SCOUT'S REPORT: WATFORD
Watford visit Cardiff City Stadium this Tuesday evening.
.WatfordAfter defeat at Nottingham Forest, the busy Championship schedule has provided a chance for the Bluebirds to bounce back immediately on Tuesday night. The visitors are Malky Mackay's former club,
The Hornets visit Cardiff City stadium on the back of a 1-0 victory at home to bottom club Peterborough United on the weekend. They left it late though, as substitutionMatej Vydrascored a last minute penalty for the Hertfordshire club.
Gianfranco Zola'smen currently lie thirteenth in the table, but with margins being wafer thin as usual, they are only three points outside the play-off places. Watford have only lost one in their last five games and have picked up three wins during that time. That included an impressive 3-2 away win against current high flyers, Huddersfield Town.
However, it has not only been success away from home for the Hornets - earlier in the season they did lose 5-1 at Derby County. With the impressive wins and huge losses away from home it is hard to predict what sort of game Cardiff City will have come Tuesday night.
Key Players: There are many changes to the Watford squad this year, with no fewer than ten players being loaned to them by Udinese alone. The Pozzo family own Watford, Udinese as well as Spanish club Granada, who have also loaned Watford two players. Amongst these loan players is Czech forward Matej Vydra. He scored the winner against Peterborough on Saturday and is the top scorer thus far with five goals.
Also amongst the loan signings and the goals is Vydra's Udinese team mate,Almen Abdi. The midfielder has scored three goals in nine appearances and as also been capped by Switzerland. DefendersMarco CassettiandDaniel Pudilare likely starters after playing a large role in the season so far. Watford could use the maximum of five loan signings in their starting line up come Tuesday.
in their ranks who may be used against Cardiff.Chris Iwelumo and Troy Deeney for example who has played at the highest level and could prove vital to Watford's chances of picking up a result in the Welsh capital. Along with Vydra, Watford have strikers Manuel AlmuniaThere are however players who are with Watford permanently who could cause a threat to the Bluebirds this week. They have the services of former Arsenal Goalkeeper
Previous Meetings: Cardiff are slightly ahead of Watford in terms of past results. Out of 51 meetings between the two sides the Bluebirds have won 20 compared to Watford's 18, with 13 meetings having ended in drawn games. In recent years Cardiff have the edge. Despite both games last season both ending in 1-1 draws, out of the last 6 meetings Cardiff have won 3 and have only lost on one occasion. That was a 4-1 defeat at Vicarage Road in 2010.
Last Meeting: Cardiff 1–1 Watford (09/04/2012):As the season was drawing ever closer to its finale it proved to be a nervous affair at Cardiff City Stadium. AKenny Millergoal on the stroke of half time was made redundant as Nyron Nosworthylevelled in the eighty-second minute. The Bluebirds seemed nervous in the final stages and the Hornets gladly capitalised late on. Cardiff came close to a second earlier in the game but Miller saw his effort strike the upright.
Cardiff City line-up v Watford: Heaton, Harris.Subs not used:Marshall, Taylor, Hudson, Turner, McNaughton, Whittingham, Cowie, Conway (Lawrence, 38), (Earnshaw, 79), Gunnarsson, McPhail (Kiss, 56), Miller.
Loach, Bennett, WhichelowSubs not used: Kuszczak, Dickinson, Taylor, Doyley, Nosworthy, Eustace, Buaben (Iwelumo, 78), Murray, Assombalonga (Garner, 46), Hogg, Deeney. Watford line-up:
