Gilmartin didnt play for Yeovil in the last round. So if Bond is cup tied then he can come back for the game. I do feel sorry for Loach, things arent going well for him. I still think he is a good champ keeper. aybe the couple of weeks of will do him good. Knew it would be tough today...we move on to the next game.
Pompey looked like they wanted the ball more and caused us real problems out wide with 2 international wingers whilst we had Mark Yeates... Loach's red card looked harsh but their 1st goal was poor play by us falling asleep at a quick corner. Shame because we had a decent number in support. Even Marvin and Hogg were off form.
We were poor, but it was a superb away day and a very good atmosphere among the 'orns. The only one who had a good game was Loach, his save in the first half from Kitson's snap shot was top draw. His sending off was farcical but the ref and lino's were incredibly poor all afternoon and there were several moments when a ball would go out and the lino and ref looked at eachother until one of them gave a decision as to what way it should go. I would be amazed if we don't appeal the card though. We didn't really have much about us all round. We couldn't seem to get in the game in midfield, and up top Deeney looked short of ideas and Marvin was back to his old ways of not looking particularly up for it. A shame to start the year like that but after the run we have been on and the way we have been playing it would be tough on the team to moan too much. The last time we were down this way we got spanked 4-0 by Saints, and even though we lost again today we still look a completely different team to back then. Also, not too sure what the purpose is of posting pictures of a disabled kid at a football match? Poor form.
Bond joined Forest Green after their keeper got injured in the FA Cup loss so he is not cup tied anyway, then again I am sure the couple of comedians on here knew that with their jokes. The Loach sending off was an absolute joke from seeing it on TV. To be sent off for a deliberate handball when you are upside down in the air takes some doing! This was always going to be a difficult game and it seemed as though we were not at the races at all. Wouldn't bother appealing just in case the FA deem in frivolous and extend (you never know with them) and it is a game he might well have been rested for anyway. 3 changes at least for Bradford with Loach out, Kightly gone and assuming Sunderland won't let Nyron get cup tied in his last game. Would assume Doyley and Thompson and maybe Mirfin will get some game time. Eustace will probably get a run out as well as Garner.
Portsmouth were pretty instantly dislikeable today, diving and so on. Didn't like any of them. Couple of handy players mind you, the type you wouldn't mind if they were playing in yellow. Neither team were good, but Pompey were better on balance. Even our better performers of late were a bit off their game today - I'm thinking of Hodson and to a certain extent Hogg (he didn't do too badly, but didn't boss the game like he has done recently). Loach made a couple of great saves today though, and a couple of our attacking moves were well crafted and had Deeney been a little closer to the goalmouth once or twice, we could have taken the lead. Instead, the stats say 0 attempts on target, and that's that. The referee had an absolute nightmare, completely and utterly awful decisions were made from minute one. The red card topped it all off. As Loach came out, it looked like the Pompey player sort of took him out either by falling over or going for the ball, then the assistant referee flagged. Clearly I thought this was for a foul on Loach, and I sighed with relief. We all know that this wasn't the case, and Loach was sent off, and I still cannot see why. I would really like to see it again because it looked a ludicrous decision, but then again I was about a hundred yards away. My word did that referee have a bad game though... We brought a good following and were in good spirits and loud from like a good half hour/45mins before kick off, which is always good. Not many booed the players at any point today, probably because of the injustice felt from that decision and about every other refereeing decision made. Anyway, though it's never nice to lose, never nice to have your keeper sent off (especially wrongly), never nice to have a terrible ref, never nice to sit in what seemed like subzero temperatures for a couple of hours... Portsmouth away is always a tough game and if we're to get a ****e ref and an off day etc, better it being there rather than at home against a side we are more likely to take 3 points off of.
There were some great songs today that had the players entertained in the warm up, particularly Eustace - "I want curly hair too..."
Not at all. I did have reservations about re-posting it after seeing it on someone else's Facebook and being requested to upload it but due to the fact that similar things regarding the same person went without complaint a couple of months back and he had gained a bit of a fan base due to this (with one user even having a picture of him as their current signature) I didn't think it would be a problem. If it has done then I apoligise to those offended and respect the decision to remove the picture. There's really no need to make sarky comments about it.
We didn't play well, never really got going, Pompey weren't much better mind you. The decision to send Loach off was absolutely ridiculous, the assistant referee awarded a free kick to us, but then amazingly changed his mind and Loach got a red card. Sums up the ref all game, absolutely woeful. The ground is an absolute dump too, makes ours look amazing!
Whats this about people taking pictures of someone in a wheelchair?:doh:Has it got something to with the game or Watford fc?
Basically, the boy in question has been constantly seen following Watford at every home game and often at away games in his Man United Rooney kit becoming a bit of a cult hero, and he has recently purchased a Watford kit with Eustace on the back.
I see ****inson got booked taking him to 5 bookings so presumably he can't play v Bradford. Quite fortunate he managed to get his 5th booking in the game before an FA Cup tie I suppose. (not that I'm suggesting anything scurrilous mind!!)
I know his face and know that he used to wear the odd Man U kit (he still sometimes wears Man U shorts with a Watford shirt). The reason I know this is because he sits in the row in front of me at home games (since going to Uni these home games have become less frequent of course) and I've seen him home and away for quite a few years now. He often wears shorts, as you probably know, regardless of the temperature - I remember seeing him walking out of Stamford Bridge in our Prem year (may have been a cup game though thinking about it) in shorts despite it being absolutely freezing, perhaps ice and snow even in places. Here's what I'm saying though, I still don't understand why people are taking pictures of him and putting them on facebook and this message board. Does the phrase 'leave the poor kid alone' not spring to mind at all? Anyway, this is pretty off-topic now so perhaps should be put to bed. Regarding the game: the BBC have failed to mention any controversy in their match analysis (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/16330918.stm), and have once again made an obvious mistake, this time grammatical in its nature rather than a case of mistaken identity: "Marko Futacs nodded in David Norris's corner before Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach made saved from Dave Kitson." What?
****o was shouting at the ref from word go, he was always going to get booked at some point today. And I don't blame him for feeling aggreived at some of the decisions made this afternoon.
Yep, you are correct, he won't play then. Doyley or Forsyth to come in on left I would assume. Not as good as Kyle Naughton though. Playing for Norwich he managed to get booked for the 5th time and missed the boxing day game against Spurs. He could enjoy his Christmas dinner more as others have done in the past with the booking system. The thing is, due to the 'gentleman's agreement' in the Prem, he couldn't play against this parent club Spurs anyway! Nice way to wipe out his bookings.
Just seen the Loach sending off, and the Pompey player makes zero attempt to play the ball. Don't see see how it wasn't our free kick. Appalling decision.
I've just read on the WML that the Pompey keeper got MOM yesterday. I also thought I had heard that announcement at the game but assumed I had misheard it as he didn't have anything to do. Bizarrre if true!
I thought it might be worth giving this Tom James a game, might as well take a look at him, see if he's up to it. Otherwise not sure what point of keeping him is if we'll always play somebody else if ****o's unavailable.
We said the same when walking out of the ground. I couldn't believe he got MOM, he hardly touched the ball!
Think ****inson is ok, only get a ban if you get 5 yellows before 31st Dec. I'd still give him a rest though with Lloyd, Forsyth or even James at left back.
I'll eat my words, his contract has been extended til the end of the season! (courtesy of wfcbadgemoose)
