Less is more

During the most recent International break, a fellow Watford supporter confided in me. He leant towards me and in hushed tones admitted: “I miss the Championship”

He must have seen the look on my face (it was a mixture of incredulity, confusion and horror) as he quickly went on to qualify his statement. It transpires it wasn’t the quality of the football he was bemoaning, it was the quantity. He simply wasn’t getting enough.

I understood. I didn’t agree.

Whilst there can be no denying that the Premier League has all the hype, media coverage and attention, there are still times when you can’t help be jealous, seeing that supporters of Football League sides have yet another midweek clash to get their teeth into whilst we have to wait for the weekend for our football fix. One one level it’s a fair argument, but in my opinion it’s entirely misplaced. Especially when considering the start Watford have made.

The thing about having to be patient is that you learn to savour whatever it is you are waiting for. It’s like the legendary Boxing Day sandwich at Sainsbury’s. It’s amazing when Christmas rolls around and you can once again feast on what is the tastiest and least healthy snack known to man, but if they were available all year round you simply wouldn’t appreciate their majesty. It’s like that with Premier League football; bursts of magical footballing goodness served up frequently enough to keep you excited, but rarely enough to maintain your appetite.

Watford are doing more than enough to make sure our football diet is an enticing one. The Hornets have done a compelling job of making a decent fist of every game they’ve been involved in, giving rise to a surge in confidence amongst the Vicarage Road faithful, most of whom will now argue that any result is possible, regardless of the opposition. Whilst Watford haven’t scored, or indeed conceded many goals, the lack of scoring hasn’t translated into dull games. Quite the opposite. Watford games have been fascinating; intriguing games of cat and mouse with Quique Sanchez Flores so often managing to set up his charges to provide a stern test for whoever they face.

Each and every game has been memorable in a different way. Individual skill, big defensive efforts, discipline, flair, grit, determination, wins, draws and defeats. At the moment, no-one can be quite sure how a Watford game is going to pan out, meaning that each fixture is a delicious morsel, a tantalising taste that should be savoured and enjoyed. Just like the Boxing Day sandwich, these days may not be around forever. No matter how infrequent, we should make the most of them while they are here.

Come on you Horns.