Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Good Points- West Bromwich Albion 5 Watford 0

1. H was back.

Um, that's it.

Friday, October 30, 2009

West Bromwich Albion v Watford- Previously...

Our first competitive meeting with West Brom didn't happen until 1977 when we lost 1-0 at The Hawthorns in the League Cup 3rd Round. In all we've met 33 times, winning 10, drawing 7 and losing 16, scoring 42 goals to their 53.

Up in the Black Country we've played 16 times, winning just 3, drawing 4 and losing 9 scoring 17 and conceding 32. The victories were a 3-1 win back in the Old Division 1 in 1983, and two 1-0 wins in the second flight in 1988 and 1995.

Our last meetings were back in the season when no-one really wanted to win the Championship but West Brom tried the least hard and ended up with the title. We were beaten 3-0 at Vicarage Road but managed a 1-1 draw away with Leigh Bromby scoring our goal after just six minutes.

Despite currently being 4th, West Brom's record since they beat Middlesbrough 5-0 away hasn't been that good. In seven games since then they have only beaten Judas' side but then I seem to say that every time I write one of these reviews. Just how long is Brendan going to survive? In their last home match they went down 1-0 to Swansea and last Saturday they drew 0-0 at Coventry.

It will be very strange to be facing a West Brom side without Robbo, although I'm sure our players won't be complaining. The one Watford player with good experience of the Baggies is Nathan Ellington but I don't expect he'll receive a very warm welcome if he gets to play tomorrow.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

EIEIEIO

I wonder if there's a group of prisoners somewhere in the country tonight chanting "We got Marlon, we got Marlon, we got Marlon King".

Friday, October 23, 2009

Breathtaking, Outstanding- Watford 4 Sheffield Wednesday 1

These were just some of the comments from Sky's Bill Leslie and Garry Birtles whose company I unfortunately had the pleasure of tonight as the nasty cold that has plagued me for over a week still shows no signs of abating.

I'm no fan of the artistic merit football lover and so when praise for beautiful football is being heaped on my team I find it a difficult compliment to take. But we totally deserved it tonight having put together some fantastic sweeping moves as we attacked the Wednesday goal. The only concern I'd raise is that most of the moves involved either or both of Cleverley and Lansbury and on Sky they did have to keep highlighting the fact that their loans run out at the end of the year. Lansbury, in particular, was immense tonight and thoroughly deserved the man of the match award he got at the end.

One of the reasons I hate watching Watford on telly is that your perception of events is totally different thanks to the endless replays and neutral comments. Had I been to the game I'd probably be blissfully unaware that we were bloody lucky not to have a penalty against us in the first couple of minutes when Mariappa pointlessly handled it or that Cathcart should've been sent off for elbowing.

But one of the plus points is that I was able to appreciate how brilliant Jon Harley's goal was after watching it three extra times on Sky Plus and also how very very very close Lloydy came to scoring tonight. His move into the box was timed to perfection and if only his header had been on target I would probably have heard the celebratory roar here in High Wycombe without the help of the TV.

We are now just three points off the top of the table. Yes, really. Okay so everyone else has to play catch up tomorrow but even so we'll take this Malky. It's going well, its good to watch and its good fun. Just a shame that having played three games in seven days we've now got to wait another eight until we face the Baggies. Bring it on.

Not Three Points But...

http://www.watfordfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~1834362,00.html

A win not in a footballing sense but just as important as any we've had on the pitch. Well done Jimmy and Vince and everyone else in defending us against this nasty moneygrabber.

Lets hope he never darkens our, or footballs, door again.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Watford v Sheffield Wednesday- Previously...

Sheffield Wednesday are surprisingly recent opponents in our history. We didn't meet them competitively until December 1970 in the Old Division 2 when we lost 2-1 up at Hillsborough before beating them 3-0 at home in Feb 1971. Overall we've met 39 times, winning 17, drawing 9 and losing 13, scoring 55 goals and conceding 54.

They have only beaten us three times at Vicarage Road in 18 attempts, the last of these in November 2000 when the wheels came off our brilliant start to the season as we went down 3-1 and never really recovered. We've won 11 at home and drawn 4 including the brilliant FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 1998 when as a Division 2 side we came very close to putting out Premiership Wednesday who included Paolo DiCanio in their line up. It finished 0-0 and we went out on penalties 5-3 in the replay.

