Premier League rankings: Watford analysis, line-up & predicted finish

It's just as well Watford manager Javi Gracia is not a big believer in the theory that you are only as good as your last game.

Watford's last match was an embarrassment of sorts, as they suffered a 6-0 Wembley walloping at the hands of Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

The Hornets did brilliantly to reach the showpiece occasion and their faithful will forever remember the sizzling semi-final comeback triumph over Wolves, but there was a sting in the tail as classy City hit them for six.

All things considered it was still a fine campaign with Watford making a first FA Cup final since 1984 and finishing 11th in the Premier League, only just missing out on a top-half finish as Wembley distractions played a part in them taking one point from the last four matches.

Gracia and the shrewd Pozzo family owners could see past the late-season melancholy and, unlike Watford summer transfer windows of years gone by, the club have decided on a period of calm following their previous high turnover of players and managers.

Craig Dawson is a solid if unspectacular arrival from West Brom, fitting in to a robust defensive unit which is expertly protected by underrated midfield pair Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Card-happy Capoue was the Premier League's most booked player last season with 14 yellows and he was closely followed by left-back Jose Holebas's 12 cautions, statistics which highlight the Hornets were more than comfortable in a battle.

That should come as no surprise with Troy Deeney as skipper, but there is a craft to match Watford's guile.

Doucoure led their stats in passes and assists, while the gifted but frustratingly inconsistent Gerard Deulofeu finished last season with nine goals in his last 14 matches to hint at a potentially more prolific term ahead.

A first top-half finish since 1987 may prove beyond Watford, however they could repeat last season's 11th place with a squad that is barely changed and players who understand Gracia's methodology.

Possible team (4-4-2): Foster; Femenia, Dawson, Cathcart, Holebas; Hughes, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra; Deeney, Deulofeu.

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