I was expecting this at the start of the season at times. But our performances before Christmas showed the potential and now that we're not living up to that it's incredibly frustrating. Our form is relegation form and unless we get our act together we're in for a tough time next season (look to Leicester to see how important form at the end of a season can have on the next one. Our midfield was good today and I think swapping Behrami for Capoue and bringing in Ake would sort out our poor defence today. However, this doesn't take away from our attack which is apalling. In 2016 we've scored 14 goals in 19 games (including an own goal to overcome the mighty Leeds). Today showed our player's abilities to create going forward rather than hoofing over the top. A creativity that's been relentlessly stifled through negative, rigid tactics. Having a good defence is all well and good but when you only manage to score once in a blue moon you aren't going to survive in this league for long.
We showed that we've got a lot of midfielders who can pop the ball around quite nicely in non-threatening areas when we don't have the option of the Deeney/Ighalo long ball. We were reasonably good in possession but this just highlighted how much Amrabat is not a striker and cannot play that role. He doesn't make any runs like a striker and can't really hold the ball up. Surely someone who plays as a striker would've been better. I understand that Quique might not have wanted to throw Jakubiak into the Premier League in a weakened team but he couldn't have been worse upfront than Amrabat. There was some pretty woeful defending at times, particularly from Holebas who looked like he'd got the hump that Ake was going to start at Wembley. Thought Jurado was our best player, seemed to thrive on having people near to him providing an option for a pass along the floor. Berghuis started well when he came on before dropping off but showed enough to be given more of a chance. Anyway, not much to really take away from that game. We were never going to win as soon as Quique picked four defenders and six midfielders. Here's to a completely different team and performance at Wembley...
More of a striker than Amrabat. This isn't any particular slight on Amrabat by the way. He's just not a striker.
The only thing tonight taught me is that our squad is not strong enough to survive another season in the Premiership. If we had suffered only a few key injuries this season then I truly believe we would be down there with Villa Still, we have the right board to recognise that and the funds and scouting network to improve So all good...
Thought it a pretty good performance tonight. Holebas aside I thought we bossed large parts and played some lovely football. Not unsurprising that we lost but I shall not cry. Berghuis did himself no harm when he came on.
I don't buy this, If Deeney or Ighalo were injured, we'd have bought differently. If QSF wanted wingers he'd play Anya and Berghuis there. If we didn't play with 2 DM we'd not have got Suarez as cover for Behrami and Watson. Vydra is back, Doucoure is coming, Pendandarandarara is coming. Time won't stand still. Don't worry. We've also been safe for months.
Has Mensah actually scored this season. U21's had a dismal season and can't see anyone really pushing for inclusion in the first team squad.
Anya and Berghuis should both have started tonight in my opinion, instead QSF once again played 4 centre mids
I'm not sure we could have replaced Deeney or Iggy adequately at short notice if they had suffered an injury mid season
Nobody will ever know what would have happened to our league form over the last few months had we lost to Newcastle in the 3rd round of the cup. But my guess is it would have at least a little better. Cup runs affect league form. It's happened since time immemorial. Us, Everton and Palace have a grand combined total of 2 league wins since 5th round weekend.
You could say the same about Leicester..... injury to Vardy and they would be ****ed, interesting to see what will happen now he's suspended Suspect in the summer we will get the chance to bring in some higher calibre players. We have the 3rd lowest wage bill in the league and record transfer fee of around 6m which is peanuts
Tonight was a white flag from the off. You cannot play with no strikers and expect anything other than a defeat. It sounds like Watford played quite well in parts, but made some silly mistakes, as you would expect from players that are not really regular first team players. This was always going to be one of the harder fixtures at any time of the season, so to come away with only a 2 goal deficit is probably a good result for damage limitations. Shame Deeney fluffed the chance to make the score look half decent. Amrabat won't be available for the semi, although I don't really see that as a major blow. A defeat was expected, but we did score a goal, which was a major surprise to me, and we didn't let in a hatful, so grateful for small mercies.
If Deeney had scored the pen it would have set up a grand stand finale and we'd be happier. As it is it's left a sour taste. I went but weirdly I don't feel overly disappointed and I'm surprised at the negative reaction. Form goes out of the window on Sunday imo
I agree with whoever said Deeney was due a penalty miss. His penalties have always been pretty crap but he has scored most of them. Surely there is someone in our squad who is better?
