Category Archives: December

30th December 2022- Championship, Swansea City 4 Watford 0

Digital programme only. https://www.swanseacity.com/swansea-city-v-watford-2022-23-programme
Attendance: 17,339

BBC Sport: Swansea City ended their eight-game winless streak in style as Joel Piroe struck twice in a 4-0 thrashing of Watford.

Sky Sports: Joel Piroe recorded a brace as Swansea opened the scoring in a game for the first time since October 23 with a 4-0 Championship victory over fifth-placed Watford to complete the double over the Hornets.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Pelé and for former Swansea player Neil Robinson.  The applause started as soon as the tannoy announcer started talking about Pelé and was lengthy and heartfelt.  What a sad loss he is for the world of football.

26th December 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Millwall 2

Attendance: 20,204

BBC Sport: Andreas Voglsammer scored his first goal in English football to set Millwall on the road to a vital victory over Watford in their fight for a Championship play-off place.

Sky Sports: The home side were reduced to 10 men in the 38th minute when Hassane Kamara was sent off but they were comprehensively outplayed on their own turf.

BHappy: The first half was a one-sided farce.  Daniel Bachmann, for all that he almost gave an opening goal away with a sloppy clearance before redeeming himself by throwing himself across goal to block Bradshaw’s resultant shot, kept us in the game with a number of brave stops, none better than a reaction save to deny Voglsammer after yet another Cooper knock-down.  By that stage however we were already a goal down after a rare Cathcart error contributed to Bradshaw setting up Voglsammer to stroke past Bachmann.  “That had been coming”, said everyone in the stadium.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There was then a long break in play after João Pedro was fouled by Saville and seemed to slip as he went down.  After treatment on the field, he limped off the pitch and was sat on the sideline while his ankle was strapped up.  In the meantime, the Hornets won a corner, the delivery from Sema was met by Ngakia whose header was straight at Long in the Millwall goal.  While João Pedro was being treated, Asprilla had stripped and was ready to come on, but the Brazilian returned to the field even though he was limping heavily.  It didn’t look like there was any chance that he could run it off, so it was no surprise when he went down again.  He was clearly distraught as he left the pitch to be replaced by Asprilla.  Losing our best player was pretty upsetting, but Christmas was properly ruined soon after when Kamara chased a ball in the Millwall box and collided with the goalkeeper.  An altercation with McNamara followed, Kamara lashed out and the referee showed a straight red.  It was an utterly stupid thing to do and there was no sympathetic applause as he left the pitch, instead he received a smattering of boos. 

17th December 2022- Championship, Huddersfield Town 0 Watford 2

WFC.Net Jon Marks’ Goal Commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 18,434

BBC Sport: Joao Pedro scored a second-half double as Watford beat bottom side Huddersfield Town to move up to fourth in the Championship.

Sky Sports: Watford should have taken the lead late in the first half but Pedro somehow failed to find the target from close range. Pedro made up for his earlier miss as he scored from eight yards early in the second half and a late second from a corner with four minutes remaining sealed three points for his side.

BHappy: The half-time whistle signals two-and-a-half games’ worth without a goal but there’s little grumbling in the away end, none of the red-faced hysteria that characterised away trips earlier in the season.  Perhaps the malcontents have stayed at home.  But equally, it’s clearly coming.

11th December 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Hull City 0

I’ve not checked the stats, but I’m pretty sure this is the first competitive game we’ve been involved in where three substitutes who came on were themselves substituted during the game.

Attendance: 18,846

BBC Sport: Watford and Hull City played out a dour goalless draw, as the home side missed the chance to move up to third in the Championship.

Sky Sports: Attempts on goal were sporadic, with Hull’s Jacob Greaves sending a header from a corner well wide and Christian Kabasele sliding in to block Tyler Smith’s shot from the right of the Watford box.

BHappy: The first half is utterly joyless.  It’s insanely cold for one thing…  I think I remember being colder for that 2-1 defeat to Manchester United when Troy scored at both ends but this is still ridiculous, particularly since I am now versus then seven years closer to having to recognise that I’m approaching middle age, and have dressed accordingly.   The atmosphere is non-existent, and nobody in the stadium objects… there’s a tacit recognition of the circumstances.  The home ends are painfully sparse until kick-off, when all those sensibly huddling in the concourses for the illusion of warmth scuttle out into the stands.  The game starts and briefly there’s the relief of stuff getting back into the groove… I’ve not half missed it because, you know.  It almost doesn’t matter what happens, it’s just football.

