Worst feeling in football.

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Roger Irrelevant, May 20, 2019.

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Italia 90 semi loss or 2019 FA Cup Final. Which hurt most?

  1. Italia 90

    20 vote(s)
    46.5%
  2. FA Cup Final 2019

    23 vote(s)
    53.5%
  1. Roger Irrelevant

    Roger Irrelevant Reservist

    Think these are the worst I've felt about footy.
     
  2. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    I actually thought that the Play Off final loss in 2013 was worse. Don't get me wrong, I was pi$$ed off on Saturday, however in the grand scheme we are still a Premier League club, albeit one with a horrible cup final defeat. Nothing would have changed. In 2013 we were flat against a beatable side, that defeat cost the club 2 years of improvement.
     
  3. miked2006

    miked2006 Premiership Prediction League Proprietor

    Given those options, yesterday, because I was still in utero for the former.

    Maybe this is the beer goggles talking, but Saturday didn't feel too bad. A heavy loss was completely expected. I didn't think we'd let 6 in. But as it was the final. I'd rather we threw on attacking players in the hunt for a goal back, even if it meant that we were incredibly vulnerable. I would have felt worse if we brought on defensive players and played for a 3-0 loss.

    I felt much, much worse after the Palace play off final.
     
  4. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes the Palace game was just awful. So much at stake, really expected to win vs a team we knew were rubbish, Holloway, and to then put in such a poor performance... that was numbing.
    Actually Leeds at home wasn't far behind given we knew we'd just needed to win to go up when Malky's Cardiff equalised at Hull but had blown it.
    Also the relegation game vs Leicester at home when we went to the game believing we could win and if results went our way we'd stay up, but lost to plunge into the 3rd tier with L****.
     
  5. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Interesting that in one of the build-up videos about our previous finals, Deeney says that he reckons we'd have struggled badly had we gone up then and there, I'm not sure if he's being genuine, or if he's saying it to kind of save face. But yeah, totally agreed, OK, we got annihilated, but it was against City, and an FA Cup final is an achievement in and of itself for a club like us, a play-off final isn't (even if the way we got there was incredible). We were **** on and off the pitch that day, and ultimately if you don't win the play-offs, you can't even console yourself with the fact that you got there in the first place!
     
  6. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    The Palace semi was also awful, much like the play-off game, but we had a serious chance of silverware if we had just got past an awful Palace team. Ok, we'd have still been underdogs, but that Man U team aren't a patch on this City team. The only consolation is that they didn't win, imagine the sense of what might have been had Palace held on! You know what though, we just got beat by a far better side, but they actually came so close to winning it before conceding two late goals, despite being hammered, I actually think our loss is the easier one to take in a strange way
     
  7. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Last year against Croatia was hard to take, what an opportunity that was to get to a World Cup final, ultimately one we should have taken. I know we'd have been underdogs against France (not as much as Watford vs City) but the build up would have been so good to that
     
    Happy bunny likes this.
  8. R4E

    R4E Reservist

    The last minute goal Sheffield Wednesday scored to snatch the Championship trophy away is the lowest I've felt - far worse than the cup final which I expected to lose. That trophy was in our hands - seconds from being ours. I was totally deflated after that one.

    The Palace game was a bad day from the start and it never felt like our day. Yesterday was crap but I had low expectations. Italia 90 I was 10 years old so wasn't really that bothered - Euro 96 was more upsetting probably, followed by last summer, but England come far lower down my list of priorities compared to Watford.
     
  9. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    England weren't embarrassed by West Germany who, on paper, were far far better.

    No contest.
     
  10. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    It would have likely been a similar score as Saturday tbf.
     
  11. miked2006

    miked2006 Premiership Prediction League Proprietor

    I actually even preferred Saturday to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day in 2015.

    After one of the best away days of my life at Brighton, it felt like a huge disappointment.
     
  12. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Actually I wasn't that sad about it. I'm more embarrassed at how bad we were, rather than anything else. It was never ours to win in the first place. Just watching how we coped on Saturday clearly showed we never had a chance.

    I fully expected a thrashing and duly got it, so for once, being pessimistic paid off. I never got my hopes up as I was convinced it was an impossible task.

    Being pessimistic is a good approach. You can never feel let down, but if something good happens, you feel elated because you didn't expect it to happen.

    Now had the officials not cheated and bent the match so Swansea lost against City, we'd have played either Brighton or Swansea in the final. Had we lost to one of those sides I'd have been extremely despondent about it.

    It doesn't matter though, as the game is corrupt. Officials will always do their best to ensure the bigger team wins. It's all about ratings.
     
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  13. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    But Barca lost to Liverpool and Madrid/Juve to Ajax so sometimes its goes wrong..