Our biggest win was the 4-0 victory on the 25th March 1982 which put us in touching distance of promotion to top flight. Its a game I remember with a certain fondness as it was my very first one. Our biggest loss was by the same score up at Hillsborough in the League Cup when, having got us to the Quarter Finals, Vialli decided he didn't want to go any further in the competition and fielded a team with about a million changes. Of course he'd won the League Cup enough times with Chelsea so why bother doing it again at little old Watford?

Last season we went down 2-0 up at Hillsborough under Aidy. In March we drew 2-2 when an own goal and a McAnuff header would've been enough to win the game had the ref not allowed copious amounts of injury time and then awarded a last minute penalty just to ensure the scores were level.

Wednesday have only won once on their travels this season, a 3-1 win at Plymouth in August. Last Saturday they hosted Coventry, winning 2-0 and also welcomed Preston on Tuesday going down 2-1. They are currently two points and three places behind us in the table.

I can't find any current links between the sides but mutual friends include Leigh Bromby and Wilf Rostron, both of whom have not only turned out for Wednesday but also United as well.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Duke!!!- Ipswich Town 1 Watford 1

It in no way makes up for the things he's done, or rather hasn't done, whilst he's been at Vicarage Road but that was bloody funny tonight.

Keano and Judas to be sacked before the weekend? The odds must be shortening.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Ipswich Town v Watford- Previously...

Our first meeting against Ipswich was a 2-1 FA Cup 1st Round defeat at Portman Road in November 1936 when they were still playing non-league football. They were elected to Division 3 (South) two years later and were frequent opponents until their promotion to Division 2 in 1957. There was then a gap of 26 years before we played again in the League Cup 5th Round of 1982 (another 2-1 away defeat). Since then they've been regular opposition. In all we've played 60 times including two meetings in the very prestigious Full Members Cup, winning 19, drawing 15 and losing 26. We've scored 80 goals and conceded 99. At Portman Road we've played 31 games, winning 6, drawing 8 and losing 17, scoring 36 but conceding 63.

Last season we beat them 2-1 at Vicarage Road under Aidy although it seems much much longer ago than that. The Sky cameras were there to watch us go 1-0 down after just 2 minutes but we fought back to win with second half goals from Eustace and JJOT. In March we went to Suffolk and drew an exciting and close fought game 0-0.

Nothing really has to be said about Ipswich's season so far other than its not going well. They drew 1-1 at home to Swansea on Saturday.

An ex-Horn at Ipswich is, of course, Tamas Priskin. Along with McAnuff he's the only other player I would've forgiven for going to work with Judas seeing as how he played so well under his charge, yet so badly under anyone else. Instead, bizarrely, he chose to go and join Roy Keane's Ipswich revolution. Maybe he thought he'd be okay under another Irish manager. He's yet to start a League game but has come off the bench 5 times and scored once. He did start and scored in Ipswich's 2-1 League Cup loss to Peterborough.

Finally a piece of advice for those who gave Neil Eardley a warm reception when we faced Blackpool. Ipswich do have a player on their books called Tommy Smith. I've checked a couple of websites and the nearest thing he has to a Watford connection is a loan spell at Stevenage Borough. He isn't THAT Tommy Smith.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Incorrect Scoreline- Middlesbrough 0 Watford 1

I can recall many times, when I've tried to keep up with a Watford match that I'm not at, where I think we've scored and start leaping around the room, only then to sickeningly discover that actually we haven't. Sometimes this might be due to my kids distracting me or to whoever I'm relying on to watch it for me getting it wrong. No matter how many times it happens the pain of the incorrect scoreline never gets any easier to bear.

Most memorably, in the days before there was such a thing as the internet I was with a couple of friends and we were watching the score on Ceefax. How sad that now sounds, yet back then it was considered quite normal behaviour. I'm sure that wasn't all we were doing but it was common practise to have the telly on Ceefax during a match so you could keep up to date. Suddenly the page changed and told us Watford were winning 1-0 although both me and the other Watford supporter present said "Who" at the name of the scorer. We discussed how it could be that there was a player we didn't know. Someone on loan, a member of the youth team maybe? The page updated again after about 30 seconds and the score was corrected with us now 1-0 down, hence why we didn't recognise the name. A crushing moment made even worse by the hysterical falling on the floor laughter of the Stoke fan who was also present.

