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28th November 2017- Premier League, Watford 2 Manchester United 4

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screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-22clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary   Goals:  1    2

Watford Observer

Watford battle back but victorious Manchester United punish mistakes to triumph

Marco Silva says ‘nervous’ Watford gifted Manchester United three-goal lead but praises Hornets’ chracter

Watford v Manchester United: Mourinho says ‘pressure-free’ Hornets could afford to go for broke

Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo should have been sent off, says Watford boss Marco Silva

Watford v Manchester United: Marco Silva says Jose Mourinho’s comments ‘harsh’ after defeat

Manchester United loss the product of poor first half, says Watford’s Marvin Zeegelaar

Watford vs Manchester United ratings: Troy Deeney and Andre Carrillo impress from the bench but defence struggles

BBC Sport Manchester United “should have been smoking cigars” in their Premier League victory over Watford, manager Jose Mourinho said.

sky Ashley Young scored two superb goals before Manchester United held off a second-half Watford fightback to win 4-2 at Vicarage Road in the Premier League.

guardian United had looked like running away from Watford as Ashley Young enjoyed an early festive return to Vicarage Road, scoring two lovely goals. The home team never gave up though, dragging it back to 3-2 before Jesse Lingard took the game away with a sublime late fourth goal, weaving his way from his own half to finish in front of a delirious away end.

TelegraphIt was already a strange night’s football by the time that Mourinho came in post-match to analyse a game in which his team had taken a three-goal lead within 31 minutes only almost to throw it all away in the second half when Watford claimed two of their own. This briefly looked like the worst nightmare for a manager whose speciality was once that his teams knew how to shut the door as well as any other, and it took Jesse Lingard to score a brilliant fourth to seal it.

FranIt all started so well.  The Hornets had an early chance as Femenía hit a cross that Richarlison was just unable to reach.  The Brazilian was the next to try a cross, but it was caught by De Gea.  A corner from Cleverley was met by the head of Zeegelaar, but the effort was blocked.  Somewhat against the run of play, the visitors took the lead in the 19th minute with a gorgeous shot from Young that curled in at the near post.  He celebrated in front of the Watford fans, which incurred the wrath of many in the Rookery meaning that his every touch was booed from that moment on. 

The Hornets Nest X-Factor finalists Rak-Su performed at half time and after asking “Watford how we feeling?!”, which one can only assume was rhetorical (no one is that dumb, right?), the question got the response (or rather lack of) that it deserved.

It seemed all over in the space of about 14 minutes, but Watford did make the match look vaguely interesting in the end. Jon, Mike and DCW talk through the match and the BIG 5 who have visited Vicarage Road already this season!

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28th November 2009- Championship, Crystal Palace 3 Watford 0

Victor Moses opened the scoring after Julian Speroni’s clearance caused havoc in the visiting defence before Alan Lee nodded home Danny Butterfield’s cross. Watford missed a chance to fight back on the stroke of half-time when Speroni saved Danny Graham’s penalty. The in-form Darren Ambrose then wrapped up the win from the edge of the area with his sixth goal in as many games.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=40815&id=4887

25th November 2020- Championship, Bristol City 0 Watford 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/bristol-c-vs-watford/teams/429855

Post Match

It wasn’t a classic and the fans were certainly not missing much by being absent from this one, but the Hornets kept the points tally ticking along this evening to ensure they are still bang in the mix for when, fingers crossed, they can return in some shape of form next month.

Match-Report_-Bristol-City-0-0-Watford-Watford-FCDownload

Watford draw 0-0 with Bristol City

Watford and Bristol City play out goalless draw

Vladimir Ivic in positive mood after Watford and Bristol City draw

Watford players rated after draw with Bristol City

Ben Foster tells Watford players to be more clinical

City goalkeeper Dan Bentley made the save of the match in the 74th minute, showing great reactions to tip over a shot from Domingos Quina.

Vladimir Ivic’s visitors, who were without three unnamed players who have tested positive for coronavirus, tailed off in the second half as City forward Antoine Semenyo looked the most likely to make something happen.

This was football which deserved to be played behind closed doors. That old Shankly quip about closing the curtains if Everton were playing down the bottom of the garden. But there’s something lurking underneath that too, a sense of how football re-shapes itself when it isn’t so conscious of the public gaze. It’s hard to believe that Bristol City could be quite this cautious in front of a stadium full of their own supporters; unless the opposition is particularly illustrious, and sometimes even then, home fans tend to want to see their team do more than line up in defensive banks. They don’t touch the ball for the first two minutes, content to get their shape and sit tight. In real life, you just can’t do that without a rising restlessness in the stands.

It ended honours even at Bristol City, and while it was level pegging at Ashton Gate, there was a difference of opinion when it came to discussing the performance for the podcast…

21st November 2020- Championship, Queens Park Rangers 1 Watford 1

https://www.skysports.com/football/qpr-vs-watford/teams/429845
1-0

Post Match

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Ben Wilmot’s recent 21st birthday marked his ascension from a boy to a man. The occasion also nudged open the goalscoring floodgates, resulting in a first for his country and now a first for the club.

Watford draw away at Queens Park Rangers

Watford have to settle for draw away at Queens Park Rangers

Vladimir Ivic left frustrated after Watford draw with QPR

Ben Wilmot’s second-minute opener – his first goal for Watford – gave the visitors the perfect start at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium

Ilias Chair’s late equaliser earned QPR a share of the spoils and denied Watford top spot in the Championship.

