It was an afternoon of disgruntlement in the stands. While a portion of Southampton’s supporters maintained their burgeoning FA Cup tradition of voicing disapproval with Mauricio Pellegrino’s substitutions, jeering when the Argentinian replaced Sofiane Boufal with Maya Yoshida in the second half, that burst of dissent felt mild in comparison to the moment when Christian Kabasele and José Holebas had to be pulled away from a disagreement with a few Watford fans after an otherwise forgettable game.
Emotions in the away end were already running high before the final whistle signalled the end of Watford’s interest in the FA Cup for another year. The travelling support had spent most of the second half poking fun at their team’s limp quest for an equaliser, amusing themselves with a series of self-deprecating chants, and a minority were in no mood to be placated when their players trooped towards them after this insipid defeat. Kabasele was the first to lose his temper, then Holebas, and the disagreement was threatening to spill over before Ben Watson calmed the situation and the stewards intervened.
Javi Gracia could not have imagined that his first game as Watford’s manager would end on such a sour note, although Marco Silva’s replacement was quick to plead ignorance later. “When the match finished I went to the fans to say thanks and I went back to the dressing room,” Gracia said. “I didn’t see it. I don’t understand what the supporters sang. I can only say at the end of the match my players went to say thank you to the fans. The only thing I am worried about is getting a good result.”
For Southampton, the mutiny felt misplaced. Three weeks ago Pellegrino was criticised for his conservatism during the third-round victory over Fulham but the Saints were deserving winners here, securing their place in the fifth round thanks to a goal from Jack Stephens. “Our feeling is we are growing as a team,” Pellegrino said.
While Southampton’s Premier League status remains under threat, they are offering fleeting glimmers of progress. Pellegrino was feeling optimistic despite losing Ryan Bertrand to a hamstring injury. The south coast club have broken their transfer record to sign Guido Carrillo from Monaco for £19.2m – the striker made his debut as a late substitute – and they remain hopeful of signing the Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes before the window closes.
Southampton’s desire for more firepower is understandable. They do still need more bite up front. While they were dominant for long spells, they struggled to kill Watford off after scoring in the fourth minute. Boufal’s free-kick from the left found the Watford defence in disarray and although Shane Long’s effort was saved by Orestis Karnezis, Stephens celebrated his 24th birthday by smashing the rebound home.
Having replaced Silva the previous weekend, Gracia did not have much time to prepare for his first taste of English football. “I hoped for a better performance,” the Spaniard said. “It wasn’t a good match.”
Southampton were out for revenge after Abdoulaye Doucouré’s last-minute handball goal denied them a precious league win over Watford two weeks ago and they almost doubled their lead when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg crashed a shot against the bar from 25 yards.
Richarlison tested Alex McCarthy’s concentration in the 45th minute, but that was not enough to satisfy Gracia, who sent his players out early for the second half. Yet Watford continued to drift, even after sending on Jerome Sinclair, Stefano Okaka and Roberto Pereyra. Sinclair sent a shot out for a throw-in and Kabasele missed a free header in the 93rd minute. Gracia has his work cut out.
