Perhaps, from Southampton’s point of view, this was all about the twilight zone that is the transfer window. They are a club in limbo, caught between two legs of a Europa League play-off and the endless speculation about which player might next about to be tempted away from the south coast.
The upshot was a steady, if dull, performance. Ronald Koeman wanted to stop the rot in a defence that had conceded five goals in the team’s previous two Barclays Premier League games. He wanted to stop a narrative claiming that European competition is hampering league form and he wanted to stop the unsettling leaks and rumours of transfers both in and out of the club.
Players can become more coveted when they are missing and this was illustrated neatly by the fact that as soon as Sadio Mané trudged off with a hip injury in the 25th minute, Southampton became more predictable and less of a threat on the break. The Senegal winger is a target for Manchester United and Koeman chuckled when it was suggested that the Southampton fans might quite like it if Mané remains out of action until the transfer window has closed.
“Maybe, but I would prefer him to be available,” Koeman said.
Indeed, Mané might be fit to travel to Denmark for Thursday’s second leg of Southampton’s Europa League play-off game against Midtjylland. They need him to be available if the initial delight at qualifying for the competition is not to be overtaken by disappointment that the European campaign never really revved up.
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They need goals on Thursday, having been able only to draw the game at St Mary’s, but this contest was all about rejigging and fine-tuning the defence. Koeman had deployed three at the back on occasions last season and he did so again to suffocate a Watford side keen to give their fans their first Premier League goal at home this season.
It worked and Quique Flores, the Watford head coach, said that his players found Southampton’s new formation difficult. If only Koeman could rejig the transfer window as effectively. “Nobody is for sale,” he said of Mané being linked to United and Victor Wanyama reportedly being wooed by Tottenham Hotspur. “They continue as Southampton players. Everybody.”
He had no intention, he said, of picking the team based upon transfer speculation, but that speculation also runs in the opposite direction and Virgil van Dijk, the Celtic defender, is expected to sign for Koeman this week. In response, the former Holland international said: “That’s all speculation, rumours.”
Flores could also be forgiven for being distracted by the transfer rumour mill. Matej Vydra scored 16 goals last season but was not in the squad to face Southampton “I don’t know exactly what the future of Vydra is,” Flores said. “He could be at Watford or another team — I don’t know exactly. But it is impossible to know at this moment. It depends on the club, depends on the player and depends on different situations — such as what kind of player comes in during the week.”
While the supporters will be increasingly desperate for home fixtures to yield more than the two goalless draws this campaign, there is something quietly impressive about the aura of containment to their team. Heurelho Gomes was forced into several tricky saves but exuded the sort of calm demeanour that few associated with him in his days at Tottenham.
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Ikechi Anya was a true livewire and his ball across the face of goal was the one zippy moment — Mané’s contribution aside — of the first half. Neither Troy Deeney nor Odion Ighalo could connect with the Scotland international’s cross, however, and the whole game had a disjointed feel to it. Whenever one player upped their performance, his team-mates would fail to take heed.
The Watford fans could have been forgiven for thinking what the fuss was all about. Life was more fun, wasn’t it, in the Sky Bet Championship?
The Premier League newcomers carved the best chance of the match. Étienne Capoue headed an Alessandro Diamanti corner over from three yards out, but the ball was flicked on to him at pace and the opportunity, in fairness, was more difficult than it initially appeared.
“That is football,” Flores said. “Sometimes you miss the chance.”
Koeman, still recovering from an achilles operation, gave the impression of a man who wanted the season to start over, to be able to rethink his plans for combining the Europa League with domestic matters.
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“It’s a starting point,” he said of the clean sheet, having conceded three goals against Everton in their previous fixture. This did not feel like a springboard to better things. It was far too flat for that, far too lacking in the dynamism that took Southampton to seventh place last season. Koeman is facing a kind of second-season syndrome and it is unclear if victory on Thursday will help him or hinder.
Ratings
Watford (4-2-3-1): H Gomes 7 — A Nyom 6, S Prodl 5, C Cathcart 6, J Holebas 5 (sub: A Diamanti, 46min 5) — É Capoue 6, V Behrami 6 (sub: B Watson, 85) — I Anya 7,O Ighalo 6, J M Juardo 5 — T Deeney 6. Substitutes not used: G Arlauskis, M Britos, F Forestieri, M Layun, A Abdi.
Southampton (3-4-1-2): M Stekelenburg 6 — S Caulker 5, J Fonte 7, M Yoshida 5 — C Soares 6, V Wanyama 5, O Romeu 5, M Targett 6 — S Davis 6 (sub: J Ward-Prowse, 72) — S Mané 6 (sub: S Long, 25 6), G Pellè 6 (sub: J Rodriguez, 80) Substitutes not used: K Davis, D Tadic, C Martina, Juanmi. Booked: Romeu, Wanyama.