Monthly Archives: March 2018

31st March 2018- Premier League, Watford 2 AFC Bournemouth 2

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clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1 2

Watford Observer

RELIVE – Watford vs AFC Bournemouth: Late Jermaine Defoe goal sees Premier League points shared

Watford let lead slip twice as Bournemouth snatch late draw

Javi Gracia reflects after Watford drop two points in Bournemouth draw

Javi Gracia pleased his options are increasing as Watford’s injury list lessens

Player ratings: Jose Holebas the villain as Will Hughes and Kiko Femenia impress against AFC Bournemouth

GALLERY: A selection of images from Watford’s draw with Bournemouth

Watford vs AFC Bournemouth: Late Jermaine Defoe tough to take, says Craig Cathcart

Will Hughes: Late AFC Bournemouth leveller takes sheen off first Watford start since December

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe praised veteran striker Jermain Defoe for his “huge” 92nd-minute equaliser that denied Watford victory at Vicarage Road.

Watford were hard done by but had only themselves to blame, having earlier blown Kiko Femenia’s 13th-minute opener when Jose Holebas needlessly handballed in the box, allowing Josh King to equalise from the spot (43).

Roberto Pereyra put the home side back ahead and they protected that lead impressively until injury time, when they finally succumbed by failing to clear a free-kick and allowing the ball to bounce for Defoe.

Locked together in mid-table, both sides could reach the 40-point mark with victories on Saturday, when Watford are at home to Burnley and Bournemouth host struggling Crystal Palace.

The cast list revealed a return to 4-2-3-1 and most significantly the much-discussed-amid-awkward-shuffles-of-the-feet benching of the long-since wrung-out Richarlíson with Will Hughes starting behind Troy.

Nathan Aké started for the visitors, I know that I am not the only Watford fan who is still very disappointed that he didn’t sign for us instead.

There’s no denying that this one hurts and although we haven’t lost it certainly felt like it at the time.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6765022-can-t-handle-hughes-8-41

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17th March 2018- Premier League, Liverpool 5 Watford 0

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Watford Observer

RELIVE – Liverpool vs Watford: Mohamed Salah hits four to condemn Hornets to 5-0 humbling

Mo Salah scores four as Watford thrashed at Liverpool

Watford boss questions Hornets’ passion and desire after Liverpool thrashing

Adrian Mariappa: Heavy Liverpool loss embarrassing for Watford

GALLERY: Mohamed Salah makes Watford suffer in Liverpool loss

Player ratings: Mohamed Salah makes Miguel Britos suffer as Liverpool hammer Watford

Miguel Britos: Watford defender sorry for fans after horror show against Mohamed Salah inspire Liverpool

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi have similar qualities, says Watford’s Javi Gracia

WATFORD OPINION: Hornets must make the most of home comforts after Liverpool hammering

Mohamed Salah scored four goals as Liverpool moved up to third in the Premier League table by thrashing Watford at Anfield.

Salah struck twice in the first half and then twice again late in the game to secure his first Liverpool hat-trick and take his tally to 36 for the season in all competitions.

Watford will have returned home last night wondering how they were on the end of such a sobering scoreline. They were by no means a shambles. Yet, in sport, ability generally finds a way of shining through and Salah’s class is so clearcut, so emphatic and so enjoyable that he is comfortably the Premier League’s most attractive sight at present.

It is hard to imagine, after this brutal dismantling, that the two sides had shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road back in August.

There were some positives for the Hornets. Karnezis, despite letting in five goals, put on a decent show. But my highlight was a decent performance from Pereyra, who put together some lovely moves which cheered me up greatly on a day when there were few moments of joy. He seems to shine against more talented opposition as he clearly feels that he is less likely to be clattered.

Whilst in the ground I obviously took a few obligatory selfies. As I was taking them a very kind steward asked if I would like him to take a proper photo of me. What a kind gesture I thought and so I took him up on the offer. I always get very anxious about other people taking a photo for me. It has to be done right and I can get a little bit picky about what needs to be in it and angles and stuff.

This steward however had a different idea. Instead of taking a few dodgy ones where I’d have to be very British and say “they’re great, thanks very much” he in fact held the camera button on my phone down and put it into ‘burst’ mode and thus took 100 photos.