There’s been a degree of reflection and stock taking of the season so far during the international break.  My own view for what it’s worth, as these reports have probably reflected, is that us getting to where we’ve got to without being particularly convincing is a Good Thing.  If Vlad was giving the impression of thinking we were sorted there’d be a concern.  This isn’t the case at all, and as such woe betide the division when we get our shit together.

Win your home games and draw your away games and you’ll be promoted, that’s what Jas has been telling us for the last ten years. But this away draw at QPR, after a poor second half performance, didn’t feel like a promotion pushing side. Jon, Jason and Mike gather to discuss the game, and hear from Vladimir Ivic in the post match press conference.

7th November 2020- Championship, Watford 3 Coventry City 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-coventry/teams/429836
1-0
2-2
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Post Match

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The Hornets served up a five-goal thriller for the second successive home game, producing the perfect response to those fans who regrettably missed the one three days earlier on Hive Live and leaving themselves in a wonderful position to launch a promotion bid of some substance.

RELIVE: Watford go second in the Championship with win over Coventry

Watford beat Coventry City to move up to second in the Championship

Vladimir Ivic felt Watford were not amazing in Coventry win

Ismaila Sarr struck an 83rd-minute penalty to secure the win, after William Troost-Ekong had equalised following a Coventry comeback.

Andre Gray gave Vladimir Ivić’s side the lead shortly into the second half with his first goal for almost exactly a year, only for Gustavo Hamer to equalise for Coventry with a header from 25 yards out. The Sky Blues then went ahead a minute later as a long ball was flicked on to Tyler Walker to thrash home his first league goal of the season. Their advantage only lasted two minutes before James Garner’s corner was headed in by centre-back William Troost-Ekong for his first goal since joining Watford from Udinese in September.

Today was a good day. On a bad day, maybe we don’t get that equaliser and the game disappears into a miserable, frustrating defeat.  On a bad day, maybe James Garner is pulled up for his challenge in the box prior to the penalty – a coulda rather than shoulda been a foul.  But definitely a coulda.  But today was a good day.  Troy was on by this stage, half the man he used to be but twice as mobile for it;  despite this Ismaïla Sarr picked the ball up and rolled in his third strike in four games. At almost exactly the same time, news broke from the United States that the racist, misogynist, narcissistic, malevolent manchild in the White House had finally been disposed of, and a great big party started.  Today was a good day.

And breathe! For the second time in a week Watford won at Vicarage Road by the odd goal in five, with the win against a spirited Coventry City giving Jon, Jas and Mike plenty to talk about.

4th November 2020- Championship, Watford 3 Stoke City 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-stoke/teams/429824
1-1
2-1
3-2

Post Match

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In a very uncertain world, fans can head into the latest lockdown with at least a degree of confidence that their beloved team is getting back on track.

Live updates from Watford’s match with Stoke City

Ismaila Sarr scores late on as Watford beat Stoke City

Vladimir Ivic has not seen replay of Watford goal against Stoke

Watford players assessed after beating Stoke City

Stoke City boss Michael O’Neill ‘aggrieved’ by controversial Watford goal

Vladimir Ivic praised Watford after ‘very important’ win over Stoke City

Ken Sema claims Watford are ‘back’ after beating Stoke City

Tom Cleverley claims controversial Watford equaliser against Stoke City

A controversial equaliser shrouded in mystery helped Watford beat Stoke 3-2 at Vicarage Road, where Ismaila Sarr scored the winner in stoppage time.

Stoke were given early impetus when Steven Fletcher converted Nick Powell’s low cross. But Watford drew level when Tom Cleverley’s shot was judged to have crossed the line after being tipped on to the bar by keeper Angus Gunn, who was himself then barged over the line by Joao Pedro after gathering the bouncing ball.

For the second successive home game there was late, late drama at Vicarage Road, with the Hornets happily coming out on top this time round.

31st October 2020- Championship, Barnsley 1 Watford 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/barnsley-vs-watford/teams/429801

Post Match

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The Hornets’ black third kit is, as Ben Foster would say, “a thing of beauty”, but it’s not a particularly lucky strip right now. It’s now played two, lost two and no goals scored after the team followed up the 1-0 defeat at Reading with a repeat at Oakwell.

Watford go third game without a win at Barnsley

Tepid Watford comfortably beaten away at Barnsley

Vladimir Ivic concerned after Watford lose to Barnsley

Watford players rated after defeat at Barnsley

Ben Wilmot takes the blame for Watford defeat at Barnsley

The Tykes took the lead after just six minutes courtesy of a screamer from captain Mowatt, whose effort from outside the box flew in off the inside of the post.

Watford carried a greater threat after the break without seriously discomfiting home keeper Jack Walton, but boss Vladimir lvic chose to keep £18.5m striker Andre Gray on the bench until the 76th minute.

Barnsley opened at a blistering pace.  We’ve seen some aggressive pressing this season but this was something else altogether, rabid and ferocious.  William Troost-Ekong’s third-minute booking was a bit harsh, but it reflected the degree to which we were already rattled.  The home side capitalised… a slack pass from Wilmot didn’t reach Capoue, Alex Mowatt seized it and pinged a tremendous shot into the top corner.  It wasn’t that far away from Ben Foster in truth as his reaction betrayed but it was a hell of a strike.

It was a far from Happy Halloween for the Hornets as Watford capped off a disappointing week with defeat to Barnsley at Oakwell. The podcast team try to work out what went wrong in a game that saw the visitors fail to register a single shot on target.