So it was wonderful today that, for once, the boot was on the other foot. I groaned "oh no" as Middlesbrough appeared to score whilst Soccer Saturdays reporter was actually live at the game. The site of the delirious fans behind him and the knowledge that this would give Boro an added impetus to probably get a winner made me feel far iller than the cold I'm currently afflicted with has. But no. What's this? Jeff Stelling is handing back to the bloke at the Riverside and its been disallowed! The score goes back to show us with a one goal advantage and bloody hell we manage to hang on too. Brilliant. Great result. Now lets go and see if we can get Roy Keane the sack on Tuesday night.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Middlesbrough v Watford- Previously...

Compared to most of the other teams in the division encounters between us and 'Boro are rare. The first meeting was at Ayresome Park in the First Round of the FA Cup in 1924. Our 1-0 win was something of an upset as we were a Division 3 (South) side whilst they were in Division 1, albeit they would go down at the end of the season. It would be another 42 years before we'd meet again when they were relegated to Division 3 for the first time in their history.

Altogether we've met just 24 times, winning 9, drawing 4 and losing 11. We've scored 27 goals to their 34. Upon Teeside we've won 3, drawn 4 and lost 6 of the 13 games scoring 14 to their 22.

Our last meetings were in the Premiership in 2006/7. We secured one of only three home wins that season by beating them 2-0 thanks to Ashley Young and a Jonathan Woodgate own goal. At the Riverside we went down 4-1 with Damian Francis scoring for the 'Orns.

Although they are currently third Middlesbrough's home form has been patchy so far, winning 2, drawing 1 and losing their last 2 homes games to Leicester and West Brom. In the last game before the International break they ensured Judas' miserable time continued winnning 2-0 away.

In their current squad one name shines out due to his wonderful 12 game loan spell at Vicarage Road and that, of course, is Adam Johnson. He scored 6 goals but even that impressive stat doesn't really reflect how much he added to our team in the short time he was with us back in 07/08.

My plan had been to go up to the Riverside as its one of those I've never managed to get to yet, however family plans and a stinking cold mean that I'll enjoy Jeff Stelling's company tomorrow afternoon whilst keeping an ear on Three Counties.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sport on 2- Ukraine 1 England 0

Only those of a certain age will get this at all but there was something very nicely nostalgic about only being able to listen to Ukraine- England on the radio.

All it needed was for the game to be played on a Wednesday night (for International Football never used to happen on a weekend) and I could've been back in the 1980's. It reminded me of listening on Radio 2 medium wave to Sport on 2 with its jaunty introductory music and Bryon Butler and Peter Jones providing the commentary. Sometimes they'd only give you the second half if the game wasn't deemed important enough to move 'Your Hundred Greatest Tunes' or whatever programme was on beforehand.

I'd be allowed to stay up and listen until the end but my Mum wouldn't be persuaded that my bedtime could extend past those providers of weekday footballing action, Sportsnight and Midweek Sports Special. So before going to bed I'd commandeer the video recorder (for I was the only one who knew how to use it to do anything other than put a tape in and press play) and record the game highlights and then get up stupidly early before school to watch the game.

Oh, the good old days before Sky. I do kind of miss them. But only when the game isn't really important and we lose.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

R.I.P Terry Challis

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/localnews/4668552._Wonderful_bloke__fondly_remembered/

My memories of Terry Challis’ work go back almost as far as my memories of Watford FC itself. Even as an 8 year old it didn’t take me long to realise that part of being a Hornet involved browsing the back pages of the Watford Observer on a Friday.

It would be a while before I truly appreciated the brilliance of Ollie Phillips. At that age the amount of text was rather off putting. So the bit that caught my eye was the cartoon, always in the corner of the page which gave me a review of the previous Saturdays action in words and pictures I understood.

Again, it would be a while before I fully got the wit and wisdom of what I was reading but, even at that age, I could appreciate the brilliance of Terry as a cartoonist. The pictures were funny in themselves, they bore a real resemblance to the feelings on the terraces and I particularly liked the way Terry always highlighted the most noteworthy player or person of that week in the final frame.

I especially remember the ongoing theme in the run up to the 1984 Cup Final of people searching for old ticket stubs in ever more unlikely places in the hope of being able to secure their place of watching the ‘Orns at Wembley.

