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Sheffield Wednesday logo
Championship
Oct 18, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Watford logo

0-3

FT(HT: 0-2)
Ighalo (21'), Abdi (38'), Vydra (69')

Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Watford

Sports Mole previews Slavisa Jokanovic's first match in charge of Watford as the high flyers take on Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The managerial merry-go-round is in full flow for Watford, who will welcome their fourth new boss of the season into the dugout when they face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough this Saturday.

The Hornets find themselves in the midst of an unprecedented scenario that has seen Oscar Garcia and Billy McKinlay both come and go since the surprise resignation of Giuseppe Sannino earlier in the season.

Slavisa Jokanovic will be hoping to last significantly longer than his predecessors having been appointed as new manager last Tuesday, but his first test at the helm will not be an easy one.

Despite the turmoil surrounding the club, matters on the field are going well for Watford at the moment, with the players impressing regardless of who is in charge.

They currently sit third in the Championship table, level on points with both Norwich City and Nottingham Forest above them with 21 points from 11 games.

Like many of the teams around them, though, there have been a few too many dropped points in recent weeks, with three draws in their last four matches.

Even so, the Hornets have now gone five games without losing and have only been beaten twice in the league all season.

Both of those defeats have come away from home, however, and their form on the road is an issue that Jokanovic will be looking to improve in the coming weeks.

The new boss will be without Gabriel Tamas and likely Keith Andrews for the match, while the game is also expected to come too soon for Troy Deeney's return.

Wednesday, meanwhile, are just two points short of the playoff positions themselves despite a run of three games without a victory in the league.

That form has threatened to unravel what was a fine start to the campaign from the Owls, and they will be looking to capitalise on the unrest around Watford to return to winning ways this weekend.

It has been very much a mixed bag for Stuart Gray's side at Hillsborough so far this season, with one win, one defeat and three draws from their five outings.

While the resoluteness of his side in only losing to high-flying Nottingham Forest in front of their own fans will please the manager, failure to turn those draws into victories will also be a slight worry.

A lack of goals will be another concern for Gray, with Wednesday having scored fewer than any other side in the top half despite an attacking pairing of Atdhe Nuhiu and Stevie May.

That duo is expected to lead the line once more for the Owls, who could name an unchanged side to the one that drew 1-1 with Leeds United last time out.

Recent form

Sheff Weds: DDLLWW

Watford: DWDDWL

Possible starting lineups

Sheff Weds: Westwood; Palmer, Loovens, Lees, Mattock; Maguire, Lee, Semedo, Maghoma; May, Nuhiu

Watford: Gomes; Paredes, Cathcart, Angella, Ekstrand; Fabbrini, Abdi, Pudil, Tozser; Anya; Vydra

Sports Mole says: 2-2


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Slavisa Jokanovic, coach of Muangthong United, looks on during the AFC Champions League Group F match between Urawa Red Diamonds and Muangthong United at Saitama Stadium on March 12, 2013
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