Category Archives: July

11th July 2020- Premier League, Watford 2 Newcastle United 1

Nigel Pearson wants Watford to remain calm and focused

Nigel Pearson believes his Watford players still find it difficult without fans

Referee: Craig Pawson Paying Attendance:0

First half

Second half

Troy Deeney 52 (pen), 1-1

Troy Deeney 82 (pen), 2-1

Watford beat Newcastle United 2-1 at Vicarage Road

The Hornets were underwhelming in the first-half and the visitors deservedly led through Dwight Gayle. However, two second-half penalties from Troy Deeney turned the game in Watford’s favour, taking them six points clear of the bottom three.

Nigel Pearson thinks Watford still have work to do before they are safe

Troy Deeney insists Watford should be doing better despite important wins

Watford players rated after Newcastle victory

Will Hughes praises Troy Deeney’s impact in Watford win over Newcastle

Watford, who hit the post through Danny Welbeck, were indebted to a vital save by Ben Foster from Allan Saint-Maximim before the break – leaving them in position to mount another recovery in the second half.

The hosts improved after the restart as Kiko Femenia was brought down inside the box by Matt Ritchie, allowing Deeney to level (52). The Watford captain completed the turnaround with a carbon copy from the spot after Javier Manquillo upended Ismaila Sarr (82), as Nigel Pearson’s side moved six points clear of the relegation zone.

Minute by minute

The basis of Pearson’s success has been his ability to organise this team defensively. At times since the restart it has been tempting to wonder if there is another gear in there, if Watford are programmed to start every game like a team clinging on to a narrow 1-0 lead in the 88th minute against Barcelona 2011

The build up to both penalties was agonising. Not having showered yet as I write this on Sunday morning my hair is still bent in the twisted contortions my fingers forced it into in the interminable build up, exacerbated by the TV director’s fondness for dramatic close-ups at the expense of following what and when was happening on the pitch. Both penalties were dispatched with exactly the bloody-mindedness, venom and decisiveness that you’d been praying for, that you’d seen in your mind’s eye, like something out of a Marvel movie. The first bang down the middle, the second high to the keeper’s right, both were pressure shots. Taking a kick like that in front of a full stadium is one thing, taking it in front of an empty stadium with the responsibility undiminished but without the will of the crowd behind you something else. Goes without saying, this took cojones (thanks Pete). Dubravka would have needed to be right behind either to stand a chance. He wasn’t.

7th July 2020- Premier League, Watford 2 Norwich City 1

Nigel Pearson has urged Watford not to underestimate Norwich City game

Norwich City will be without Todd Cantwell for their visit to Watford tonight

Nigel Pearson considering Watford team options for Norwich City visit

Referee:Anthony Taylor
Paying Attendance:0

First half

Second half

Craig Dawson’s goal (10 mins, 1-1)

Danny Welbeck’s goal (55 mins, 2-1)

Watford beat Norwich City in relegation dog fight

Watford put some much-needed breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over bottom of the league Norwich City this evening. The Hornets had to come from behind in order to claim the three points however, after Emiliano Buendia opened the scoring after just five minutes. Craig Dawson levelled soon after, before Danny Welbeck’s sensational overhead kick clinched the points in the second-half.

Nigel Pearson delighted for Danny Welbeck after Watford beat Norwich City

Watford players rated after coming from behind to beat Norwich City

Craig Dawson believes Danny Welbeck scored the best Watford bicycle kick

Watford’s Danny Welbeck describes his goal against Norwich City as one of his best

Pictures from Watford’s win over Norwich City

Norwich had a late chance to grab an equaliser, but 19-year-old Adam Idah shot wide from five yards out when sliding in at the back post.

Watford boss Nigel Pearson on Welbeck’s performance: “He’s a player with a lot of ability and he’s had a really good career. To have a winner of such quality is great for us because it was a difficult game.

