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15th October 2005- Championship, Watford 1 Leicester City 2

Leicester claimed their first away victory of the season at Watford.

Don’t let me paint this as a crisis. It isn’t, and it doesn’t need to be. But it shouldn’t be taken lightly either, just because the start to the campaign was so exuberant and so refreshing. For the second time, we dropped points at home in a tight game, leaving a striker on the bench with a substitution to spare.

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15th October 1996- New Division Two, Watford 2 Burnley 2

Confident? Only slightly, to be honest. During the summer, I said that I didn’t believe the current squad would be capable of winning promotion – less to do with the quality of the players, more to do with the total lack of strength in depth. I wish I’d changed my mind but I haven’t. We had three YTS players on the bench last night and, while it’s great to see that we have so many young players progressing through the club, that indicates that we’re dreadfully short of options.

5th October 2019- Premier League, Watford 0 Sheffield United 0

Referee:Andre Marriner
Attendance: 20,811

Match Report: Watford 0-0 Sheffield United

Added Time: Prödl & Smith’s Sheff Utd Reaction

Sánchez Flores: “We Had The Best Chances”

Kabasele: “The Clean Sheet Is Very Important”

Prödl: “I’ve Experienced A Lot In Football”

Watford earn their first clean sheet in 20 league matches with goalless game against Sheffield United

Watford record clean sheet but unable to beat Sheffield United in draw

Quique Sanchez Flores feels a more confident Watford would have beaten Sheffield United

Watford head coach explains Etienne Capoue’s absence against Sheffield United and sends a ‘message’ to his squad

Watford players rated after Sheffield United draw

Sebastian Prodl claims to have suffered a lot during Watford absence

Christian Kabasele thinks Watford have too much quality for relegation

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores said his team are “on the road to finding” their first win of the season after they were held to a forgettable goalless draw by Sheffield United.

Despite having just 39 per cent of the ball and registering just two shots on target, Watford created the big opportunities in the match but Andre Gray, Danny Welbeck and Craig Dawson were denied as Blades goalkeeper Dean Henderson redeemed himself after last weekend’s error against Liverpool.

Gray’s horrific miss came following a 10th-minute counter-attack, as Pereyra cut in from the right and crossed to the back post, where the striker somehow shot over.

Watford’s teamsheet read like a classified ad: Desperately Seeking Solidity. Their manager, Quique Sánchez Flores, tried to repair a defence that had conceded 20 goals in their previous seven league matches by changing formation and giving Sebastian Prödl a first league start for 17 months, putting him in the heart of a five-man rearguard. Flores later denied it was his intention to sit deep and hope for counterattacks at home to a newly promoted team; but that is how things panned out. The Blades had most of the ball but were unable to unpick the Watford padlock.

Six months ago, as we entertained realistic hopes of European competition, it would not have seemed credible that we’d go into a match at home to a newly promoted side, even a Sheffield United who have started the season in decent form, not being strong favourites to win.

The main positive from the afternoon was that this was the first clean sheet since February.  Our defence has been dreadfully leaky and we looked much stronger with three at the back, although this improvement at the back may have been helped by the opposition being Sheffield United.  Still, Prödl had a great game, he is much more of a commanding presence at the back than either Cathcart or Dawson.  Kabasele was immense and was named man of the match by the sponsors and thoroughly deserved it.

28th September 2019- Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Watford 0

Referee: Paul Tierney
Attendance: 30,711

Match Report: Wolves 2-0 Watford

Sánchez Flores: “We Have To All Work Together”

Cathcart: “We Have To Move On & Give Our Fans Something Back”

Highlights: Wolves 2-0 Watford

Watford beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers in bottom of the league clash

Watford’s search for a league win continues after Wolverhampton Wanderers defeat

Quique Sanchez Flores insists Watford are working hard to improve fortunes after Wolverhampton Wanderers loss

Watford players rated after defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nuno Espirito Santo describes Watford as ‘very tough’ opponents

Tom Cleverley thinks it will take time for Watford to improve

Tom Cleverley claims Watford’s game against Sheffield United is now of huge importance

Wolves climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory against Watford at Molineux, deepening Quique Sanchez Flores’ side’s troubles at the bottom of the Premier League table in the process.

A Matt Doherty strike followed by a Daryl Janmaat own goal either side of half-time was enough to secure the three points.

“We have problems, we have insecurities. We made easy mistakes that give advantage to an opponent. All these things happen when you are a bit down,” Sánchez Flores said. His general criticism soon gave way to a more specific critique however, with the Spaniard suggesting his players had not understood, or failed to act upon, his instructions.

Danny Welbeck, leading the line in his first Premier League start in almost a year, produced Watford’s best effort, the former Arsenal striker drawing a good save from Rui Patricio in the second half, but that was the only time the visitors really looked like scoring.

Wolves’ second took any fight out of us, and there was no praying for minutes as the board goes up, no suggestion of a fightback. Maybe all it would have taken was a goal, home fans suddenly nervous in the closing minutes, we’ll never know. In the same way there are several ways to interpret this game… given this vantage point, given last week, given no wins and such little fight it’s difficult not to be negative. 

As I left work on Friday, I had a chat with one of my colleagues about our chances for the weekend.  He reminded me that going to football was supposed to be fun.  He is so right and, sadly, the games really aren’t fun at the moment.  I hope that changes very soon.

