A lot of over excited posts I believe. Some individuals played well but as a team we are woeful. Rob needs to take some of the blame, Kamara proved he should be nowhere near the right side of defence. Kabs again proved he should be nowhere near the starting 11. I can't workout how we're trying to play. JP is one he'll of a footballer he's now taking games by the scruff and making things happen. Good 3 points but so far away from being a decent team.
Tbf, if we're playing a three, it's a choice between Kabasele, Cathcart and WTE, I probably wouldn't go for Kabasele, but it's not exactly a great choice is it! Hause on the left side looks a great signing, which should help shore things up a bit more. Kamara did look good on the left side, but again, while we don't have a RWB, I can understand Edwards picking him on his wrong side. Gaspar did look quite safe in possession and not a bombing wing-back again, although he did get up the pitch for the winner at least I suppose!
I do agree we look disjointed so far, we’ve had few sections of promise in games, 1st half v Sheff Utd and the 2nd part of the 1st half yesterday being the main examples. What’s going to improve it without a doubt is players in correct positions. I’m not a big fan of Ngakia but at least he’s right footed and a right back / RWB. Kamara will have to battle it out with Sema for the LWB spot when playing 3-5-2. Hause as a left footer at LCB - obviously we’re stuck if / when he’s unavailable. Sarr is the issue for me, he’s got that touch of class but isn’t a CF. But even if we still use players in the wrong position - if we still have Pedro in 2 days time we’ll always have a chance. He is on a one man mission right now and it’s glorious to watch!
That was Asprilla's fault really - I don't know what he was thinking. Kayembe's through ball was a good one which Asprilla should have been able to comfortably collect, but for some reason he stopped looking at it, turned around and let it hit him. It was at that point when it seemed clear the Asprilla for Bayo sub needed to happen.
This nonsense again. We might still lose them this window, but if we don't go up we can 100% say goodbye to JP and Sarr at the end of the season - after which point we won't get as many successful games at this level again the following season with our extra bits of quality all gone.
It is quite funny that the Boro Striker tried to shoot from his own half which led directly to us scoring the winner. Can't imagine Wilder loved that...
Bayo was, sadly, hopeless apart from the excellent finish. Hopefully he will gain confidence and improve.
We do, very much so; but I haven't seen a single team in this division, yet, who look the complete business. QPR and Middlesbrough, for instance looked good moving forwards but not so hot in defence. WBA should have beaten us, probably heavily, but they can't actually score. A Championship characteristic, I suspect, exaggerated by the early start to the season and the uncertainty due to the transfer window. To add to your recipe, Watford's best periods last night were clearly when they started moving the ball forward rapidly. One hopes that this slow sideways passing in defence will be left behind if Watford get the appropriate players in their proper positions and used to each other. Improved teamwork, in other words.
Harry Hornet laying down for a sleep in front of the away end while Boro fans were singing pre kick off. Pure gold.
As much as I do not miss his "made of glass" stature, and subing himself off once - I do miss Kiko in that position. He was the perfect ploy with Sarr. We just haven't replaced him, and it doesn't look like we will this side of the Jan window.
Last night JP sublime, we have to keep him to have a chance of a good season. Kayembe had a great game too, could be a bit of a cult hero by the end of the season. Kamara ok and when switched to proper position very good. Back 3 woeful, hope Hause helps calm things down at the back. Asprilla has bags of potential will only get better. Ken adequate at this level. Hamza did his usual job pretty well. Sarr took goal brilliantly but is out of position, even if we stick to this formation he will still be a threat. Bayo took his goal well, hope he gains confidence. Gaspar is not a wing back but did his bit last night. Louza will only improve things and I hope Davies will be the answer up front. The 'speed' of the Boro trainer when he ran on was frightening .
The key thing is, playing like we did last night we’ll get just as many results like that, as we will results like QPR. So in other words we won’t go up automatically, as nice as the win was.
