From the ROOKERY When I woke Tuesday morning, for some strange reason I did not feel nervous about the up and coming biggest fixture of the season so far against our fellow relegation candidates Sheffield United. My upbeat mood was positive to the point of even being contagious with the people I associate with at work. Faith in our team, faith in our players, faith in our fitness, faith in our work ethic and above all faith in our manager’s ability to prepare our team effectively for the BIG games... In fact, as always, rightly or wrongly, complete and utter blind faith in My Beautiful Watford... “We are going to win!” Walking hurriedly towards Vicarage Road at 7pm to snatch a couple of cheeky beers in the Lion I received the first piece of devastating news of the evening… Ashley Young not playing! Oh ****! I studied the text that named the 1st eleven and suddenly the reality of the match came crashing down overwhelmingly. We were fielding a team that that in my opinion would do well to scrap a 0-0 or 1-1 draw, at best! No Foster - England No.3, No King - by far our best player, No Young – exciting U21 England International, No Bouazza - most improved player this season and No Shittu - our best player so far this season… In fact the selection looked worryingly like that of a Reserve game, and I started to fear the worse. After taking my seat in the Rookery and reading Aidy’s pleas for us to be the twelfth man printed on the back of my free gift of a massive yellow card, I stood pondering at how the team was going to line up in our favoured 4-4-2 formation… Ah yes, although I didn’t necessarily agree with it, the back four was pretty straight forward, Powell, Mackay, Demerit and Chambers. Where is Shittu? Is he injured too? Oh, he is on the bench. Why? Can understand Chambers in for Doyley as he can actually pass the ball and has the ability, pace and ball control to be an effective overlapping fullback. Why no Stewart? Is he injured too? Oh, he is on the bench too! Why? Ok, not to worry too much as Powell is class. Don’t know what the thinking is with playing Malky though instead of Shittu… The midfield: looks suspiciously like a five man midfield with Mahon, Francis and Spring all in the same team, unless he plays Spring on the right. Yes that must be it, Smith pushed up as striker, and Spring out right. I can see that, yes, as I thought Spring played excellent at right midfield in the 2nd half of the 1st leg play-off at Palace, and he did score a cracking goal from there… Which leaves McNamee on the left to replace Bouazza. Which is probably why he has picked Powell left back instead of Stewart, so he can cover McNamee. But why start with MaNamee left midfield instead of Stewart, who has been a regular down there on the left side nearly all season? McNamee if to be given a chance would maybe better used as a super sub, to come on with the sole purpose of finishing off and embarrassing any tired Sheffield legs later on? Which leaves Hendo and Smith up front. Not a bad combination considering three of our best strikers out of a threadbare selection are injured or have a runny nose. So 4-4-2 it is then. A changed untried defence, a changed untried midfield four and a changed and untried attacking two! Oh well, we do have injuries and things have to be changed to accommodate. Started to feel increasingly anxious and nervous. This is game that although we do not HAVE to win, we certainly can NOT afford to lose!! …In Aidy we trust…
Watford 1 Sheffield 0 (part 2) After holding up my yellow card like a protest placard, a model perfect lemming, I sat down and rolled a cigarette, not entirely happy with our team selection, subs bench and what I assumed was our formation. Amidst the mass of tiny pieces of paper, streamers, and yellow paper aeroplanes flying over my head, I screw up my yellow card into a ball and hurl it hard towards the back of the woman’s head 10 seats and three rows away, who always turns and tuts at my cigarette smoke. I miss her by inches. Damn! I look away quickly, to avoid detection in case she turned round - clapping and chanting “Yellow Army!” promising myself another crack at her fat head at half time… What? 4-5-1 !!!??? Please NO!!!! Hendo up front on his own with Spring and Francis to support…NO!! Why Aidy, why? My heart sank, I have seen this all before. Sheffield will swamp the midfield, Mahon won’t be able to deal with it all on his own, Spring and Francis will get sucked back deep into midfield and Hendo will be stranded all alone up front!! Why change it now? Tonight of all nights!! 4-4-2 is what we do best, this is Sheffield bloody United for Christ’s sake! The last couple of games Aidy has moaned that we as a team stopped doing what we were good at, and now he has arranged it so that it is impossible for us to do what we are good at!! I roll another fag. Spirits falsely raised early on as Smith turned and cracked a dipping shot narrowly over the bar, but generally the first half was played exactly how I expected, both teams looking nervous and edgy, anxious not to give anything away and above all desperate not to lose. Crunching tackles, yellow cards and no room to move in a swamped midfield. No team really grabbing hold of the game by the scruff of the neck and maintaining any sort of dominant possession, although Sheffield towards the end of the half broke through once or twice forcing Lee (who he