Facing their final friendly test before the start of competitive action next weekend, Watford will do battle with Premier League Brentford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets have endured a mixed bag of results so far this summer, whilst the top-flight Bees are back in England following a productive training camp in Portugal.
Match preview
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Taking the reins at Vicarage Road on an interim basis back in March, former Manchester United and England player Tom Cleverley has been given the top coaching job at Watford ahead of the 2024-25 season, with the 34-year-old tasked with guiding the club towards its former glories.
For the first time since 2014, the Hornets finished in the bottom half of the Championship standings during a sobering 2023-24 campaign, falling 17 points short of sixth-placed Norwich City, whilst finishing just six points ahead of Birmingham City, who suffered relegation to League One.
Once a formidable fortress during promotion campaigns of old, Vicarage Road was an unhappy place for Watford last season, with Saturday's hosts winning just six and collecting only 27 points from 23 second-tier matches at the venue, meaning that they ranked 20th in terms of home form.
Head coach Cleverley has recently stated that the Hornets must strengthen their squad if they wish to compete in the upper echelons of the Championship this season, especially following the departures of Ismael Kone and Ben Hamer to Marseille and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.
Supporters' concerns ahead of the new campaign have intensified after a host of underwhelming pre-season performances and results, with Watford losing to League One duo Reading and Wycombe Wanderers as well as fourth-tier outfit Gillingham as the competitive action draws nearer.
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Heading into their fourth straight season as a member of the Premier League, Brentford are beginning to show signs that their fairytale at the top level of English football could be approaching its conclusion following an underwhelming top-flight finish during the 2023-24 term.
With Sheffield United, Luton Town and Burnley a class below the rest of the division, a modest return of 39 points from 38 matches was enough to see the Bees retain their top-flight status by 13 points, but there have been serious pointers towards regression at the Gtech Community Stadium.
That being said, Thomas Frank's troops spent a large chunk of last season without their heroic talisman Ivan Toney, who netted 20 Premier League goals during the previous term, with the England international managing just four strikes in 16 matches after returning from an eight-month betting ban in January.
In the absence of the former Peterborough United marksman, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo stepped up to the goalscoring plate for Brentford in the Premier League last time out, netting 12 and nine league goals respectively over the course of the 2023-24 season.
The Bees commenced their pre-season preparations with a 5-2 hammering of AFC Wimbledon on July 20, but a pair of fixtures during a week-long training camp in Portugal failed to yield a win, as the English visitors drew with Benfica before losing 3-1 to Primeira Liga minnows Estrela da Amadora.
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Team News
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Watford are sweating over the fitness of captain Wesley Hoedt, who was forced off during the loss at Wycombe last time out due to a knee injury.
The race is now on for the Hornets to have the centre-back fit before next Saturday's Championship opener against Millwall, meaning that youngster James Clarridge could start this weekend's friendly clash.
Following a 29-goal campaign for Club Brugge in Belgium, Igor Tudor was set to be a revelation for Brentford, but the Brazilian is now sidelined until the end of the calendar year due to a serious knee injury.
The 23-year-old's absence could have massive ramifications on the future of Toney, who has previously expressed his wish for a move to a bigger club.
After a brief spell on the international stage for the Netherlands this summer, Mark Flekken is back with the Bees and should start in goal at Vicarage Road.
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Tikvic, Clarridge, Porteous, Andrews; Sissoko, Dele-Bashiru, Morris, Chakvetadze, Ince; Rajovic
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Zanka, Frederick; Damsgaard, Norgaard, Jensen; Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo
We say: Watford 1-3 Brentford
Struggling to contain lower league opposition so far during pre-season, Watford have a massive task on their hands to keep Brentford's attacking stars at bay this weekend.
The Bees were not at their best in Portugal recently, but with a host of first-team players returning from extended breaks, the visitors should cruise to victory at Vicarage Road.
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Carter White
