I'll always love Watford, of course. I love the club so much, all the memories, the memorabilia, the programmes, everything that I've collected over the first 29 years of my support for them. But the current incarnation of the 11 players and manager who act as the figurehead of our club aren't really doing it for me even in victory.
The good bits have left, got injured or are being ignored and been replaced by too many parts that are proving very difficult to take to ones heart. Sure, Carl Dickinson has a nice thing going on in his gestures to the fans but as a player seems too prone to allowing players to get past him. David Mirfin was so bad and anonymous he is already out of the team. The same with Joe Garner. One week they are the answer, the next not even on the bench. Dean Yeates' crossing often leaves a lot to be desired. Indeed tonight he would have been easily outscored by Lee Hodson if they were competing in a game show called Strictly Come Crosses.
Chris Iwelumo makes Trevor Senior and Kerry Dixon look like good committed Watford strikers. I like Troy Deeney I really do but a goal a year? Really?? The quality of his strike tonight said it all. We might as well bring back Liam Henderson. Craig Forsyth was always going to struggle because he is a winger and Scottish and so will always be compared to the ultimately better Don Cowie. He also didn't do himself any favours in admitting he'd had second thoughts about whether he did the right thing in joining us. Even so, I thought the reception he received tonight when subbed was pretty harsh. He wasn't great but I still would've taken Iwelumo off first.
Loach has managed to ensure that the stadium holds its breath every time he needs to make a decision. As for Gilmartin I still don't feel I know enough about him to have an opinion. Dyche's conduct with the keepers has just been downright bizarre. Bring Rene in just to throw him out again after a predictable loss to Southampton? Mention the possibility of him going on loan and bring in Jonathan Bond as the deputy and then send him out on loan instead. It must be so reassuring for them all to know exactly where they stand.
The number of loanees coming in and out is beginning to get difficult to keep up with. So, even more than in previous seasons, none of them really feel like ours. Dychy says he wouldn't sign an injured loan player but then where is Craig Beattie? Are our coaching staff really so stupid that they worked a player without much match fitness into the ground before he had a chance to appear for us? At least Michael Kightly got a game but then the same happened to him. I hope Nyron Nosworthy stays fit because he is the only one other than Andi Weimann this season that I've thought I'd like to see playing regularly in a yellow shirt.
Of the new guys only Jonathan Hogg is anywhere near approaching fully paid up Golden Boy status. Buaben, having finally broken into the team, has made a good start and looks like he might follow suit.
Doyley, Mapps, Tiny, Eustace, Sords and McGinn are all, of course, beyond reproach. As are the number of young academy stars we are being denied much of a glimpse of. I still think they are the answer. This club has been at its most successful when bringing through youth players. The times its been at its worst have been those when too many poor newbies were brought in just for the sake of it. Dave Bassett did it and so did Vialli. I think I can remember that mild feeling of pleasure when they won Watford games too.