I don't buy into that at all. We win a 3rd round tie then suddenly we get excited about going to Wembley? Maybe since the Arsenal tie I can see why players may have taken their eye off the league, but it makes no sense beforehand. Our league form has been garbage since the Liverpool win, but I think the FA Cup is a convenient excuse to hide behind, but not the reason for it. We just do not have the necessary quality up front to compete at this level. The fact we have managed to get to 41 points, is down to two players having an exceptional season and a coach that has maximised and taken Watford to a level they probably shouldn't have got to. I think the squad needs a major overhaul in the summer, but I think that is well underway.
Never got this. He's a quality penalty taker. Confident, and has a good record. Usually waits for the keeper to move, once in a while it won't work.
Spot on. We thrived, Jurado in particular, without the temptation of knocking it long to the front two. we really should play like that, with Jurado central, even when the front two do play. Thought Suarez was good in the first half, too.
Yes....and it works wonders. We are a progressive side that gets better every season. Started as a lower Championship side heading for League One, now sitting 12th in the Premier League and that still is not good enough for our owners.
My I didn't refer to the third round as being the point where Wembley became a possibility and our league form switched off. I'm only guessing but I would think it was probably around 5th round weekend when our players saw they were safe and started realising they had more than an outside chance of actually winning a trophy. I don't think the cup run has been the only reason for our poor league form. I believe we've been found out in the second half of the season and our squad is not correctly balanced. However, I would hope people who've followed football for years, which I believe you have, would realise that cup runs do affect league form when the side concerned is mid table and can neither reach Europe or go down. It happens time after time. We are a newly promoted club who punched above their weight up to Christmas and things are now levelling out. And we are a match away from a cup final. Nothing that's happened lately should surprise. And it shouldn't panic people either just yet.
If you didn't watch or listen to the game, don't make a ****ing comment about our performance you ***! I did watch. We were a tad ropey at the back and toothless up top but we looked pretty good in the middle of the park. We had 53% of the possession. Thought Suarez played well, will be a good player for us next season
Holebas was truly awful tonight...very weak defending and only he knows why he was playing piggy back for the pen
Armabat well and truly proving he's not a striker (not totally convinced he's a winger either just yet..). Holebas dreadful enough said. Berghuis looked decent when he came on and it certainly makes you wonder what reasoning there could be for him not playing more especially when Jurado was crocked for a period. Anya I thought was good when he came on too. Enjoyed most of the chanting fairly good humoured though there was plenty of unpleasantness too. 4 penalties conceded in the last 2 games has to be some sort of record?
Didn't make any difference but keeper was miles off his line for the penalty miss. How hard is it for the Lino/ref to spot it?
Technically it should have been retaken, but that is rare these days. Deeney should have put it in one of the corners, or if he chooses down the middle, it has to go high. The keeper would have saved that had he stayed on his line anyway, so no complaints from me. I don't think it was a penalty, so a soft one given to us for a change, although it wouldn't have made much difference, just reduced the goal difference by one.
i left with 15 to go not a bad performance but 2 stupid spot kicks given away I was amazed at the number of WHU fans lthat had already headed for the station most must have left after 70 mins
Must admit, from watching the highlights, Holebas has certainly ended any chance of playing at Wembley with his worst performance of the season. Anya looked lively and is an option from the bench. Jurado looked good in the middle, but then he always does when he plays there for the first 30 minutes of games. Amrabat is out, but only has himself to blame. He loves a lunge, so I don't think that will be his last red card for Watford. Berghuis did look better than usual, but I can only see him as an option from the bench. I don't think too many others really stood out, but the flow of play was a pleasant surprise, although defensively we looked shocking at times. Maybe that's the trade off.
My thoughts on the match. Jurado MOTM. Composed and classy. Hopefully we continue to build the team around him in the summer. I enjoyed the match. We definitely weren't outclassed and lost to 2 daft penalties. All we need is a proper striker and we are a good side. I wonder how different things would be had we bagged adebeyor in January. My nemesis Berghuis looked pretty good. Perhaps there is a player there after all. Conversely, my beloved holebas was awful. Funny how things change. I left the match more confident about Sunday than I did on the way in.
