Absence. Makes the heart grow fonder?

Back in 2010 a young Watford striker named Matty Whichelow scored a lovely goal for the Hornets. It was his first strike and it came in only his second professional game, but it suggested confidence and hinted at no little talent; a magnificently weighted chip over Frank Fielding during an away game at Derby County.

The game ended in a 4-1 defeat, but Watford fans were excited. Times were hard and youngsters were being thrust ever more frequently into first team action, but in Whichelow it looked like they had found a gem. The management team clearly didn’t agree. Despite his eye-catching goal, Whichelow was used sparingly and whilst Watford laboured to a mid-table finish, the supporters would point to the absence of the youngster as the obvious reason for the lack of more goals and success.

Whichelow was a prime example of being “the answer” - the player who would make it all right if only he were given a chance. We (the fans) can see he’d do the business, why on earth can’t the manager? It’s the same up and down the country - it’s the player that’s never involved that would always have been the better option…

There’s been more than a hint of Whichelow-itis at Vicarage Road again this season. Before the season started there were some high profile departures. Most will have steeled themselves for the disappearance of a few former favourites, but when Fernando Forestieri signed for Sheffield Wednesday for £3m there were definitely a few murmurs of discontent. The grumbles intensified when Matej Vydra departed for Reading, although the loan fee of up to £3m served to sweeten the deal for some.

When Watford found themselves heading into October with only five goals under their belts, the names of the two departed strikers were back on the radar. “I see Forestieri scored again” or “Vydra’s pace would have been handy there…” Once again, it was the absent player that was the answer. You could argue it’s unbeatable logic, but it’s deeply flawed.

In the case of these two forwards, the evidence supporting their moving on was clear. Forestieri, whilst loveable and diminutive, lacked discipline and consistency. He was clearly one of the most talented players at the club, but in stark contrast to some of his less capable team-mates, was markedly less willing to make it count on a regular basis. The problem with Vydra was evident, too. His temperament had been brought into question by his own captain during the 2012/13 season, when despite scoring 20 goals, his application and effort was publicly brought into question. Since his temporary move to Reading, he’s been hailed as one of the best players on the books. Whenever he’s mentioned though, the sentence always ends with a “but”…

The reasons for these players leaving Watford are clear, yet still questions are raised. The spectre of the “absent answer” looms large over every club, haunts every manager and CEO, serving to remind us all just how hard it is for those who have to make the decisions, to get the balance right. Get it wrong and we as supporters will let you know just how long our memories are. “We told you to stick with him…”

That said, questions do remain about the striking options open to Quique Sanchez Flores. Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo are proving themselves to be perfectly at home in the Premier League, but what happens when they suffer a dip in form, a suspension or an injury? There can be no denying that this is a question that all Hornets fans are hoping there’s an answer to.

Oh, and by the way, Matty Whichelow is currently playing for Chelmsford City, on loan from Boreham Wood.