We win - "The players are just putting in performances for a move away!" We draw or lose - "The players don't care, already on the beach, lazy mercenaries" Crazy to think over the last 4 years we've managed to buy and use all the players who don't care and are only doing it for the money. Must be some what, 50 plus professional footballers now? I'm sure the Huddersfield squad that beat us recently was filled to the brim with players donating 50% of their wages to the local community, just happy they were finally representing their boyhood clubs, with their rooms still to this day full of posters of their Terrier hero's. I'm thinking maybe it's not the players we sign. I mean, for some, sure, they've been duds. But 50 plus? Have we really been that club that just buys those with a 'losing mentality'? Did Sarr have a 'losing mentality' when he won the AFCON? Or Choudhury when he won the FA Cup? Maybe, it's not the individual players that we do have? The squad as a whole probably wasn't good enough to stay in the Premier League, but probably has been good enough to be in the play-offs this season. Has the Championship really been a surprise to us with it's high standards? Not really. There are currently 7 or 8 sides doing their level best to NOT make the play offs. So it must be the manager then. Which one? The one who last season won the league he was in and has now taken a team into the play-offs with a squad that cost far less than ours? Or the one with huge amounts of experience? Or the one who has taken a team, again, with little money spent on it, out of this league and kept them in the Prem for a while? Maybe it's not the managers either. But at 4.50ish on Saturday afternoon the player selection, tactics, formation, shape, effort levels will all be scrutinised once more as no doubt we've watched another disjointed performance and walked away shaking our heads. If only there was someone else to blame. Someone else to aim the frustration onto. Because all the time we talk about getting ANOTHER new manager and getting rid of ALL the players and starting again, surely we are helping defend those who are really to blame. Surely nothing changes until something changes higher up?? For what it's worth, to the stuff that happens from 3.00 - 4.50. First half last game looked good, moments of class from Pedro, Sarr and Louza showed us what could have been. The manager (part 3) gave a good analyses of what went wrong in the 2nd half, in brief, we lost shape. Strange he saw it, but did very little about it at the time. Our midfield 3 had next to no energy left and Kone sat on the bench watching. Yes, sometimes things are because of the manager and the players. Talking of which, Hamer, getting some backing on here, more because people just want to see anyone but Bachman (not me as it goes). That first goal was ridiculous. Anyway, this week we face a team who unfortunately all come from Bristol and who's great great great grandfathers all played in the first ever Bristol City team. They will want it more and no doubt get the points. Happy days.
Nice preview. You can really tell how much we actually care about each game now, which is spoken about in the final paragraph. Bristol City have been, well, Bristol City this season. A midtable hardworking side who never look in danger of contesting each higher or lower ends of the division. With 'Big Nige' in charge, he will have them up for this one I expect. Question is, which half of the 90mins are we going to turn up for? I will go for classic Watford with a hardworking first half where we just about lead 1-0 then collapse in the second. How are still in the race for the playoffs? This division is full of average sides, and we sit in 12th place. We really do fit in this division, and that won't change for a while I expect. Watford 1 Bristol City 2
Let's hope it is a better game than the reverse fixture, which very dull. All I remember was the great shout telling the **** head who tried singing over the minutes silence to shut up, and poor DG picking up his possible career ending injury.
Conflicted for this one. I had a milestone birthday earlier this month and the family saved up and got us all a day out in an Exec Box for this fixture, never done it before. Very generous of them and of course they've no idea of the general feelings of your average Watford fan right now. Now I feel like we're lining the Pozzo pocket. I could just enjoy it, or I could take some faked HSBC letters and claim to be representing Al Fayal Shazad Shazam who is interested in a £1bn bid, on the basis that Pozzo won't require proof of funds or receive such funds anytime in the near future. The menu, if anyone is interested: Smoked Trout, Braised Beef and Lemon Tart. Sign up all three. 0-1.
Taking my son, and he's bringing his friend to his first ever football match. Great chance to gain a new fan. For City.
Stop this tosh!!! Greece - the Cradle of Democracy (if you were a bloke) William 'Billy' Shakespeare - he had no mates, so sat in his bedsit and wrote words (?) that loads of Japanese people would years later cross the globe to be able to walk in his footsteps. Having said that, I do rather like "How now, fair Puck?" The rest is bolloxs. Milton - what a tribute that they named a town after him and an economist. Steely Dan - their entire back catalogue should be part of the school curriculum. Worldwide. 2-1 Watford
A home game v Bristol City was one of my favourite and most entertaining games though. We beat them 5-2, they had 3 players sent off, their fans went crazy, police and dogs came out in front of them, Blissett’s last goal for the club (I think) and another legend in Gibbs scored as well. Pretty sure it was the last game of the season with nothing to play for….maybe Saturday will be a hoot after all!
Remember that game too. Andy Cole scored for them and all 3 players sent off surnames began with an A. EDIT: Beat me to it EB!
Unless I'm mad wasn't there a Birmingham end of season game that was similar in its end of season barminess too?
There was a 5-2 in Jan 1994 ? Furlong hat-trick. Can't see or recall another that was "end of season". http://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches&p=3&o=&q=birmingham&mf=
I’m guessing not many people on here have had an epidural, nor seen what extreme pain someone has to be in to warrant the risk of paralysis that is involved.
This is the chance for a wronged former manager to move ahead of us if they win by two clear goals, so we may as well grasp the opportunity to complete the full set of Gino humblings and club embarrassments with this one. Always comes across as a classy guy, Nige. (ignore the clickbait headline): https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-boss-nigel-pearson-8350122.amp
Went to the away fixture, it was a disgrace, no actual shot until the 80th minute. If Bristol score first they'll win, if we score first they'll win.
A very interesting article - thanks for digging that out. His views on how to compete with clubs receiving parachute payments will be very pertinent in 2024/25.
Thought he did a decent job till COVID struck and only got sacked due to that alleged incident at West Ham.
There was a rumor circulating around that time that a fist or two had been flung in the dressing room. Going by the level of toxicity of this club as of late, it was probably true. That West Ham game and the Southampton one at the Vic were real low points on the pitch, but never at the level of what was goung on off the pitch worldwide of course.
