This weekend Watford face a daunting trip to Liverpool as they continue in their plight for Premier League survival.
With the Reds hunting down a league title, and the Hornets battling to stay afloat in England’s top-tier, much focus will be on the attacking talents such as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
However, after some good international displays from the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Josh King, Roy Hodgson has called for more attacking ‘firepower’ from his front line in the final nine games of the season.
Sarr has been out injured since the 0-0 away draw against Old Trafford in late February, but returned to play for his nation as Senegal booked a spot in the next FIFA World Cup this week – he even netted a penalty in the deciding shoot-out against Salah’s Egypt.
Speaking to the press ahead of this Saturday’s game, Hodgson said that the winger had a decent chance of being involved and expects the winger will want to play a part at Anfield.
Roy Hodgson said: “His chances of being involved are okay, as far as I’ve seen today, he’s been recovering. But I mean, as long as tomorrow, he convinces us that he’s recovered from the efforts, it was 120 minutes as well and he played both games. So it’s been a hard journey for him to play for Senegal this time, but a very successful one. So that’s buoyed his spirits I’m sure. I’m pretty certain he’s going to be putting his hand up tomorrow and asking to be put in the starting line-up.”
He then went on to outline how key Sarr is going to be in the run-in.
Roy Hodgson said: “And as far as I’m concerned. A player of his quality is going to be very, very important for the club if we are going to pull ourselves away from the relegation zone. Because you can’t do it without players of that sort of quality.
Elsewhere across the globe, King netted a hat-trick as Norway beat Armenia 9-0 in an international friendly. The Watford boss explained that he expects such a display to work wonders for his striker’s confidence – which is needed greatly as King has not scored for his club since November. He went on to talk up the quality of his whole front line,
Roy Hodgson said: “There’s no doubt we’re going to need all the firepower that is available at this club. And, you know, we do have five players in particular, all of whom I think have been playing, at times at least, regularly in the first team. All of whom have got a proven pedigree, and we’re going to need that.”
Of those five players – made up of Sarr, King, Cucho Hernandez, Emmanuel Dennis and Joao Pedro – Cucho has been in the best form of late. Indeed, he scored twice to give the Hornets all three points against Southampton last time out. Before that, he also netted a stunning bicycle kick in the home defeat to Arsenal.
