# 2015–16 Watford F.C. season

The 2015–16 season was Watford's 135th year in existence and first season back in the Premier League after gaining promotion the previous season. This season Watford participated in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. The season covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.

## Pre-season friendlies

On 14 May 2015, Watford announced they would travel to Wimbledon on 11 July in a pre-season friendly. On 10 June, a trip to Germany was confirmed. On 18 June, the Hornets announced 2015 UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla would visit on 1 August. A day later, a fifth pre-season friendly was confirmed against Cardiff City. On 1 July, Watford announced they will kick pre-season off with a trip to St Albans City. On 10 July, the Hornets confirmed they would travel to Scotland to face Dundee United on 25 July.

## Competitions
### Overall

| Competition | Started round | Current position / round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
| Premier League | — | — | 13th | 8 August 2015 | 15 May 2016 |
| FA Cup | Third round | — | Semi-finals | 9 January 2016 | 24 April 2016 |
| League Cup | Second round | — | Second round | 25 August 2015 | 25 August 2015 |
Updated to match played 16 May 2016 Source: Competitions

### Overview

| Competition | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Premier League | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 40 | 50 | −10 | 031.58 |
| FA Cup | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 080.00 |
| League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Total | 44 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 036.36 |
Updated to match played 16 May 2016 Source: Competitions

### Premier League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Everton | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 47 |
| 12 | Swansea City | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 42 | 52 | −10 | 47 |
| 13 | Watford | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 40 | 50 | −10 | 45 |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 34 | 48 | −14 | 43 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 42 |

#### 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 2016. Source:

#### 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 | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H |
| Result | D | D | D | L | W | W | L | D | L | W | W | L | L | W | W | W | W | D | L | L | L | L | W | D | L | W | D | L | L | L | L | D | W | L | W | L | L | D |
| Position | 5 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |

#### Matches

On 17 June 2015, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.
Win  Draw  Loss  Upcoming fixture

### FA Cup

Win  Draw  Loss  Upcoming fixture

### League Cup

Watford entered the competition in the second round and were drawn away to Preston North End.
Win  Draw  Loss  Upcoming fixture