24th September 2019- League Cup Third Round, Watford 2 Swansea City 1

Referee: Darren Bond
Attendance: 8,903
1-0
2-1

Match Report: Watford 2-1 Swansea City

Sánchez Flores: “We Had A Very Good Energy”

Prödl: “We Can Fight With Confidence”

Added Time: Welbeck, Deeney & Wilmot’s Swansea Reaction

Welbeck: “It’s Time To Knuckle Down”

Watford seeking Carabao Cup third round win over Swansea City

Danny Welbeck helps Watford beat Swansea City in the Carabao Cup

Quique Sanchez Flores delighted with Watford’s Carabao Cup win over Swansea City

Watford players rated after beating Swansea City in the Carabao Cup

Danny Welbeck is hoping to become a Watford regular after scoring his first goal

Danny Welbeck scored his first goal for almost a year as Watford beat Swansea to reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Welbeck headed in the opener and had a hand in Roberto Pereyra’s winner after Swansea threatened an upset when Sam Surridge equalised.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_EFL_Cup

21st September 2019- Premier League, Manchester City 8 Watford 0

Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 54,273

Match Report: Defeat At The Etihad

Sánchez Flores: “We Say Sorry To The Fans”

Lowlights: Man City 8-0 Watford

Mariappa: “We Need To Show Our Togetherness & Character”

Watford concede eight away against Manchester City.

Watford fall to eight-goal defeat at hands of Manchester City

Quique Sanchez Flores thinks Watford defeat to Manchester City damages his reputation

Quique Sanchez Flores wants Watford to remove bad Manchester City memories

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster expects Manchester City to score 10 after ‘no fun’ loss

Manchester City scored five goals in a devastating opening 18-minute spell as they responded to their shock defeat at Norwich with an 8-0 demolition of Watford on Saturday.

Bernardo Silva scored a hat-trick as Pep Guardiola’s side ran riot to clinch their biggest league win since he took charge in 2016. They also hit the woodwork twice and continued to chase further goals until the end, but a record victory eluded them.

Watford’s heaviest ever defeat in English league football – at the hands of an irresistible Manchester City – prompted harsh words from pundits, their own players and manager.

Quique Sánchez Flores took out Christian Kabesele and Andre Gray for Dimitri Foulquier and Adrian Mariappa, the manager perhaps wishing he had the roughhouse qualities of the injured Troy Deeney to give Otamendi and Fernandinho a differing challenge to that of Shakhtar Donetsk, whom City coasted past to a midweek 3-0 Champions League win.

There must have been moments out there when Quique Sanchez Flores will have wondered what he might have been doing this weekend had he not taken the call from Watford owner Gino Pozzo earlier this month: sitting on a beach, meeting old friends, undergoing painful dental surgery.

Ben Foster was trying his best to communicate, trying to funnel messages through to his Watford team-mates, anything that might help to slow momentarily the siege but it was a futile exercise. 

When I sent out the e-mail to our group asking who wanted tickets for this game, I couldn’t help noticing that there were more apologies for absence than usual.  I can’t say that I blamed them as the memory of the cup final is still rather raw and, given our start to the season, this was not a game that I was looking forward to.

15th September 2019- Premier League, Watford 2 Arsenal 2

Quique Sanchez Flores first programme notes from his second spell as Manager.

Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 21,360
1-2
2-2

Match Report: Watford 2-2 Arsenal

Sánchez Flores: “They Showed Me They Are Strong”

Foster: “The Win’s Going To Come Soon”

Highlights: Hornets Clinch Arsenal Draw

Cleverley: “I’m Getting In Good Positions”

Dawson: “It Was Great To See The Confidence Back”

Affleck’s Angle: It’s Funny How Things Pan Out

Watford draw against Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first game back

Watford came from two goals down to snatch a point against Arsenal

Quique Sanchez Flores delighted with Watford reaction against Arsenal

Watford players show grit in comeback against Arsenal

Christian Kabasele thinks Watford’s draw with Arsenal felt like a win

Quique Sanchez Flores is making a plan for Watford striker Danny Welbeck

A selection of images as Watford draw with Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first match since returning to Vicarage Road

Tom Cleverley was surprised by Arsenal’s dangerous tactics against Watford

Craig Dawson thinks Watford have more confidence under Quique Sanchez Flores

Bernd Leno claims Arsenal were fortunate not to lose against Watford

Ben Foster thinks Watford will find their first win soon after Arsenal display

Quique Sanchez Flores impressed by ‘mature’ Watford captain Etienne Capoue

Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead at Watford through defensive errors as Quique Sanchez Flores’ side earned a 2-2 draw in the first game of his second spell.

The hosts fired in 31 shots – a club-record for a Premier League game – as Arsenal’s shaky defence finally cracked after the break.

Watford had the chances during a breathless finale when the outstanding Gerard Deulofeu fired inches off target and Tom Cleverley saw a shot deflect wide off David Luiz before, at the very last, Abdoulaye Doucouré blew a gilt-edged opportunity, shooting too close to Bernd Leno.

And so Quique’s back, and inevitably he’s given a warm welcome because such is the way of things in such situations even if the man in question isn’t a good bloke from recent memory.  His first team selection is encouraging in its shape…  a return to the 4-2-3-1 of Marco Silva’s brief successful period with Tom restored to the buzzing around role in front of two sitting midfielders, Étienne Capoue stepping into the role vacated by Nathaniel Chalobah after his knee injury.  More odd was an extremely conservative bench, no out-and-out striker with Welbeck (reportedly injured in training on Friday) and Success omitted from the squad.

The final whistle went to rapturous cheers.  As the players applauded the crowd, Quique’s name was being sung and he responded with a broad smile and an enthusiastic wave.