Watford 'probably need to win six of last eight'
Watford will probably need to win six of their last eight games to make the Championship play-offs. That task seems unlikely so they may have to settle for a top 10 finish - the lack of squad depth is likely to cost them.Watford have as strong an 11 as most in the Championship and some top players in the form of Giorgi Chakvetadze, Kwadwo Baah, Imran Louza and James Abankwah but dig down a bit and the quality is not quite there.It's most apparent in the striker department. There aren't many number nines who are going to finish the season with over 15 goals in the league. The traditional number nine position seems to be getting more difficult to master than ever before and Watford have suffered more than most up top recently.Vakoun Bayo has 10 for the season but four of those came in one match and he hasn't scored since mid-January. When he returned from suspension last month 19-year-old Mamadou Doumbia was chosen ahead of him. Doumbia is a raw and exciting talent and could be the answer to Watford's nine problem but even he failed to score in the six matches he started although he did win penalties and provide assists.Watford have started their last two matches without a recognised striker with Bayo on the bench. With several other key players missing the thin squad hasn't got Watford as close to the top six positions as they would have liked.The injury to Baah has had the greatest impact. Watford don't possess any other player with the raw pace and ability to go past players like him in the final third.If it's not to be this season Tom Cleverley can still hold his head high. There were relegation predictions at the beginning of the season and the Watford boss had to endure a turbulent period in January where it looked like he'd been replaced, so to get them where he has has been a fine effort.Watford aren't far off being a credible promotion-chasing side. With three or four quality additions you would fancy their chances next season but that's as long as they keep their own four or five top performers.With Premier League parachute payments a distant thing of the past that seems unlikely with the Hornets owner, once again, likely to want to balance the books.
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Times
2 hours ago
- Times
James Anderson denied win by Kent's tail in first game as captain
This season, perhaps, it could only be Lancashire. After seeming on the brink of their first Championship victory of 2025, James Anderson's side had to settle for a draw against Kent at Blackpool where Grant Stewart's gloriously violent 130 transformed the game. Such an outcome seemed the stuff of fantasy just before three o'clock when Harry Finch had walked off Stanley Park after making a four-ball nought and the visiting team were 116 for seven, still 149 runs in arrears. Then it seemed that Anderson was about to lead his side to an innings victory in the 42-year-old's first venture into captaincy. But only 19 wickets had fallen in the first three days and Stewart now joined the splendidly gutsy Joey Evison with the task of batting for a couple of hours or so on what was still a true surface. They succeeded in thrilling fashion, Stewart whacking Mitchell Stanley for three successive sixes just after tea and reaching his second hundred of the season off 79 balls, with nine fours and eight maximums. Anderson had only bowled four overs until just before the second new ball became available but he returned to have Stewart caught at cover by Tom Bailey to revive his side's hopes. However, Wes Agar came out to join Evison and the pair had added a further 30 runs by the time the players shook hands. At that point, Kent were 63 runs ahead, Evison was 77 not out and only a handful of overs remained in the day. For Kent and their head coach, Adam Hollioake, the draw ends a dismal run in which they had lost four successive games, two of them by an innings. However, they could be forgiven if they regarded this result as a quasi-victory. Certainly the outcome will have come as a disappointment to the Australian off spinner, Chris Green, whose four wickets for 104 in 38 overs had put the skids under Kent. His captain, however, was in more sanguine mood. 'I think we played some great cricket throughout the week,' Anderson said. 'But their lower order played really well today. We knew the new ball was coming but we only had a short time with it to get those last couple of wickets. 'Obviously, the lads are disappointed not to get the win. But I just think the way we approached this week felt different to the rest of the season. And I feel if we keep playing like that, we're going to win games.' Edgbaston (final day of four): Warwickshire (11pts) drew with Somerset (14) A game that was slowly expiring 26 minutes after tea suddenly sparked into life, if only for a further 15 overs, when first Tom Latham returned a well-taken low catch to Craig Overton for 52 and the new batsman, Jacob Bethell, was needlessly roused into a hook by Migael Pretorius's bouncers six overs later, skying a top edge to mid-wicket for 12. Set 377 at 5.46 per over, a target never remotely on, Warwickshire were now 131 for four with 23.2 overs to come. They had lost both openers in the first 31 balls, as Jack Leach's left-arm spin shared the new ball with Matt Henry's pace, but Latham and Sam Hain had apparently stifled all Somerset hopes of a fourth championship success on the bounce in an unflustered 98-run stand. As it was Hain, facing 157 balls for an eventual unbeaten 68, needed Ed Barnard to stay with him until the draw was eventually conceded at 5.43pm. At times a ring of ten men surrounded the bat but, on a slow pitch, alarms were few. Somerset's tactics faltered badly in the morning as they tried to establish a target. Surrendering two early wickets after a busy start, they lost a further three later after unduly assiduous retrenchment. The Australian Corey Rocchiccioli, bowling impressive off spin, helped the confusion with five for 67 on his Warwickshire debut as an overseas player, signed for the four rounds of Kookaburra-ball games. In a more unusual scene on the county circuit, Jonny Bairstow bowled only his second-ever over — 11 years after his first — in Yorkshire's County Championship fixture against Nottinghamshire. The Yorkshire captain, who is the county's first-choice wicketkeeper, handed the gloves to Finlay Bean for the final over of the day but had little to show for his efforts, finishing with figures of 0-6. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dean Smith lifts the lid on his new life with Charlotte FC, being 'second dad' to Jack Grealish and which Aston Villa star is 'irreplaceable'
