Category Archives: August

24th August 2024- Championship, Watford 2 Derby County 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2

Sky: Moussa Sissoko scored for the first time on his return to Watford as Derby were beaten 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

BBC: The Hornets trailed inside two minutes to a fine low Ebou Adams strike. But Vakoun Bayo’s outrageous scissor kick drew the hosts level, before a fiery end to the first half saw Rams assistant boss Richie Barker sent off. And captain Sissoko’s close-range effort ensured a fourth win in all competitions for Tom Cleverley’s free-scoring side.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 2 Derby 1

Watford 2 Derby County 1: Five talking points as Hornets win

Watford 2 Derby 1 – how the action happened at Vicarage Road

Watford fans given credit for win by head coach Cleverley

BHappy: There was a reason that every post-match review on Vicarage Road, in the car home, in the pub, would have featured the phrase “we wouldn’t have won that last season”.  That reason for this, of course, that we wouldn’t have won that last season.  We wouldn’t have looked as composed, as firmly insistent against that packed backline at 1-0… it took a special goal but didn’t demand one, we would have kept knocking anyway.  At 1-1, maybe we’d have  let Derby back into the game.  We’ll take routine-looking wins on this basis all season long.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was another pleasing win, although one that the Hornets had to work hard for as Derby were solid in defence. At times Watford looked brilliant, the passing was accurate and there was always an eye for goal. Pollock won man of the match at the stadium for another solid outing. But Sissoko won the fan vote for a performance that included the winning goal and some brilliant defensive play. A special mention must go to Vakoun Bayo, who has never hidden while he struggled to score. His strike on Saturday was a thing of beauty and he could have had a couple more. I was just hoping that the ball would bounce off him to break his duck this season, so to score that gorgeous goal was a dream come true. He thoroughly deserved the ovation when he was substituted. The atmosphere at Vicarage Road is bouncing again. The fans are positive, and the football is fun. It has been a while since we have been able to say that, so long may it continue.

From The Rookery End: Post-Match – Watford 2-1 Derby – The beautiful Hornets make it 4 wins out of 4 after a 2-1 home win against Derby County.
DCW, Jason and Jordi gather outside the Hornet Shop to discuss the teams first comeback win, how the players and Head Coach Tom Cleverly reacted to conceding early.
We are living in strange times as Watford just keep on winning.

17th August 2024- Championship, Watford 3 Stoke City 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-stoke-city/teams/509365

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1  2  3

Sky: Watford continued their winning start to the season with a convincing 3-0 victory at home to Stoke.

BBC: Victory put Watford behind only pacesetters Burnley in the Championship table, yet it will have been the cutting edge in front of goal – they have now scored six in two league outings – that will please Cleverley most.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 3 Stoke City 0

A blistering and brilliant second-half performance saw Watford sweep aside Stoke and make it three wins from three with a 3-0 success at sun-drenched Vicarage Road.

Watford 3 Stoke City: five talking points from Hornets’ win

Cleverley delighted with Watford’s second-half intensity

BHappy: What is utterly stunning about Watford’s second half performance is the business-as-usualness of it.  “Nothing to see here, this is just what we do…”   …when anyone who’s seen us play in the last few years knows that this isvery f***ing far from what we do!  But it keeps coming, relentlessly and without the excitability of an unforeseen or unexpected circumstance – not that it’s not joyful but it’s… expected.  By those on the pitch, at any rate.  Larouci cuts between his now terrified markers, his deflected effort finds its way to Edo whose shot comes back off the crossbar, this perhaps adding to the sense of carnage more than another goal at this stage would have done.  Another Larouci run and a cross is met by Bayo whose flicked near post header beats the keeper but lacks the power to cross the line before it is swiped clear.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a tremendous half of football with accurate passing and incisive moves that made me wonder if I had imagined the pre-season. I had been concerned that we wouldn’t score many and have now been treated to eleven goals in three games. There were no weak links, with everyone doing their jobs and playing as a team. While I had no complaints about Ngakia’s contribution, the introduction of Larouci completely changed the game. He had the freedom of the left wing and just made things happen. He was a joy to watch. Kayembe scored two and could have had more. His first was a real poacher’s goal. Andrews was lively with a goal and an assist (sort of). Pollock is looking strong in defence and the headband is just so reminiscent of Steve Terry. Chakvetadze is a joy to watch, but I almost wish he would reign it in a bit until the transfer window shuts.

