Rob Edwards discusses key Watford trait that will give his side an advantage this season | OneFootball

Rob Edwards believes his Watford side have one key trait that will give them the edge over the course of this Championship season.

The Hornets’ boss has claimed that his team’s adaptability will prove to be incredibly useful during such an intense playing schedule.

He has highlighted this due to the suspension of Hassane Kamara, as well as the quick turnaround in games, as these are issues that the team is able to solve due to its tactical flexibility.

Edwards believes that the quick turnaround between games could have an adverse effect their rivals, but that his side will be well prepared to cope with the fixture list due to the strength of his squad.

Their adaptability in these situations was highlighted by the 39-year old ahead of their clash this evening with Birmingham City.

The absence of Tom Cleverly will also have to be worked around, with the team already showing they can switch between systems mid-game during the club’s win over Burnley last Friday night.

“The quick turnaround from Friday to Tuesday isn’t easy, but we’ve experienced it Monday to Friday already,” said Edwards, via the club’s official website.

“We want to be able to recover, we want to get messages across to them for the next game and we’ll need to manage players’ load.

“There are players who feel more sore than others. There’s always lots to do in the three days or so but we’re used to it, so it runs pretty smoothly.

“Being able to change and adapt to a different shape makes us stronger, we can play a number of different ways and win football matches, which doesn’t surprise me because we’ve got good players.

“But it shows they’re coachable, it shows they’re intelligent, and if we need to we can adjust according to the opposition or what we’ve got available to us.

“We’re still assessing Tom [Cleverley]. He’s been playing through some pain, so he’s touch and go at the moment.”

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Watford have started well under their new manager for their return to the Championship, with the team earning seven points from a possible nine so far.

That has left the Hornets fighting near the top of the table, with only Blackburn Rovers currently holding a 100 per cent winning start to the new term after the first three games.

The Verdict

That Edwards is already trusting his side to change formations and systems during games is a sign that he has been able to adapt to life at Watford well himself.

There have been many positives to take from his start as a manager at the club.

The next couple of weeks will be a big test of their season, with key players such as Emmanuel Dennis having already departed, with Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro also being linked with moves away.

Keeping together as much of that attack as possible could be the key to a successful first season in charge at Vicarage Road for Edwards.