2011–12 Watford F.C. season

The end of the 2010–11 season signalled the start of a period of change, on and off the pitch. Watford sold the club's top scorer Danny Graham to newly promoted Swansea City for £3.5 million. They also sold Young Player of the season Will Buckley to Brighton & Hove Albion for £1m, and Liam Henderson left on a free transfer to York City. Off the field, Watford's chief executive Julian Winter left the club shortly after the sales of Buckley and Graham, and manager Malky Mackay joined Cardiff City the following week. On 21 June, 20-year-old defender Tom Aldred left on a season-long loan to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Nathan Ellington went on a free transfer to Ipswich Town. Meanwhile, on the same day, Craig Forsyth came to Watford from Dundee United and Sean Dyche was appointed as new manager. ==Pre-season friendlies==

{{football box collapsible ==League table==

Statistics No. = Squad number Pos = Playing position P = Number of games played G = Number of goals scored = Yellow cards GK = Goalkeeper DF = Defender MF = Midfielder FW = Forward = Red cards Yth = Whether player went through Watford's youth system Joined club = Year that player became a Watford first team player Age = Age of player on final day of season (28 April 2012) Correct as of 28 April 2012. Transfers Unless a country is specified, all clubs play in the English football league system. In Out Loans • Loan end date was end of season • Watford academy scholar In transferred to Watford after an initial loan period. Out became the 50th academy player to make his Watford debut in 2012, following two loan periods. ==Reserves and academy==

Watford's reserve side played friendlies in 2011–12, following their withdrawal from the Totesport.com Combination East Division. The under-18s played their home games at Watford's training base at the UCL training ground, London Colney. They are members of the FA Premier Academy League. They went out of the FA Youth Cup in the fourth round away at Newcastle United, losing 2–1, having beaten Millwall 2–1 away in the third round. They also played in the Herts Senior Cup, going out to Bishop's Stortford in the first round. The side were coached by technical skills coach Adam Pilling from the end of August until the first week of October, when David Hughes, who had been appointed on 22 September, took up his position as youth team coach. Watford's academy consists of 20 scholars: • In the second year, goalkeeper Jack Bonham, defenders Chimdi Akubuine, Matt Bevans, Tommie Hoban, Brandon Horner and Aaron Tumwa, midfielders Stephan Hamilton Forbes, and Sean Murray, and strikers Dereece Gardner, Michael Kalu and Connor Smith. • In the first year, defenders Kyle Connolly, David O'Connor and Jordan Wilmore, midfielders Austin Eaton, Kamaron English, Luke O'Nien, Jack Westlake, and strikers Bernard Mensah and Morgan Ferrier. Murray signed a professional contract during the 2010 pre-season, alongside his scholarship forms. Bonham and Hoban signed a professional deals in September 2010 and May 2011 respectively. In July 2011 Mensah signed a contract that saw him turn professional on his 17th birthday. Ferrier joined Watford on 20 September after a trial period, having previously been in Arsenal's youth system. Connolly joined on 1 December at second year scholar age, following a trial period. In April Watford announced the fates of the remaining second-year scholars; Hamilton Forbes, Smith and Tumwa were given professional contracts, Akubine, Horner, Kalu and Gardner were released, while Bevans had his scholarship extended due an injury which kept him sidelined from October. Hoban and Murray both made first-team appearances during 2010–11, while Smith was an unused substitute. Murray has played for the first-team in 2011–12, while Bonham has been an unused substitute. Bonham, Hamilton-Forbes, Hoban, Smith and Tumwa have all been loaned to non-league sides in 2011–12. ==Notes==