Sheltered away from the brutal heat wave that has swept across America, Dean Smith 's office at the training ground of Charlotte FC is his home away from home. Across the Atlantic, England are pulling off a memorable run chase against India in Leeds and here in North Carolina, we watch the Sky Sports coverage unfold on the big screen inside. 'I love my cricket, I'm a big Warwickshire fan,' Smith tells Mail Sport with his strong Brummie accent. 'I know Woakesy (Chris Woakes) and a few of the other lads like Belly (Ian Bell) well from my time at Aston Villa. They're all big Villa fans.' Smith is of course a Villa supporter too and the man who led them back to the Premier League in 2019. Inevitably, there is an overwhelming sense of happiness, seeing his side play European football and the likes of Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey amongst others thrive at Villa. All were signed and nurtured under Smith, during his stint as Villa boss between 2018 and 2021. 'It gives me great pride. Seeing all those guys I worked with improve, get opportunities, earn more money and ultimately play better,' he says. 'I remember telling Ezri (Konsa) when I left that he's got 18 months to get in the England squad or else I'm allowed a free punch and he texted me back when he got in the squad. But it's great to see what Unai (Emery) has done. And it's what I expected with the ownership because Nassef (Sawiris) and Wes (Edens) were really intent on their five year plan of getting to Europe.' The journey of Thomas Frank is one of pride too for Smith, who interviewed him for the assistant manager role at Brentford in 2016 and was left in little doubt by the Dane. When Smith left Brentford for Villa, Frank took over. 'I'm so pleased too for Thomas. He's earned the right (to be Tottenham manager) and I wish him the best,' the 54-year-old says. For Smith, who has managed Charlotte FC since December 2023, that idea of helping to build clubs like he did at both Brentford and Villa is very much why he came here in the first place. The Atrium Health Performance Park in East Charlotte is where we meet and a place which played a major role in Smith taking the job in December 2023, when the club was barely three years old. The opportunity came after a dinner with Zoran Krneta, the club's sporting director, when Smith was in the US to visit his son, Jamie, who was at college in the States. 'Once I saw the facilities, I was more than happy to go,' says Smith. It is a spacious modern hub which houses the first-team, the academy and the entire business operations staff. He describes it as 'top grade' for a club that is still only in its fourth MLS season. The clear ambition for Smith is to 'win a trophy' here. 'Last year was really good. We had our first home playoff game in front of 40 odd thousand,' he says. They won at the Bank of America Stadium, which is also home of the Carolina Panthers, but eventually lost on penalties in a best-of-three format to Orlando SC in Florida. 'I find it mad that there's no away fans but that's because there's so much distance. So there's no huge rivalries and you can't really manufacture that. That's a big difference for me,' he admits. Every away game involves a flight. 'It's like flying once or twice a week to Switzerland, to Scandinavia and so on,' says Smith. 'But above all, it's a good football city, with a fantastic stadium, great fans and there's good people at the club and that's the important thing,' he insists. Smith signed a new contract earlier this year to extend his stay till 2027, joking that they already named a highway after him. Search up his name on Google in these parts and the first thing that comes up is Dean Smith, a longtime North Carolina college basketball coach, who has a section of Interstate 40 named after him. A tour through the HQ gives you a feel of the collaborative culture within the club, with all of the departments easily accessible. Inside his office, Smith operates from a standing desk. The Learning Zone, named by Smith, is where press conferences take place and also where they deliver video analysis. 'One of my big things is to help players learn. I believe our job as coaches is like a teacher and to get the best out of them,' Smith says. 'We did it at Brentford where we changed the video room into a learning zone. I constantly ask questions. If I don't, then I don't know what the players know. I need to know what they know before I can coach them any further,' he insists. So how does it feel, quality wise? Last year, he described it as 'top-ten Championship' but believes that for the MLS to improve, it must adapt. 'It's hard to assess because it would be tough for Premier League clubs to come and play in this heat. England have got to be ready for the heat next year, for sure. This is a summer league but it needs to change to become a winter league because the marketplace is not good for us,' he says. 'A lot of clubs are very similar because of the salary cap but there's also some that can sprinkle more stardust than others. The current system is difficult to grasp and needs simplifying. If we want to become one of the best leagues in the world, we need to keep adapting to become better,' he adds. Talking about stardust, there is a player in his side that fits the bill in Wilfried Zaha, currently on loan from Galatasaray. The 32-year-old joined in January after meeting with Smith in London and scored on his debut. 