Watford and Burnley in drab EPL draw

Roy Hodgson's first game in charge of Watford has ended in a goalless draw at Burnley which leaves both sides still fearing for their Premier League future.

Hodgson, the Premier League's oldest ever manager at 74, said this week he had been lured back in by "a siren call from the mermaid as the sailor passes by on his ship" but, as he stood drenched on the Turf Moor sidelines, the scale of the task he has inherited was laid bare.

He will take the positives from Watford's first Premier League clean sheet in 31 attempts, but that was as much to do with the chances that Burnley passed up as by major improvements in the Hornets defence.

For their part, the Clarets looked invigorated by the arrival of deadline day signing Wout Weghorst but still could not find the cutting edge they need to stay in the top-flight.

Sean Dyche's side still only have one league win all season -- the only team to reach this stage of a Premier League campaign with one or fewer wins and survive was West Brom in 2004-05.

And so -- after finally playing a fixture originally scheduled for December 15 and twice postponed -- both sides remain stuck in the bottom three, wondering where salvation might come from.