Football - Watford: Nampalys Mendy, an unexpected resurrection

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​A few weeks ago, the future of Nampalys Mendy was written in dotted lines, far from Vicarage Road. Put in the closet after the international truce in November, the 2022 African champion seemed doomed to exile to regain playing time. 

The rumours of an imminent departure, fueled by a concrete and lucrative offer from Arka Gdynia in Poland, or even a concrete interest from Rennes still under Habib Beye, left little room for doubt: Mendy was going to pack his bags. But in football, certainties are rare and cards can quickly be redistributed.

​The turning point of his season coincides with a change of course on Watford’s bench, when he thought he had to do a second part of the white season because he couldn’t leave during the winter. By an irony of which only sport has the secret, it is under the orders of Edward Still, brother and former deputy of Will Still—who used him very little during his time at RC Lens — that Mendy regained his tenure.

​Where the midfielder and his entourage could have feared that family or tactical prejudices might be transmitted, the new strong man of the Hornets took the total opposite stance. He made Mendy the stabilizer of his midfield, along with the Moroccan Imran Louza, offering him total confidence.

A rise in power
Confidence that translates into numbers: since January 31, Nampalys Mendy has become unshakeable. The midfielder has taken part in his team’s last five matches, especially starting four consecutive games in the last four games.

​Under his leadership, Watford has regained a defensive base and technical serenity crucial for the end of the season. The accounting balance for this period (1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss) allows the club to remain firmly attached to the contenders for the accession play-offs in the Premier League. With the current 9th place in the Championship, but only 2 points behind the barragistes, the Hornets can offer themselves a thrilling end of the season.