3rd December 2022- Friendly, Arsenal 2 Watford 4 (played at Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney)

Behind closed doors

Official site: Goals in either half from Keinan Davis helped to secure a 4-2 win for Watford over Arsenal at the Gunners’ training ground in London Colney in a competitive friendly test.

Watford Observer: It was a game in which both side made numerous substitutions: Joao Pedro was the only player to play the full 90 minutes for the Hornets, while the Gunners changed all 10 outfield players at half-time.

28th December 2021- Premier League, Watford 1 West Ham United 4

Attendance: 20,073

BBC Sport: The Hammers had gone into the game with just one win in seven games – a run that had seen them seemingly slip out of contention for the Champions League places. It looked like the slump was going to continue when Emmanuel Dennis knocked the ball past Craig Dawson in the fourth minute before firing a superb strike into the top corner.

Sky Sports: Less than two and a half minutes after they had led, Watford were behind. Michail Antonio’s run to the byline gave him time to look up and find Benrahma, who went one better from his earlier effort and beat Daniel Bachmann courtesy of a kind nick off Adam Masina (29).

BHappy: We held the lead for 23 minutes, none of them comfortable.  West Ham gained in belief as they kept coming at us; our supine midfield didn’t lay a punch on theirs and the lack of defensive shape was such that the most perfunctory of attacks caused yellow shirts to scatter like marbles.  Much play continued to be focused down West Ham’s left, either because of the threat posed by Benrahma – who provided the nearest thing to an equaliser before there was one, smacking a shot off the top of the bar – or because of a perceived vulnerability in Kiko or both.  There’s got to be dollops of mitigation ladled in here by the way, since however horrific we don’t know who and how much and in what way individuals were affected by viruses;  given the absence of Ngakia from the bench, the drop in Kiko’s level from the kick-off and the Spaniard’s withdrawal five minutes before the interval, it’s difficult to suppose anything other than a case of “well I’ll give it a go, boss”.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The one positive that we could come up with was the thought that, if Sissoko had equalised, it would have been a very different match.  But Fabianski pulled off a great save and the Watford defence made it far too easy for the Hammers.  There were a lot of misplaced passes and Sierralta was clearly very rusty. 

10th December 2021- Premier League, Brentford 2 Watford 1

WFC.net Jon Marks goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 16,861

BBC Sport: Brentford scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to come from behind and deny Watford victory. Bryan Mbeumo slotted in a stoppage-time penalty to make it 2-1, minutes after captain Pontus Jansson had equalised with a header at the back post.

Sky Sports: The Hornets took a first-half lead as they made the most of the absence of two of the Bees’ first-choice back three, with Dennis left unmarked to nod home Tom Cleverley’s corner just before the half-hour mark, with the hosts out of sorts with a number of their key players unavailable.

BHappy: That our defending is appalling is accepted, but this is only true sometimes.  Sometimes is often enough of course, but there would have been stuff to admire here if only we’d gotten away with it.  Bodies in the way.  Questions asked. Decisions forced, that sort of thing.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The home side continued to threaten and a shot from Onyeka was deflected wide.  The resultant corner was headed clear by King.  But the home side were level a minute later from another corner, the delivery from Forss was headed home by Jansson.  There was a VAR review for possible offside, but the goal stood so we had to endure the obnoxious tannoy announcer celebrating the goal for a second time.  The irritation at letting in a late goal was compounded by the knowledge that it had been coming, we only had ourselves to blame.  The home side had a chance to take the lead when a shot from Janelt was deflected over the bar.  The Watford goal was in danger from the corner, but João Pedro was on hand to clear off the line.  The fourth official indicated that there was 5 minutes of added time.  This started with another booking for the home side as Onyeka was penalised after pulling Kucka to the ground.  Ranieri made a final change bringing Tufan on for Dennis.  But the points were lost when Troost-Ekong made a stupid tackle on Ghoddos giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.  Mbeumo sent Bachmann the wrong way, the home side were ahead in stoppage time and we had to listen to the loudmouth on the tannoy again.  That was the last action of the game, so the Hornets fell to a disappointing defeat on their first visit to the Brentford Community Stadium.

4th December 2021- Premier League, Watford 1 Manchester City 3

WFC.net Jon Marks’ goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 20,673

BBC Sport: The hosts were repeatedly ripped apart by City’s movement, passing and creativity and only a number of saves from goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann kept the score down to one goal in the first 30 minutes.

