Gracia In Need Of League Cup Lift As Pressure Mounts

Watford boss Javi Gracia is hoping to build confidence in his ranks by seeing off Coventry City in the Carabao Cup second round tonight.

The Hornets have lost all three of their Premier League games so far this season, including a 3-1 home defeat to West Ham at the weekend, and anything other than a positive result could be a disaster for Gracia.

The pressure is starting to mount on the Watford boss following the poor start to the season and a bad result tonight could force the powers that be at Vicarage Road into a decision.

They are not known for their patience and defeat tonight could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It is hard to imagine how it has got to this. Gracia was being saluted by all and sundry last season after a strong campaign in the Premier League and a run to the FA Cup semi-final.

However, fortunes can change quickly in football and the pressure is on as they welcome unbeaten Coventry to Vicarage Road tonight looking to secure a first win of the campaign.

Despite the importance of the game, and the need to pick up a victory, Gracia is likely to shuffle his pack against the Sky Bet League One side, but is still determined to start turning things around.

Winning breeds confidence and Gracia is well aware that he needs one tonight. “Every game is a good chance in this moment for us to do better and to feel better, with more confidence,” he told the Watford Observer.

“But we’ll decide what is best because there are some players injured, fit or not fit but with the target to try to win, to try to play well because we need it. “We need to improve and be more precise and more clinical. But we need to defend better from set-pieces and in all different phases of play we need to improve.”

A host of fringe players will be hoping for chances to impress for last season’s beaten FA Cup finalists, with summer signing Danny Welbeck pushing for his first start.