I've watched that miss from Louza again and seriously, my 4 year old niece could of scored that. What a miss that was. It's probably just as bad as Hughes' miss against Spam in 19/20. Why we cannot take the simplest of chances is why we are where we are. We have had chances to win tight games we have gone onto lose, yesterday was just a prime example of that. You cannot coach not missing a chance from 5 yards out with the goal at your mercy. It's a matter of confidence and attitude. I do not think Louza meant to miss, but it's that sort of horrid play that has put us on the brink of Championship football. Brentford were very poor overall, despite outplaying us for the first half. I think they know they are/were safe, and I wish them luck for next season. For us I think the players have to forget about survival now, even if it's still technically possible. Play with more of a freedom, and try to enjoy their football for these final six games. We may even surprise a few if we do. I thought we would go back down after promotion and it's clear the cheap transfer windows has been used by Gino to hold onto extra cash to help with our relegation. I just hope we can get at least 20M for Sarr and a few for Dennis and Sissoko - who are probably our best assets.
You mean the chairman/CEO doesn't know the lay out of his own stadium? Of course they must know its a family stand - they named it after a key family support officer only a few weeks ago. Many things wrong with his stewardship and there is a real lack of communication or good PR but I don't think that is one. Sorry no offence. And he does go on about the Junior Hornets and stuff the club do in the community which is great but people also want results on the pitch. Sadly it will be people involved in these roles and projects who will probably be sacked first or asked to take pay cuts whilst we still pay agents x amounts and the players earn whatever they do.
I thought I was over-sensitive being offended by needless and/or excessive use of bad language but it’s ridiculous someone goes to a football match and doesn’t go in the family stand and objects to that kind of thing. A week ago I was having a nice scenic bus ride on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent in lovely weather and some guy was spoiling it for me by constantly laying into his wife/girlfriend on the phone by calling her a selfish/ungrateful c*nt/piece of sh*t. I thought maybe I should tell him to stop, but maybe I would have got it worse from him.
It’s all fine lines. Not disagreeing with you, but we could have got the double over Brentford. Winning 1-0, had a great chance of making it 2-0 before capitulating to lose in the final 6 minutes, losing with the last kick. Similar yesterday, we miss an open goal in the final minute to make it 2-1, then lost with the last kick(header) again. Fine margins. We would be on 28 points and they’d be on 33 points. Those are the things that kill you when you’re constantly on the receiving end throughout the season. As a club, we’ve messed up at every opportunity. We had enough to be a lot closer to staying up. We’ve underachieved by quite a bit. But we’re not streetwise enough. We don’t have any leaders or players with a winning mentality. This has been our downfall among other things.
There was one bloke getting very irate at the bottom of the SEJ stand during the first half. Not sure what that was about - but he was right in the face of the stewards. I don't tend to hear any swearing and as you say the Vic is very tame compared to most grounds.
To be fair to him if you zoom in you’ll see Mbeumo is right by him so he was there to stop Eriksen playing it short to Mbeumo.
Yes and they showed it on MOTD. Anyway should have been defended better - I mean we had 3 central defenders on the pitch by that point.
I agree it feels mucky to even think it about on the basis of Brentford and Frank but it's crying out for us to construct a mid to long term plan - recruitment and style of play - if we are serious about success otherwise the very best we can hope for will be silly yo yo seasons like Delia's Canaries. Oh dear that sounds like a euphemism I shouldn't really explore....eeeewwww! Seeing Graham Potter's Brighton boss "in-form Spurs" (© BT Sport) yesterday showed the managerial model we require. Brighton aren't streets ahead of us if you compare the last few years but the gap is widening rapidly. Brighton have been up and down this season but Potter's game plan has never been knocked off course and his team understand it and clearly have complete trust in him. A lesson to learn but will we?
Nope. This would require a huge step back in the current levels of micromanagement by the owners. It would also require a change from caring about players-as-assets to caring about the club direction as the primary focus. Never going to happen.
Yet you were still convinced we were staying up only a week ago. Weren't you claiming only a few weeks ago that the team was suffering because the fans weren't being positive enough?!
We need a good coach to get hold of Pedro and mould him into a striker, his positioning at the moment is all over the shop. Tell him to stay central and operate within the width of the six yard box. On too many occasions in recent games he's on either wing with no one in the middle to aim for, we just make it too easy for the opposition when we play like that.
Most our attacking assets are like that. Dennis floats across all 3, Cucho isn’t really a wide player, Pedro is probably best as a number 10 behind a real number 9 but plays upfront or wide left, King has held it up well but he’s still half a winger. Sarr is an out and out winger and he’s rubbish for us right now. I remember Dennis debut against Villa, he was up to and giving the centre backs hell with his pressing. Things looked so bright.
We'll concede more of them in the Championship because it's what a lot of teams there play for. Both goals make you realise that for all his later failings, Deeney was probably our most reliable defender against set pieces. No way they score the first goal with Deeney picking up at the near post. 5uck it, I'd be livid had my team conceded that in the Northants Sunday Alliance Prem, let alone in a supposed EPL match. No way would Dennis have been allowed to be 5 yards deeper than the entire rest of the team for that free kick either. Utter, utter shambles.