    On the subject matter - well was England's defeat in Euro 96 as painful as that 1990 defeat?

    Watford wise - yes Saturday was deflating in terms of the final outcome - we actually started both halves quite positively until City really stepped up and ripped us apart.

    Sheffield Wednesday at home was probably most disappointing - always getting some silverware after a long hard season and seeing it slip away in the final minute due to a silly free kick given away.

    Palace games were just ones where we didn't turn up - happens I guess.

    Semi final was probably less gutting than the Play-off final but it was so predictable after Ian Holloway's comment (oddly he seems quite keen on us now even after Saturday!)
     
  14. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Not British referees though were they. The last time a British referee did a Champions League match was Michael Oliver. Real Madrid v Juventus......and we all know how that panned out.
     
  15. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Agreed. Would have been far worse had we had victory in the palm of our hands only to have it snatched away at the death, especially if we succumbed in a similar manner to Swansea
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  16. dkhbrit

    dkhbrit Academy Graduate

    If Saturday was the worst you've felt about football you haven't been supporting Watford very long :)
     
  17. kVA

    kVA Reservist

    Italia 90. I was young and got sucked into the hype. Now I don’t watch England matches.

    As for Saturday, I never believed that we could win, which makes it much easier to handle.

    I’m more annoyed about the games building up to it against Arsenal, Southampton, wolves and West Ham. Those were the games I thought we had a chance in.
     
    Happy bunny likes this.
  18. Guy

    Guy Squad Player

    Went into Saturday hoping to win but expecting to lose so no real sense of disappointment.
    More disapppointing the semi final loss to palace, the late goal of sheff wed and the rush dive in the cup v liverpool
     
  19. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Bearing in mind I’m still devastated, I think everybody is missing the point about Saturday. I too in my heart of hearts didn’t expect to win but losing 6-0 is a huge blow. The media are generally being quite kind, probably on the back of our flag-waving support, but the manner of the defeat was embarrassing and we’re going to have to live with it. The irritating thing for me is that we played so much better against City in both league games, although still losing. Our record against the ‘big 6’ is obviously poor but it was only the Liverpool away game that was remotely as depressing as the Final.
     
  20. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    The question is a difficult (and good) one because it’s really hard to say whether it’s “worse” to lose a match where you felt there was a decent chance of winning, or losing really badly one which you expected to lose anyway.

    I would plump for the former and therefore of the two options I would go for Italia 90 (for those not around or too young then, there was a huge build up of emotion and belief during the tournament- much more so than the last WC, I think: and then it was lost only on penalties). However, like others, of WFC matches I think the Palace play-off defeat felt worse than Saturday - mainly because after the amazing events of the semi, it felt like such a damp squib.
     
    The Voice of Reason likes this.
  21. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    How I feel about Saturday has not been helped by having to be in our Manchester facility until Weds. At least the Citeh contingent didn’t open discussions till about 2pm whilst the United fans thought we played better than when Citeh did them over 6-1 or whatever it was.
    And then I got stuck in the traffic getting to their poxy ‘quadruple bus parade’.
    And now the streets/bars/restaurants are full of to55ers in sky blue wobbling about chanting ‘Citeh, Citeh’.
    Even the street beggars have packed up and gone for fear of getting mugged.
     
  22. hemelhorn88

    hemelhorn88 Academy Graduate

    I was at the Leicester game was only 8. Was gutting watching them celebrate getting into the play offs with that win.
     
  23. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Both Palace games and Sheff Wed for me.
    Games we fully expected to win.
    If,IF RP had scored well, who knows but many worse results in our time.
    Admittedly not in front of a worldwide audience but you have to" roll with the punches" as Randy says!
     
  24. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Sheff Wed at home. Such a poor goal to conceed when being on top for all the game. Should of got a second to kill the game. Knowing Muff Divers had won it due to a single lapse in concentration was hard to take.
     
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  25. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Too young to remember Italia 90. The playoff final against the Stripey's hurt more than Saturday. Just gutted we didn't score.
     
  26. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    I actually go along with that. The FA Cup was of course a bigger prize, but to have the Championship just snatched away like that was a huge kick in the teeth. We were never in with a shout in this season's FA Cup, but this was all but ours.

    The way we went up, was probably the worst promotion feeling ever. We were promoted when the squad were on the team bus and fans were sitting at home. Then on the final day, to mess up winning the league like that, made me feel we'd just been relegated rather than promoted. I had to really force myself onto the pitch to celebrate. It was not spontaneous.

    There have been so many moments like this, supporting Watford. Some of them self-inflicted, some caused by officials.

