Why Newcastle's Daryl Janmaat is a perfect fit for Walter Mazzarri's Watford

By Jake Jackman

Watford have gone under the radar this summer, despite doing some excellent business. Roberto Perreyra is a Champions League calibre player who fits nicely into the 3-5-2 formation that Walter Mazzarri likes to play. The Pozzos are backing their new manager and targeting players that suit his style of play. They have agreed a fee with Newcastle for right back Daryl Janmaat and the Dutchman is set for a medical on Wednesday. Watford will be paying £7.5 million, which is a good price for a regular in the Dutch national squad.

He is an attacking full back, who will be perfect for Watford’s 3-5-2. Janmaat will be required to play right wing back, which gives him more freedom to do what he is best at. He is a great athlete and can cover a lot of ground down the right hand side. In the final third, he has a good end product and would be an upgrade on the current options in the squad.

During the first two matches, they have played Nordin Amrabat in the right wing back role, but he isn’t great defensively and that has obviously concerned Mazzarri. Janmaat has played there for Holland during the 2014 World Cup finals and could be an inspired purchase for Watford. Although he isn’t great defensively, he has played as a right back for his entire career and will be provide more balance to the side.

In terms of his attacking influence, Janmaat has proven himself to be one of the best in the Premier League over the past two seasons. During that period, he scored three goals and contributed ten assists, which is made all the more impressive considering he was playing in a struggling Newcastle side. His attacking positioning and good delivery mark him as a threat in the final third.

Defensively, his athleticism allows him to recover well when caught out of possession. Last season, he made an average of 2.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game, which was slightly down from his first year in England, but shows that he can defend. The role he will be asked to play should accentuate his strengths and hide some of his weaknesses.

There has been some criticism of his attitude, as he seemed to stop putting complete effort in at Newcastle under Steve McClaren and hasn’t been completely trusted by Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard preferred to play Vurnon Anita at right back in crucial matches, which casts doubt about Janmaat’s ability to perform when the going gets tough.

He was passionate throughout his time with Newcastle and did appear to care about the results, but his performances told a different story. They dropped considerately from his first season in England and he was rumoured to be looking for a way out of St James’ Park. Several Newcastle players downed tools when the club needed them most and Janmaat was part of that group. There has been a mentality change at Newcastle since their relegation and it is best for them that Janmaat leaves. They have moved quickly to bring DeAndre Yedlin in as a replacement, therefore the Dutchman’s departure to Watford suits all parties.

A move back to the Premier League was important for Daryl Janmaat as he is still part of the national team squad. That wouldn’t have been the case if he was playing in the Championship. A change of scenery might benefit Janmaat as he came to Newcastle under difficult circumstances and the toxic atmosphere in the squad made it difficult for him to feel comfortable. He may have contributed to that last season, but initially he was one of the club’s better performers and will be hoping to recapture that form at Watford.

Watford have given encouraging performances in their opening two league matches and the additions of Perreyra and Janmaat will only improve the side. They both slot into the 3-5-2 well and provide attributes that they haven’t had during the first two matches. It is an exciting project at Watford and the appointment of Mazzarri looks to be taking them to the next level.

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