Huddersfield vs Watford preview: Siewert admits he is still getting to know players

Jan Siewert has admitted he is still not totally familiar with his relegated Huddersfield squad ahead of facing Watford on Saturday.

Siewert's side have lost 11 of the 12 games he has overseen since replacing David Wagner in January, but more than three months later, the German boss says he has still got a lot to learn about his Terriers squad, while planning for life back in the second tier next season.

He said: "We are still learning. I have a long-term view. I am still learning about these players and I have to in the last four games. I hate losing. It hurts me losing so many games.

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"I can't waste time. I have to learn about these players. We have to look at all the details in the summer. We have to look at our squad, players, playing style of the Championship. It's all about next season.

"We can't know what the team will look like next season. We will have to go through this process. This is why we need this long-term view."

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Watford will be without top scorer, captain and talisman Troy Deeney for the visit to the John Smith's Stadium, but head coach Javi Gracia said the Hornets would do their best to seal victory without him.

He said: "We have to play the next games without Troy, to be ready to compete without him.

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"Like with the rest of the games, I never complain about the players we don't have. We prefer to give value to the players we have and I try to choose the best XI, the best to compete in the next game."

Team news

Huddersfield's bid for a fourth league win this season could be dealt a major blow with Karlan Grant doubtful due to illness, while fellow striker Laurent Depoitre (foot) is still unavailable.

Winger Isaac Mbenza has recovered from his illness and both Aaron Mooy, dropped for last week's defeat at Tottenham, and Philip Billing are in contention.

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Jose Holebas, Domingos Quina, Tom Cleverley and Adalberto Penaranda will all miss Watford's trip, but Roberto Pereyra and Gerard Deulofeu also face late fitness tests ahead of the journey north.

Opta stats

• Huddersfield Town have scored in each of their 14 home games against Watford in all competitions (W9 D1 L4), netting 24 goals in total (1.7 goals per game).
• Watford haven't completed a league double over Huddersfield since the 2012-13 season, the only occasion they've achieved such a feat.
• 17% of Huddersfield's Premier League wins have been against Watford (2/12) - the Hornets could become the first team Huddersfield have beaten three times in the competition.
• Since beating Bournemouth 4-1 in February 2018, Huddersfield haven't scored more than once in any of their 22 Premier League home games, netting just nine goals in total (W3 D3 L16).
• Huddersfield have lost 13 Premier League home games this season - only Sunderland in 2002-03 and 2005-06 (14) have ever lost more at home in a single campaign in the competition.
• Watford have lost three of their last four league games (W1), as many as they had in their previous 14 (W6 D5 L3).
• Watford have lost their last three away Premier League games, shipping 10 goals in the process. They last lost more consecutively on the road in their last six such games last season.
• Watford haven't won an away league game against a team starting in the relegation zone since December 2015 (1-0 at Sunderland), drawing two and losing six since then.
• Steve Mounie is the only Huddersfield player to score more than once in the Premier League at the John Smith's Stadium this season (2).
• Gerard Deulofeu has been involved in 14 goals in all competitions this season (9 goals, 5 assists), averaging a goal involvement every 129 minutes - the best ratio of any Watford player.

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Merson's prediction

I thought Watford did well the other night after Troy Deeney was sent off against Arsenal. For long periods in that match you could not tell it was 10 vs 11. I expect Watford to win.

Huddersfield continue to struggle and are just not good enough. Watford are still going for seventh, and they will not want to take a chance. They will want to finish as high as they can and this is a game they should be winning.

PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2

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