Never a regular under Walter Mazzarri despite Watford spending over £6m on his services from Genk last summer, Christian Kabasele is quickly establishing himself as a Marco Silva regular, starting the last three games, including an impressive 2-0 win over Southampton at the weekend.
The 26-year-old only made 16 league appearances last season, but with Belgium’s World Cup squad to be announced at the end of the season, he’s intent on ensuring he has a plane ticket for Russia.
Yet to be beaten in the Premier League, picking up eight points from a possible 12, Watford are currently fourth in the league, just behind Chelsea and a point ahead of Tottenham.
Speaking to RTBF, Kabasele was asked to try and explain the reasons behind this great start to the season for a club that just about escaped relegation last season.
He said: “It’s a good period for me, but also for the team. Picking up all six points away from home isn’t easy. We’ve managed to show another face to last year. It’s pretty special. When you look at the table, you see Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Watford up there with the big teams.
One of the main reasons behind this is undoubtedly Marco Silva, who nearly pulled off a miracle with Hull City last season, and is widely regarded as one of the more exciting ‘young’ managers in Europe right now.
Kabasele said: “With Marco Silva, I find myself with the same type of manager that I had at Eupen (Tintin Marquez), who made me switch roles. I find the same ideas and the same philosophy.
“Maybe that’s why I’m playing more this year. Maybe I understand his ideas better. I know where he wants to take us. Everyone does. The message is clear for everyone”.
As for whether there ever was a chance he could jump ship in the summer and start anew somewhere else, the Watford defender almost laughed at the question.
He explained: “I was never leaving Watford this summer. The board where satisfied with what I showed last year. There was never an open door for that. The fact that I played every preseason game also reinforced the idea that an exit wasn’t on the cards”.
