Yes, at the moment I think you are right. But I was dreaming of a time if and when VI can get them to attack more directly, with more speed and more frequent attacking passes. Then, and with one big and one little striker, the dynamic of Watford's play would change a lot.
I thought Rotherham actually looked a decent side - in mid-field. In front of both goals they were woeful, however. They also looked short of spirit: They nominally tried to press Watford with more energy and determination at the start of the second half. But once the third goal went in, they jacked it in. By the time of the fourth and fifth they looked to me like they wanted to be anywhere else than where they were. Their coach has got his work cut out if they are to avoid relegation.
Even at this early stage Sema is staking a claim for player of the season. But another player, in my view, is up there, but insufficiently rated for this spot by many on this forum: Hoedt.
I think you mis read my original post . I was referring to the teams that Watford have played all being in bottom half apart from Cardiff who are 9th .
As I say nothing official though yet . https://twitter.com/sturayner/status/1723691757378863503 But the Mail are good on these things I think .
Rotherham's right back was absolutely shocking. Nowhere near the standard required for the championship.
I was very against Ben Hamer starting yesterday. He was poor v Stevenage and I was hoping Roberts would be given a shot instead as I'd like to see a promising youth player given their chance to impress like Ademayo and Andrews has been. Although he wasn't extended, Hamer didn't put a foot wrong yesterday and cannot criticise him. It doesn't change my opinion of wanting youth to be given their chance but it does prove me wrong about Hamer not being suitable as a backup quality keeper. It was notable he didn't receive as much back passing from the defence but his distribution was crisp when called upon and had good vision when he needed to try and move it forward. Andrews did well yesterday. His decision making is still very much work in progress but otherwise between Ngakia and Andrews it's a really good competition between the two for games there. Hoedt is one of my favourite players from this Watford squad now. I've said before how reliant we are with his ball playing ability and today was no exception. Porteous was OK. Not bad but not convincing enough to trust as a starter yet with a few dodgy moments. He was however extremely harshly done with the yellow given the challenges both sides put in that weren't booked before or after. Lewis is frustrating. He goes forward at the right times and gets in the right positions but just doesn't commit to the final ball and cuts back instead and plays it safe which is something Newcastle fans said he was very guilty of after his first year there. Kayembé is proving to be a dominant box to box player now he's playing in a role that suits his strengths of ball carrying and shooting at goal to make better use of his engine. VI is the only manager who recognises he's not a defensive midfielder and he's looking like he's reduced his much maligned turning circle. Livermore is turning into surprise of the season with a string of fine performances. It makes you ask where we would be in the table if he started games sooner. The Sierralta experiment looks to have definitively died a death and also highlights we do not have sufficient cover there going forward. If we can strengthen only one position this window, it must be CDM. Koné is also enjoying his most productive spell with Watford since he joined with another creative display with his ball retention and carrying being good again. Although Rajovic has a number of valid criticisms, you can't criticise his ability to poach goals ruthlessly and reliably when fed chances which is the antithesis of Bayo who does a lot of good except finish chances reliably. He won't suit every game but against deeper lying teams we seem to have found an answer while more aggressive teams Bayo works better. Asprilla had a relatively quiet game but kept trying. He got away with a dodgy handball call in midfield during the 2nd half but it wasn't in a dangerous position. Sema's outfield crossing and strength is something a lot of teams would want in their team with a number of high quality chances created and dispatched. That goal against Swansea seems to have been the catalyst for this Season. Chakvetadze is one I find hard to judge. Good feet, carries the ball well and very press resistant. But he never seems to do much all said and done after that. I like him but he needs to do more nearer the final third. Ince is what it says on the tin. A solid Championship journeyman squad player who's generally fit and available during the season and will provide an acceptable return on investment. Which on a free, isn't hard to beat. Martins' direct running and cutting inside could have yielded 2 or 3 goals than the one he got. Ideal game to come on and he made it count. Healey had a decent cameo. Made some smart runs and involved in a lot of the later goals, most notably the pass to Martins for his goal. He's notably not 100% but he has to be built up at some point and today marks the start of that process in proper. I said last week VI had questions to answer today about how he would setup against low block teams and his tactics. That was emphatically answered and leaves us in a promising position going forward this Season with a squad that looks to be in good spirits and without toxicity. There's an increasingly big question mark as to the role Imran Louza will have going forward since his rightful dropping and I don't think many people saw that coming 2 months ago. The wonders of stability, eh?
