Ighalo left behind?

Walter Mazzarri has struck upon an exciting new-look formation for Watford – but there appears to be no room for out-of-form striker Odion Ighalo. Peter Smith takes a look at the Hornets’ system and what it means for the Nigeria international…

What a difference a year makes. 12 games into last season, Ighalo had seven goals for newly promoted Watford. He was set to score six times in his next six games – goals which would ultimately help him win December’s Premier League player of the month prize.

But this season, with the busy Christmas period approaching, Ighalo finds himself out of form, out of the Watford starting XI – and manager Mazzarri turning to a formation which doesn’t have a space for the striker.

It’s been coming. Ighalo scored 29 goals in 38 appearances in 2015, making him the most prolific forward in the country but his return in 2016 is just six goals in 34 appearances across all competitions. He’s scored just three Premier League goals this year and only one this season.

Ighalo’s 2015 heroics – which included vital goals in Watford’s charge to promotion from the Sky Bet Championship, as well as key strikes in the top flight – won him favour with Mazzarri. The manager, who replaced Quique Sanchez Flores in the summer, was prepared to stand by the out-of-form forward up until last weekend.

“All strikers go through spells when they are more in form than at other times,” he said at the end of last month. “I hope it will take only one episode, one incident, and Ighalo will be up and running for the season. I’ve been happy with his performances, apart from one or two exceptions – now we hope he can become the Ighalo we know.”

There was plenty of foundation to Mazzarri’s faith in his frontman and he had revealed his relief in September when the …

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