'He wasn't playing and we felt there was a player who could come and do really well in the MLS. We really liked what he was about. I could tell he was frustrated and felt like he was missing time, having had such a successful period at Crystal Palace and what was a good start at Galatasaray,' says Smith. 'There's a lot of talk externally here, expecting Wilf to come and score 15 goals in 20 games but that's not the reality. I keep saying he's not played for nine months and what would that make the league look like if he did. But he's grown and I feel we'll see the best of him towards the end of the season,' he stresses. It leads us to the topic of another winger in Jack Grealish, who calls Smith his 'second dad' and like Zaha, needs to be playing regularly again after falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola. Smith gave Grealish the captaincy at Villa and helped lay the foundations for his £100M move to Manchester City in 2021. The pair spoke last week when Smith was back in the UK. 'We keep in touch regularly. He's a wonderful person but he's an unbelievable player too. What I want to see is him playing football again because if he does, he'll be a star for England at the World Cup,' says Smith. 'Thomas (Tuchel) wants him playing and if he is, I'm sure he'll get back in the England team. I just told him to keep calm, keep fit and be ready for whatever challenge is out there. Thomas said he's one player that can take the ball in any situation. The bigger, the better for Jack and that's what England need - players that can handle the football. Just look at when Man City won the Champions League and played Real Madrid away and he was the one demanding the ball. He needs to go to a club but it's also who can afford him with PSR.' Inevitably, there is intrigue about his own boyhood club too with players he knows well like Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins potentially heading out of Villa Park this summer. 'Villa don't want to lose either of them and I don't think they can,' says Smith. 'My wife's not happy because we had one game in June so we missed Ollie's wedding and she was gutted we didn't go. He's another top lad that I keep in touch with and now Villa's Premier League top scorer. I think he's irreplaceable,' he says. As another Smith, Jamie, knocks off the winning runs at Headingley, our time comes to an end as Smith has a flight to catch for a game in Kansas, before a trip to Chicago this weekend - this week will see Charlotte clock up around 4,000 miles of travel. Tough but all good preparation for his trip to Australia in December, when Smith is planning to go with his wife for the Boxing Day Ashes Test in Melbourne. By then, the MLS season will be over and he'll be hoping he can head down under with some silverware.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Man Utd star sent warning over his future as Bryan Mbeumo transfer looms
Rene Meulensteen believes Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo's arrival at Old Trafford could spell bad news for one of their new Manchester United teammates. United have made attacking reinforcements a number-one priority in the summer transfer window having scored only 44 Premier League goals last season. Ruben Amorim's side acted swiftly to wrap up a deal for Matheus Cunha, with the versatile Wolves forward joining for £62.5million. The Red Devils are still keen for more additions and appear to be closing in on a deal to sign Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo having lodged a second bid earlier this week. The additions of Cunha and Mbeumo – who scored 35 league goals between them last season – will enable Amorim to reshape his attacking set-up next season, especially as several high-profile names head for the exit this summer. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. But Meulensteen believes that the duo's arrival might also make life tough for those who remain at Old Trafford next season, in particular Mason Mount who will be vying for the same spot in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 lineup. Mount has started just 13 league games across his first two seasons at United in large part due to his consistent struggles with injury. Getting back to full fitness towards the end of last season, the 26-year-old issued a few timely reminders of his quality, memorably notching a brace against Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-final second leg. However, Meulensteen fears the Englishman could once again find himself on the outside looking in if Amorim wants to give his new signings a fair crack of the whip early next season. 'We have seen glimpses of Mason Mount when he got more minutes, he showed great energy and popped up in good positions in the box which was promising,' he told 'He has scored some really important goals for United, but the question will now be where he fits in with Matheus Cunha and maybe Bryan Mbeumo. More Trending 'He can only play in one of those positions off the front because he isn't going to be a striker and Cunha is not going to be on the bench. It's going to be hard for Mount next year.' Such potential reservations over playing time lead to tentative speculation over Mount's immediate future at United beyond this summer. But transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that the midfielder has no intention to leave United currently and is preparing to return to pre-season under Amorim in the coming weeks. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Man Utd set new transfer fee for Chelsea to sign Alejandro Garnacho MORE: Tottenham urged to consider move for £52m Man Utd transfer target MORE: Arsenal agree transfer with Chelsea and book medical for another new signing
