What a brilliant day. Out on the booze from midday, get in the ground 10 minutes late then leave as soon as liverpool scored and back on the booze. That's what football's all about. Matches on bank holiday monday are superb.
Sorry, but you're wrong....completely wrong...we never tried to play expansive open football there, we never got off the coach. We were a shambles from start to finish and we lost the game before a jersey was put on.
In reality we lost 1-0 to an outstanding goal and limited a very good Liverpool side to mainly long range efforts and having to pull something special out the bag to score almost twice with Lallana volley. But, I was watching at home last night and just didn’t feel any real emotion watching. I was more emotionally invested in the AJ fight Saturday, the only time I jumped up was when we hit the bar late on. I quite like a back line of Mapps/Prodl/Kabasele quite a lot of mobility with Prodls height and power but again with Maz it’s something that’s been enforced on him by injuries rather than his judgement. Sick of Amrabat waiting for the ball then trying to back in to wrestle and roll a defender, whether there were no options or not he just didn’t play a simple pass and ran into defenders too much. That being said simple passes escaped most of the side last night. Capoue was a nothing player again, he needs to be upgraded in the summer. Capoue from the bench is a strong squad option but he can’t start every game. Niang was fairly bright and tried to make things happen, quality is there for sure even if decision making isn’t. Thought Janmaat was very good, looked a bit awkward on the left especially early on and probably restricted him overlapping so much but most of our danger came from that side. Felt for Deeney and can imagine how frustrated he must get, I don’t know what the team or fans expect him to do with long hopeful balls punted in his direction when he’s surrounded by ¾ defenders and not another Watford player in our half. He’s always been most effective with a partner in and around him running off him. He didn’t have a good game but don’t think there’s a lot he can do given the set up. Hard to judge Success on a few cameo appearances off the bench but we need to see what he can do these next few games otherwise there’s no point him sitting on the bench another season, maybe Maz already knows what he can/can’t do hence the sub appearances but he’s just such an unknown quantity it seems mad not to give him a few chances in the remaining games. We played well and restricted a good attacking side and were a crossbar away from getting something from the game but there we go. I was hoping perhaps the handbrake would come off a bit and we’d try to be a bit more expansive but it wasn’t to be. Also, I don’t often like to slate refs but that was a truly appalling performance from all the officials, it wasn’t just one call wrong it was a string of things. Missing the Mignolet save when it was clear as day, offsides called completely wrong not to mention that bizarre incident when it hit him and seemed to stay in but decided to give them a throw. I can understand getting some decisions wrong but it was a consistently bad performance from them last night which is nowhere near where the prem standard should be. I just hope something changes in the summer to get rid of the apathy I’m feeling for it all at the moment.
Awful is probably harsh, but I didn't think he was great. Origi had an obvious tactical note to pressurise him when he had the had ball and IMO it worked, especially in the first half.
I get what you are saying here but could be something to do with both being able to sit on a defender each and having a lot more bodies up in the last 5-10mins rather than Deeney on a lone mission to battle them and knock it to the open space with no support. I am always pro Deeney but I genuinely don't think there was a lot he could do last night so isolated.
This almost feels like a football forum on here today, weird. I was on shoutbox last night and cant understand the Ambrabat love in, maybe it was his shot. He cant defend, he runs at players but then has no consistent end product. He also tried his best to get out the way of their goal (I don't think he could of done much about it) but still left standing.
Just watched the game back. Our deadballs delivery was worse than I remembered. Doucoure was a colossus, but his distribution was poor for the first 15 minutes because we played into their hands. Amrabat tried but isn't a RWB and I stand by my opinion he should've done better for the goal. Get tighter and put your head in there and get a free-kick. There were other players at fault in the build up also. Niang gave away the ball slopily, Lucas we given acres of space in the middle. Front 2 needed to be closer to each other for large periods of the game. Still wonder if Mazzarri missed the goal and thought it was 0-0 till the 75th minute? Would explain why nothing changed until so late, but then again the same thing happened against Hull. The ref and linesman for us in the second half made some dreadful decisions.
In terms of tactics. I am not a fan of 352. However a 0-1 loss to one of the best goals Ive seen this year is certainly better than 6-1. Purely in terms of morale and goal difference. Expansive play wouldn't have worked with the midfield we have.
I will stand up and say I've always been a firm supporter of Amrabat. But last night he was woeful. Really bad. Constantly lost the ball by pushing it too far ahead of him so was intercepted, when he did beat his man there was zero end product whatsoever. Should have gone off very early. Half time maybe. He had a really bad game, and for me to say that means he really must have!! Hooooooooooooooooooooooooof!!!!!!!!!! Regarding hoofing, do you know the one single game I can recall us not hoofing 80% of the time? West Brom at home. Probably regarded as one of the best displays this year. And guess what. Deeney wasn't playing. Now I'm not blaming Deeney as such. But I am blaming the tactics that are permanently used when Deeney plays. Hoof it to him. It doesn't work. It really doesn't. He's not supported enough to employ this anymore. Why oh why can't we get the ball on the ground and play it around. Liverpool afforded us a lot of space last night. A lot. There was little pressure on the ball from what I saw (very unlike a Klopp team) so we had ample time to get it down and play it around. What did we do? Hoooooooooooof. I feel very sorry for Troy. Must be so demoralising seeing the ball whistle over your head 50% of the time, the other 50% battling to win the header only for it to go straight to an oppo player as none of his own team are up with him. And the one time we get it on the floor and play it around (WBA), he's sitting on the bench watching it probably thinking "why can't they do this when I'm playing?".
Just want to say, whether I agree with what is said or not, nearly every post on here has been worth reading with points well made and well argued. A very pleasant change to normal post match meltdowns.