gradually looking like a good solid 2nd choice keeper) into a couple of great saves. Nothing run for Watford at all, and with no shape and no attacking play, I was secretly, urgently wanting the ref to blow his whistle. Come on Aidy, sort this shambles out! The concourse at the back of Rookery was a bit subdued, only a few raised voices could be heard over nervous laughing. As per usual we swigged at our bottles of Carlsberg and turned into Premier League Managers. I voiced my opinion that Malky seemed slow, didn’t look comfortable at all and apart from a couple of clearing headers, looked dodgy and vulnerable and would rather him replaced with Big Danny Shittu. Felt that Chambers was holding his own at right back and looked lively, Powell also looked solid in defence as did Demerit. McNamee didn’t get the ball and when he did, he danced and jigged and apart from winning a corner did sod all. Mahon Spring and Francis huffed, puffed and stifled play but did not create anything remotely attacking and when they did Hendo had no support, miss timed his jump (again) and was easy harried off the ball. Smith only had the one shot but looked the most likely to create something out of a bad set up, untried and untested team. The general consensus was for us to come out in the second half playing 4-4-2. Francis off Priskin on - Malky off Shittu on. As we clapped the teams out amongst more paper and crappy nose-diving aeroplanes, I hurled another yellow ball of card at the fat head… As it hit her square on the shoulder I instinctively faced forward, and with two hands raised my hot pie to my mouth – it couldn’t possibly been me, my hands were tied!
Watford 1 Sheffield 0 (part 3) 2nd half then, 4-4-2 and about time too! Spring off Doyley on. Why Spring sacrificed? Francis did nothing and at least Matty looked like he was actually bothered. Is it because we spent all that money on him and have to play him? His performance better improve this half as I have backed him all season and my patience is wearing thin! Smith pushed up front, which is where he should of started. Chambers right midfield could work if Doyley can find him with one of his delicate accurate pin point passes down the line… Smith up front now, Priskin over looked. The ref blows his whistle to start the half – I sit down and roll a fag. I am watching Watford, the golden boys, the ‘Orns, the best team the world has ever seen! But where are they? The Blades take control, hit the post, breaking through sometimes with ease and then woefully spooning the ball over the bar. Every now and then we threaten to break out of defence with the ball, but we have no touch, no control and although McNamee threatened to get behind them a couple of times, no hope! Useless. Very scrappy play and look very 2nd best in most areas of the pitch. PENALTY!! Why do we even shout? There is more chance of Doyley scoring than us getting a penalty this season! Ball up the other end and somehow amidst another scramble the blades hit the post again! Another escape - lucky Watford. Lucky that Sheffield’s finishing is absolutely dire! Fight for it Francis! What is that man doing? Run for it, battle… For Christ’s sake man! I am agitated and despondent. This is woeful. We are woeful. Sheffield United are w*ankers, and I hate Warnock. Everytime we do win the ball, their player lays on the ground, wins a free kick at a time when he lost possession fairly and then feigns injury! And the bloody referee is falling for it everytime. One yellow, two yellows, three yellows… Good Lord, from here it looks like the ref is trying to produce more yellow cards than were held up before the game like some sort of competition! What is it with the referees in this league! Substitution: McNamee off Shittu on. What? Surely we should be bringing on a striker and trying to win this game! Why do we need another defender? Hang on! Shittu up front, Smith back out wide!! What? Shittu is better upfront than Tommy? God knows what Priskin is thinking? Sure that will do his confidence the world of good. Interesting decision to say the least, because if it works it will be hailed as a master stroke and if it doesn’t?? Well let’s just not go there just yet! HANDBALL!! PENALTY!! REFEREE!! The ref waves on, no penalty. Did we really expect anything really? Sheffield look on top, we are hanging on. I don’t think I have seen a Watford team play so badly when so much was needed and expected, ever! Another free kick on the edge of the Blades area… Our own two man wall just in front of the placed ball, designed to confuse the opposition and apparently the strikers, midlfield and all other outfield players. Good opportunity though to whip in a cheeky one as we have 3 big blokes waiting in the box over 10 feet tall in Malky, Hendo and big Danny! Easy for them to out jump the defence and power the winning header into the net! Come on Smithy whip in a cheeky!! Smith shoots, just over!! ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Sheffield seem most likely to score as they pile on a bit more pressure and apart from some woeful shooting would be two or three up! Watford look lost, knackered and devoid of any fight. Suprisingly Shittu looks alright… In fact in the ten or so minutes he has been on the pitch up front, he has looked more threatening than Hendo has looked all season!!! I love the way he heads the ball…superb! Danny you’re great!