I mean he wanted to go back home so it took the decision out of our hands a little bit, but even without that, we weren't going to keep Kiko forever, now seemed as good a time as any to let him go at the age of 31 and with a patchy injury record. It's been a disappointing start for Gaspar, he's never going to be the flying machine Kiko (or Laird!) is, but it looks like he's going to play against Rotherham, so hopefully he knows the division a bit more now and realises he is able to leave his own half!
Boro Fans at the Vic last night. Published online in beautiful Hi-res by Unibet, so that we can all admire the elegant beauty and suave sophistication for which that part of the country is so famously renowned. Some prime Boro beefcake! Thumbs up for a great game! Knobbly Knees Contest Winner 1976 Committed. You want some then? Eh? Eh? Beardy, but not at all weirdy! Crazy eyes, crazy folk! The mob Which way to Frydays Chippy? Waddya mean? There's loads of room in that seat for the lad! You're alright aint ya? Is there any more pop? Super grandad and a man who spends more on shampoo and conditioner than his wife. I mean what barber gave him that cut and then went home and could sleep?
I did not attend this match, and having failed to take my lucky Watford face mask to the QPR match, i am pleased that winning at the VIC was not reliant on its presence in the ground. So can i check, was their goal due to a hopeless Bachmann flaps at a cross or a powerful Andy Gray style header/foul on the keeper?
It was more down to some more "turning away" from Serraltra (again) but Bachmann didn't exactly cover himself in glory when trying to 'claw' the shot away - he totally missed it.
Definitely a flap. Sierralta was very poor pressuring the cross whilst Bachmann looked off balance whilst he came for and missed the punch ahead of their striker.
After a disastrous first 10 mins or so, overall I think we just about deserved the win on the back of our brilliant performance for the rest of the 1st half. Bachmann - Should have prevented their goal, but other than that he did ok and pulled off a possible match saving stop in the 2nd half. Kabasele - Not his best performance this season, but did a reasonable job overall. Sierralta - Perhaps should have prevented the cross for their goal, but played reasonably well for the rest of the match. Cathcart - OK but nothing better than that. Kamara - Had a decent game especially on the left where hopefully he will be playing for the rest of the season. Kayembe - Great game, had Pedro not have been so brilliant he would have been my MotM. Asprilla - Plenty of effort and played well, but needs a few more games to get used to the Championship me thinks. Choudhry - Good performance gets well and truly stuck in. Sema - Did OK but I would still prefer Kamara on the left. Pedro - Wow just wow, MotM by a mile, lets just hope that performance won't bring the vultures flocking, but even if they do we must not let him go for less than £50m + add ons and at least a 25% sell on clause, as IMO he could be worth even more by this time next year. Sarr - Much better performance and a well taken goal, but if we have to sell someone I would sell IS not JP. Bayo - Took his goal well, but could have had two if he done better with his header, lets hope this was a sign of better things to come. Gaspar - Not a WB may be better used as a CB? Hause - Decent cameo, looks like he might be a good addition if he continues like that. I have a feeling I have forgotten someone, but he can't have done much if I have. Overall a good win and not undeserved IMO, makes up for the bad luck and not so good display against QPR.
There was a period in the latter parts of the second half when the reason Watford were unable to push Boro back and create more was because Boro resorted to a succession of 'professional' fouls. They were committed by a different player each time, so nobody went beyond a yellow card. They are, in my opinion, an abomination and are seriously spoiling the game as a whole; they should be punishable by 'sin-binning' for a period, thus re-balancing the defenders' calculations.
Pretty good effort from that lot coming all that way down on a Tuesday night. There were about twice as many as made it from Burnley on a Friday.
Pretty sure I read they have the biggest travelling support in the Championship, which is very impressive considering they have some of the longest journeys to make!
I wonder whether once the transfer window slams shut Rob will stop playing Kamara on the right. It is such an obvious plea for a RWB that as soon as it is confirmed that Pozzbury have failed to notice / ignored it there will be no point doing it any more.
The four goons will have been chuckling to themselves “look at this manager trying to make a point! Even better he is telling French he is responsible for all transfers. What a patsy!” <BAU high fives>