Category Archives: Aidy Boothroyd

3rd November 2008- Aidy Boothroyd loses his job as Watford manager with Malky Mackay named as caretaker

Independent, 4 Nov 2008

Daily Telegraph, 4 Nov 2008

Evening Standard, 4 Nov 2008

The Boss Files: Aidy Boothroyd

1st November 2008- Championship, Watford 3 Blackpool 4

Aidy Boothroyd’s final programme notes

Blackpool equalised three times before Alan Gow’s last-gasp winner.

Will Hoskins, Grzegorz Rasiak and Tommy Smith from the penalty spot all put Watford in front at various stages of a thrilling game.

Of all the decent players that have left the club over the past few years, the one you’d have back quickest – with the possible exception of Ben Foster – and with a few fewer miles on the clock, would be Malky Mackay. Which begs the question… how can a defence that is being “coached” by Mackay look as utterly, comprehensively, incapable of doing the job?

Watford have appointed reserve-team coach Malky Mackay as caretaker manager following the departure of Adrian Boothroyd last night. Mackay will be assisted by first-team coach Martin Hunter while the club search for a suitable replacement for Boothroyd.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35051&id=4831

25th October 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3

Michael Gray’s winner settled an enthralling clash at Watford and maintained Wolves’ promotion push.

Not for the first time since August, it’s tempting to look at the stark contrasts between this season and last. Expectations dramatically lower, certainly. Sixth from bottom after this game, as opposed to sixth from top in May. By and large, playing our better stuff – and certainly picking up more points – at home; our away record was a proud thing last season, but merely loitered in the back of the mind of those who didn’t get to many away games.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=33699&id=4829

21st October 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Cardiff City 2

Jay Bothroyd tripled his goal tally for the season to rescue a point for Cardiff away to 10-man Watford.

The Hornets stormed into a two goal lead thanks to efforts from John-Joe O’Toole and Will Hoskins, before Tamas Priskin was sent off for violent conduct.

Let’s get it out of the way, then: Tamas, you’re a blithering idiot. Just at the point where you’d started to think that, with Will Hoskins guiding the midfield into the opposition’s vulnerable areas quite brilliantly, we could really do some damage on the break as Cardiff pressed forward. Just at the point where you’ve scored a couple of goals and given your Watford career some desperately-needed momentum. Just at the point where your rival is returning from injury. You have blancmange for brains, sir.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=32572&id=4828

4th October 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Preston North End 1

Watford came back from a goal down to earn a win over Preston thanks to Tommy Smith’s 50th goal for the club.

A quite ridiculously open game of football that looked like delivering many more goals at each end. Due in no small part to our formation – going 4-4-2 without John Eustace in midfield was always going to be a high risk strategy. We had enough to make it pay off; all six of our “attacking” players had good afternoons.

23rd September 2008-League Cup Third Round, Watford 1 West Ham United 0

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Guardian report

report:Admirable, inspiring, gutsy, competent, solid, neat and tidy stuff. Terrific.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4823

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20th September 2008-Championship, Watford 2 Reading 2

The ‘Ghost Goal’ game where Stuart Attwell awarded a goal to Reading on the strength of his Assistant Referee Nigel Bannister telling him he thought he’d seen the ball cross the goalline despite being the only one in the whole ground to think so. It was awarded as a John Eustace own goal.

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4822

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Championship-_-Watford-2-2-Reading Download

Watford were denied a win by a late penalty – and a farcical decision to allow an earlier goal to stand. Linesman Nigel Bannister flagged for a Reading goal instead of a corner after John Eustace challenged Noel Hunt and, incredibly, a goal was awarded.

report: Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. What a completely mental decision.

Phantom goal will haunt rookie referee

Tilehurst End: Random Royal Moments: That Ghost Goal At Vicarage Road

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16th September 2008- Championship, Watford 1 Plymouth Argyle 2

Karl Duguid and Luke Summerfield fired Pymouth to the win they needed to rise off the foot of the table as Watford fell to a first home loss this season.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Championship-_-Watford-1-2-Plymouth Download

What it all boils down to is that we don’t have enough goals in the team. By a long chalk. So going behind will always leave us with a bit of a problem, dramatic victories over Ipswich notwithstanding. We weren’t great in the first half hour last night but we were doing OK, by some distance the better side. After going behind we looked increasingly desperate and clueless, borne of not quite knowing where one goal, let alone two, was going to come from. Nothing that we didn’t fear and expect; that’s what you get for (having to be) selling all your leading goalscorers.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4821

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2008-09-16

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/16-september-2008/

26th August 2008-League Cup Second Round, Watford 2 Darlington 1 (After Extra Time)

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4818

Watford had a late John-Joe O’Toole strike to thank for a narrow win over Darlington in the Carling Cup.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-League-Cup-_-Watford-2-1-Darlington-aet Download

John-Joe O’Toole came off the bench to rescue Watford with the winner deep into extra time to sink Darlington.

Fourth division side at home, should be straightforward, yadda yadda whatever. But a fourth division side dropping deep and attacking neatly is still an awkward opponent….

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16th September 2008- Championship, Watford 1 Plymouth Argyle 2

16th September 2008- Championship, Watford 1 Plymouth Argyle 2

16th August 2008- Championship, Watford 1 Charlton Athletic 0

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4816

Tommy Smith’s fierce strike gave Watford victory over 10-man Charlton.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Championship-_-Watford-1-0-Charlton Download

New passing game, new passing formation. Fine. But the real benefit thus far has been the protection afforded the defence. It speaks volumes that on a day when John Eustace was below par, Charlton rarely got more than a sniff – having Eustace and Williamson, fantastic today, as two sitting midfielders makes us a whole lot more secure. It does ask a lot of the four attacking players though (4-3-3 my arse). Speaking of whom….

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2008-08-16

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/16-august-2008/