Everybody Wear Sunscreen- Leicester City 4 Watford 1

So much for it all being peachy! However Martin Allen speaking on ITV1's The Championship still reckons that we'll be going up as champions. Not something you usually hear from the opposing boss who has just won 4-1.

To be honest I couldn't really comment despite being at the Walkers on Saturday. I was in the unfortunate position of being in the very front row. At a concert this would be fine but at a football match I find it probably the worst place to be. Especially directly opposite the corner flag when there isn't a cloud in the sky.

Apart from this unfortunate position (oh and the result) I've only got good things to say about the Leicester experience. I parked easily and nearby, despite all the signs telling you that there was no matchday parking the nearer you got to the ground.

Why, oh why do all councils insist on the doing this sort of thing now? Rather than celebrating the fact they have a football club and encouraging people to come and watch and making it easy to get to, they insist on making it as difficult and unwelcome as possible for the motorist, even at grounds where the parking is okay! Leicester had various business parks around it but you never would have found these had you believed the road signs from the M1.

Wandering around outside before hand I was really impressed at how Leicester were trying to appeal to families. There was loads for kids to do outside including a bucking bronco, a football target practise, face painting and various mascots.

Leicester are fortunate at the amount of room they have outside the ground to do this (I'm not sure we'd be allowed to do it on Vicarage Road) but they should get credit for the fact they do it at all. I certainly don't remember anything like it at Arsenal or Man U last year and they've certainly got the room.

I'd heard the ground was an identikit new stadium but I liked the way Leicester had made it there own with the montage of pictures hanging down from the roof. The facilities were good and there was even a telly showing Sky to watch Sunderland v Liverpool on beforehand.

I've also got to give credit to the programme. Usually I buy the programme as a souvenir and spend about 5 minutes skimming through it. However Leicester was rare in that it actually held my attention for a while. It took our idea from around 1999/2000 of having lots of short easy to read questionnaire type features and interviewing fans and players a like. Its was much easier to get through than our current 'long swathes of text' magazine.

Because of the sun I couldn't really tell you much about the first half other than Leicester's goal was fantastic, the stewards didn't really know what they were doing not letting the disabled helpers sit with those they were there to help, Baz Luhrmann knew what he was taking about and I wished I hadn't left my baseball cap in the car.

Half time came and I decided if I didn't want to get sunstroke it would be best to move and so I went and sat right at the back pleased that, once again, we were unable to sell out our ticket allocation.

The downside of this was I was sat nearest to the Leicester fans behind the goal who unsurprisingly got loudly and more exuberant as the second half went on. They even stole our e-i-e-i-e-i-o Marlon King song. However I'm sure most fans would agree that their behaviour was fair enough and only what we would have done had we been winning so convincingly.

I was more offended by the pathetic and bad tempered complaints to the nearby steward made by a couple of middle aged Watford fans near me. If you are going to get wound up by the Leicester fans gesturing at you then don't encourage them by spending more time looking at them than you do actually watching the game!

The two goals shortly after half time both looked unlucky, but we can't complain given some of the deflections we've had go for us over the last few games. Once it was 3-0 the game was pretty much over although it was good to see that Marlon was one of the few who never gave up even when they'd made it 4.

James Chambers got a good reception when he came on (better than the one Jordan got from the Leicester fans) and kindly gave us an undeserved penalty late on. Unsurprisingly there weren't many Watford fans left to see this.

So what conclusions can be drawn? Against Wolves and Sheff Utd we never played well but got the result. From what I could tell during the sun baked first half against Leicester we played well and heads understandably dropped in the second half once it was 3-0. The only game I'd say we've played really well was Gillingham in the cup with 10 different players than who started at the Walkers on Saturday.

The one definite I can say so far is that I'm really not sure Mart Poom is the Ben Foster replacement we've been looking for. He seems to have serious communication problems with his back four. This is something that I think is just about forgivable in the first game of the season but by now really should have been sorted out.

He has also inherited the Ben Foster trick of having one seriously dodgy blunder per game although luckily for him none of these so far has resulted in a goal. However it won't be long I fear.

Poor Richard Lee. He was great against Gillingham and was pretty faultless in his Premiership appearances last year. He really really deserves a spell in goal to prove himself to Boothroyd. It seems he is forever judged on the three losses when he was in goal at the very start of the Aidy regime. If the likes of Steve Kabba can come back from the wilderness I feel Rich definitely deserves a go. I hope he has a good one against Southend on Tuesday.

