Watford boss Gracia not worried about 'numbers game'

Watford boss Javi Gracia says he believes different formations are "only numbers" as he begins his second spell in charge of the team.

The Spaniard returned to the club earlier this month to replace Paulo Pezzolano, who was sacked after just 10 games in charge.

Gracia will be in the dugout at Sheffield United on Saturday with the Hornets 11th in the table - but only three points adrift of the play-off places.

He has preferred to use a back four in the past but Gracia told BBC Three Counties Radio: "Today the shapes are changing - 3-2-5, 3-1-6 - now for me that is not so important, they are only numbers.

"What is really important are the characteristics of the players, your style, your mentality, if you want to be more offensive, more aggressive, defending, attacking, to me that's more important than the shape."

Watford were in the Premier League when Gracia was previously in charge in 2018-19 and he also took them to an FA Cup final.

His team at that time included Tom Cleverley, who was Hornets boss last season but is now at Plymouth, but now he has a largely inexperienced squad to work with as he looks to plot a way back to the top flight.

"They are different players but I am an optimist, I try to help the players to be even better. I think we have a very good squad, I really believe it," he said.

"With these young players and the experienced players, I think we have a good balance, what we'll have to do is try to take the best out of all of them and try to build up a consistent team, a competitive team, because individually they are good."

The returning boss was a popular figure among supporters during his first 20-month spell at the club, the longest of any Watford manager in the last 14 years, and they created a 'Javi Gracia, he drinks sangria' chant for him, which also included the line 'he's 47, he's football heaven'.

"I am focused on the first game, we have to play away and after this we will prepare for the next one. Of course, I am enthused to live that atmosphere again at Vicarage Road," Gracia said.

"I think now they have to change a little bit the chant because now I'm not 47, I'm 55, so they'll have to modify it a little bit."

He added: "I am a different manager as well. In these years, I have changed. I try to improve and do my job better. I have told the players not to always worry about the result.

"We want to be a good team and to play well we have to work hard, we want to be very demanding in every single training session, and at the end of the season the competition [table] will tell us where we are."

Watford will have a near full-strength squad available at Bramall Lane, with playmaker Giorgi Chakvetadze the main long-term absentee.