Category Archives: January

2nd January 2021- Championship- Swansea City 2 Watford 1

BBC: Swansea City rose to second place in the Championship as Jamal Lowe scored twice to help them overcome rival promotion contenders Watford.

Sky: The home side struggled to clear after being caught out playing from the back and Cleverley’s drive from outside the box was too hot for Freddie Woodman to handle.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55450045

23rd January 2020- FA Cup Third Round Replay, Tranmere Rovers 2 Watford 1 (After Extra Time)

The game was meant to be played on 14th January but was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

The game was postponed from 14th January.

Referee: Tony Harrington
Attendance: 10,039

1-1

Watford lose FA Cup replay against Tranmere Rovers

Nigel Pearson said his Watford youngsters were introduced to ‘men’s football’ at Tranmere Rovers

Watford players rated after slipping out of FA Cup at Tranmere Rovers

Kaylen Hinds was proud to score on his Watford debut against Tranmere Rovers

Callum Whelan says Watford’s younger players can learn from Tranmere Rovers FA Cup defeat

Paul Mullin’ extra-time header set up an FA Cup clash with Man Utd for Tranmere after a 2-1 win over Watford at Prenton Park.

In a game rescheduled from earlier in the month because of a waterlogged pitch, Rovers capitalised on a hugely under-strength Hornets and best navigated a dire, sand-covered Prenton Park surface to finally settle the tie in extra time.

Nigel Pearson, to his credit, was gracious in defeat and blamed neither the poor playing surface nor his changes for the early exit, although the Watford manager was pointed in his criticism of some of the club’s young players who failed to seize their chance to impress. “Some of our young players thought they could just turn up in the first half,” he said. “You have to earn the right to play. It was a bit of a reality check for some. Welcome to the man’s game.”

In the cold light of day, while it had been a disappointing performance from the youngsters, it was not unexpected. They had started brightly enough and there had been a few decent moments, but the Tranmere team were too strong for them and, ultimately, appeared to want it more. Of the youngsters, Hinds did well when he came on and deserved his goal. Spencer-Adams has looked promising in both games and Whelan had a decent second half. Of the first-team players, Kabasele put in a decent shift, Holebas had a couple of very decent chances but looked unhappy to be there and Gray was mostly anonymous, which was very sad to see.

https://www.11v11.com/competitions/fa-cup/2020/matches/

21st January 2020- Premier League, Aston Villa 2 Watford 1

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 40,867

1-0

Watford throw away lead to lose at Aston Villa

Late Tyrone Mings goal sees Watford defeated at Aston Villa

Nigel Pearson thinks Watford did not deserve to lose at Aston Villa

Watford players rated after defeat to Aston Villa

Ben Foster thinks Watford were naive in their defeat to Aston Villa

A 95th-minute winner off the boot of Tyrone Mings gave Aston Villa a priceless 2-1 victory over Watford to leapfrog their opponents and claw themselves out of the relegation zone.

Troy Deeney had put the Hornets in front when he powerfully headed home from five yards out after Gerard Deulofeu’s cross from the right. Deeney almost grabbed a second but was denied by an excellent reaction stop from home goalkeeper Reina.

Watford are now second bottom, in the relegation zone on goal difference, but Pearson kept defeat in perspective. “I think we’re a bit unlucky but that’s life and we’ll deal with it,” he said. “It’s easy to reflect on performances when things go your way, we’ve been a bit unlucky.

Bobby is in for Sarr, the mythical João Pedro makes a Premier League bench for the first time. The opening spell is stodgy… Watford don’t commit forward, look almost tentative attacking. The absence of Sarr will be painfully evident throughout… if the quality of delivery has sometimes let him down, his pace, directness and aggression is about more than the end product.

We left the ground feeling very disappointed and had to walk through a crowd of exuberant Villa fans chanting, “Deeney what’s the score?” On that note, it was lovely to see Villa fans on social media after the game singing the praises of Troy for stopping to have his photo taken with them. A true pantomime villain who loves the back and forth with the fans.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2020-01-21

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league/21-january-2020/

18th January 2020- Premier League, Watford 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Referee:
Michael Oliver
Attendance:
21,366

Watford continue push for survival with point against Tottenham Hotspur

Watford and Tottenham Hotspur share spoils in Premier League draw

Nigel Pearson says Watford deserve ‘incredible credit’ for performance in Tottenham Hotspur draw

Watford players rated following Tottenham Hotspur stalemate

Craig Dawson praised Watford’s team spirit after Tottenham Hotspur point

Ignacio Pussetto’s goal-line clearance denied Tottenham a last-minute winner at Watford by just 10.04mm in a goalless draw at Vicarage Road.

Troy Deeney saw his spot-kick saved, but the Hornets extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches.

The truth was that Spurs started well, without causing Ben Foster any real moments of concern. By the half- hour, however, Watford were on top and during the first 15 minutes of the second half should have taken the lead. Their penalty came in the 69th minute, the result of incessant pressure that culminated in Jan Vertonghen desperately blocking a shot from Gerard Deulofeu with his arm. Deeney stepped up to take it, but his shot was soft and too close to Paolo Gazzaniga’s right hand. It was Deeney’s third miss in his past six Premier League penalties.

It’s not a great penalty, very savable if the keeper goes the right way… harsh to blame Troy really who more than pulls his weight throughout, but I’d always prefer he missed by absolutely spanking it if he’s going to miss at all. Call me childish, but there’s great satisfaction in seeing the ball hit as hard as he did at Wembley.