Watford 1 Sheffield 0 (part 4) Only a couple of minutes left. I know we felt we needed to win this one but at least we haven’t lost it! That was the most important thing tonight… Drawing a six-pointer is not a bad outcome when all is said and done… Would have preferred the win obviously, but a point and still in touch with the rest of the relegation brigade is better than sod all and adrift! What a close shave, we were rubbish! Desperately desperately need two or three signings in January, quality signings at that. But who can we get? And who will want to come to club that looks destined to drop straight back into the Championship? I roll another fag. Another Blunts freekick, edge of the box, didn’t even look like a foul from where I am sitting, fair challenge surely… GOAL!!! Shock Horror Dismay! Bloody Danny Webber! Has it been given? Everyone surrounding the ref. Maybe offside, no flag though! Two minutes to go. Utter despair. Total disbelief. Sheffield love it go wild, as the rest of the Vic stare, mouths open in stunned silence completely gobsmacked. I feel sick. Really sick! My phone beeps. Advised by friend watching at home that it was in fact offside and that we should have had two pens. Feel cheated…again! Powell sent off in injury time and as he blasts the ball out of the ground in frustration along with it seems our Premier League survival hopes. Ok, so on the balance of play Sheffield were the better side on the night and seemed to have wanted it more than us, BUT they couldn’t score, their finishing was woeful. Granted we rode our luck against them, but they didn’t score! Once again the referee, his assistants and the fourth official have made mistakes that are going to cost us dearly! Two stone wall penalties of which we surely would have converted one of them and a winning goal in a crucial match that was about a week offside. Watford 1 Sheffield 0… My heart in my stomach as I trudge up Occupation Road, angry, livid even with dark thoughts of our league position, our thin squad and the injustice this season of all the points we have lost with crappy inconsistent refereeing!! Put them in the stocks for some serious tomato throwing and Aidy, wouldn’t mind throwing a couple at you the way I am feeling right now… (no offence) Manchester City away….COME ON YOU ‘ORNS!!!!
They weren't stonewall pens, but it would certainly nice to get one for once, are we the only ones without a penalty yet?
That woman with the fat head then, I'm suprised you didn't hit her head after two attempts especially as it's so fat. Maybe if you'd dedicated your time to engineering a paper aeroplane you would have had more success?
Not seen penalty incidents since Tuesday... Even one would have been something!! OK, I got the score wrong!! 0-0 then!!
thought we had half a call for hand ball thats all. anyway top report LBH, a good description of the sheer hell we're all paying a bloody fortune to put ourselves through
So long as its also reflected that the score was incorrect at time of posting to avoid em being whooshed for it!!! ;D
whoooosh..?! 4th Official The title of my post was correct! If people read my post to the end they would see why! Could you please change it back and give a whooosh to those who had supposedly spotted an error. Thank you LittleBigHorn
Thank You! Superb article, thank you, living so far away it was nice to read something so full of the feelings that run through our blood on match days. Please Sir: Can we have some more?