What for? Diabetes? He’s clearly given up on any physical conditioning going by photos in recent months.
Good grief. People like you are so tiresome on this forum. Just stop trying to start fights, and grow up mate.
Obviously brought Cathcart on to ensure we'd be solid against any injury-time set pieces. Master stroke.
I'd honestly be quite content to see a max of 8 of the current squad with us next season. Sell the posers for reasonable money, offload the ones who are clearly over the hill on free's if necessary, send such as Masina & Louza to Udinese. Full rebuild under an up and coming coach who's given 3 seasons to get us up. Won't happen, of course.
So Dennis moves up to be in line with the rest of the defence and Eriksen can't pass to him and the Brentford runners in the centre of the goal are forced to delay their run for a split second, meaning the scorer may not be ahead of his marker. Another effect of Dennis' crazy positioning is that both Toney & the Brentford player beyond the scorer were already in at least 1 yard of space and still onside. Utterly shambolic. Who was screaming at Dennis to push up? No-one I'd wager.
This will not happen. It is not the Pozzo method. The Pozzo family are wheeler dealers, just like secondhand car salesmen. They buy cheap, sell on for a profit. Of course, they get a few old bangers in, known as 'Bangonimics' in the trade. Their aim isn't long term on the pitch. Their model is about quick turnover of players and keep their business heads just above the waterline . Long term ownership, yes. Long term plan on the field, no. Watford FC is just like a car part to them.
Your last point is so valid - who is the captain and what have we seen from him to evidence that . Ok RH75 cannot summon up anything like “ going for it” in another must win game so no subs for ages when we get back in the game but on field where was the urgency/ leadership. I know Sissoko struggles to control the ball and looks all arms and legs but I could not see any on field motivation
Another thing that has become clear as the losing home run has developed is that not one player seems willing to play the early forward pass (not aimless hoof) when we've regained possession in midfield. There were a few occasions yesterday when that could have carved Brentford open and put us through 2-on-2 or even 2-on-1, but our default is to play the simple pass and the defence is then back in position. We do not have the players with sufficient creativity to unlock a defence once we've 'cycled' the ball over 4 or 5 passes. On the couple of times someone tried to hit runners with anearly ball and an interception was made a collective groan went up. The players have lost all confidence and know they daren't attempt that type of risky ball. Yet it's about the only think our squad could possibly be constructed to do. Not that we'd score from any of the 2-on-1's of course.
On the plus side, the fat git who looks at me like I've just asked if he'd give me one of his kidneys every time I attempt to squeeze past him on the way to my seat, was overheard to say that he won't be renewing his season ticket. Cheered me up no end. Very odd that so many were clapping as they left the stadium. Weren't they aware that yesterday's humiliation was our 10th home defeat on the bounce? In the boozer after the match surrounded by good-natured, celebrating Brentford fans and a small group of very pi55ed Watford 'lads' - one of whom threw up over himself. At about 5.30 in the afternoon. Pathetic behaviour. Seemed to sum up our season.
Exactly this. It’s just basic positional play. Dennis is a wild card on the pitch. He does great things but can also be a liability. Like when he tried to dribble out of his own box and lost the ball. But I don’t necessarily blame him. That’s his game. He’s a match winner not a rounded footballer. Others have to cover and look out for him. Tell him where to stand. It’s just so basic. I see Sunday league defenders yelling at players how to set up. It was so clear that Dennis was too deep. All our defenders are looking in his direction so are aware. All Dennis needs to do is stand in line with our last man. Any Brentford player beyond that is offside. Why don’t any of our defenders tell him to move up? It’s because no one takes responsibility. No leadership. With Dennis keeping everyone on, it was a formality Brentford would score. Eriksen is always going to put in a quality ball from there. Even had he dropped it shorter Toney would have to got it. Pathetic defending once more from our team. This was the last play of the game. Had we cleared it, it was full time.
That’s what we started in 2011. Since then apart from one guy who lasted 8 games all our permanent managers have had about 2 years and all have been playing with a consistent but evolving style. Players have been bought with an eye to being developed and sold but almost all of the big fees have come from players who had at least 2 seasons at the club. Six of yesterday’s starters (and the manager) were in our starting line up in 19-20. Norwich have a similar model but seem to be much worse at finding players. They’re also too timid about selling (they should have sold Buendia a season before and should be selling Pukki now, in both cases to use relegation as a chance to bring on the next set of key players, instead they take the easy option of having a coast to promotion and then realising they can’t build a new team over a summer with a load of players who need bedding in). If they make some good decisions it’ll eventually pay off. You’ve done surprisingly well for years of 2-3 managers a season and a revolving door of players but it does look a bit built on sand.
Just watched the ‘highlights as couldn’t be bothered to even follow the game yesterday. I actually think Kings miss is a lot worse than Louza’s. King missed the open goal and managed to hit the post with the goal gaping. Louza couldn’t adjust his feet and he just sort of stuck out his weaker right foot. He also had 2 Brentford players in front of him so hardly an open goal. Also, yes Dennis marking an offside Brentford player is madness, but he wasn’t playing on Pontus. In fact Pontus Jansen started behind both kabasele and Cathcart and still managed to win the ball between them. Defending of the highest calibre there