From the Rookery End: Mike, Jon and Jas convened after the Stoke game to discuss Watford’s third win from three, as Tom Cleverley and his Hornets continue their perfect start to the season.
The lads talk through the win, which seemed to be inspired by the half time introduction of Yaser Larouci, building on a hard fought but largely even first half showing.
You can also hear from new Watford Women Head Coach Renee Hector and captain Meg Chandler as the Golden Girls look to bouce back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

https://www.skysports.com/championship-table

13th August 2024- League Cup First Round, Watford 5 Milton Keynes Dons 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-milton-keynes-dons/teams/510666

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2  3  4  5

BBC: Tom Ince scored a hat-trick as Watford breezed past MK Dons 5-0 in the Carabao Cup to go into the hat for the second-round draw.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 5 MK Dons 0

Early round League Cup ties against lower-division opposition have been something of a major problem for Watford in recent years – but not tonight.

Tom Cleverley admitted he needs to allow himself to enjoy wins more, but also said he didn’t want his players to take the feeling of the 5-0 Carabao Cup win over MK Dons for granted.

If ever a player sounded like he had a point to prove, it was Tom Ince after last night’s 5-0 Carabao Cup romp against MK Dons.

From bit-part player to hat-trick hero, Tom Ince kick-started his Watford career against MK Dons after it seemed to have stalled last season.

Watford’s five-goal cup romp was pretty much Ince perfect

BHappy: Our visitors, that most charmless and spiritless of clubs, have adopted the siege mentality of “No-one likes us…”, their desperate search for an identity of their own leading them to attempt to claim Millwall’s.  This bravado is about as threatening as a tepid Latté of course…  I tried to be mature and sympathetic on the walk past MK shirts en route, mindful of the fact that many of their following wouldn’t even have been born when their franchise’s crime was perpetrated.  This generosity of spirit would have been easier to maintain had so many of the following not resembled grotesque output of a forced inbreeding experiment.  This week’s Qatari takeover provoked another chant, “We’re f***ing rich…” meanders across the half empty stands. “Franchise b***ards, you know what you are”, rumbles back from the direction of the 1881, too quietly.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Man of the match was Tom Ince. He was a nemesis when he played elsewhere and I was one of many Watford fans that were not enamoured with his signing. He has often looked sulky and uninterested, but the first game of pre-season he made a great impression, fighting for every ball and he could have had four goals but for inaccuracy of shooting and the Boreham Wood keeper playing a blinder. In this game, he worked his socks off, scored three goals and could have had more. He now has a song, and he smiles. Who’d have thought it?

10th August 2024- Championship, Millwall 2 Watford 3

https://www.skysports.com/football/millwall-vs-watford/teams/509349

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1  2  3

Sky: Striker Mileta Rajovic nodded home a late winner for Watford as they claimed a 3-2 victory in a dramatic opener at Millwall.

BBC: Watford substitute Mileta Rajovic’s late goal secured a dramatic win against Millwall as goalkeeper Matija Sarkic was remembered at The Den.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Millwall 2 Watford 3

He undoubtedly has his critics but Mileta Rajovic knows where the goal is and he scored a dramatic late winner as Watford beat Millwall 3-2 at The Den.

