Theres a problem here in that what the hell does life after Pozzo look like? We would have three options imo, 1 - sell up to the mega rich. An Arabian businessman that made his millions trading weapons and in selling oil to the poor, or drowning kittens for clicks on YouTube etc. 2 - Get a clown like Bassini in who "wants to take the club in the right direction" but has no clue or finances to do anything but slowly suffocate the club. 3 - Become a co-op type club where the fans own the club. This would only work of course in the lower leagues / non league. So what would actually want / expect if Pozzo threw it all in tomorrow? Watford hasnt lost its soul IMO, football in general is 1 step ahead and we're just working out when we need to follow.
Had this exact conversation with my eldest whose interest in football has really grown the past year! He comes with me when my old man can't and is gutted that I'm really contemplating whether I invest the time emotionally and financially for the remaining games. . Although I can't work out if he's upset about the dad and son time (the bit I enjoy the most) or just the lack of nuggets and a magazine
Half watched it in the pub (was contemplating not oing out and watching it live but assumed we would win and I would catch the highlights ) don’t know how we played, but assume it was badly into the bottom 3 guess we are ****ed ps for the 2nd week played Dennis and as my captain in fantasy football, so I guess I’m partly to blame !!
It doesn’t have to be either or. Good players can put in the effort too, in fact the very best always do. Sissoko is an example of a good player who has no feeling for Watford (why should he?) but puts in the effort through professional pride.
Dennis has had 2-3 bad games where he hasn't looked 100% and he deserves criticism for that, but his work rate before that was probably the best in the club. If you work like a dog as a forward to win the ball back or make runs and 9 times out of 10 the clogger behind you coughs up possession because of a fundamental lack of talent, I can totally understand why you start losing motivation to do keep doing it. At the end of the day we are in the relegation zone because of utter dross like Cathcart and Cleverley and players like Dennis and Sarr are the only reason we aren't 20th.
Couple of positives from last night: 1. Norwich's away kit is really nice. 2. After the first one went in (whatever happened to being coached to "play to the whistle"?) I switched on "Ozark" and judging by the first episode of the new series it's really aiming to go out with a bang.
Agree on Sissoko. After that though there aren’t many. King strolling around in an offside position last night was the epitome of the rank attitude that too many in the squad have. Dennis was sulking from minute one.
The face that Cathcart and Cleverley are still here and still playing isn’t down to them though and that was my point - the recruitment has been appalling in just about every aspect. The lack of quality, the wrong positions being recruited, the lack of a decent keeper, the short term view…
I've called an ambulance, it's speeding its way to your door as we speak - I just pray it gets there in time to fix your detached retinas.
He gave up on us when a few on here started abusing his posts on the Udinese thread. Couple took the anti Pozzo joke too far.
True. I can't imagine many players going to the boss and asking to be moved on because they aren't up to it.
A player whose reputation with multiple clubs was for being petulant, immature, bad attitude, whose former manager was incredibly critical of him (behaviour is a problem, took a risk but it was too much, a bad transfer). We got a half-season, and that's probably his shelf life. And whether the AFCON thing blew it up, or he just reverted to type, this is EXACTLY the Dennis we heard about. What made us think that we could suddenly change his personality, his mentality, especially with our volatile, leader-less set-up?
I 100% agree with that. Recruitment is the root cause of all our problems with what is happening to the club. I just get a bit annoyed that a large portion of our fans seem to have a habit of turning on our flair players for geting frustrated while endless praise is heaped on Kabasele, Cleverley et al because they talk the talk and run around like a headless chicken.
It's similar for me. My 14 year old daughter loves football and also the supporting aspect, my son isn't bothered so much but we always go and the wife comes along most times too. It's a good day out, few beers maybe, something to eat, have a laugh with those that sit near us. I also get to see a couple of mates most games too. But I just don't want to go anymore and it's really crap because it's become something that brings my family together and keeps up with friends. If I stop going, I'll spend a lot less quality time with them. The club is a total toxic mess. From their attitudes towards away fans in the home end, Pravda style communications policy, cheapskate transfer policy, poor handling of players, poor managerial appointments and tolerance of player power, to the substandard, disinterested team on the pitch that there is no connection with. It is so sad that something that has so much passion and soul has rotted away to the abysmal state it is now.
Fair comment, but Watford FC should have come clean and been upfront with it. Yes, l know that no club would ever do that. It has been my opinion that the Pozzo/Duxbury business plan for season 21/22 has always had relegation in mind. The lack of investment was obvious to all fans. The players we have now are just not good enough for the Premier league. That is a fact. I do not share your confidence in the 'Gino Yoyo plan'. You have to invest in players to build a successful side. To buy European bargain bin players is pointless. I will be interested in how Bournemouth do in the Premier league next season. Their plan to invest in young mainly UK players may pay off or could be a flop The Pozzo/Duxbury relegation business plan is not for me, but l don't own the club. Right now, Watford FC are a joke and l reiterate that fans should do something else on match days and avoid Vicarage Road. It's now a new day and most fans knew that we would be relegated without even a fight before the season started. Last night was a very low point in the history of Watford FC. It rubber stamped how poor we are and our relegation.