    Here are some of my highlights:-
    Rostron being unjustly sent off at Luton by Roger Milford, meaning he missed the 1984 FA Cup final. This had a major impact on the result. His replacement, Neil Price, was just not up to it, and was a big reason why we lost the match.
    FA Cup quarter final against Liverpool 1986. Leading 1-0 and going into the final minute, Ian Rush dives and Roger Milford (again) give the softest of penalties. Liverpool score and win it in extra time. That year, Liverpool played Southampton in the semi final, who we were better than at the time, and Everton in the final. It would have been a repeat of the 1984 final.
    FA Cup semi final 1987 against Spurs. This was GT's biggest ever mistake. He puts a wine waiter in goal for an FA Cup semi final!!. Tony Coton was injured, and Steve Sherwood, who only had a minor injury, was not risked. We lost 4-1 in a farcical match, where the keeper was just rubbish. The following Tuesday, Sherwood plays in goal as we beat Chelsea 3-1, and he plays a blinder!!
    Roll forward to more modern times. All we had to do was beat Leeds United at home, who had not won an away match all season. They were there for the taking. Almunia gets injured in the warmup and then Bond gets injured early in the match. Meaning we had to use a rookie keeper for a massive match like that. He was obviously hopeless and was the reason we lost 2-1. We then get to the playoff final, and just froze on the day. We did not turn up and lost to an extra time penalty, scored by ex-hornet Kevin Phillips!!
    We get promoted two years later though, but mess up winning the title by conceding a last minute goal to Sheff Wed, a team who had nothing to play for but celebrated like they'd scored an FA Cup final winning goal. Their fans must have loved Bournemouth as much as Wednesday.
    FA Cup semi final against Palace. A side who are very beatable, but once again we froze on the day and lost 2-1.
    ….then of course this season's FA Cup final, where we just threw in the towel at half time.

    Watford are this type of club. They do really well, to a point, but then choke at historic moments. We think this sums up Watford well. They snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A nearly club, but I still love them nonetheless.
     
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  27. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I'm surprised there are so few mentioned of the home defeat to Leeds when victory would have got us promotion.
    That rivals the CP Play-off SF defeat for me.
     
    I Blame Pozzo likes this.
  28. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    I think that would have been more of an issue had we not gained promotion a couple of season's later. The fact we went up anyway, takes the hurt away from the Leeds game. Winning the Championship, which is something we've never done before (even in the second division days) is extremely difficult to achieve. Yet we just carelessly tossed that away.

    Had we been winning on Saturday and City came back to score two late goals, a bit like when we played them at home in our first season under QSF, that would have destroyed me. But, seeing as we were never really in it, and the game was over as a contest after 42 minutes, then it didn't hurt as much. We never were given that taste of "it could happen."
     
  29. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    That was a strange game with the goalkeeper situation. We didn't look like winning it despite having those 15 minutes extra at the end when we knew our destiny was in our hands. However, despite losing it, we had another opportunity 3 weeks later where we bottled it.
     
    Hogg-DEENEY!!! likes this.
  30. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Any game where a team bottles the chance for top 2 should be disqualified as there is still hope. I'd even disqualify Sheffield Wednesday at home as at least we had a mighty fine consolation prize of promotion to look forward to, other games had absolutely no such silver lining
     
  31. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes I know it looked unlikely due to another of TD's "moments" but the realisation that we just had to beat a team we had already thrashed away from home and were going to fail to do this was gutting for me. yes we'd be in the playoffs but effectively had a 1 in 4 chance now......
     
  32. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    So you felt ok knowing that had we won we would have been up and blew it ? The minute you are in the playoffs you know it's unlikely (1 in 4) that you will go up.
     
  33. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    I recall us having chance after chance towards the end. I remember an absolute world class save from Kenny from a deflected Vydra shot.

    The Leeds shithousing cost us that day along with the Deeney sending off.

    But yeah, was probably worse than the City defeat but not remotely as embarrassing or have as much longevity.
     
  34. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Saturday is quite a long way down the list to be honest
    Italia 90 - Only 18 but absolutely gutted
    Euro 96 - Thought it was coming home, it wasn't
    Blackburn, Hull and Palace play off defeats especially Palace which is probably close to being the lowest I've ever felt at football
    Leicester when we got relegated, 1996 I think. Had a brilliant win at Norwich the previous week when Gary Porter scored from around 30 yards and the miracle escape was on but not to be. I seem to remember other results had gone against us anyway. It wasn't just the game that makes this the worst I've felt at football. Both my parents were in hospital for major heart surgery and my dad was very seriously ill to the point where it was 80/20 against him pulling through. One week later I broke my wrist playing cricket and was on the floor below my dad in hospital!!
    Any scum defeat was difficult to take
     
    I Blame Pozzo likes this.
  35. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Absolutely not, it was still a horrible day (especially how we lost), but we still had hope. Come full time at Wembley against Palace both times, all hope was lost
     

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