Monthly Archives: March 2024

29th March 2024- Championship, Watford 2 Leeds United 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-leeds-united/teams/485169

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2

Sky Sports: Watford began brightly in Tom Cleverley’s first match at Vicarage Road as interim manager. They won early set pieces and had a shout for a penalty – but Ethan Amapdu’s coming together with Yasser Aspirilla was not enough for a spot kick.

BBC: The hosts produced perhaps their best half of the season as Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis struck before the break, either side of a Crysencio Summerville stunner, to put them 2-1 ahead at half-time.

Guardian: “Everyone wants to play front-foot football but you have to be structured,” Cleverley said. “Against a team like Leeds if you’re a bit gung-ho they can slice you open. We looked a really controlled team. It’s a tough task to come up against the league leaders but we showed we can more than compete. I want everyone to leave at the end of the season thinking we’ve got a promotion push in us next year.”

Watford Observer: Watford 2-2 Leeds United: Bayo and Dennis on target in draw

BHappy: Emmanuel Dennis is haring towards the Sir Elton John Stand and the stadium – barring the rammed away section – is collectively doing its nut. This is Vicarage Road  at it’s finest…  an evening kick-off, for one thing.  This stadium is ours and home.  We know it’s special for all sorts of reasons that might not be immediately apparent to a neutral, let alone a rival.  But even the most journeyed supporter would surely concede that there’s nowhere that quite sucks in the darkness like Vicarage Road on such occasions. 

Fran’s Watford Blog: Before kick-off, Tim Coombs welcomed Tom Cleverley to the dug out for his first home match in charge.  His photo was displayed on the big screen with the caption “Our Tom” which was just lovely.

16th March 2024- Championship, Birmingham City 0 Watford 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

BBC: Struggling Birmingham City were left ruing a defensive lapse that ruined an otherwise much-improved performance as Emmanuel Dennis’ first-half goal gave Tom Cleverley a win in his first game as Watford interim head coach.

Sky: Aiwu could not control Cody Drameh’s throw-in across his own penalty area and Dennis got the better of the defender before finishing ruthlessly past John Ruddy.

BHappy: There’s a new broom in town… and yes, yes, we’re quite used to that and no, it’s not all about the head coach, deeper problems, yada yada.  Nonetheless.  There’s a newness to it and the potential for something different.  Daughter 2 notes that the large away end is full.  It’s not just the convenient distance that has brought folk out, and the new (interim) head coach’s name is being sung before the man himself even appears.

Fran’s Watford Blog: So, the Cleverley era started with a win, but it had been a very poor game of football between two poor teams.  The Hornets had taken the three points based on an opportunist goal and a couple of excellent saves from Bachmann.  Pollock impressed as did Porteous and Tom Dele-Bashiru, but the forwards had a disappointing afternoon.  Still, three points are always welcome, and we now have a fortnight to prepare for the challenges of the Easter weekend.  Let’s hope that this result will instil some confidence and that the remaining games yield some entertainment.  This has been a trying season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68519397

9th March 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Coventry City 2 after which Valerien Ismael was dismissed and replaced by Tom Cleverley who was named as Interim Head Coach

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-coventry-city/teams/485145

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Sky: Haji Wright scored twice as Coventry came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

BBC: Ryan Porteous put the home side in front after a bright start from the out-of-form hosts. USA forward Wright scored a penalty just before half-time to level after Josh Eccles was fouled, before adding another 18 minutes from time.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Coventry City 2

The drop and the chop – could one or both happen to Ismael?

Hornets’ home misery continues with Coventry defeat

Around five and a half hours after the game finished the club confirmed that Valerin Ismael had been dismissed as Head Coach and would be replaced by Tom Cleverley on an interim basis.

BBC: Watford have sacked boss Valerien Ismael following a run of only one win in 10 league games, with Tom Cleverley named as interim head coach.

Sky: Ismael was Watford’s 20th different manager since the Pozzo family took control of the club in 2020.

