Genuine question though: how clearly are players aware of exactly how much time is left once 90 minutes have elapsed? I’ve often wondered that. I guess they could ask the referee. Clearly it’s more obvious now that there is an announcement of the number of added minutes, but I imagine it’s still difficult to be precise.
But it’s not quite that straightforward. Time can be added on within added time. And the clock isn’t decisive anyway, it’s the referee’s watch that counts. If (say) there are 5 minutes of added time, the referee doesn’t always (or often) blow his whistle at precisely 5 minutes 0 seconds.
That is true and a substitution was made by us during AOT so another 30 secs would have been added on . However this is where game management/intelligence comes into play. The clock was indicating over 94 minutes when we had the corner. Ipswich had everyone back. We could have taken forever to take the corner , fiddling with socks etc, to run the clock down even further whilst leaving 4 + GK back Then put the ball into the mixer and see what happens. Ipswich did not have the option to use a long ball if they won possession as they were all defending
I was raising a general query rather than talking specifically about last night. It does sound odd that this didn’t happen because - even if it only takes a second to score a goal - it seems in this instance that there was zero chance of that. To be absolutely certain, perhaps one of the players should have gone up to the referee and confirmed that the corner was the last play of the match.
If I have one slight criticism of TC and that was his last substitution. We were defending a FK into our box in the 93rd minute . Winning the ball , clearing it and a point well earned , so IMO a CB or Rajovic for his height would have been the better option ?.
Yep. All these things could have been done . However this is all a minor grump as it was a great away day and you don't say that very often after a 0-0 draw !!
Exactly as I thought it would pan out. Watford played well, particularly second half. No fear, playing for contracts/new manager. We usually score when playing well but but not in the first half and that was our problem. Nerves got hold of us second half and we didn't turn up. Been to both games this season and no idea why you are mid-table, you have some good players - Bachmann, Hoedt, Chaktavedze all very good last night. Just have nothing in attack. Best of luck, I think you are one good managerial appointment away from playoffs next season
Which shows how well our team can play when you are toothless up top like we are but can still grind out a point .
We're mid table as despite having some good players, no thought whatsoever has been put into what constitutes a good squad. Anyway, hope you go up automatically, have always liked teams that come up from Div 1 and go straight through the Championship ever since we did it.
I haven't seen every single game, but last night was the best I've seen of Bayo. He ran and ran. Great pressing, some good layoffs and interplay and battled really well in tackles. Chased back and even did a fine job defending on a few occasions.
Tom now has the joint longest unbeaten start as a Watford Head Coach under Pozzo. He shares the honour with Rob Edwards, who went on to then lose his 6th match in charge, plus of course his job not long after. Other notable unbeaten starts are Slav and Silva, both 4. Beppe, Ivic and QSF first time both went 3 unbeaten. Both Zola and Xisco, who I believe could both be counted as relative successes, lost their second match in charge, as did Pearson and Walter M. If Tom doesn’t get the job, it will mean Pozzo getting rid of the two managers who’ve made the best starts to their reigns under him only a few matches later.
Another game without defeat. Finally after a wobble, Watford Fans can stop looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone and start looking upwards to the playoffs. Nobody in the top 6 will be wanting to face us in the playoff lottery. Hard to beat and coming into them with momentum - it's often the team who make a late charge into the playoffs who win them. COYH!
My only reticence with Clevs is that it’s very often the case that caretaker managers get a short term bounce out of a team, get the job, then it all falls off a cliff. It’s especially common if the outgoing manager wasn’t particularly liked by the squad. It’s no reason not to give him the job at this stage, as he really couldn’t have done any better than he has done, it’s just something we have to be mindful of.
I don't know if referees will give a definitive answer though. I remember when I dabbled in refereeing back in sixth form and uni the people running the refereeing course said you should never say exactly how long's left or it just invites more pressure from players if you then (with good reason) extend it further. Bit different at the top level though what with scoreboards and the like.
Agree with this. Plus there's hardly been a revolution on the pitch under Cleverley. If people step back a bit they'd say all he's really achieved is to get the team back to peak pre-Xmas Valball levels. We're not losing but he's coming up against the same issues as Val in the sense the squad is missing some key parts, especially in the attacking third. I suspect he'd succumb to the same frustrations with this squad given a long enough run in charge.
It’s always difficult to look too far ahead with a caretaker manager, and luckily none of us actually have to do so. The decision to keep on or send back to the under 18s isn’t mine or yours to make. All we can do is look at what is actually happening right now. And right now it’s very positive. A rookie manager has managed to get points off two of the top three best teams in the division, as well as draws against a couple of play-off contenders. And a win against the only team we’ve faced so far who are below us in the table. I think he’s set us up very well. Made us hard to beat. Ipswich are the top scorers in the country, but couldn’t find a way past us. Added to that, I think in his interviews he’s been refreshingly honest, as well as eloquent and with personality. And remember he’s done all this without having a transfer window to try to get the powers that be to bring in anybody to address the obvious deficiencies in the squad. All in all, a very impressive few weeks in charge. Now he’s of course that doesn’t mean if he were to get the job past the summer, he’d continue this good start. But none of us can know that. It’s mere speculation. Appointing any new manager usually is. I have one more box to tick before 100% endorsing him for next season (I’m currently about 90%). And that’s a home win! It’s unthinkable that we could go into the summer break without having one since November. Get a win at the Vic before the campaign ends and I reckon that will make it impossible not to keep TC on for next season.
All our CBs had gone up though - so at least some of our players had managed to get the message or realise they it was the final kick of the game. Maybe Clevs had called them up? But then also the fact all our players had gone up should have alerted Kayembe and Kone that we should have gone for goal.
I don't have the stats to hand - but considering how many of the games have been draws have none of the other managers actually picked up more points from the first 6 games despite suffering a defeat?
Such a nice bloke, Ben Bloom is a very respected by fans' who are not PL followers. He's a die hard Ipswich fan but I liked his vlog and analysis here.
Points won by managers under Pozzo in their opening 5 matches in charge… Xisco 12 Gracia and Ivic 10 Edwards 9 Silva, Pearson and Slav 8 TC and Mazzari 7 Zola, Sanino, QSF 6 This does show how many of our managerial changes have often brought about immediate results eh.
And see my response to that answer. That gets us most of the way, but not all. Does the screen show seconds as well as minutes? If only the latter it could be anything from 3:01 to 3:59 (say). I doubt the players watch it constantly...
Yes, and I'm pretty sure it's an EFL thing rather than just a Vic thing. The only slight thing in their defence is that we made a sub in added time which delayed Ipswich taking a set piece, but they still should have known that it was going to be the last action of the game
It also depends how deep thinking they are, time could be just an illusionary construct to them. I dont think this applies to Porteus though.
I think we are all missing the bigger question here. We're the Watford Yoof there with their alcopops?
