"Absolutely amazing" - Ex-Watford star Tony Coton tipped as perfect Tom Cleverley fit | OneFootball

We spoke to our resident Watford FC pundit to get his take on what ex-player would fit into the current XI.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Watford are a team that, throughout their history, have primarily fluctuated between the First Division and Second Division of English football.

Since the 1978-79 season, the Hornets have only spent two seasons outside England's top two tiers.

Across that period, they have had many brilliant players who have left an everlasting mark on the club. More recently, we have seen the likes of Troy Deeney, but looking into the past players such as Luther Blissett and John Barnes will never be forgotten by the Vicarage Road faithful.

Given their recent history as a 'yo-yo' club, Watford fans would certainly welcome the return of players of this calibre with open arms.

With this in mind, we decided to speak to our resident Hornets pundit, Justin Beattie, to get his take on what ex-player could have the biggest impact on the current squad.

Tony Coton to replace Daniel Bachmann

Speaking to Beattie, he pinpointed one key position in need of replacement. The player he chose to fill this role is one of Watford's greatest legends, known for his dependability and leadership during his six-year tenure at the club.

He said: "We are due an upgrade on our goalkeeper. Although Daniel Bachmann is a very agile shot-stopper, there are aspects to his game that need to be improved; his distribution isn't particularly good and his command of the box is getting better, but it has never been a very strong aspect to his style.

"I would like to see a goalkeeper who can boss the defence and make the box his own. So, I've decided to go old school and bring back Tony Coton in his prime.

"He's probably the best keeper I have ever seen at Watford."

Speaking about watching him from the terraces of Vicarage Road, Beattie added: "When I started going to watch back in the mid-80s, he was just absolutely amazing and was probably overlooked by the England set-up during his prime.

"If we had Tony Coton in goal now, we would have assurances that there would be better distribution and a better command of the goalkeeper's area as a whole.

"Let's bring back TC!"

Tony Coton - One of Watford's greatest

While Bachmann has been solid since Ben Foster's departure in 2022, he would be no match for the great Coton, who many Watford fans see as their best goalkeeper ever.

Playing from 1984 to 1990, the keeper won the club's Player of the Year award a remarkable three times and was managed by the iconic Graham Taylor up until 1987.

His finest season in the yellow and black of Watford came in 1986-87, where he kept eight clean sheets and conceded just 34 goals in 31 league games.

However, as he revealed in a 2013 interview, the standout aspect of his Hornets career was his deep connection with Watford fans.

"Watford fans are special. They give players time to settle in and don’t get on players backs. That does wonders for your confidence, and it gives you that reassurance. I would go in to a game knowing that if I did make a mistake, they weren’t going to be on my back."

Watford fans would give anything to turn the clock back 40 years and have the brilliant Tony Coton lining up at the base of their side.