Watford fans never saw the best of Miguel Layun in his short spell at Vicarage Road. Tune in on Tuesday night, however, and they just might.
When preparing for a crucial Champions League encounter against a European giant, the potential dangers posed by former Watford left-back isn’t usually what comes to mind.
Yet, despite the tenacious scrapping of Adrian Silva, the vision of Oliver Torres, or fleet-footed dribbling of two-time African Footballer of the Year Yacine Brahimi, Mexican full-back Miguel Layun may represent the biggest danger to Claudio Ranieri’s side against Porto on Tuesday evening.
Such a statement will come as a shock to anyone who witnessed Layun during his eight month stay at Vicarage Road.
The cultured left-sider may have scored in the Hornets’ 2-2 draw with Everton on their first Premier League match since 2007, but such highlights were few and far between. Just over a year after his exit, however, the 28-year-old returns a different player to the one discarded by Quique Sanches Flores and usurped by Jose Holebas.
In five starts in the Portuguese top flight this season, Layun has already registered two assists, his whipped deliveries from a left a key part of Porto’s gameplan.
However, it’s on the European stage that the versatile all-rounder has really stood out. Layun was one of the most impressive full-backs in last year’s competition, creating two goals and scoring one himself in Porto’s 3-1 group stage win against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Already this season, he displayed composure and class in equal measure to fire the final arrow into Roma’s quivering carcass in the qualifying round.
Claudio Ranieri will surely have devoted much of his pre-match prep to countering the industry and incision of Porto’s attackers, from Brahimi (below) and Torres to reliable goalscorer Andre Andre and former Atletico attacker Adrian Lopez, but Layun’s expert deliveries will undoubtedly test a defence that has struggled aerially all season.
Wes Morgan and Robert Huth may have been unbreachable at times during Leicester’s title-winning campaign, but the former in particular has struggled in the early stages of the new campaign. The Foxes have lacked organisation and appear increasingly vulnerable to crosses. After all, they conceded three from corners against Manchester United just a few days ago.
Furthermore, Danny Simpson appears to have reverted to his pre-Leicester deficiencies this season. Layun, in direct competition on the flank, could run riot if, as expected, former Valencia boss Nuno Espirito Santo sticks with his dynamic, fast-paced philosophy underpinned by speedy wing play and frequent crosses.
Watford fans could be forgiven if they barely recognise their former flop on Tuesday night. Let’s just hope Leicester are a little more prepared.
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