Sunday 15 May 2016 20:24, UK
Stats, quotes and expert opinion on Watford's 2015/16 Premier League season...
Finishing position: 13th
Total points: 45
FA Cup: Semi-finals
Capital One Cup: Second round
Top scorer: Odion Ighalo (15)
WhoScored Top Rating: Troy Deeney 7.28
Season review
After having one of the busiest summers among Premier League clubs, Watford's season was one of two halves.
Having been promoted from the Championship, the Hornets were one of the favourites to go straight back down. Certainly it seemed as though new manager Quique Sanchez Flores had a challenging job on his hands, with 16 signings made over the summer and a squad of 22 different nationalities.
Watford had never survived in the Premier League before but, by the time Christmas rolled around, they had gone a long way to ensuring they would be staying in the top flight. Backed by the impressive goal-scoring form of Odion Ighalo, who finished 2015 as the top scorer in English league football, the Hornets beat Swansea, Newcastle, Stoke and West Ham before a four-match winning run culminated in a 3-0 victory over Liverpool.
At Christmas the Hornets were seventh in the league, only a point outside the top four. But the New Year brought with it a downturn in form as well as uncertainty over Flores' future.
As Watford progressed in the FA Cup with victories over Leeds and Arsenal, they slipped down the league, winning just four games in 2016. While those victories were enough to keep them afloat and ward off any threat of relegation, their cup campaign ended in disappointment with a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley.
At the start of the season, top-flight survival and an FA Cup semi-final would surely have been considered a success, but it was not enough for Flores to keep his job.
The club confirmed on the Friday before the final day that the Spaniard will be leaving in the summer, with former Inter Milan and Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri the favourite to take charge. He would be the eighth manager since the Pozzo family took over the club in 2012.
Quotes of the season
"It is difficult because I want the players to feel happy. Everything is new. We have how many new players? Too many. It is important not to create bad feelings with the new players." - Quique Sanches Flores on Watford's signings at the start of the season.
"We do what we do but we don't get caught up in any of the hype. We complement each other very well and both get through a lot of graft defensively, and it works. I can't tell you what it is that works, but it does." - Troy Deeney on his connection with strike partner Odion Ighalo in November.
"Is it appreciated by the club? For sure the fans appreciate it. Because I know they have enjoyed and they appreciate how difficult it is to get to this point. More? I don't know." - Flores after being asked in April whether the club's owners appreciate his work.
"We are extremely pleased with the work of Quique and his staff and all of the players this season. Every objective set has been achieved. We have a meeting arranged immediately at the end of the season to discuss continuing the project together." - Statement from Watford two games before the end of the season.
Stats of the season
In 2016, Watford have averaged just 0.84 points per game in the top-flight (W4 D4 L11), compared to 1.53 points per game in the first-half of the season (W8 D5 L6).
Troy Deeney has scored six penalties this season in the Premier League, more than any other player.
Deeney has assisted Odion Ighalo seven times this season in the Premier League - no player has assisted another more often (Dele Alli to Harry Kane also seven).
Phil Thompson's view
For Watford to get rid of their manager was one of the biggest shocks of the season. Incredible.
"I thought they had a terrific season and yet in these last couple of months, the wheels came off. However, that's probably understandable as they were punching well above their weight. In Deeney and Ighalo they had a fantastic partnership up front and to get rid of the manager was one of the biggest shocks of the season. Incredible."
