’ve not had many injuries, we’ve been pretty fortunate,” Hodgson explained. “We have pretty much a full complement. Young Kwadwo Baah is still recovering from an ankle injury but should train next week. We have one or two players suffering from a bout of sickness that affects their tonsils, so they've been missing from training this week, but they’ll all be available ahead of the weekend.
“We always try to work on things in training, and it’s a constant process of trying to improve the way we defend and attack. It’s been good to have some time with the players in that respect but we’ve had to accept that some of the players we’d like to have involved have been away on international duty.
“We had a week with everybody which was useful in terms of helping to prepare. Now like anyone else we only have a couple of days.
“Our players have come back from Africa, they’ve been with us today but not in a position to train so we’ll only have tomorrow morning in terms of absolute preparation, but that’s the same for everyone else - Liverpool will be in exactly the same position as we are.”
Watford’s next opponents can go top of the league with a win, with Hodgson acknowledging that the Golden Boys have to be at their best to pick up a result on Merseyside.
If the Hornets are to defy the odds, Hodgson will need his attackers to be in a rich vein of form. Sarr scored in Senegal’s penalty shoot-out win over Egypt to secure World Cup qualification earlier this week, while Joshua King bagged a hat-trick in Norway’s 9-0 thrashing of Armenia.
“It’s great when they go away, and come back fit, but it’s even better when they come back like Sarr, celebrating that his team has now qualified for the World Cup and Joshua King celebrating a good game with a hat-trick to boot,” said Hodgson.
“[Sarr’s] been recovering today. His chances of being involved are okay, as long as he shows us tomorrow that he’s recovered from 120 minutes, and both games.
“It’s been a hard journey for him playing for Senegal, but a very successful one, so that’s buoyed his spirits I’m sure.
“I’m pretty certain he’ll put his hand up tomorrow to be asked to come into the starting line-up, and as far as I am concerned, a player of his quality will be very important for the club if we are going to pull ourselves away from the relegation zone, because you can’t do it without players of that quality.”