From behind the goal it didn’t look to have crossed the line and the referee waved his ‘watch’ at the protesting Spurs players to indicate that they had not scored. That was the last action of the game. It had been a decent goalless draw. The visitors had started the game strongly with the Hornets sitting very deep, but Watford came back into it and had a couple of decent chances. Both defences played pretty well, and the forwards from both sides were very wasteful.

The Guardian’s football cartoonist David Squires featured the game in his strip printed the following week.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/jan/21/david-squires-on-the-resurrection-of-nigel-pearson-at-watford

12th January 2020- Premier League, AFC Bournemouth 0 Watford 3

Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 10,384

1-0

2-0

3-0

Watford beat fellow relegation candidates Bournemouth away

Watford beat Bournemouth to climb out of the relegation zone

Nigel Pearson said Watford did what they needed to beat Bournemouth

Watford players rated after beating Bournemouth

Nigel Pearson felt Graham Taylor would have been proud of Watford’s win at Bournemouth

Images from Watford’s victory at Bournemouth to move out of the relegation zone

Nigel Pearson says Watford’s win at Bournemouth is “not a season-changing result” despite climbing out of the bottom three for the first time this season.

Pearson praises ‘exceptional’ Watford work rate

Abdoulaye Doucoure (42) gave Watford a first-half lead as they capitalised on an error from goalkeeper Mark Travers, before captain Troy Deeney (65) doubled the lead midway through the second half. Roberto Pereyra (90+2) wrapped up the three points for Pearson’s resurgent Hornets, who climb to 17th after their third consecutive league victory.

“We talked very early on about the fact that we would have to have a substantial run at some point,” Pearson said. “We are having a good run at the moment but I am not naive enough to think these things carry on indefinitely without working at it. We probably need to win another six games, maybe more – it depends how it pans out this year – but we have certainly put ourselves in a better position than we were a few weeks ago.”

There was much excitement after the game as phones were proffered displaying the table showing Watford out of the relegation zone for the first time this season. Nobody in the away end wanted to head for the exits as we stayed to cheer our heroes. The Nigel Pearson chant had had a good airing, but there was always time for another chorus as well as chants for Deeney, Doucouré and anyone else who attracted our attention. Then lovely Nate Chalobah came over and pumped his fists at the crowd and was greeted with a cheer. A repeat fist pump elicited the same reaction. He headed away from us and the crowd responded with ‘oooooooohhhh’, he turned around and pumped his fist and was rewarded with another cheer. This was repeated another couple of times before he reached Pearson in the centre of the field and the two of them pumped their fists in unison. I know that this loses a lot in the telling but it was a gorgeous moment and I had a tear in my eye at the togetherness.

4th January 2020- FA Cup Third Round, Watford 3 Tranmere Rovers 3

The game kicked off at 3:01pm in support of the “Heads Up” campaign and was designed to encourage everyone to take a minute to think about their mental health.

Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 14,373

1-0

2-0

3-0

Relive our coverage of Watford’s FA Cup clash with Tranmere Rovers

Watford lose three-goal interval lead against Tranmere Rovers in FA Cup

Nigel Pearson stresses Premier League priority for Watford after Tranmere Rovers FA Cup draw

Watford players rated against Tranmere Rovers in FA Cup third round

Nathaniel Chalobah urges Watford to take second Tranmere Rovers chance

Tom Dele-Bashiru blames concentration for Watford’s FA Cup draw with Tranmere Rovers

Watford successfully appeal Roberto Pereyra’s Tranmere Rovers FA Cup red card

Nigel Pearson said the FA Cup is “not a priority” as a much-changed Watford threw away a three-goal lead against Tranmere in Saturday’s third-round tie.

At half-time Watford were cruising to victory but had this match gone on any longer they would surely have lost. A full-pelt comeback from Tranmere Rovers saw the League One strugglers overturn a three-goal deficit against Premier League opponents to secure a replay at Prenton Park. As Rovers manager Micky Mellon put it: “You can see the quality of these teams, but if you get the momentum it doesn’t matter how good they are, it’s difficult to get it back.”

Thought number one is to ponder why Watford away is such a big pull for the support of a side struggling at the foot of League One, big respect in any case. Thought number two is to ponder that most of those in the away end, even those over the age of 30, are probably completely oblivious of the significance afforded to what, to them, was probably a mundane away defeat here in 1999. My god. Thought number three is to wonder how many of our matchday squad weren’t even born in April 1999. Answer: eight. Eight! With Sarr and Callum Whelan babes in arms. Thought number four is to Stop Thinking.

We had been coasting at half time and Rovers had been poor. But the loss of Chalobah and then Quina changed the game and the whole of the second half seemed to be played with Watford on the back foot. I briefly thought that it looked like one of those games that Liverpool used to play in the 80s when they would play for a draw in the first leg of a league cup game before battering the opposition in the second leg. But those games were controlled 0-0 draws. This game was quite baffling. It has to be said that it was an opportunity for those who were on the fringes to show Pearson what they can do. Sadly, I don’t think that Success or Gray did anything that would convince him to include them against Bournemouth. However, Chalobah had another good outing, Dele-Bashiru looked excellent and João Pedro put in a decent showing. The fitness problems of the fringe players was a cause for concern and they may find themselves with some extra routines in training.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2020-01-04