## Staff
### Squad information and statistics

Statistics correct as of 2 April 2016.
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 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 2014 | No | — |
| 2 | DF | Allan Nyom | 29+3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33+3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | — |
| 3 | DF | Miguel Britos | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 4 | MF | Mario Suárez | 8+7 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9+8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2016 | No | — |
| 5 | DF | Sebastian Prödl | 19+2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22+2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 2015 | No | — |
| 6 | DF | Joel Ekstrand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2012 | No | — |
| 7 | MF | José Manuel Jurado | 27 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 2015 | No | — |
| 8 | MF | Valon Behrami | 14+7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15+7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 9 | FW | Troy Deeney | 36+2 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41+2 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 2010 | No | — |
| 10 | FW | Obbi Oularé | 0+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2015 | No | — |
| 11 | MF | Nordin Amrabat | 4+8 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6+9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 2016 | No | — |
| 13 | GK | Rene Gilmartin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2014 | No | — |
| 14 | DF | Juan Carlos Paredes | 7+10 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9+11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 2014 | No | — |
| 15 | DF | Craig Cathcart | 34+1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39+1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2014 | No | — |
| 16 | DF | Nathan Aké | 20+4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24+4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 2015 | No | † |
| 17 | MF | Adlène Guedioura | 3+15 | 0 | 3+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6+17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 2015 | No | — |
| 18 | GK | Costel Pantilimon | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2016 | No | — |
| 19 | FW | Víctor Ibarbo | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2015 | No | † Loan terminate |
| 20 | MF | Steven Berghuis | 0+9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2015 | No | — |
| 21 | MF | Ikechi Anya | 17+11 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18+15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2012 | No | — |
| 22 | MF | Almen Abdi | 25+7 | 2 | 3+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29+9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 2012 | No | — |
| 23 | MF | Ben Watson | 31+4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37+4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 2015 | No | — |
| 24 | FW | Odion Ighalo | 36+1 | 15 | 2+3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38+4 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 2014 | No | — |
| 25 | DF | José Holebas | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 2015 | No | — |
| 26 | FW | Bernard Mensah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2011 | Yes | — |
| 27 | DF | Essaïd Belkalem | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2013 | No | — |
| 28 | MF | Connor Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2011 | Yes | — |
| 29 | MF | Étienne Capoue | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | — |
| 30 | DF | Jorell Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2014 | Yes | — |
| 31 | DF | Tommie Hoban | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2011 | Yes | — |
| 32 | MF | Alessandro Diamanti | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 2015 | No | † Loan terminate |
| 33 | MF | Lloyd Dyer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2014 | No | Contract terminate |
| 34 | GK | Giedrius Arlauskis | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | Out on loan |
| 35 | DF | Josh Doherty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2014 | Yes | — |
| 36 | FW | Alex Jakubiak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2014 | Yes | — |
| 37 | DF | Alfie Young | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2015 | Yes | — |
| 38 | DF | Mahlondo Martin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2015 | Yes | — |
| 39 | FW | Dennon Lewis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2015 | Yes | — |
| 40 | MF | George Byers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2014 | Yes | — |
| — | DF | Gabriele Angella | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2013 | No | Out on loan |
| — | DF | Daniel Pudil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2012 | No | Out on loan |
| — | DF | Juanfran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | Out on loan |
| — | MF | Abdoulaye Doucouré | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2016 | No | Out on loan |
| — | MF | Miguel Layún | 2+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2015 | No | Out on loan |
| — | FW | Adalberto Peñaranda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2016 | No | Out on loan |
| — | FW | Diego Fabbrini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2013 | No | Sold |
| — | FW | Fernando Forestieri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2012 | No | Sold |
| — | FW | Matěj Vydra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2015 | No | Out on loan |
| — | FW | Uche Ikpeazu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2013 | No | Out on loan |
| — | FW | Mathias Ranégie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 2014 | No | Out on loan |
* ↑ For players who came through the club's youth system the date used refers to when they signed a professional contract, 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 2015–16 season. If they signed permanently over the course of the season then it is not displayed.
* ↑ All players who have been signed to the club since the opening day of the 2015–16 season are listed. Scholars with professional contracts are not listed unless they appear in a first-team matchday squad.

### Non-playing staff

* Head-coach: Quique Sánchez Flores
* Assistant coach: Dean Austin
* Assistant coach: Antonio Díaz Carlavilla
* Assistant coach: Alberto Giráldez
* Goalkeeping coach: Paolo De Toffol
* Goalkeeping coach: Alec Chamberlain
* Technical director: Luke Dowling
* Chief scout: Filippo Giraldi
* Under-21 coach: Harry Kewell
* 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 24 May 2016.

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Player | From | Fee |
| 30 June 2015 | Juanfran | Real Betis | £1,500,000 |
| 1 July 2015 | Giedrius Arlauskis | Steaua București | Free |
| 1 July 2015 | Sebastian Prödl | Werder Bremen | Free |
| 1 July 2015 | Matěj Vydra | Udinese | Undisclosed |
| 2 July 2015 | José Holebas | Roma | £1,800,000 |
| 6 July 2015 | Étienne Capoue | Tottenham Hotspur | Undisclosed (~ £5,700,000) |
| 11 July 2015 | Valon Behrami | Hamburger SV | Undisclosed (~ £3,000,000) |
| 14 July 2015 | Allan Nyom | Udinese | Undisclosed |
| 22 July 2015 | Miguel Britos | Napoli | Free |
| 22 July 2015 | José Manuel Jurado | Spartak Moscow | Undisclosed |
| 23 July 2015 | Steven Berghuis | AZ | £4,600,000 |
| 1 September 2015 | Adlène Guedioura | Crystal Palace | Undisclosed |
| 1 September 2015 | Obbi Oularé | Club Brugge | Undisclosed |
| 18 January 2016 | Nordin Amrabat | Málaga | Undisclosed |
| 19 January 2016 | Costel Pantilimon | Sunderland | Undisclosed |
| 30 January 2016 | Mario Suárez | Fiorentina | Undisclosed (~ £4,000,000) |
| 1 February 2016 | Abdoulaye Doucouré | Rennes | Undisclosed |
| 1 February 2016 | Adalberto Peñaranda | Udinese | Undisclosed |

