Watford FC will not get play-offs if this one trend continues | OneFootball

Watford have made a fine start to the season, but their leaky defence remains cause for concern

It's been a fine start to the season for Watford, who find themselves in and around the play-off positions at this early stage.

Three defeats from their last five league games have slowed their momentum somewhat, but for one of the surprise packages so far this season, they'll still be content with the start they've made.

A 1-0 midweek defeat against Swansea served as one of those recent defeats, although it probably wasn't a great surprise for Watford fans, who have seen their side lose six of their last seven away league games.

If losing on the road is predictable, then so is conceding goals, as the Hornets have made something of a habit of picking the ball out of the back of their own net this season.

That threatens to derail their promotion tilt, but fortunately for them, they've been able to caveat their leaking defence by scoring a wealth of goals, as they evidenced when putting six past Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Watford's play-off hopes could hinge on shoring up their defence

Of every club in the top half of the table, no one has conceded more Championship goals this season than Watford's 22.

In fact, their goals against tally would mark them out as relegation candidates, as it's more similar to the bottom three sides than it is the top six, which will be a concern for Tom Cleverley.

Their defensive metrics are all among the worst in the division according to Fotmob, and while the fact they've largely been able to outscore their opposition makes them premier entertainers, you have to wonder where Watford will go if the goals dry up.

The fact Watford are outperforming their xG tally, which is already boosted by the fact they've been awarded four penalties this term, suggests that they're clinical in the final third, scoring goals from chances that aren't ones you'd usually expect them to score from.

That would hint at a stroke of fortune in the final third, and if that luck is to run out, then you have to worry if their backline is good enough to dig in and secure a result with thier backs against the wall.

Watford are consistently inconsistent

Inconsistency is another pitfall to Watford's game, as they seemingly struggle to string two similar performances together, something most teams challenging for the play-off positions are usually able to do.

To win 6-2 away to Sheffield Wednesday on the Saturday and then go down 1-0 to Swansea on the Tuesday highlights the grave inconsistencies in Watford's game.

While some may see three points from two away games as an impressive return, they do need to find that level of consistency if they're to mount a serious challenge for the top six.

You'd imagine that Cleverley will know how to find that consistency having played a chunk of his career under Sir Alex Ferguson, and although good players don't always make good managers, he'll have picked up a thing or two along the way.

Whether Sir Alex has offered him some advice on how to shore up a backline is anyone's guess, but it's a near certainty that if Watford don't stop the ball going in the back of their net, then a fourth successive season in the Championship beckons.