Minute by minute

You could argue that neither of them was very good. Certainly this would be true of Norwich: a side capable of such elegant football in possession but often a gibbering, blubbering wreck without it. Of the many truly useless teams in Premier League history, Norwich are by far the best of them: cultured, ambitious and yet likely to be relegated with three games to spare. Watford are a more complex proposition. This was huge for them and yet so laboured and inept was their performance that it offered zero reassurance for the tougher tests to come: Newcastle, West Ham, Manchester City, Arsenal. You would not really back them to win any of those. They may not have to

If your only win in a dozen games is a riotous trashing of the then-unbeaten champions, that suggests you have more than a bit of a motivation problem. You can’t just wear deodorant on your wedding day.

4th July 2020- Premier League, Chelsea 3 Watford 0

Watford and Chelsea will honour NHS workers with a moment’s applause

Troy Deeney claims Watford had ‘difficult conversations’ as part of Chelsea preparations

Andre Gray, Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah will be available for Watford’s game at Chelsea

Craig Shakespeare is not concerned by Watford’s Premier League goals tally

Adam Masina believes Watford will avoid relegation

Chelsea issued just one programme for their four home Premier League games during ‘Project Restart’.

Referee: Kevin Friend
Paying Attendance:0

1st Half

2nd Half

Watford well beaten away at Chelsea

An Olivier Giroud goal and a Willian penalty had the hosts firmly in control in the first-half, before Ross Barkley’s finish in stoppage time sealed a miserable evening out for the Hornets, who remain teetering precariously above the relegation zone, after once again struggling to cause significant problems for their opponent’s goalkeeper.

Nigel Pearson calls on Watford to ’embrace the challenge’ after Chelsea defeat

Watford players rated after defeat to Chelsea

Watford heading into ‘big week’, claims Nigel Pearson

Danny Welbeck’s introduction after the interval did provide them with some pace and quality in the final third but it was too little too late.

“Capoue decided to make a really bad, really rash decision, and he’s cost his team,” Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports at the interval.

Minute by minute

The silence inside the stadium produced its usual revelations. Deeney really does spend a lot of time talking to, bonding with, and generally getting to know the linesman. Foster does a lot of shouting about metres and distances when the opposition has a free-kick near his goal. And Giroud’s agonised howl of pain on being fouled outside the box, a howl so loud you half expected to look up and see him holding his foot in one hand, was enough to draw an actual laugh from Frank Lampard.

For all that the games are on top of each other, there’s something painfully drawn out about this narrative. Watching all of The Games That Matter means that we’re generally watching a lot of football matches, and a lot of football matches involving at least one terrible football team, what with lockdown and that making limited teams less fit, and less mobilisable by the presence of a crowd. The number of teams involved and the low success rate of the protagonists so far means a lot of this is reasonably enjoyable nonetheless, what with schadenfreude and so on. Man United toying with Bournemouth earlier was a popcorn event for all, surely, of a Watford, or Villa, or West Ham persuasion complete with mildly threatening twists and turns that briefly teased before the inevitable happy ending.

27th July 2019- Friendly, Queens Park Rangers 0 Watford 1

Live Blog

Watford beat Queens Park Rangers in their third pre-season friendly

https://oldwatford.com/2019/08/03/3rd-august-2019-the-graham-taylor-matchday-watford-2-real-sociedad-1/

18th July 2019- Friendly, Ajax 2 Watford 1 (played at Sportanlage Burgerau, Saalfelden, Austria)

Jurrien Timber’s late header gives Ajax pre-season win over Watford

Javi Gracia thinks there is enough time for Watford to improve after Ajax defeat

Minute by minute

https://oldwatford.com/2019/08/03/3rd-august-2019-the-graham-taylor-matchday-watford-2-real-sociedad-1/

28th July 2018- Friendly, Brentford 1 Watford 2

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Screen Shot 2018-07-28 at 21.43.11

Watford Observer

Brentford vs Watford: Andre Gray hits winner as Bees self-destruct in error strewn clash

RELIVE – Brentford vs Watford: Pair of Brentford errors hand Watford pre-season victory

Frans Watford Blog: It had been a typical pre-season game. A run out that gave few clues to what we can expect for the rest of the season, but it was an enjoyable enough afternoon. Bizarrely, the atmosphere in the away end was livelier than I am used to at pre-season games, although the chanting was dominated by anti-Luton songs, being delivered by kids who, if I am any judge of ages, are too young ever to have seen Watford play them up the road.