I think they had relegation in mind as far as preparing and planning for it as a possible outcome, but their actions suggest it’s not the outcome they expected to happen. If it was they wouldn’t have sacked Munoz and they wouldn’t have signed anyone in this window, let alone three players who have gone straight into the first team.
Took my youngest to the Tranmere game. He was 8 at the time. Have been reluctant to really push going to many games for the same reason. Also saw the game v Everton when we beat them 1-0 under JG with my son and daughter. It's not the same as it was when I was a kid.
Again, l don't agree. I think Pozzo/Duxbury would have known that the Squad wasn't good enough to survive in the Premier league. You did, l did and countless other fans knew. The recent transfer dealings are just the club trying to fight a Bush fire with a hand towel. They are jumble sale buys. Players that couldn't get a game. Even their former team mates are shocked that a Premier league has signed them. Our summer dealings were even worse. Win against Norwich and we may have a chance of survival. Lose and then all our fears are true of how awful we really are. My prediction at the beginning of the season was 11pts. Now many are saying 20 pts is out of reach. We are a very poor side. The players should be embarrassed, but they are out of their depth in the Premier league. Long may the fans at the Vic boo and chant against them whenever they wish. Pozzo/Duxbury can't keep plastering over the cracks. It's time to build something.
I don't know . . the 30 seconds of being smoked out by the fireworks and the brief hope that the match may be cancelled when the lights went out were quite enjoyable
Kamara got forward but rarely got a cross in for some reason - lack of skill, pace or confidence - and ended up using his right foot to push the ball inside to a team mate faced with the defensive wall.
Any idiot can buy a squad of players but it's a whole new level making a team. We are the most disjointed group of individuals in the league and that's exactly the performances we are getting. I've never been a fan of the head coach model as the players are not his but he is expected to make them his team. I'm not saying he should pick and choose all players but there should be aloy more criteria other than they fill the required position. It all seems very one dimensional with trading based on price and position only. Player attitude, mentality and whether they actually give a **** is deemed not important
Well that's us relegated then, guess there's no need to spend anymore money on tickets until next season then!
For me and many of us, WFC has turned into the equivalent of a relative that is no longer part of the family - something or someone that deep down you will always care about and even love, but as the years go by the good memories start to fade and the yearning of the happier times of the past begin to dissipate into nonchalance. For me, I will always cherish the memories of 97-2013 but for some reason, some time around early 2015 something just began to affect my affection for the club that I could never truly put my finger on. Was it the way the club was changing due to the ownership and transient player/coach model or was it the thousands of happy clappers who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to hitch themselves to a promotion band-waggon but were never there when we needed them in the darker days of losing to a Doncaster on a Tuesday night with only 7-8000 in attendance? I miss those days of leaving work in Southend on an evening and driving all the way to Watford to make a game just in time for kick off, or planning my away day trips on the train/car and feeling pride in being the scrappy underdog with players who would still fight for the badge. But those days are not coming back. The worst part is not caring at all. I hope those of you who are feeling apathetic don't totally lose your enthusiasm because it's a great shame when that feeling of nervous excitement before and during a game and the ecstasy of winning or anger goes for good. I will always deep down have affection for WFC but the club is a shell now of the past - and my memories of what we once were are merely a fading reminder that times change - we lost our soul many years ago.
After a nights reflection I thought that as the first half progressed we gradually improved and had we scored then I'm sure confidence would have developed , the crowd would have sprung to life and we would probably have gone on to wit the game comfortably As it was we failed to come up in the second half with any conviction and once the first goal went in heads dropped.. Norwich players falling over with the slightest contact and the floodlight failure just seemed to break up the flow of the game. Dennis was petulant. sulking after not being allowed to go to afcon?, if so a massive mistake by Pozzo trying too be too clever Thought attacking Rookery first half might have been a good choice, would have potentially fired up the crowd more? Why no group huddle when floodlights out ... no rallying call when its the biggest game of the season shows a team splintered into pieces Thought new recruits did pretty well but Dennis, King, Pedro not good enough Bachmann has to go Very rarely leave the ground early but had a two hour drive and couldnt face any more. So disappointing.
How are you giving up on our best player this season after a couple of bellow par performances. He got a silly red in a game that was probably already gone. He may be out of form now but doesn't mean he's done for.
