The first 4 goals were complete gifts to City, others have commented about Cleverley and Foster but what about Sarr? For the first goal there was an overlapping full back that Sarr should have been marking but he was (as ever) half asleep. Belatedly, he made a half hearted attempt to get back and wafted a foot in the air, turning his back as he did so. He has been like this for ages, game after game, switched off, disinterested. I remember going up to City in our first season under QSF when he was roundly criticised for playing 460 with Deeney filling in at times at right back. HT was 0 -0, FT 2-0. Oh, I do wish I could put the clock back!
I havnt got much to say about tthe game apart from I enjoyed our goal but the rest was pretty predictable. Anyway, I heard the commentator say on the river I was watching say that the Watford management are looking to build a long term vision including investing in the academy and giving a manager more time to build something. Anyone know where he got this info from?
I'm just catching up with the last four or so pages since I last looked. The change of tactics is astonishing isn't it? If,IF it was because the players didn't/couldn't maintain it then we might as all go and cultivate the garden or wait for the apples to spend their year in wax. The Palace example coupled with Roy and Ray being able to keep that aging squad in the league is testament to the failures from above,as all but utter ninnies and five year olds now agree. The malaise and lack of belief now present in the squad is clearly toxic and if a fire sale or more likely a jumble sale isn't set up this club will go into the next season in free fall and may the gods protect us then. Your thoughts Mr Duxbury are welcome. A sporting **** up not seen since Guillermo Coria choked away the Roland Garros final fifteen years back. So so avoidable if common sense had been applied. It appears however that common sense is not very common in WD 18.
I’m conflicted as to whether the current squad are largely cynical layabouts who can’t be bothered to try or are simply crushed into indifference by the workings of the club and its hierarchy. Mrs Willis, in her managerial work role, has a favourite saying that “nobody goes to work to do a bad job”, so I’m tending towards the latter view.
Further to this, I’ve just read the laughable comments from King on the official site. One of my favourites is: “You don’t really touch the ball most of the time when you’re on the pitch,” said the striker. Ain’t that the truth, Josh!
Mrs Willis makes a good point. I imagine that a lack of managerial stability, consistent style and shady figures knocking around, coupled with players who are not that good, forced to join us, not many leaders and the prospect of being sent to CSKA Sofia or some random Belgian club at any given moment are all reasons for poor morale.
I don’t buy that the players aren’t trying, for a start it’s how they make a living and relegation hits them in the pocket. Also as professional sports people they will be naturally super competitive. Personally I can’t see beyond the constant churn of coaches is to blame. This is in my opinion where Gino has lost the plot and hopefully he realises it and remedies it.
I genuinely think a large number of the squad just aren’t good enough. It’s that simple. They can try their best in training every day, put a full shift in a game, but if your highest level is championship then you’re in for a very long epl season, and likely to lose more than you win. If some do then have issues over fitness or attitude , then the results are catastrophic
He never recovered. Gaudio spent the rest of his career in a daze,not quite believing it, similar to Stan Smith (before he became a shoe) when Nastase handed him the '72 title due to a meltdown over his string tension! Coria retired a year or so later. Officially due to injury but really it was a broken heart. He at least announced his retirement unlike some of our lot who have done so but are still "active" on the pitch. Money for old rope football these days,until it's performance related pay,namby pamby relegation clauses notwithstanding, it's a license to print money for players at the top level.
I blame Sky, they pumped so much money into the P.L. that obviously the very best players in the world end up there. Fair enough, the problem is that the next level come to clubs like ours may well get promoted then happy to have much higher wages than they could achieve anywhere else in the world, but simply aren't good enough to compete with the best! Owners treat players and the Manager as commodities, if results don't go as they wish they sack the manager, next one comes in can't make it work (because the players aren't good enough) rinse and repeat! goes on until the clubs finds itself in the position of football it is capable of or keeps slipping down the leagues as many clubs have done until some buys the club, puts lots of money in and the whole ball rolls again! Meanwhile the players have earnt very high wages, use to buy a paper-shop (newsagents for the under 40 year olds) or a pub, hopefully have managed to save some and retreat to their homeland and live happily ever after! Whilst the fans, the only constant part of a football club, support the club hoping to get back to the promise land, (only to find you don't win many matches when you get there) and ramble on forums such as this!
It's what Duxbury told the clapping seals at the committee meeting. He told them he wants a direct pathway from the academy to the 1st team. He also said he wants every person in Watford aged between 8 and 14 to believe they can play for Watford. In other words he wants to deceive several thousand children in Watford into pursuing unachievable goals so he can break their little hearts at a later date.
Scott told the clapping seals on the supporters committee our backroom staff will continue to be 'best in class' even in the championship. U couldn't make this $h1£ up!!
Just watched the highlights, and although I like Kamara and he took his goal well, he actually had a really poor game. All the goals stemmed from his side of the pitch and he was out of position far too often. Goal 1. A cross from his side, which sailed over everyone's head. He just trots back and because he's not busting a gut, Jesus is left totally unmarked for a tap in. Goal 2. A cross from his side. Kamara didn't get anywhere near close enough to block it from coming in and it's an easy header for Jesus. Goal 3. Even though the move is stemmed from his side of the pitch, he had no involvement in it. That one was down to Cleverley's poor clearance. Goal 4. Straight from the kick off he dwells on the ball for too long, allowing Jesus to close him down and block. Then he was then too slow to react allowing Jesus to run past him. Penalty occurred after Foster brought Jesus down. Goal 5. Kamara lost out in a challenge high up the pitch. This is ok, as he tried to be positive, however, when he picks himself up, it's again just a slow jog back and is totally out of position and our defence is overrun. All the City goals, and most of their moves came from Kamara's side of the pitch. They clearly targeted him.
A little misleading. The lower tier is full of Watford fans. Only the upper tier is sparse. But I applaud all those that went. This shows how loyal our fans actually are. As really, after the season we've had and the knowledge we'd get a right roasting at City......it's highly commendable anyone went at all.
Good news. Looks like the real fans are starting to voting with their feet. The remaining ones at the game are likely the free ticket brigade, committee members and their friends, wannabe committee members and Man City fans. The largely irrelevant ones. Just need this to start showing at home games and the ball start rolling.
Agreed, massive respect to those that did go on Saturday. I struggle to find the motivation to bring myself to the “easier” home fixtures, so god know’s how those lot could muster the mental energy and finances to go to City Away. I’ve read (a comment on here I think?) that we’ve lost 15 straight games to Man City… I wouldn’t go if the club feckin paid me to!
Well I'm not going again this season. Started my protest (along with the kids) by not going to the Brentford game and won't be back until next season. I'd love the place to be empty v Leicester at the last home game. £900,000 a year Duxbury looking out on row after row of empty seats.
would love to hear from any of those that went on their motivation. Was it a family day out, a new ground, a belief in miracles etc all of which I respect but I don’t have the inclination to travel 2 miles to a home game
He’ll probably ask committee members The 1881 to ask one of their mates to create a ‘Thank You Ben’ banner for that game to mark his last game for us/retirement. You just know it’ll include the CyclingGK banner as well. Bound to bring the fans in.
Will Foster be getting some kind of recognition from the club for getting relegated 3 times from the premier league with us? He's the only player in our history to be relegated from the prem 3 times with WFC. His career total of PL relegations is 5, what a legend!
