International Break Breakdown

Life in the Premier League takes a bit of getting used to. Bigger crowds, more media attention and scrutiny, ever-changing fixture times and of course, coming face to face with some of the best players in the world.

Another tangible difference is the less congested fixture list. More than one fellow fan has commented on how they miss the seemingly non-stop nature of the Championship and this feeling is exacerbated during the International break. No Watford? No party. Following International football has, for some at least, become slightly unfashionable, but with no fewer than ten players away on full international duty and another three in U21 action, Watford supporters now have an excellent excuse for keeping an eye on football during the International hiatus.

The man that stole most of the headlines from a Watford point of view was Craig Cathcart. The defender signed to howls of derision from some quarters, “a mediocre centre back from Blackpool” seemingly not the signing that a section of the Hornets faithful were hoping for in the Summer of 2014. Since his arrival, Cathcart has steadily endeared himself to not only the supporters, but also the precession of Hornets’ Head Coaches, and having continued to look impressive in the Premier League, he is now undoubtedly one of the first names on the team sheet. He’s been similarly impressive for his native Northern Ireland, playing an important part in their successful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. This in itself will have been a source of pride for the majority of Watford supporters, but I can’t have been the only one to have leapt from the sofa after seeing Cathcart steer a deft header in the corner of the net in the away fixture with Finland. One of those at Vicarage Road against Arsenal this weekend would be perfect…

Partnering Cathcart in the centre of defence this season has been Sebastian Prödl. He’s looked hugely impressive in his brief Watford career to date; big, strong and powerful, he’s exactly the sort of player we craved as we looked to build a solid defensive unit. The ex Werder Bremen man has 50 caps for Austria and was in action again during the most recent break, featuring in both games as Austria secured top spot in their qualification group.

Whilst goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis has found breaking into the Watford team a challenge, he’s had no such difficulty holding down a place in the Lithuania national side. Boasting 20 caps, he was thrust into the limelight when he lined up against England in the final group game of Euro 2016 qualification. Whilst England ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, Arlauskis made some excellent saves and his performance will perhaps have given Watford supporters more cause for enthusiasm than that of the visitors…

The Championship. The Premier League. The International stage.Evidently, it doesn’t matter to Odion Ighalo where he plays, he just carried on scoring goals. Ighalo has been impressive in netting five times in the Premier League so far, and a goal in Nigeria’s game with Cameroon (a diving header no less) should only serve to further increase his confidence. Whilst Watford supporters will have been delighted to see him enhance his credentials on the wider stage, there will have been a huge sigh of relief when he returned to Hertfordshire unscathed and ready to carry on his fine form against Arsenal.

Ecuadorian Juan Carlos Paredes made just his second Watford appearance of the season in the last game before the International break, but his lack of Premier League activity clearly hasn’t harmed his International career. Ecuador kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Argentina, and whilst the mercurial Lionel Messi was missing, it will have pleased Watford supporters to note that Paredes was able to help his side keep a clean sheet against one of the most potent attacking forces in International football.

José Holebas is struggling to establish himself at Watford, and it looks like his days at Vicarage Road may already be numbered. In marked contrast to his other Watford counterparts on International duty, the ex Roma man had a tough time representing Greece, coming in for a lot of stick from Greek fans who were angry at their sides 3-1 defeat to Northern Ireland. Whilst Holebas and Greece secured a 4-3 win over Hungary in the final game, the travails of the Watford man won’t have gone un-noticed by the Hornets faithful.

Miguel Lauyn arrived at Watford amidst a blaze of interest but now finds himself out on loan, playing in the Champions League with Porto. He remains an integral part of the Mexico side and he featured in a thrilling CONCACAF Confederations Cup qualifier against the USA, serving to keep Watford supporters suitably interested in his career with many hoping he’ll make a return to WD18.

Valon Behrami (Switzerland) and Ikechi Anya (Scotland) both joined up with their respective International squads, but neither featured due to injury whilst forgotten man Essaid Belkalem was an unused substitute in Turkey’s friendly.

Away from the senior squads, loanee Nathan Ake, Belgian striker Obbi Oularé and Josh Doherty were all in U21 action, providing valuable experience for players that will undoubtedly be looking to make an impact in Watford’s first team during the course of the season.

Plenty to keep us occupied during the Premier League’s absence then, and in keeping with the vibe of the season so far, most of it was positive. That said, whilst the flurry of Watford-based activity has made the International break bearable, I can’t wait to get back to league action on Saturday. Bring on the Arsenal…