LONG-RANGE EFFORTS by Abdoulaye Doucoure and Daryl Janmaat downed the sorry Saints.
Neither goalkeeper had many shots on target worth the name to deal with what was a very poor game for long periods. But Doucoure and Janmaat made theirs count to maintain Watford’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season and inflict a first defeat on a Southampton side who were booed off by their own fans.
Apart from Doucoure’s goal, there was little to enjoy in the first half.
There were no other shots on goal, even though referee Lee Probert awarded a corner for a Richarlison effort which went into the side-netting not long after Watford hard taken the lead.
The home fans were so bored by 35 minutes that they started banging out a rhythm on the cardboard clappers Southampton had put on every seat – including those for the media, with bizarre optimism.
Saints supporters did not like the way in which the game became vaguely interesting, though.
There seemed little on when the ball came to Doucoure just outside the box but he turned and hit a low bouncing shot which zipped past Fraser Forster into the bottom corner. Southampton deserved the boos which greeted the half-time whistle.
Mauricio Pellegrino had made three changes from the 0-0 draw at Huddersfield, presumably in search of the goals which had eluded in all but one of their four previous games this season. But they created precisely nothing.
Pellegrino hooked James Ward-Prowse at the break and brought on more creativity in the shape of Dusan Tadic.
They had done a bit better, putting pressure on Watford and forcing some last-ditch blocks, before Janmaat was given time to line up a shot from 25 yards which zipped across Forster and in. Pellegrino threw on Shane Long and Charlie Austin, but to little effect.
Everyone loves a bit of disco, and the Abdoulaye Doucoure song to the tune of Earth Wind and Fire’s ”September” was both appropriate for the time of year and much more entertaining than anything else in the first half.
From The Sun
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