Sky Sports: Half-time sub Cucho Hernandez did pull one back for Watford (74), following up his own shot against the far post, and Josh King pinged his low cross just wide moments later but City regained control to see out the final stages and make it five Premier League wins on the spin.

BHappy: A blow-by-blow account is slightly redundant.  There were few defining incidents in the game – arguably only the goals that bookended the scoring and in between a lot of stuff during which time City converted twice and were denied on many other occasions.  These outcomes of these incidents could have been interchanged perfectly plausibly.

Fran’s Watford Blog: So, we fell to our second defeat in a week but, after the recent regular batterings by City, a 3-1 scoreline felt rather positive, especially after having conceded within the first 5 minutes.  This week we have played two of the top three teams in the division, we have lost to them both, but I came out of it feeling rather positive.  We were unlucky not to get a point against Chelsea.  That was not the case against City, who really should have scored more but, after being behind at half time, Ranieri brought on a couple of substitutes and adopted a more attacking formation and we fought back in the second half and actually scored a goal.  I thoroughly enjoyed Cucho’s performance, he battled and was so positive.  It has to be said that if Sissoko could shoot we may have got something out of this game.  But, unlike earlier in the season, I am enjoying watching the football again, even in defeat.

1st December 2021- Premier League, Watford 1 Chelsea 2

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 20,388

BBC Sport: The under-par Blues needed a goal from substitute Hakim Ziyech to edge out their hosts after Hornets forward Emmanuel Dennis had cancelled out Mason Mount’s opener.

Sky Sports: Play was halted for half an hour early in the first half for a medical emergency in the stands, with officials being alerted to the situation by players.

Watford said: “Our thoughts are with the fan – who had a cardiac arrest but has now been stabilised – and all those affected. Thank you to the medical staff, players and fans for their quick response.”

BHappy: For twelve minutes until the interruption, we blew the European Champions away.  Adrenaline fuelled, hyper-aggressive, this was a high press and then some.  Every suggestion of composed Chelsea position was stamped on with glee and to joyous, noisy enthusiasm from the stands.  Tom Cleverley, who was to calm down later on, was absolutely in his element… somehow the first man into every challenge all over the pitch.  His bullishness on the right flank saw him able to pull back from the touchline for João Pedro to slip a shot at Mendy, who was going to have a busy evening.  Quite where the young Brazilian ends up is still up for debate, but in his more withdrawn role we’ve lost his poachers instincts.  Minutes later Kiko swung a cross in from deeper on the right and again João Pedro’s there, forcing Azpilicueta, who like Alonso on the opposite side was also going to be a busy boy, to deflect towards his own goal where Mendy was alert to push the ball wide.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Towards the end of the half, Troy Deeney was spotted at the corner between the Rookery and the GT stand.  He had been in the Hornet Shop before the game signing copies of his book.  His appearance was greeted with cheers and his chants rang out.  He was interviewed pitch-side by Tim Coombs and it was absolutely lovely.  He repeatedly thanked the fans and told us he loved us.  Talked very happily of his memories, referring back to the fact that we had a three-sided ground when he arrived.  He paid tribute to the 1881 for the displays that they have put on.  He described himself as old, fat and happy.  But the kicker was when he was asked whether he was happy being back at his boyhood club.  “Yes, but that is not home, this is home.”  There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  He then had a kick about with his mates who were warming up for the second half and we all cheered him off.

26th December 2020- Championship, Watford 1 Norwich City 0

BBC Sport: Ismaila Sarr got new Watford head coach Xisco Munoz off to the perfect start with a winning goal that ended Championship leaders Norwich City’s five-game winning run.

Sky Sports: Just a few minutes before the break, Watford took advantage. Ken Sema darted to the left-hand byline and pulled the ball back across the face of goal to the far post, where Sarr timed his run to perfection, sneaked past Jacob Sorensen and tucked the opener past stranded Norwich goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

Official site: City pressed but never had that golden chance and Foster wasn’t overly-extended in the Watford goal.

BHappy: Xisco Muñoz hits the right notes straight away, even if he does come across a bit Joey Tribbiani.  Positive, energetic. likeable.  Watford supporters should long since be immune to What Other People Think, in particular that sort of guffawing sub-pub bore nonsense churned out by Chris Sutton on 5 Live.  There are concerns in his lack of managerial experience of course, but then the likes of Boothroyd and Rodgers came in with comparable experience and both did alright for themselves with us and elsewhere, in different ways.  It’s unlikely that the Pozzos picked his name out of a hat after all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55373502