# 2016–17 Watford F.C. season

The 2016–17 season was Watford's 136th year in existence and second consecutive season in the Premier League. Watford also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup. The season covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.
Walter Mazzarri took over as manager following the departure of Quique Sánchez Flores.

## Pre-season

In May 2016, Watford began to announce the pre-season friendlies.

### Overview

| Competition | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Premier League | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 028.95 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 050.00 |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Total | 41 | 12 | 7 | 22 | 43 | 71 | −28 | 029.27 |
Updated to match played 22 May 2017 Source: Competitions

## Competitions
### Premier League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 15 | Swansea City | 38 | 12 | 5 | 21 | 45 | 70 | −25 | 41 | |
| 16 | Burnley | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 40 | |
| 17 | Watford | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 40 | |
| 18 | Hull City (R) | 38 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 37 | 80 | −43 | 34 | Relegation to EFL Championship |
| 19 | Middlesbrough (R) | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 27 | 53 | −26 | 28 | Relegation to EFL Championship |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 21 May 2017. Source: Premier League

#### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H |
| Result | D | L | L | W | W | L | D | W | D | W | L | W | L | L | W | L | L | D | L | L | D | D | W | W | L | D | L | L | W | W | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | L |
| Position | 5 | 13 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 |

#### Matches
### EFL Cup
## Staff
### Squad information and statistics

Statistics correct as of 23 April 2017.
2015–16 Watford player details :
| No. | Pos | Name | P | G | P | G | P | G | P | G | | | Age | Joined club | Yth | Notes |
| No. | Pos | Name | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline | | Age | Joined club | Yth | Notes |
| 1 | GK | Heurelho Gomes | 33 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 2014 | No | — |
| 2 | DF | Allan Nyom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | — |
| 3 | DF | Miguel Britos | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 4 | DF | Younès Kaboul | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 2016 | No | — |
| 5 | DF | Sebastian Prödl | 28+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28+2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 37 | 2015 | No | — |
| 6 | DF | Adrian Mariappa | 2+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 7 | MF | Nordin Amrabat | 21+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 2016 | No | — |
| 8 | MF | Tom Cleverley | 12+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 2017 | No | — |
| 9 | FW | Troy Deeney | 29+3 | 10 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31+4 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 2010 | No | — |
| 10 | FW | Isaac Success | 2+16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 11 | MF | Valon Behrami | 23+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 12 | MF | Kenedy | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2016 | No | — |
| 13 | GK | Rene Gilmartin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2014 | No | — |
| 14 | DF | Juan Carlos Paredes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2014 | No | — |
| 15 | DF | Craig Cathcart | 13+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14+2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 2014 | No | — |
| 16 | MF | Abdoulaye Doucouré | 9+6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12+6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 2016 | No | — |
| 17 | MF | Adlène Guedioura | 9+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 18 | DF | Juan Camilo Zúñiga | 6+13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 6+14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 2016 | No | † |
| 19 | FW | Jerome Sinclair | 1+4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 20 | FW | Matěj Vydra | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2015 | No | — |
| 20 | FW | Mauro Zárate | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2017 | No | — |
| 21 | MF | Ikechi Anya | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2012 | No | — |
| 21 | FW | M'Baye Niang | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 2017 | No | — |
| 22 | MF | Daryl Janmaat | 13+9 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13+10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2016 | No | — |
| 23 | MF | Ben Watson | 0+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 24 | FW | Odion Ighalo | 14+4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 15+5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2014 | No | — |
| 25 | DF | José Holebas | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 40 | 2015 | No | — |
| 26 | DF | Brice Dja Djédjé | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2016 | No | — |
| 27 | DF | Christian Kabasele | 5+8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7+8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 29 | MF | Étienne Capoue | 32 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 33+1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | — |
| 30 | GK | Costel Pantilimon | 0+2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2016 | No | — |
| 31 | DF | Tommie Hoban | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2011 | Yes | — |
| 32 | DF | Brandon Mason | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 33 | FW | Stefano Okaka | 7+7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8+7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2016 | No | — |
| 34 | GK | Giedrius Arlauskis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2015 | No | — |
| 35 | MF | Carl Stewart | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 37 | MF | Roberto Pereyra | 12+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12+1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 2016 | No | — |
| 39 | FW | Michael Folivi | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| 42 | DF | Andrew Eleftheriou | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| — | DF | Ola Adeyemo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2016 | No | — |
| — | GK | Charlie Bannister | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2016 | No | — |
| — | GK | Nathan Gartside | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| — | FW | Alex Jakubiak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2014 | Yes | — |
| — | FW | Ogo Obi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| — | MF | Rhyle Ovenden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| — | DF | Charlie Rowan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
| — | DF | Connor Stevens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2016 | Yes | — |
* ↑ From the start of pre-season to the end of the summer transfer window all players currently contracted to the club are listed. From the close of the summer transfer window all players who have been signed to the club since the close of the summer transfer window are listed. The following exceptions are made: a) if a player has appeared in a matchday squad prior to the end of the 2016 summer transfer window they will remain listed for the duration of the season b) players loaned out prior to the start of the season will not be listed until their return, with season-long loans omitted entirely - for players out on loan see the transfers section. Scholars with professional contracts are not listed unless they appear in a first-team matchday squad.
* ↑ For players who came through the club's youth system the date used refers to the year their professional contract begun, unless they appeared in a first-team match-day squad prior to that, in which case that date is used.
* ↑ A dagger is only displayed if the player was exclusively a loan player during the 2016–17 season. If they signed permanently over the course of the season then it is not displayed.