### Out

| Date | Player | Transferred to | Fee |
| 19 May 2015 | Marco Motta | n/a | Free (Released) |
| 19 May 2015 | Luke O'Nien | Wycombe Wanderers | Free transfer (Released) |
| 19 May 2015 | Vujadin Savić | Sheriff Tiraspol | Free transfer (Released) |
| 4 July 2015 | Jonathan Bond | Reading | Undisclosed (~ £250,000) |
| 6 July 2015 | Dániel Tőzsér | Queens Park Rangers | Long-term loan cancelled |
| 16 July 2015 | Lewis McGugan | Sheffield Wednesday | Undisclosed (~ £300,000) |
| 11 August 2015 | Cristian Battocchio | Stade Brestois 29 | Undisclosed |
| 29 August 2015 | Fernando Forestieri | Sheffield Wednesday | Undisclosed (~ £3,000,000) |
| 22 January 2016 | Connor Smith | AFC Wimbledon | Free transfer |
| 27 January 2016 | Diego Fabbrini | Birmingham City | £1,500,000 |
* ↑ 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.
* ↑ Where a player has been released, the club they subsequently joined is listed, provided it is professional and occurred during the 2015-16 season.

### Loans in

| Date from | Player | Loaned from | Date until |
| 14 August 2015 | Nathan Aké | Chelsea | End of season |
| 17 August 2015 | Alessandro Diamanti | Guangzhou Evergrande | 13 January 2016 |
| 1 September 2015 | Víctor Ibarbo | Cagliari | End of season |

### Loans out

| Date from | Player | Loaned to | Date until |
| 13 July 2015 | Uche Ikpeazu | Port Vale | 2 January 2016 |
| 16 July 2015 | Juanfran | Deportivo La Coruña | End of season |
| 27 July 2015 | Diego Fabbrini | Middlesbrough | 27 January 2016 |
| 5 August 2015 | Sean Murray | Wigan Athletic | 16 January 2016 |
| 29 August 2015 | Daniel Pudil | Sheffield Wednesday | End of season |
| 1 September 2015 | Gabriele Angella | Queens Park Rangers | End of season |
| 1 September 2015 | Miguel Layún | Porto | End of season |
| 1 September 2015 | Connor Smith | Stevenage | 29 September 2015 |
| 1 September 2015 | Matěj Vydra | Reading | End of season |
| 21 January 2016 | Uche Ikpeazu | Blackpool | End of season |
| 28 January 2016 | Giedrius Arlauskis | Espanyol | End of season |
| 1 February 2016 | Abdoulaye Doucouré | Granada | End of season |
| 1 February 2016 | Adalberto Peñaranda | Granada | End of season |
* ↑ On 1 September 2015, Murray's Wigan loan was extended until 16 January 2016.

## Reserves and academy

Watford's academy in 2015–16 consists of 17 scholars:
* In the second year: Jacob Cook, Andrew Eleftheriou, Michael Folivi, Nathan Gartside, Max Makaka, Brandon Mason, Ogo Obi, Charlie Rowan and Connor Stevens.
* In the first year: Denílson Carvalho, Ashley Charles, Treon Johnson, Dion Pereira, Joshua Roe, Louis Rogers, Max Ryan, David Sesay and Andrew Thomas.
In September 2014 and February 2015 respectively, strikers Ogo Obi and Michael Folivi signed agreements for one-year professional contracts to start at the end of their scholarships.