Speaking of Kabba he started. Henderson was nowhere to be seen and I think we can assume he's going to become a Cottager. A front line of King and either Kabba/Priskin isn't quite what I think Aidy had in mind before the season started. It was frustrating to see DJ Campbell play well for Leicester when he could've easily been lining up for us.

Aidy reckons this result might do us some good and I'm inclined to agree. Certainly on the performances so far we haven't deserved the plaudits we've got. Hopefully now we'll see we've got to improve if we are going to to prove Martin Allen even half right.

Hendo'

Do Fulham think we are their feeder club or something? Or like us have they got something about strikers with H at the beginning and 'son at the end of their surnames?

How times change. A couple of weeks ago its looked like Doris was on his way out because he wasn't wanted and so he was being touted around the usual Championship suspects.

Priskin doesn't perform at Wolves (although he can do it against Italy) and so Big D is back in.

Next thing Hameur puts his arm out and Fulham are on the phone.

Were they watching last year? Do they really think the man who called his son Hogan can cut it in the Prem?

On that point, is Darius a WWE fan, does he just enjoy watching Hogan Knows Best or did he just want his son to have a memorable name like his?

Back to Fulham, is there a less likeable manager than Lawrie Sanchez? As a Bucks resident I hated him at Wycombe, as every week he was moaning about something either to do with the club or the players in our local paper the Bucks Free Press. He even criticised the supporters on occasions. Maybe we are lucky at Watford as I can never remember Aidy, Ray or GT ever doing something like that.

Now Sanchez seems to think he can cherry pick our players I truly loathe him and his silly club. To mis-quote Roy Castle 'Relegation Relegation, Relegation that's what you need'. And if you got it three times at least you'd be back to the level your stadium and support deserves.

Home

I thought about going to football on Sunday and Monday of this week. I wondered about going to see the girls in their first ever Premier League Match against Birmingham.

However on closer inspection the home games are in Letchworth (look out for the guns!). This is closer to 'the lot up the road' than it is to the Vic! So I'm afraid I didn't bother in the end. I will try and get to one game. Preferably when we play Everton to see the gorgeous Rachel Unitt (great name, great girl). Or maybe away to Arsenal as at least that will be slightly closer to home!?!

Talking of Borehamwood that was the venue for Mondays reserve game against Aldershot Town. Again I thought about going but the slog round the M25 from Buckinghamshire eventually persuaded me against.

I really do wish that Watford home games were played at the Vic. Had the ladies and reserves been there I would have gone both times. I know Borehamwood isn't miles away but when you're coming a bit of a distance anyway those extra miles end up making the decision for you.

If I was in charge I'd chuck Saracens out of the ground (sorry rugby fans but you'd survive, just look at Wealdstone!!) and put the reserve games back at the Vic and invite the ladies to play there too. If I could find a way I'd even have the academy games there. It is our home after all and playing anywhere else just doesn't feel right.

Peachy- Watford 1 Sheffield United 0

Well its all looking rather peachy isn't it. Three wins out of three, two of them against so called promotion favourites. Although personally I don't think any team managed by Bryan Robson can be given that tag.

Its all feeling very '2000'. Especially when you throw into the mix an early in the month Tuesday night fixture against a poor Sheff Wed team. Admittedly we met them in November last time rather than October and I'm probably too superstitious. However if we get Man Utd home in the 3rd round of the League Cup I'll be worried!

Yesterday was good old traditional 'Division Two' fare. We certainly didn't look like the two teams who had just been relegated from the Prem. It was a slog and probably fairly dire for the neutral (but if you're a neutral you can't expect anything else from Sheff Utd) but if you had a vested interest it was great stuff.

The whole thing started well as the teams emerged from the tunnel to Z Cars. It was played at the quietest I think I've ever heard it but more of that later. Thank God we appear to be sticking with it this season although I won't hold my breathe. Funny to note that in this weeks Watford Observer's 'On this day in history...' type feature the piece from 1987 was about Elton deciding the club should ditch Z Cars and run out to Superman.

