It’s that (um, let’s say interesting) time of year again where managers choose their players of the season for the Sky Bet Football League Awards fanfare. These are always interesting as there are so many people who are put out and/or disapprove of the choices. This year has been no different (but I’ll delve into that in a later post)
First, let’s look at Watford’s Tory Deeney (arguably the favourite to win the award) For the past three seasons, Deeney has been Mr. Watford - Now the captain, he has had another excellent season for the Hornets.
Deeney signed in 2010, and this has been his goalscoring output since;
(Source: TransferMarkt)
The striker has scored around 20 goals a year for the past three seasons, and aged just 26 years old, it could be argued he is at the peak of his powers. A strong striker who looks to bring others into play, Deeney has positioned himself at the top of the Championship and contributes heavily to the wider team.
The above shot positioning, taken from Squawka, highlights his finishing prowess from ‘good’ areas within the box. The fact that Deeney finds himself in so many good positions is a tribute to his attacking movement and ability to harrass defenders. Watford’s number 9 likes to take long shots, 33/110 being from outside the box, but he is yet to score from this range. The striker is also fairly creative, and has contributed 8 assists as well as 58 ‘key passes’.
Above are the goal appearances from Troy Deeney, again from Squawka, and 13 of his goals have come from his right foot, scoring just 3 headers. 44% of Deeney’s shot have been on target, and he has missed one penalty.
With the likes of Ighalo and Vydra often around him, the Watford attack has often terrorised defences - especially after the turn of the year. His combination play with both Anya and Guédioura has lead to six of his goals (3 assists each for Anya & Guédioura), and Watford have scored 87 goals this season - just 2 less than top scorers Bournemouth with three games to go.
His contribution to the team is the same as his strike partner Ighalo - Both scoring 20 goals amounting to 23% of Watford’s goals this season - Deeney, however, has had a hand in 28, whilst Ighalo has only registered 2 assists to add to his 20 scored.
This could be a big step for Troy Deeney, as he is being touted by many as one who would want to ply his trade in the Premier League to see if he can perform at the highest level - As Charlie Austin has, as previous winner Danny Ings has shown. So, should Watford miss out on promotion again, it will be interesting to see which managers and clubs take a risk in the prolific striker. But this season, Deeney can be proud of his performance as he has had an excellent season overall.