Southampton will have to get used to being barracked as they travel the Championship this autumn, the “Spygate” team set to be everyone’s favourite boo boys in the second tier. Certainly that was the case in Hertfordshire, with Watford fans and players alike beside themselves after a hard-fought victory, decided by two memorable first-half goals. Tonda Eckert, the Southampton head coach, remains under investigation for his part in the Spygate affair and presented a subdued figure both during and after this contest.
He insisted that his team were more united than ever after suffering the indignity of being removed from last season’s playoffs, “but it would be easier to say that after a victory”, Eckert acknowledged. Watford paid tribute to Kenny Jackett before the match, the one-club legend and local boy hailed with two minutes of applause. This celebration of longevity and connection, with a Panini-inspired tifo tumbling down the stands, cut a contrast with the current operation, where Alessio Dionisi has become Watford’s 12th full-time manager in just the past five years.
Dionisi praised the attitude of his team – “I liked the mentality of my players, in every moment I saw one team working together,” he said. He also benefited from the Pozzo family’s multi-club network and the local academy in digging out a victory. The Spain under-21 attacker Iker Bravo was one of several signings to make the familiar trek from “sister” club Udinese this summer, and he made his mark quickly, opening the scoring with a quite stunning solo goal in the 12th minute.
It was all his own work and Bravo had to deploy a combination of skills to turn an innocuous situation into real danger. Looking to latch on to a long ball some 40 yards from goal, the 6ftplaymaker won the first header then, crucially, got a second touch with an outstretched toe to get the ball under control. Bravo then span immediately and drove at goal, pushing his way into the box before chopping right and getting off a low shot that Daniel Peretz got a hand to, butcould not keep out.
A great way to start any season, the energy among the Vicarage Road crowd grew immediately and the home side went on to dominate the first half. They doubled their lead in the 29th minute with a moment to remember for 19-year-old academy graduate Amin Nabizada who exploited the same gaps on the left of the Southampton defence to run with the ball from his own half before finishing precisely from a tight angle. A spell of concerted possession in the 56th minute ended with Kuryu Matsuki pulling out wide, the young midfielder Cam Bragg moving unmarked into the half space and his shift left finding the Canada World Cup star Cyle Larin to poke home from 10 yards out.
Larin had a chance to equalise just two minutes later with a shot on the turn but Federico Ravaglia – another new signing to impress for the Hornets – turned the ball round the post. When Finn Azaz came on as a second-half substitute for the Saints he bought an inch to fire off a low drive that went just beyond the left hand post. As a succession of dangerous set pieces were sent over by Ryan Manning, Southampton fans were singing “we’ll score when we want”.
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