Old habits die hard and by this I mean the habit of the club trying to get rid of something the supporters hold so dear. I couldn't image it happening at Anfield with 'You'll Never Walk Alone' neither at Goodison which I suppose it a better example! Tradition is an important part of football so please lets stop tampering. It still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as we run out to it and its one of the most played songs on my ipod.

One thing I'd never thought I'd say was that at least we've got Richard Short as main mc. I used to hate him and I can still look back and cringe at some of his classics from the past ('we've got an exciting result from the Premiership for all you Man Utd fans...' during a football league game for example).

However he has improved a lot over the years and he and Tim (the other bloke who seems to stay very much in the background but is very good at what he does) have become a good team.

Yesterday however Tim was off. Doesn't happen often. Can't remember last time it did. But I don't know who the bloke was they got to do it instead but he was TERRIBLE. Now okay, I'll admit I speak as someone who works in radio so I have a vested, possibly verging on anoraky, interest in such things but he was bad.

Unfortunately if you are Richard Short's Ernie Wise equivalent it means you not only have to read the away team, birthdays and half times but also you get to be in charge of the mixing desk which means you control the level of the microphone and the music, hence the difficult to hear Z Cars.

I couldn't honestly tell you who was playing for Sheff Utd as I couldn't hear him at all. Obviously Kenny was in goal and Danny Webber and James Beattie were up front but other than that I've no idea. Incidentally I'm sure I can remember Kenny being in goal when I saw us play them back in the late 80's. How old is he??

If it was your birthday yesterday and you'd ask to have it mentioned over the tannoy you'd have been disappointed and it was only half way through the half times that Ernie (or whoever he was) finally worked out how to use the volume control on the mic.

Finally he quite hilariously played the music the team runs out to for the second half far far too early so that we got the whole thing rather than just the rousing bit at the beginning.

Another man having a bad day was Alvin Martin. He was reporting on the game for Sky and really could have picked a better spot to stand than directly above the Sheff Utd fans. 'Stand up if you hate West Ham' and 'Cheap suit from Matalan' were among the chants during his broadcasts. We responded with 'there's only one Carlos Tevez'.

Full marks earlier on though for the Sheff Utd fans who pretty much to a man all appaluded Don Fraser getting his throughly deserved Barclays Supporter of the Year award.

To the game itself and worryingly for us Mart Poom and his back four look as much a group as Hear'say were in their latter days. He certainly seems to spend a lot of time getting cross with them although he and Jay DeMerit seemed to have reached an understand that if one cocks up the other doesn't have a go. Maybe they figured this out before they got into Dyer-Bowyer territory. I don't feel nearly as comfortable with Poom in goal as I thought I would. However he is still better than early era Ben Foster!

Lee Williamson was very good again. His goal was another of this seasons speciality, the deflected shot. I'd really like to see a midfield paring of him and Will Hoskins. Sorry Gav. I do like you. I just wouldn't have you in my current starting XI.

Tommy Smith was superb and earned us the win by clearing off the line when it looked 95% certain that Sheff Utd had equalised. Funny how we used to boo him when he came back to the Vic. I do think the Danny Webber boo boys should bear this sort of thing in mind. Its one thing to do a Lee Cook but another just to happen to move on. I certainly won't be booing Clarke Carlisle when he returns with Burnley later in the season.

Bryan Robson made the mistake of subbing Webber for Luton Sheldon who did deserve to be booed for obvious reasons.

The game was one of those that I couldn't tell you who was going to win whilst it was 0-0 but once we were in front I never really imagined us losing (although the clearing off the line was heart stopping in the extreme).

So we were top for two and a half hours and only drop one place on alphabetical order. Its certainly peachy at the moment. Even more so if we can beat 'promotion favourites' Leicester next weekend.

The South

My favourite bit of graffiti around Vicarage Road.

It just begs the question why? And who? And what point is this person trying to make?

Is it meant to be factual? Is it in support of us or against us? I'd really like it if someone could add Watford 8 The South 2 to it in remembrance of our cup heroics in 2005 against Southampton and Portsmouth.

Facey- Watford 3 Gillingham 0

It was a slightly odd feel to the start of the competitive season at the Vic tonight. The League Cup First Round is never going to bring the crowds out in their droves and tonight was no exception so the build up felt very 'friendly'. In fact, for a while it looked like we would have less people through the new flashy electronic turnstiles than we did against Willem II.