As the years passed I never did alter my routine of searching out Terry’s cartoon first before reading the rest of the paper. He’d always make me smile even in the wake of a heavy defeat and I look forward to him doing so again on Friday when the WO publish some of his cartoons as a tribute.

In their own way Terry’s drawings were a part of what made Watford FC and the Watford Observer what they are to me today. He and his work will be much missed.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Feeling Nauseous- Watford 0 Cardiff City 4

Today it was the fans turn to feel nauseous. This was our worst home defeat since Jan 2004 when we lost 5-1 to Palace, and the first time we'd lost 4-0 at home since the visit of Swindon Town in 1993.

It would be easy to be critical but having written what I did on Tuesday night I guess this is one of those games we are going to have to accept occasionally. To quote the programme again H made the remark that a team as young as this one will suffer periods of inconsistency and today our entire 14 were affected. What was most frustrating was that even the old hands who we should be able to rely on like Eustace, Lloyd and Harley were equally as ropey as the youngsters.

Cardiff were a lot better than us from the outset but we didn't help ourselves at all by gifting them two easy goals. In retrospect the ref awarding a penalty for Cathcart's tug seems very ironic considering that he never gave anything for the constant holding, pushing and jostling that we had to endure. He was easily the worst official we've had so far this season. I think the second goal just has to be put down to the continuing education of Scott Loach.

One hoped that maybe the interval would see us re-group and come out in a more determined fashion as we had done against Leicester. This time though we had no H to work his magic, although I felt we could've done with a substitution all the same. Instead we were just as turgid and it was no surprise they doubled their lead with two well taken goals. At least they weren't all soft.

Once we were 4-0 down we did actually start trying and played some nice football. Ellington looked especially hungry and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. We bombarded the Cardiff goal at times but it was clear it just wasn't going to be our day.

I am beginning to wonder about the impact of the loanees on the team. Certainly we need some help but Cathcart had a mare of a game and looks less reliable than the similarly skilled Dale Bennett at the back. Why are we persevering with Craig? I think it would make much more sense to be giving the experience to the player who is contracted to us, rather than one who'll eventually make his way back to Old Trafford. Lansbury seems to have got the skills but doesn't know how to work them into our team and hasn't grasped the concept of shooting at all. Only Cleverley seems to fit in well, and even then I might be confusing him with Hoskins as they look so similar.

This team was unlikely to beat a high flying Cardiff team anyway. But it was the manner of the defeat that was so depressing. Unlike Tuesday night this wasn't 100% effort. We could do without having two weeks now to mull over this game or the fact that the next one is away at Middlesbrough.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Watford v Cardiff City- Previously...

Our first meeting with Cardiff was back in 1923 when we took them to a second replay, which in those days was played at a neutral venue (in this case Villa Park), in the FA Cup First Round before going down 2-1. During the 30's we were regular Division 3 (South) opponents but it wasn't until 2003 that they started to become very regular opposition once more.

We've played 45 times, winning 17, drawing 11 and losing 17 scoring 67 goals to their 60. In the 22 meetings at the Vic we've won 12, drawn 7 and lost just 3 times scoring 42 goals to their 22. Our biggest win was a 4-0 home victory back in 1936. Twice we've gone down by 3 goals away which represents our worst results against the Bluebirds, 4-1 in 1933 and 3-0 seventy years later.

Our last meeting at home was rather eventful as we scored twice in the opening 25 minutes before Priskin got sent off. Richard Lee saved a penalty but Cardiff still managed to force a draw with two goals in the last twenty. In March we lost 2-1 in the Welsh capital after giving away a penalty in injury time.

Cardiff hilariously missed out on the playoffs on the very last day of the season having been in the top six for the majority of the season. This year they have started solidily and are currently 5th after their 6-1 hammering of Derby on Tuesday night. However before that, they'd lost three in a row against QPR, Villa and Sheffield Wednesday and on the road they've been beaten by Doncaster and drew at Blackpool.

City's Michael Chopra had a memorable loan spell at Vicarage Road becoming the first player since Luther to score four goals in a game during the 7-4 massacre at Turf Moor. He also played for us in the FA Cup Semi Final defeat to Southampton. Their assistant manager Terry Burton did the same job for two and a half seasons alongside Ray Lewington before Sam Hammam tempted him down to Wales. Mutual friends include Neal Ardley, Jermaine Darlington and Mel Rees.