ROY HODGSON answered the ‘siren call’ to take charge of Watford – and immediately steered them into calmer waters. The Hornets secured a first Prem clean sheet in almost two years – during which time they have had SIX different managers. And after seven defeats in eight league matches over a particularly choppy couple of […]
ROY HODGSON answered the ‘siren call’ to take charge of Watford – and immediately steered them into calmer waters.
The Hornets secured a first Prem clean sheet in almost two years – during which time they have had SIX different managers.
And after seven defeats in eight league matches over a particularly choppy couple of months at Vicarage Road, a point will be most welcome.
The conditions at a sodden Turf Moor were better suited to the mermaids that Hodgson mentioned rather than footballers.
But even so, in a game low on quality, it was hard to escape the feeling both of these teams are heading for the rocks in May.
His sixth job in the English top flight is going to be a particularly difficult one to navigate for the former England boss.
Meanwhile If Burnley are to stay up then they are going to need goals from their new look strike partnership of Maxwel Cornet and Wout Weghorst.
The early signs were promising as the big Dutch forward got a flick on but Cornet’s shot was smartly kept out by Ben Foster.
At the other end, Joao Pedro danced his way into the box and was about to find the bottom corner but was denied by a superbly timed last ditch tackle by James Tarkowski.
Most of the best chances were coming for the visitors as Juraj Kucka pulled a ball across the box but Josh King could not quite reach it.
The Norwegian forward then got in behind the Clarets defence as he ran onto a perfectly timed pass by Hassane Kamara but Nick Pope got down well to save.
They came even closer from the resulting corner as Joao Pedro’s flick cannoned off home skipper Ben Mee and he was grateful to see Aaron Lennon clear it off the line.
Right on half-time came a moment of controversy as Ken Sema’s volley into the box struck the hand of Connor Roberts – and the ref blew for half-time while the VAR check was still going on.
Burnley’s players moved faster than they had all half to get off the pitch and down the tunnel – but luckily for ref Craig Pawson he did not have to call them back – the verdict was no penalty.
The Clarets have won only once in the league at home in a calendar year and there was little sign of them improving on that record.
Yet straight after the re-start they came close as Weghorst’s shot was blocked by Kamara and the ball looped up and dropped on the top of Foster’s crossbar.
But again Watford Joao Pedro got on the end of a free-kick by Kucka but headed straight at Pope who made heavy weather of a routine save.
Mee then headed a corner back towards his own goal and was relieved to see it drift just wide of the post.
On the tenth anniversary of him signing a permanent deal at Turf Moor, the centre back almost scored twice in his own net.
Burnely finally created a couple of chances but Weghorst slashed a shot wide and then Cornet brought another smart save out of Foster.
Sub Jay Rodriguez glanced a header just wide – in what would have been a carbon copy of ihis goal against the Hornets a couple of years ago.
At the other end Pope made a fine low stop to keep out sub Tom Cleverley’s effort from the edge of the box.
It was a game both sides needed to win but you got the feeling a goal was never going to come.
Never mind siren calls – the alarm bells should be ringing for these two. Both remain in deep trouble.
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