Former Hornet Nielsen believes that despite the Premier League’s naturally competitive nature, Watford has what it takes to survive relegation.
Allan Nielsen believes that ever since Nigel Pearson took over the reins as Watford’s manager, the club has seen a step-up in their performance, showing signs of what could be. Before the season was put on hold because of the pandemic, Watford was in 17th place – one notch above the relegation zone. Nielsen also believes that with Pearson’s leadership, the club has been able to deal defeats to otherwise more capable clubs.
Back in December, Watford dished out a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United. Then, they ended Liverpool’s hopes of finishing the season without losing a single match, beating them 3-0 at Vicarage Road. Being a former player for the club, Nielsen knows the importance of improving on their current form and building off of that momentum.
‘The Premier League is the toughest and best league in the world’, he said in an interview. ‘Can Watford do it? I believe they have the players and belief to do it. In the last couple of months, they have come very far but time will tell. They have a home ground that is tough to play at for away teams with Liverpool losing their unbeaten record there, so yes, I do think that they have a chance but then again we have to bear in mind that Watford is a small club in the Premier League. Let’s be honest about that. You need strong finances because there’s so much to the game nowadays but I do think that they can stay up.’
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Twenty years ago, when Nielsen signed with the Hornets, Watford had just been relegated. During his three years with the club and after playing 66 matches, they couldn’t get themselves promoted back to the Premier League. Talking about Watford’s current accomplishments, he said that he is proud of how far the club has made it after his playing days.
‘I think that what Watford are going through now and the run they have had in the Premier League is phenomenal, if you consider the size of the club’, he said. ‘The ground, everything is unbelievable. During my visit at the beginning of 2020, I went to the training ground and there was so many improvements. The training ground and facilities changed beyond recognition. It is an absolutely unbelievable upgrade to the treatment room, facilities, restaurants, pitches, everything. It is key to have these facilities for the players and the staff, which are there to look after the players. It’s key to have these infrastructures if you want to perform at the highest level in football. They have come a long way since I was there’.