Watford Observer: Ismael sacked – Cleverley takes interim charge

Ismael sacked: he got more time than many but couldn’t survive this run

Sacked in March but Ismael’s January decisions were his downfall

BHappy: And so midway through the writing of this report the news breaks that has been coming, however reluctantly.  Ten months is probably not far from average for a managerial tenure these days and any number of statistics will support the fact that most clubs in this position would have taken the same steps by now, not that this will prevent any tired hacks from wheeling out tired gags.

Fran’s Watford Blog: I went to a gig in the evening and, while travelling home, picked up the news that Valerien had gone.  Given the terrible run of results that we have had lately, it was hardly a surprise.  I just hope that Tom Cleverley can bring some of the magic that he has had with the youngsters to the first team.  I certainly wish him well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68454825

6th March 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Swansea City 1

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-swansea-city/teams/485133

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Sky: Watford have still not won at home in the league since November 28. Goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was brought back for a first Watford appearance in the league since three days before that win.

BBC: The Hornets fell behind in comical fashion early on when goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann raced out of his goal and teenage full-back Ryan Andrews headed into his own net.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Swansea 1

The painful, limping journey to getting safe goes on

When you’re lacking confidence, what you don’t need is a bad start

‘When you start to lose games then you overthink as a player’

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were a couple of boos at the end, which I thought were totally undeserved given the second half performance.  Thankfully, the crowd who gathered along the front of the Rookery were there to cheer the players rather than berate them.  It had been a much better second half with lots of attacking play from the Hornets and plenty of shots, even if they struggled to get many on target.  The goal had been a terrible one to give away, but they recovered well and grew in confidence as the game went on.  It was the best we have seen from the Hornets in some time, and it was great to be in the Rookery with people on their feet cheering the lads on.  Coventry will be a different prospect than Swansea, but let’s hope that this improvement continues to the weekend.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68420955

2nd March 2024- Championship, Millwall 1 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Talking through the problem has worked already this season

Although Millwall no longer produce an official programme their supporters club does produce one for every home game.
https://www.skysports.com/football/millwall-vs-watford/teams/485114

Sky: Zian Flemming’s early free-kick was enough for Millwall to defeat Watford 1-0 at The Den and make it two wins from two since manager Neil Harris’ return to the club.

BBC: Flemming beat keeper Ben Hamer from 30 yards as Valerien Ismael’s Hornets suffered their fifth defeat in six games, a run which looks to have put them out of contention for a play-off place.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Millwall 1 Watford 0

When you’ve got a trigger-happy owner, displays like this won’t discourage him

‘Game management was not good’ as Watford chased for 88 minutes

Andrews’ Dad’s late-night social media posts about defender’s absence

BHappy: It hasn’t been a great start.  Millwall are boisterous from the off;  we look hung over.  Edo Kayembe swings a boot at the ball and clumsily takes out his opponent instead in the first minute;  clearly a foul, but Gavin Ward feels the room and sets a suitable tone of irritating, pedantic inconsistency for the afternoon by booking Kayembe and then not booking Millwall left wing-back McNamara for a similar foul minutes later.  By that time Jake Livermore has given away a stupid, cheap free kick with a shove in the back that was probably visible from the crowded alleys of Borough Market.  Zian Flemming takes an ambitious shot that deflects off the back of the jumping, twisting Asprilla and squirms past Ben Hamer who, one imagines, might feel he could have done rather better, deflection or otherwise.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was another disappointing afternoon of football.  The game was completely dominated by the Hornets but the early goal for Millwall meant that they were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure.  They defended in numbers and the Hornets struggled to break them down.  The positive was that it was a much livelier performance than against Huddersfield but, as so often this season, despite dominating possession and having more shots, the keeper, Šarkić, wasn’t really troubled.  The lack of confidence in the team was particularly apparent in the performance of Hamer, who made two glaring errors.  But there were plenty of others who made poor decisions leading to misplaced passes and wayward shots.  After this poor run of results, while we are still mid-table, we are looking down rather than up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68389100