IT IS all back in the melting pot. Watford's season has incorporated two useful runs which, in turn, led us to believe the penny was beginning to drop and that the realisation of the requirements of First Division success had been absorbed.

On the first occasion, Watford followed this period of hope with their worst run of the campaign only to end it with their most convincing sequence of results. So, having failed to make the play-offs, at least we were encouraged to think the preparations, for a much-improved tilt at the honours next season, were in place.

Sad to report this is not so. Watford relapsed at Barnsley, stuttered at home to Bradford in a goalless draw on Good Friday and then put together a particularly spineless 60 minutes at Stockport on Easter Monday, surrendering three points to County, who had not won a daylight match all season.

It is no good proffering the excuse that this is the end of the season and such games are meaningless because nothing can be more meaningless and depressing than fulfilling another fixture for already-relegated Stockport.

But County were up for it and Watford were not for the Hornets were once again railroaded out of the first hour and only started playing when they were two goals down and Stockport's players were presumably asking each other if they were sharing some sort of collective dream.

Clearly Luca Vialli and his cohorts have a lot of work to do. While the fresh new page of another season always enhances performances and confidence, Watford have not demonstrated the mental strength or the ability to consistently raise themselves for the battle.

When you look at this season and debate who are likely to be in the final shake-up for player of the season, only one of the new signings, Filippo Galli, is expected to feature.

The plain fact is, last summer's expensive influx of players has not added much to the party.

If they do not succumb to advancing years, Chamberlain, Galli, Cox and Robinson look capable of forming the basis of next season's defence. Lloyd Doyley has come through and it is to be hoped they can prise Wayne Brown away from Ipswich. But other options in defence are short on the ground.

With such a surplus of midfield players, Gavin Mahon does constitute an alternative in defence and the likes of Micah Hyde and perhaps a returning Richard Johnson are valid midfield options. Jamie Hand, Gary Fisken, Paolo Vernazza and the recovering Stephen Hughes, suggest the midfield is well-covered, if Vialli's transfer list is to be implemented and the likes of Nielsen, Vega, Issa, Gayle and Wright are to go.

Tommy Smith is still to sign a contract and Watford are chronically short of a free-scoring striker but are well served by the up and coming wingers such as Lee Cook and Anthony McNamee.

Vialli has already listed Gayle, Vega and Issa; Hughes is injured, Noble is on loan, Blondeau and Glass have yet to influence a game consistently and the only real success is Galli.

One is left to conject whether Watford would have been any worse off, on the pitch, if they had kept Page and Palmer and linked them up with Galli. Certainly the wage bill would have been more reasonable.

April 2, 2002 11:30