Matt Taylor could find himself sacked by Rotherham but he would be welcomed back at Exeter where he did well, and Caldwell must be on the brink after a disastrous run of results. The management merry go round eh?! Sometimes a good manager does well beyond expectations at a new club, (Postecoglou at Spurs), sometimes things seem to be going well and then everything contrives against you.(ten Hag at Utd). It’s a funny old game.
Scored 2 against Cov in the 3-3, scored the injury time opener in the 2-0 against Birmingham, 92nd min equaliser in the 2-2 vs Millwall, and scored the opening 2 yesterday. Depending on how generous you're feeling, that's 6 points won in about 7 games worth of match time. 6 points was the difference between relegation and 20th last year. Or the difference between play offs and 12th. 'Total waste of money' is extremely harsh
With Louza not in the side lately, who do people think would take a penalty if perish the thought we should ever get one?
Rajovic is reminding me of Xisco. A bit **** overall, but for this very specific requirement that we have, he’s doing a good job so far.
Sema, Rajovic, Hoedt and Andrews in the Championship Team of the Week. Rajovic and Hoedt also make the EFL TOTW.
Hoedt took a good one at Stevenage. Reckon he’s confident enough to step up too. But probably zero chance of getting the ball off of Asprilla or Martins.
Yes he would also be hopeless riding the favourite in the Grand National or opening the bowling in the T20 World Cup, we shouldn’t get hung up about that either.
Interestingly the last time we scored 5 or more at home was 15th Feb 21, when we beat Bristol City 6-0. That’s only 2 and a half years ago but we only had one player who started both games Ken Sema who scored the first two goals against City, and also made the first two v Rotherham!. Not called King Ken for nothing!
A stress free afternoon against a poor Rotherham. When Hamer played at Cov last season he had a mare for one of the goals, but aside from that he seemed to give more confidence to the defence and that was the case again on Saturday. Kayembe and Livermore were both once again excellent. Asprilla was anonymous again but he seems to be in the group where excuses will be made for him "He didn't stop trying..." - truth is he was a waste of a shirt. Watching Kone was how I imagine watching Andre Gray in midfield would look - touch of a trampoline. Sema showed exactly what should be done - keep Jamal Lewis out of it, be aggressive in running at the full back and get balls in the box. When balls go in the box, Rajovic scores goals. Martins should watch Sema and copy him - he has the talent, but also the incessant need to shoot every time instead of cross. Jamal Lewis should go back to Newcastle. He is awful. Yet again a big impact from the subs - kudos to VI, I don't recall any other recent manager having that much impact using subs before, the run he is on is quite something. Given there was nothing to boooooo it explains why the Rookery was silent until the last ten minutes.
I think Kayembe dropped back into that role, and Chakvetadze took the more advanced role alongside Koné
I've been thinking the same for sometime, years ago all you wanted was a target man / nbr9 / striker - who would score 25 goals a season, pop up in the box and terrorise the oppo defence. Now we want forwards that can do it all and complain if they don't see much of the ball in games. This guy can score.... Just sort out the service and he'll be handful..!
Ah, the days of 4-4-2 all through the league. Nowadays strikers need to do more as they are usually up front on their own and helping interplay with wide players and midfielders coming forward.
He is awful but 6 goals in 13 games, half of which are off the bench is an excellent return. He does absolutely nothing else unfortunately but certainly not a waste of money