I'd argue the last save in the 1v1 was top draw but the rest were what you would expect. Fully agree with missing Pereyra, Zarate and similar ilk and is part of the reason why WM is struggling to make a good attacking team at times. No matter your thoughts on him they have had a massive effect on how we set up to play.
I think hoofing and Deeney is no coincidence. Deeney to me has played far too many times this season like he has had Joshua's heavyweight belt around his waist. Overweight, slow no mobility makes him so easy to mark and his lack of movement an issue for the midfield. A coincidence that okaka when he came on started to make things happen, he at least can hold the ball up and run. As for the game thought we were comfortable until the goal which was a complete bolt from the blue but played too deep as a unit for much of rest of game. Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
If we are to progress next season, the likes of Amrabat, Capoue & Britos should not be anywhere near the starting eleven. I'm also beginning to think this summer would be a good time to cash in on Troy. He's a massive influence, not always in a positive way. In Troy, Watford have created a monster who they no longer have control. I also think Niang could be a bad signing if made permanent. He fades in every game. He looks to me, to be one of those players who'd put their feet up the moment they secured a lengthy contract
Last night was not as dogsheis as people have been saying. First half, particularly first ten minutes, is how Walter wants to play, and I saw little wrong with it except for being toothless, which seriously does need sorting out.
I'm finding it hard to disagree however: Amrabat is the new Doyley. Not good enough but puts in 110% and for soem reason the taem does better when he's playing. - Keep Capoue neeeds a rocket under his backside. They failed at Spuds and unless we replace Wally with Colin it isn't goign to happen so no. Britos is a squad player at best. When we're struggling for home growns I find it hard to justify him. Troy is a keeper but I think we need to take the captainship off him. I've never been a fan of striker Captains. Ckub captain OK but match captain no. Gonna do another thread for this. Can't understand why Niang gets the nod ahead of Success and Okaka who look like they're up for it. If he lacks motivation whilst on loan it means he doesn't care or he doesn't; want to be here and in both cases that means I don't want him here.
Oh dear. 82% passing accuracy, the highest from anyone in a Watford shirt yesterday. Unless you want to count Okaka with his two passes.
Agree with almost all of this, but I thought Janmaat was dreadful. Not his fault, as it would have been better to have put him on the right and Amrabat (if he had to play) on the left. Janmaat has no left foot, so we lost our best outswinging crosser of the ball. He was so uncomfortable that immediately after one left-footed ****-up he even curled the ball out of play when trying to pass forward with his right foot (that was when the idiot lino gave the throw-in to us). Also, I wouldn't describe this as a very good Liverpool side. If they had been that good, they'd have turned their total control of midfield into a few more chances and goals.
The reason Amrabat was not really at fault was due to Mariappa, he had to help him throughout the game. Some of Amrabat's positional sense was awful (as you would expect from someone who has played left midfield for most of his career) but Maps really talk him through and was in constant dialogue with him. It was another good performance from him in a rather predictable tepid performance. We were not battered and did not look too bad but we never really looked like getting anything out of the game, I am sure if we had equalised, Liverpool would have stepped up a gear from the timewasting trotting about and scored another one. At this moment in time, I can not wait for the season to end, I missed the last few minutes and left early, I don't really ever do it but it's so boring. Personally, not sure I will go to another game again this season and have better things to do.
I agree with this. I am annoyed that I seem to pick on him. But his role is more important than any other player on the pitch, as our Captain and sole striker. I would like him to have a good game, and when he does, I normally mention it afterwards. But "lack of support" is only an excuse if he has put in a shift himself. He is so immobile that his isolation is made so much more apparent. As I have said earlier, if he moved more to create space for himself, instead of standing pretty much stock still, then he would be involved more. He isn't good enough in the air to win headers against towering defenders that have no trouble standing next to him. He needs to move, turn defenders, look for space, offer options. That is the only way he can become more involved. Those that dislike what I have said, just spend a bit of time focusing on him for a while in a game. He really does not help himself. Okaka is deceptively quick and more mobile, even if his demeanour looks ungainly and cumbersome. He was pretty good when replacing Deeney and we looked far better going forward. I don't think we would lose anything by playing him for the last few games.
Sorry if I'm being dim, but did Troy not play the full 90 vs West Brom, scoring and assisting? [1]. [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39414150
Against West Brom, Deeney did play. He assisted Niang (from a hoof), and he scored (from a Niang hoof). Simple point, but please can people check what they're talking about before posting.
But the last few minutes are always the most interesting ones under Mazzarri. It's the only time the team give it a go. I know the majority of the match is tedious but - rationally - you should be staying to the last!
I would prefer it if everyone left before the end, that way it wouldn't take me so long to get out. thank you!
It seems like he wants it, busting a gut, trying as hard as he can. So many of the players "seem" like they don't want it
With only one team actually trying to win it. For a team that's probably safe now, we have absolutely nothing to lose by attacking. When we did attack, and stuck Okaka on, we caused them problems. I'm not saying we should have thrown everyone forward, because as many people have pointed out, that would allow Liverpool to catch us on the break, but a little bit more adventure going forward would have been good to see. You could tell that up until 70 mins, Liverpool's players were not concerned one bit by us in an attacking sense.
I have never seen such a disparate set of views on a game, or on players within the game, as on this thread. Can we please have some strong and stable opinion on here. At the moment it's a coalition of chaos. FWIW not a great game, but I don't think anyone had a particularly bad one if you recognise their limitations. I thought we should have started 2 up front, as Deeney and Okaka make life nightmarish for defences. Plus teams will have forgotten how to counter the Deeney Ighalo thing, it would be great to reinstate it while we don't have any creative playmakers.