I liked this new way of getting in to the ground, in the same way I get childish pleasure out of using my Oyster card on the tube. However I wonder about the sense of being asked to swipe your card for purchases from the food bars. Tonight they were woefully under staffed and the queue especially at half time was ridiculous. Everything should be done to ensure service is as quick as possible and asking people to swipe their card has the potential to be as annoying as Tesco Express checkout staff asking for your clubcard if you are just buying a couple of things.

Given that we in the Upper Rous now have the pleasure of the directors sitting with us I do hope that Graham Simpson or Mark Ashton might occasionally venture to the concourse below them just to see how bad and slow the service at the catering facilities is.

Magically I managed to avoid the cascading rain both on the way in and out, odd considering that for most of the game it poured. Special mention must go to the bloke who sat completely alone in the Gene Kelly stand for most of the game under an umbrella. He wouldn't have found it hard to find a seat in any other area of the ground!

The game didn't really get going until Gillingham were awarded a penalty which Richard Lee saved and the game got going. Is our luck finally changing? Two games, two penalty incidents both going our way!

Watford's Matt Jackson had a great debut doing nothing for 25 minutes before committing a stupid foul which resulted in him getting a nose bleed. He disappeared off down the tunnel and never came back!

Tamas Priskin glanced in a wonderful header and Douglas Rinaldi made it two with a Jordan Stewart-esque deflected free kick.

Just after half time Gillingham had a player sent off and rather than deciding the game was over and treating it like a training session we really went for them with Anthony McNamee looking dangerous every time he got the ball. Will Hoskins was good as well in the centre of midfield. Jordan Parkes then was stretched off with what looked like a nasty injury before Alex Campana scored late on from an excellent McNamee cross.

Best comment of the night came from the kid behind me who was taunting Delroy Facey about his silly name and then said 'It could be worse. He could have been Delroy Faeces'.

All in all it was a thoroughly unexpectedly good match and a much more convincing win than against Wolves, and with 11 changes from the side that played on Saturday. If these are indeed our reserves then the future looks hopeful.

Jimmy Davis

The last time we started our home campaign in the League Cup was 2003 after the tragic death of Jimmy Davis on the eve of what was meant to be our first League game against Coventry. I know events since have revealed that poor Jimmy played a large part in his own downfall and so maybe the club don't want to highlight him but I am always surprised that no mention is made of him, especially at the start of the season.

At the beginning of every season now I always think about that sunny day that meant football was back and the excitement of driving to the Vic looking forward to seeing us play a team that we had easily dispatched 5-2 the previous year. I was listening to 5 Live only to hear the very odd news that our game was postponed and then I re-tuned to 3 Counties to hear Simon Oxley eventually reveal the dreadful truth.

In the aftermath it was said that Watford would put some lasting tribute to him but to the best of my knowledge this has never been done. However I still think it should especially given the clubs very active role in community and youth programmes. An anti-drink drive campaign named after Jimmy would have instant credability for those who it was aimed at and be a fitting way to ensure something good came out of that terrible situation.

Opener- Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Watford 2

It was one of those days that only sports fans would ever experience and even then only sports fans of particular sports.

I choose the park and ride metro option to get to Wolverhampton which was a slight mistake given the amount of Wolves fans on the train. Its odd how you can spend only two hours in the car and be in a place where you are so obviously a stranger.

Luckily no-one spoke to me either on the train or walking to the ground (unlike Old T earlier in the year when two people separately asked me for advice about the Manchester Metrolink).

I was impressed with Molineux for being a new modern stadium that has simply been developed on the site of the old one. Much like the Vic it still feels like a real football ground having four separate stands and none of the identikit-ness of newly built grounds.

Stupidly I didn't buy a programme outside and once I was inside realised you couldn't get programmes inside. I asked a steward and he very very kindly said he'd go back out and get me one. I was very impressed! Even the Wolves catering staff were friendly and cheery and not like the usual 18 year old ASBO kids you get at most grounds. I especially enjoyed the chicken balti pie I had at half time.

My seat was one of the best I think I've ever had at an away ground. Right on the half way line in the lower tear of the Steve Bull Stand. A bit like being in the lower Rous but quite raised up.

The game flowed from end to end but as ever at an away ground it took a while for me to really get into the game as you are still taking in watching in a different environment. Add to that the singing and cheering is always a lot more prominent and important this all adds up to a lot of distractions. I was sitting in amongst a lot of singers which was a good thing.