Yes, you read that right. 100 awkward photos of me at Anfield.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6735741-live-on-facebook-8-39

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11th March 2018- Premier League, Arsenal 3 Watford 0

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Watford Observer

RELIVE – Arsenal vs Watford: Troy Deeney misses penalty in Premier League loss

Troy Deeney misses penalty in Watford’s Arsenal loss

Picture selection from Watford’s defeat at Arsenal

Javi Gracia reflects on Watford’s Arsenal defeat

Watford and Arsenal bosses have their say on Troy Deeney’s comments

Watford: Troy Deeney backed to recover from Arsenal penalty miss by Kiko Femenia

Heurelho Gomes: Watford stopper dismisses personal reasons as answer for missing Arsenal game

Watford player ratings: Sebastian Prodl and Troy Deeney struggle in Arsenal loss

Arsenal looked to answer Troy Deeney’s cojones comments against Watford, says Rob Holding

Goals from Shkodran Mustafi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave Wenger’s side their first league win since beating Everton 5-1 on 3 February.

The hosts had escaped punishment for a profligate first half and were indebted to Petr Cech for saving a Troy Deeney penalty just minutes after Aubameyang struck, the goalkeeper finally recording his 200th Premier League clean sheet.

Cech saved from Abdoulaye Doucouré and Richarlison while, between times, the goalkeeper pushed out a Richarlison free-kick to present Roberto Pereyra with an inviting chance. He blazed off target. Cech was not entirely convincing when asked to get down low with any degree of speed.

How the Arsenal fans also delighted in Deeney’s failure; or at least those who turned up. Anger has turned to apathy at the Emirates and there were thousands of empty seats as this game unfolded and that will be of concern to the club. Officially, there were 59,131 seats ‘sold’ but a lot were unoccupied.

There was also a milestone in the commentary box as it was to be John Motson’s last live radio commentary. I could only hope that Watford would give him something interesting to talk about (in a good way).

There was no shame in this result. We paid Arsenal too much respect in the first half and if we had been more clinical with our chances we could have got something from the game. The penalty miss at 2-0 was the crucial moment in the game and in the end Arsenal deserved the points.

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3rd March 2018- Premier League, Watford 1 West Bromwich Albion 0

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clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1

Watford Observer

RELIVE – Watford vs West Bromwich Albion: Troy Deeney strikes to seal Premier League win

Troy Deeney goal the difference as Watford beat West Bromwich Albion

Javi Gracia reflects on the positives after Watford’s win over West Bromwich Albion

Watford vs West Bromwich Albion ratings: Adrian Mariappa impresses on his 250th start, while Troy Deeney and Will Hughes play important roles

GALLERY: A selection of images from Watford’s win against West Bromwich Albion

Troy Deeney: Watford captain plays ‘massive’ role at club, says Adrian Mariappa

Stefano Okaka: Watford striker feeling the love again after tough season, says Troy Deeney

Troy Deeney’s second-half goal deepened West Brom’s relegation woes and piled the pressure on Alan Pardew as Watford continued their resurgence with a 1-0 win at Vicarage Road.

Not that the home supporters cared. Having roared with delight in response to a goal that lifts them up to ninth, they turned their attention to the opposition manager. It soon spread to the away end and all Pardew could do was stand motionless and look on. His suffering may soon be over.

Troy Deeney profited from a West Brom mistake, as Grzegorz Krychowiak gave away the ball in midfield and Will Hughes played in the Watford captain, who coolly clipped the ball over Ben Foster in the 77th minute.

Six points in two games have sent Watford into ninth, and all those fears of being dragged into the relegation zone have washed away since the arrival of Javi Gracia. “I think today we have many positives,” the Watford manager said. “One of them is Troy scored again. I am very happy with him.”

But it was the arrival of Hughes that was the catalyst for the victory. As with Femenía’s return last week, the Spaniard missing ill today, it was gratifying that the transformative effect that injured players are inevitably imbued with in our mind’s eye had a basis in reality. Hughes announced himself with a resilient holding off of aggressive Albion attention, and then set about his nimble, clever, precise work from the right flank. It set a tone… Okaka was unlucky not to score, receiving Holebas’ cross, stepping across a challenge and slamming a low drive past Foster only to find Gibbs on the line.

Mariappa was in action at both ends of the pitch, flicking on a corner that didn’t quite reach Deeney and then clearing Rondón’s cross after Capoue had lost out in midfield.

Another ugly 1-0 win at home, another clean sheet and another Deeney goal almost in the exact same minute. Great Scott! It was like someone had crammed the whole of Vicarage Road into a DeLorean and sent us on our way at 88mph back to last Saturday.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6705179-time-to-stop-worrying-8-37

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