Goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann admitted the manner of Watford’s 2-0 defeat at Luton Town marked an all-too common theme seen during the 2022/23 season, but insisted the team haven’t given up hope of a top-six finish with seven games remaining.
Goals from Gabriel Osho and Allan Campbell in either half condemned the Hornets to the disappointing result at the home of the club’s bitter rivals, in the teams’ first meeting in front of fans at Kenilworth Road for 17 years.
Despite enjoying more of the game’s possession (55 per cent), Watford conjured up just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, and Bachmann was called upon to make a string of good stops to prevent a heavier scoreline.
“We’ve been in this situation many times this season, and first and foremost I want to apologise to the fans,” he said. “Losing a football match always hurts, but to lose in the manner we did - regardless of the opposition, which makes it worse - was just unacceptable.
“I don’t really know what it’s down to, to be honest. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it’s not a one-off. It’s utterly frustrating, and it hurts a lot.
“A few words were said in the dressing room at full-time, but we all know it wasn’t good enough. It’s been a tough season, and we know it’s the fans that feel it the most, especially after relegation last year and the positivity we had going into this campaign.”
At the end of the day’s play Watford sit in 11th place in the second-tier standings, six points adrift of Blackburn Rovers in the final play-off place and with a home clash against Huddersfield Town up next (Friday April 7, 3pm KO).
Bachmann is clear that regardless of issues with form the team will give their all to achieve maximum points between now and the final-day game against Stoke City (Monday May 8, 3pm KO), and he retains belief that promotion isn’t quite off the cards just yet.
He added: “Simply, we’ve just got to try and win all of the seven games that we’ve got left now. The objective hasn’t changed - we want to try and sneak into the play-offs, and we won’t give up until that’s impossible.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board and try to iron things out. We need to stay positive and do the best that we can, and if we play like we can you never know what could happen.”
