Watford striker tells fans they've not seen the best of him

The 26-year-old moved to Vicarage Road from Charleroi last summer, and scored four times in 25 appearances in the first half of last season – although only 10 of those outings were starts.

Then he was loaned back to Charleroi at the end of the January transfer window, netting three times in 10 games for the Belgian side.

The Ivory Coast international has led the line in pre-season, as he and the other members of the Hornets squad adapt to the way Ismael wants to play.

It has also been a period of huge change at the club, with more than 20 players either being sold, leaving or returning to their parent club at the end of a loan spell.

“Yes there has been change. We have the new manager and we have lost a lot of players,” said Bayo.

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“I think, though, with the style of play we have now, it’s been good to incorporate a few new players and also some younger players.

“The style of play is very different from this manager to the previous ones I have worked under.

“This manager immediately brought his idea of pressing, and we have spent the summer implementing it. It is a very big difference to last season.

“For me as a forward it means a lot of hard work but I believe it matches my style of play because I normally like to press a lot.

“The new way we are playing is no problem for me.

“I have felt comfortable with all the new things the manager has introduced. I think we can get out what he wants us to do in a positive way, and do well.

“As I said, the manager likes a lot of pressing and intensity, the group we have now is very well equipped and totally understands what is required of them.”

Although he was only at Vicarage Road until the end of January – a month in which he scored Watford’s last winning away goal of the season at Norwich – the striker knows the season was a huge let down.

“Last season was not an easy season. It was very difficult. The fans were frustrated, and I understand that,” he said.

“This season we know as a squad we need to be competing a lot more, because we want to be able to challenge the clubs who are fighting for promotion.

“We have the right values in the squad now, and we all know we have to show that we are willing to fight.”

Bayo was one of the squad members who managed to avoid a hamstring injury last season, and he says this summer a lot of work has gone into improving physical fitness.

Both Slaven Bilic and Chris Wilder said, during their spells as head coach, that the conditioning levels of the squad were not good enough – Bayo says the work put in during a seven-week pre-season based purely at London Colney has focussed on addressing that.

“We have put in a lot of fitness and conditioning work in the summer. A lot,” he said.

“If you look at the pre-season, it’s helped because we’ve not had many problems or injuries.

“That’s seven weeks where we have been okay, and I believe we are going into the season very ready. Everyone in the squad is there and together, physically and in terms of the attitude we need to adopt.”

Bayo scores the winner against Middlesbrough. (Image: Action Images)

Bayo announced himself to the Watford fans when he scored the stoppage-time winner to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the end of August, the night the club celebrated 100 years at Vicarage Road.

“Even before that game we knew it was a very important evening because of the anniversary of the stadium,” he said.

“As a striker I always want to score, but to score on a big occasion – and to score the winner – was very important to me and the team.”

Bayo’s goal against Boro was a prime example of a striker taking up a good position in the box, something he also did to good effect at Carrow Road when he netted another late winner as the injury-ravaged Hornets beat Norwich 1-0 in January.

“When you play as a striker, you need to try and have a feeling where the ball is going to land and position yourself in that area,” Bayo explained.

“Like the Middlesbrough game, I knew the importance of that goal against in Norwich, not just because it won the game but also because we had been going through a difficult period with injuries.

“I think there were actually more hamstring injuries that occurred in that game too, but then I scored and we won so it was good.”

Not all Bayo’s goals were tap-ins though, as anyone who saw his stunner at Rotherham will testify.

“Yes that was a great goal, probably the best goal I have ever scored,” he smiled.

“I remember Ken Sema going down the left wing and I was in a good position without opponents too close to me, so I just hit the volley.”

It was a proper net-buster, right in front of the home fans, whose misery at conceding the goal wasn’t helped when Bayo’s celebration – right in front of them – appeared to be him ‘shushing’ them by putting his finger to his lips!

“The goal celebration I did that day is kind of my signature celebration that I’ve done at all the clubs I’ve played for,” he recalled.

“I’m not actually telling people to close their mouth or shut up! I put my hand on my mouth and chin to remind myself that it’s not a time to talk, it’s still a time to work. I’m reminding myself to keep working hard rather than talking.

“I know the Watford fans were at the other end of the ground, and I’m sorry I didn’t run down there!”

Bayo had featured in four of Watford’s games after play resumed following the World Cup, and had scored at Norwich after replacing the injured Keinan Davis after half an hour.

So, it came as something of a surprise when he was loaned back to Charleroi – not just to the fans, but also to the player himself.

“I was a bit sad and a bit surprised,” he admitted.

“They sent me out on loan only three days before the end of the transfer window, and I didn’t have any conversations with anybody and I didn’t know I was due to leave.

“It was very surprising and I felt sad, but at the same time if it was going to help the team then I was happy to do it. At the end of the day my contract was still with Watford.

“And now I’m back and playing with Watford again, so happy days.

“I wasn’t worried I wouldn’t return, because I knew had a contract with Watford. The loan was just temporary, and I feel now my time has come.”

Another Bayo winner, this time away at Norwich (Image: PA)

One of the main accusations levelled at the squad last season was an apparent lack of effort, commitment and character – something which seemed to follow on from the miserable relegation campaign before that.

“I was new last season, so I can’t really say what happened before I arrived. What I can guarantee is that last season we didn’t have anyone who didn’t want to play for the club,” said Bayo.

“In football sometimes there are moments where things don’t work out, and no matter what you do and how hard you try, you can’t make it work.

“Last season that was the case too many times. But I prefer to focus on the new season and I can promise you that the new manager has brought the team a new mentality and every member of the squad wants to fight for each other and for the club.”

With Davis now back at Aston Villa and having featured throughout pre-season, it seems Bayo is likely to be involved when the new season begins. Is he looking forward to it?

“Yes, because the Watford fans have not seen the best of me yet,” said the striker.

“I’ve scored some goals and they were important at the time, but in the bigger picture they weren’t important enough to help the team and the club to be more succesful.

“This season I feel the fans will see more from me, and a better Vakoun Bayo than they saw last season.”

The Watford fans quickly latched onto the nickname that has followed Bayo around: the Crow. However, the player himself doesn’t truly know why he was given that name!

“It’s a nickname the fans gave me during my time at Celtic,” he said.

“They gave it to me, I took it, but I don’t really understand it!

“It’s fine though, I don’t think it’s bad or good.”

A player who always has a smile on his face, Bayo gives the impression of a positive character who wants to succeed for himself and the club.

As a striker that means goals, and when he does find the net, we may see a new celebration.

After admitting he hadn’t had his hair cut in five years, I asked Bayo if he might be tempted to mark his next goal by undoing the tie around those dreads and letting his hair loose in the style of Erling Haaland.

“Why not?” he said with a hearty laugh.

“I might just celebrate like that! At least I can prove my hair is as long as Haaland's!"