The first half we looked like we played well but went 1-0 just before half time.

As the second half wore on everyone started getting fed up with Jordan Stewarts dire free kicks and there was near mutiny when Steve Kabba replaced Tommy Smith. However Jordan Stewart then scored a sublime free kick with just 5 minutes to go and we all went mad. With three minutes gone of injury time Steve Kabba ran into their penalty area and was clearly brought down and the ref pointed to the spot. More madness from the Watford end. Marlon King took one of the calmest and best penalties you are ever likely to see and we all went more than mad. It was just the best. One of those times when you know why you are a football fan because its just the best thing ever in the world. There are no moments I have like the second goal going in today that I have anywhere else in life. Nowhere that the emotions could change so quickly.

It really was one of those games where throughout the second half you were really really hoping for an equaliser but you knew that your hoping was completely pointless. We were fairly rubbish in the 2nd half and it was going to be a depressing trip back down the M40. And then the first miracle happened and suddenly we were all smiling. A draw would be a great result. And we were all cheering and urging the team on in a way we hadn't for the whole of the 2nd half. There was belief in the stand, the whinging had gone to be replaced with encouragement. And then it happened and it was just the best.

There was just time for Mart Poom to slip and nearly allow the ball to roll into our goal and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief (again to highlight the changing emotions of football, had that gone in we would have gone from being depressed to happy to ecstatic to depressed again in less than 10 mins) and then the ref blew for full time and we all went crazy again. Marlon was coming over shirt off grinning and then Aidy came clapping us and punching the air and all was right with the world.

Walking out of the ground all the Watford fans suddenly started singing 'There's only one Stevie Kabba' and everyone was grinning at the irony of it all.

Got safely back through the hordes of fed up Wolves fans. Managed not to grin too much and pretended to be deaf when the train conductor spoke to me.

It was a fine day out. One of the best opening days I can remember. Possibly the greatest one of all. It was as good as Barnsley (h) in 2000 when we won 1-0 with the last kick of the game and similar in that then the much maligned Dominic Foley scored. However that was the home opener and was the second game of the season as we'd already won at Huddersfield so I guess it doesn't count.

In the end it may well even be up there in the Top 10 or 20 games I've been to. Certainly the Top 20 moments. It reminded me of Steven Glass scoring the 2nd against Burnley in the Cup QF in 2003. The feeling was that good.

Expectations

So here we go then. It all starts tomorrow and I'm off to Molineux.

I have absolutely no expectations whatsoever. I have various scenairos in mind about what could happen but if you asked me which one will happen I've not a clue. I guess I'd say I'd be surprised if we went down, surprised if we went up automatically but any finish between 3rd and 21st wouldn't be a surprise at all.

If Aidy manages to keep us at the higher end of the table for the majority of the season he should be fine.

If we spent much of it in the lower half then there will be a sliding scale of how far down we are and how long Aidy might survive.

He should be under no illusion though that in a very short time Ray Lewington went from being a manager we were surprised we'd managed to hang on to for such a long time to being shown the door.

Any bad patches and the success of two seasons ago and the FA Cup Semi Final place will soon be forgotten and Graham Simpson will start to wonder if he can get himself another Aidy with the same results.

God- Lincoln City 1 Watford 2

GT was at the friendly with Lincoln yesterday. If only this had been publicised on the club website prior to the game I (and I'm sure many others) would've bothered to make the trip. Bugger. We won 2-1.

Kids- Watford 1 Willem II 0

Went to see us play Willem II at the Vic yesterday. Odd name for a team especially at half time when Tim (Richard Short's co-announcer) had to say 'At half time its Watford nil, Willem Two nil'.

Took my kids to see their first ever football match. Wasn't sure a pre-season friendly was a good idea for them but it turned out to be perfect. They liked the fact we could move around the Rookery so easily and it was no hassle taking them to the loo during the match. They went to say hello to Harry the Hornet at half time and generally had a great time.

It is different taking your kids though. You have one eye on the game and one on them the whole time. Again, though, this is where a pre season game is perfect. I wasn't bothered what I missed and as it happened we all saw the goal so they got their wish of standing up and cheering. They were also taken very much with shouting Pooom every time Mart got the ball.

I wouldn't want to take them to a League or Cup match yet but it was a good first experience for them.