Author Archives: rajo1974

8th September 2026- Championship, Watford 2 Preston North End 1

Watford Observer: ‘We’re Watford, we’ve got to be pushing to win these games’

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 2-1 Preston North End

Match Report: Doumbia header seals Watford comeback win over Preston

Dionisi hails ‘big, big result’ as Watford battle major fitness issues to win

Dionisi: ‘Fantastic Kayembe is an example every day’

Excellent Ravaglia is keeping Watford in every game

Doumbia: ‘I tell the wingers before every game, make the cross’

Match-winner Doumbia: ‘Dionisi tells me he loves me’

BBC:Watford came from a goal down to beat Preston North End 2-1 at Vicarage Road to bounce back from two successive Championship defeats.

Sky; Callum Lang had shot the visitors ahead in the sixth minute as the visitors threatened to overrun the Hornets, who hit back with two second-half goals in seven minutes from Edo Kayembe and Mamadou Doumbia.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It had been a terrible first half of football, but the changes at the break made all the difference and it was a decent performance in the second half. Bravo made all the difference as, finally, we had someone in the midfield battling for the ball and launching attacks. His cross for Doumbia’s goal was perfect. He was my man of the match, but praise should also go to Ravaglia without whom we would have been further behind when we scored. Maamma was another bright spark. He has struggled in recent games, but was back to his best, powering down the wing and making the goal for Kayembe. He was also seen on more than one occasion tracking back and making important tackles. Kayembe gets a hard time from a section of the fan base, but he worked hard and I was glad that he scored and received the adulation from the fans. Similarly, Doumbia, who worked hard all evening and was rewarded with a goal.

From the Rookery End: Watford came from behind to beat Preston North End 2-1 at Vicarage Road – but it took a dramatic half-time intervention to turn a pretty grim evening around.

5th September 2026- Championship, West Bromwich Albion 1 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Dionisi on when Watford’s three deadline night signings will be match fit

Short recovery time is a challenge for Watford squad

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: West Brom 1-0 Watford

Match Report: West Brom condemn Watford to back-to-back away defeats

Watford hopeful Bove avoided serious injury at West Brom

WATCH: Immediate reaction to West Brom 1-0 Watford

BBC: West Bromwich Albion had the free-scoring Jimmy-Jay Morgan to thank at The Hawthorns, the summer signing scoring the only goal as they defeated Watford in a tense contest to move up to fifth in the Championship table.

Sky: Watford are now winless away from home in their last nine trips, since February.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The Hornets were a bit unlucky not to come away with a point from this game. It had been another battling performance and, if Maamma had taken his chances, we could even have won it. The new boys looked promising, particularly Coulibaly, who caught the eye such that he had a song dedicated to him soon after entering the fray

1st September 2026- Championship, Swansea City 2 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Match Report: Watford go down to first league defeat of the season at Swansea

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Swansea City 2-0 Watford

Dionisi ‘angry’ with Watford’s out-of-possession performance at Swansea

Three youngsters leave Watford at the end of summer window

BBC: Swansea’s blend of high tempo and quality on the ball proved too much for Watford to handle, with home debutant Stephen Eustaquio rolling a pass through for Idah to gallop in behind before centring for Eom to finish first time from point-blank range. It was roles reversed for the second goal, with Eom dancing into space on the halfway line before his delightful through-ball sent Idah scampering clear. The former Celtic striker – who was once again preferred to Zan Vipotnik up front – finished in style, rolling a shot between the legs of Hornets goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a deserved defeat for the Hornets. Swansea are the best team that we have seen so far this season and were unplayable for a lot of the first half. Eom, Idah and Opoku caused us no end of problems, and their goals were both excellent moves. The second half was much more even as a contest and Watford did create chances, but Vigouroux wasn’t really tested. The positives for the Hornets were that Ravaglia pulled off a couple of good saves. I thought Zemura had another strong game. Mlačić made a good first impression, looking very assured despite his youth.

29th August 2026- Championship, Watford 1 West Ham United 1

Watford Observer: ‘Difficult but not impossible’ – Dionisi on how Watford can beat West Ham

Dionisi’s realistic tone tells the story ahead of West Ham visit

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-1 West Ham United

Match Report: Watford extend unbeaten start to league season with 1-1 West Ham draw

Dionisi on Nabizada’s ‘moment’ and full of praise for Keben response

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 1-1 West Ham United

Dionisi explains naming two goalkeepers on the bench against West Ham

BBC: Watford withstood huge second half pressure from West Ham to maintain their unbeaten start to the Championship season and keep the Hammers winless. The Hornets took the lead with a lovely solo effort from Amin Nabizada – his second goal of the new campaign.

Sky: It was a goal reminiscent of Gerard Deulofeu’s trick shot at Wembley in the Hornets’ FA Cup semi-final comeback against Wolves seven years ago, and West Ham were briefly rattled. But when the East-enders rattled the collection tin, Hornets defender Kevin Keben gave generously. Trying to shepherd the ball along the dead-ball line towards his own goal, Keben was robbed by Taty Castellanos and home skipper Mattie Pollock turned the ball into his own net from point-blank range.

BHappy: A crying shame, since for all the pressure that is to come, the visitors will register one shot on target of their own throughout the 90 – a piledriver from impressive teenage debutant centreback Airidas Golambeckis that Ravaglia is right behind. Which is to slightly underplay their threat.. there will be shots across the face of goal and saving tackles in there, details that “shots on target” kinda overlooks. Nonetheless, West Ham’s second half pressure isn’t so much banging on the door as wandering past it nonchalantly, trying to catch a glimpse of movement through the window, and asking the neighbour if anyone’s in. It’s difficult to argue with the take, voiced forcefully on the “Not the Top 20” podcast, that Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t perhaps the ideal choice of coach for a team destined to dominate possession and face a low block throughout the season.

Fran’s Watford Blog: When the fixtures came out, there was a lot of talk about how tough our start was. I don’t think any of us expected that we would have 5 points and be unbeaten after the first three games.

From the Rookery End: Watford remain unbeaten after a 1-1 draw with newly relegated West Ham — but should the Hornets have grabbed all three points? Jon, Jason, Charlie and DCW look back at a sold-out afternoon at Vicarage Road, from a superb Amin Nabizada finish to Kevin Keben’s choices that ended in an extraordinary own goal, and discuss the growing signs that Alessio Dionisi is building a team with a clear identity.

25th August 2026- League Cup Second Round, Watford 1 Peterborough United 5

Watford Observer: Dionisi could make up to 11 changes for Peterborough clash

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-5 Peterborough

Match Report: Very inexperienced Watford suffer rough 5-1 Peterborough defeat

Dionisi: The young boys weren’t ready – but I had no choice

Dionisi not expecting new signings before West Ham on Saturday

Peterborough hammering was an ugly look for Watford

BBC: League One Peterborough swept aside a youthful Watford XI in a pulsating tie at Vicarage Road to book their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Hornets boss Alessio Dionisi changed all 11 starters from Saturday’s Championship draw at Wrexham, handing six players their full debut and naming a back-four entirely of academy graduates.

From the Rookery End: A 5-1 defeat at Peterborough was painful enough, but the result only tells part of the story. Mike is joined by Watford Observer’s Adam Drury to pick through a night that exposed just how thin Watford’s squad has become. How have Watford reached this point? What does it tell us about the club’s recruitment and financial strategy? And with the transfer deadline approaching, can the gaps be filled before they cause even more damage?