### Non-playing staff

* Head-coach: Walter Mazzarri
* Assistant coach: Nicolo Frustalupi
* Assistant coach: Claudio Nitti
* Assistant coach: Luca Vigiani
* Goalkeeping coach: Paolo De Toffol
* Goalkeeping coach: Alec Chamberlain
* Fitness coach: Giuseppe Pondrelli
* Technical director: Luke Dowling
* Chief scout: Filippo Giraldi
* Scout: Roberto Miggiano
* Analyst: Fabio Corradini
* Under-21 coach: Harry Kewell
* Under-21 assistant manager: Hayden Mullins
* Academy manager: Chris McGuane
* Lead professional development coach: David Horseman
* Academy head of coaching: Barry Quin
* Head of medical: Richard Collinge
* Head of sports science: Gianni Brignardello
* Sport scientist: Ben Dixon
* Head of Prevention and Osteopath: Daniel Reguera
* First-team Sports Rehabilitation: Mike Spanou
* First-team Sports Rehabilitation: Moto Watanabe
* Kit manager: Will Jones
Information correct as of 11 July 2016.

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Player | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2016 | Christian Kabasele | Genk | £6,000,000 |
| 1 July 2016 | Jerome Sinclair | Liverpool | £4,000,000 |
| 1 July 2016 | Isaac Success | Granada | £12,500,000 |
| 21 July 2016 | Brice Dja Djédjé | Marseille | £4,000,000 |
| 8 August 2016 | Charlie Bannister | Aston Villa | Free |
| 19 August 2016 | Younès Kaboul | Sunderland | £4,000,000 |
| 19 August 2016 | Roberto Pereyra | Juventus | £13,000,000 |
| 24 August 2016 | Daryl Janmaat | Newcastle United | £7,000,000 |
| 29 August 2016 | Stefano Okaka | Anderlecht | Undisclosed |
| 30 August 2016 | Adrian Mariappa | Crystal Palace | Free transfer |
| 25 January 2017 | Mauro Zárate | Fiorentina | Undisclosed |

### Out

| Date | Player | Transferred to | Fee |
| 28 May 2016 | Miguel Layún | Porto | £6,000,000 |
| 3 June 2016 | Joel Ekstrand | Bristol City | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | George Byers | Swansea City | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Josh Doherty | Leyton Orient | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Uche Ikpeazu | Cambridge United | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Jorell Johnson | Hemel Hempstead Town | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Mahlondo Martin | Kings Langley | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Bernard Mensah | Aldershot Town | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Luke Simpson | York City | Free transfer (Released) |
| 3 June 2016 | Alfie Young | Hendon | Free transfer (Released) |
| 1 July 2016 | Gabriele Angella | Udinese | Undisclosed |
| 4 July 2016 | José Manuel Jurado | Espanyol | £1,500,000 |
| 12 July 2016 | Juanfran | Deportivo La Coruña | Free transfer |
| 28 July 2016 | Almen Abdi | Sheffield Wednesday | £3,500,000 |
| 28 July 2016 | Daniel Pudil | Sheffield Wednesday | £1,500,000 |
| 10 August 2016 | Essaïd Belkalem | Orléans | Free transfer (Released) |
| 27 August 2016 | Matěj Vydra | Derby County | £12,500,000 |
| 31 August 2016 | Ikechi Anya | Derby County | £4,000,000 |
| 31 August 2016 | Sean Murray | Swindon Town | Free transfer |
| 31 August 2016 | Allan Nyom | West Bromwich Albion | £4,000,000 |
| 31 January 2017 | Adlène Guedioura | Middlesbrough | £3,500,000 |
| 31 January 2017 | Odion Ighalo | Changchun Yatai | £20,000,000 |
* ↑ Where a player has been released, the date given is when their release was announced by Watford, not when their contract expired or when they joined their next club. The group of players released on 3 June 2016 had contracts that expired on 30 June 2016.
* ↑ Where a player has been released, the club they subsequently joined is listed, provided it occurred during the 2016-17 season.

### Loans in

| Date from | Player | Loaned from | Date until |
| 16 July 2016 | Juan Camilo Zúñiga | Napoli | End of Season |
| 30 August 2016 | Kenedy | Chelsea | 13 December 2016 |
| 31 August 2016 | Haviv Ohayon | Maccabi Tel Aviv | End of Season |
| 12 January 2017 | Tom Cleverley | Everton | End of Season |
| 26 January 2017 | M'Baye Niang | AC Milan | End of Season |

### Loans out

Mathias Ranegie started the season on loan at Djurgårdens IF for the duration of the 2016 Allsvenskan season, having joined in February 2016.
| Date from | Player | Loaned to | Date until |
| 11 July 2016 | Adalberto Peñaranda | Udinese | 5 January 2017 |
| 27 July 2016 | Obbi Oularé | Zulte Waregem | End of season |
| 27 July 2016 | Dennon Lewis | Woking | End of season |
| 1 August 2016 | Steven Berghuis | Feyenoord | End of season |
| 16 August 2016 | Mario Suárez | Valencia | End of season |
| 26 August 2016 | Tommie Hoban | Blackburn Rovers | End of season |
| 31 August 2016 | Alex Jakubiak | Fleetwood Town | End of season |
| 5 January 2017 | Adalberto Peñaranda | Málaga | End of season |
| 26 January 2017 | Obbi Oularé | Willem II | End of season |
| 30 January 2017 | Alex Jakubiak | Wycombe Wanderers | End of season |
| 31 January 2017 | Michael Folivi | Coventry City | End of season |
| 31 January 2017 | Juan Carlos Paredes | Olympiacos | End of season |
| 31 January 2017 | Jerome Sinclair | Birmingham City | End of season |
* ↑ On 5 January 2017, Adalberto Peñaranda was recalled from his loan at Udinese to join Malaga on loan.