Watford boss hails Giorgi’s ‘quality strike and performance’

Watford fans were ‘exceptional’ says Millwall manager

Rajovic is the best in the box says Watford head coach

Watford winning scorer Rajovic knows when his job starts

A Watford win to savour that offered much encouragement

BHappy: The first order of the day is acknowledging the sudden passing of Millwall’s keeper Matija Sarkic over the summer.  It goes without saying that this is a shocking thing to have happened; further words specific to  a player with whom we had no association are perhaps of little value but more generally, as mentioned in the Season Preview piece, many of us remember the seismic effect that such an event can have on a club from 21 years ago.  Millwall will need to navigate this, on and off the pitch. There are tributes of applause from around the ground – respectfully observed by the visitors, mercifully – and chants from the home stands.  Unseen by us there’s a banner in tribute in the away end; Daniel Bachmann carries a wreath in yellow, red and black and leaves it behind his goal.  The whole thing leaves a lump in the throat, more than that of a typically respectful pre-match tribute, but then the game starts and the away end at least is immediately refocused.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a decent win against a tough side. I was delighted that the Hornets scored three times as goals were at a premium in pre-season. Bayo didn’t give us much to cheer, so I was a little surprised to see him start, but Rajović tends to contribute little outside the box. I was not so delighted at some of the poor defending. Both Millwall goals were gifted to them by some terrible misplaced passes. Tom Dele-Bashiru had a nightmare start when he seemed unable to find another yellow shirt, but he recovered while others took on the mantel including the usually reliable Sissoko. As they have for a couple of seasons, the players do not like playing teams who press them. They have to get better at that if we are to build on this positive start. Man of the match was Chakvetadze who was one of the bright sparks in pre-season. He carried that into this game and was a joy to watch.

https://www.skysports.com/championship-table


3rd August 2024- Friendly, Watford 1 Brentford 1

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Brentford 1

Watford 1 Brentford 1: as the game unfolded at Vicarage Road

Better from Watford but equally key was what didn’t happen

Brentford FC official site report

https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/match/watford-vs-brentford-other-club-friendlies-2024-08-03?tab=matchday

27th August 2023- Championship, Watford 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-0-1-blackburn-rovers

BBC: Blackburn rode their luck on the way to snatching a narrow win over a dominant Watford side in the Championship.

Sky: The only goal of the game came after 72 minutes, when Ryan Hedges took over after Lewis Travis could lead the counter no longer, controlled the ball with two neat flicks and fired in from the tightest of angles.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

While it would be unfair to describe the Hornets’ second straight defeat as a smash-and-grab raid for their opponents, the fact the Hornets had 24 goal attempts to the visitors’ five would suggest they did enough to at least secure a point. But of those just four were on target and goalkeeper Aynsley Pears was only forced into two saves of note, meaning it is now three-and-a-half league games since the Hornets last found the back of the net.

Head coach Valerien Ismael felt his side shouldn’t have lost to Blackburn, but also admitted they need to adapt when opponents change their style of play.

BHappy: Prior to kick-off there was tribute payed to Andy Rankin who passed away during the week.  I was surprised to hear that he made his last appearance in 1979, the year I started attending matches as my memory was of watching him for far longer than that.  He had been my first goalkeeping hero and I was very sad to hear of his passing.  The minute’s applause was heartfelt. On 30 minutes the big screen showed a photo of Matt Sillitoe, the PA announcer at Ewood Park, who has passed away at the age of 30.  All sides of the ground joined in the minute’s applause. At half time, Danny Webber and Neil Cox were at the side of the pitch remembering Jimmy Davis as it is 20 years since his passing.  Gangster’s Paradise was played over the tannoy as this was the song that Jimmy had sung for his initiation.  Danny was very emotional talking about his friend.  Jimmy is remembered for his bubbly personality and cheeky smile as much as for his great footballing talent.  Danny talked about what a hard worker he was, wanting everything that he did to be perfect.  This even extended to the song, which he had practised until it was perfect.  He was enjoying his performance so much that he had to be carried off the stage as he wouldn’t stop singing.  Jimmy had been a very popular member of the team and is greatly missed by all who knew him.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table