Category Archives: March

29th March 2024- Championship, Watford 2 Leeds United 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-leeds-united/teams/485169

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-2-2-leeds-united

Sky Sports: Watford began brightly in Tom Cleverley’s first match at Vicarage Road as interim manager. They won early set pieces and had a shout for a penalty – but Ethan Amapdu’s coming together with Yasser Aspirilla was not enough for a spot kick.

BBC: The hosts produced perhaps their best half of the season as Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis struck before the break, either side of a Crysencio Summerville stunner, to put them 2-1 ahead at half-time.

Guardian: “Everyone wants to play front-foot football but you have to be structured,” Cleverley said. “Against a team like Leeds if you’re a bit gung-ho they can slice you open. We looked a really controlled team. It’s a tough task to come up against the league leaders but we showed we can more than compete. I want everyone to leave at the end of the season thinking we’ve got a promotion push in us next year.”

Watford Observer: Watford 2-2 Leeds United: Bayo and Dennis on target in draw

BHappy: Emmanuel Dennis is haring towards the Sir Elton John Stand and the stadium – barring the rammed away section – is collectively doing its nut. This is Vicarage Road  at it’s finest…  an evening kick-off, for one thing.  This stadium is ours and home.  We know it’s special for all sorts of reasons that might not be immediately apparent to a neutral, let alone a rival.  But even the most journeyed supporter would surely concede that there’s nowhere that quite sucks in the darkness like Vicarage Road on such occasions. 

Fran’s Watford Blog: Before kick-off, Tim Coombs welcomed Tom Cleverley to the dug out for his first home match in charge.  His photo was displayed on the big screen with the caption “Our Tom” which was just lovely.

16th March 2024- Championship, Birmingham City 0 Watford 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-birmingham-city-0-1-watford-1

BBC: Struggling Birmingham City were left ruing a defensive lapse that ruined an otherwise much-improved performance as Emmanuel Dennis’ first-half goal gave Tom Cleverley a win in his first game as Watford interim head coach.

Sky: Aiwu could not control Cody Drameh’s throw-in across his own penalty area and Dennis got the better of the defender before finishing ruthlessly past John Ruddy.

BHappy: There’s a new broom in town… and yes, yes, we’re quite used to that and no, it’s not all about the head coach, deeper problems, yada yada.  Nonetheless.  There’s a newness to it and the potential for something different.  Daughter 2 notes that the large away end is full.  It’s not just the convenient distance that has brought folk out, and the new (interim) head coach’s name is being sung before the man himself even appears.

Fran’s Watford Blog: So, the Cleverley era started with a win, but it had been a very poor game of football between two poor teams.  The Hornets had taken the three points based on an opportunist goal and a couple of excellent saves from Bachmann.  Pollock impressed as did Porteous and Tom Dele-Bashiru, but the forwards had a disappointing afternoon.  Still, three points are always welcome, and we now have a fortnight to prepare for the challenges of the Easter weekend.  Let’s hope that this result will instil some confidence and that the remaining games yield some entertainment.  This has been a trying season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68519397

9th March 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Coventry City 2 after which Valerien Ismael was dismissed and replaced by Tom Cleverley who was named as Interim Head Coach

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-coventry-city/teams/485145

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-1-2-coventry-city

Sky: Haji Wright scored twice as Coventry came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

BBC: Ryan Porteous put the home side in front after a bright start from the out-of-form hosts. USA forward Wright scored a penalty just before half-time to level after Josh Eccles was fouled, before adding another 18 minutes from time.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Coventry City 2

The drop and the chop – could one or both happen to Ismael?

Hornets’ home misery continues with Coventry defeat

Around five and a half hours after the game finished the club confirmed that Valerin Ismael had been dismissed as Head Coach and would be replaced by Tom Cleverley on an interim basis.

https://www.watfordfc.com/news/news-cleverley-to-replace-ismael

BBC: Watford have sacked boss Valerien Ismael following a run of only one win in 10 league games, with Tom Cleverley named as interim head coach.

Sky: Ismael was Watford’s 20th different manager since the Pozzo family took control of the club in 2020.

Watford Observer: Ismael sacked – Cleverley takes interim charge

Ismael sacked: he got more time than many but couldn’t survive this run

Sacked in March but Ismael’s January decisions were his downfall

BHappy: And so midway through the writing of this report the news breaks that has been coming, however reluctantly.  Ten months is probably not far from average for a managerial tenure these days and any number of statistics will support the fact that most clubs in this position would have taken the same steps by now, not that this will prevent any tired hacks from wheeling out tired gags.

Fran’s Watford Blog: I went to a gig in the evening and, while travelling home, picked up the news that Valerien had gone.  Given the terrible run of results that we have had lately, it was hardly a surprise.  I just hope that Tom Cleverley can bring some of the magic that he has had with the youngsters to the first team.  I certainly wish him well.

From the Rookery End: In the wake of another defeat and the departure of another Head Coach, Mike, Jas and Jon got together to talk through the latest dispiriting developments. Why now? How will Tom Cleverley fare? What happened to Mike’s coccyx? All these questions and more get the From the Rookery End treatment in this, the latest episode.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68454825

6th March 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Swansea City 1

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-swansea-city/teams/485133

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Official Site match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-1-1-swansea-city

Sky: Watford have still not won at home in the league since November 28. Goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was brought back for a first Watford appearance in the league since three days before that win.

BBC: The Hornets fell behind in comical fashion early on when goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann raced out of his goal and teenage full-back Ryan Andrews headed into his own net.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Swansea 1

The painful, limping journey to getting safe goes on

When you’re lacking confidence, what you don’t need is a bad start

‘When you start to lose games then you overthink as a player’

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were a couple of boos at the end, which I thought were totally undeserved given the second half performance.  Thankfully, the crowd who gathered along the front of the Rookery were there to cheer the players rather than berate them.  It had been a much better second half with lots of attacking play from the Hornets and plenty of shots, even if they struggled to get many on target.  The goal had been a terrible one to give away, but they recovered well and grew in confidence as the game went on.  It was the best we have seen from the Hornets in some time, and it was great to be in the Rookery with people on their feet cheering the lads on.  Coventry will be a different prospect than Swansea, but let’s hope that this improvement continues to the weekend.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68420955

18th March 2023- Championship, Watford 1 Wigan Athletic 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Attendance: 18,523

BBC Sport: Wigan battled to a point with a rearguard display against Watford but remain six points from safety at the bottom of the Championship as their dismal run extended to just one win in 17 games.

Sky Sports: James McClean’s 51st minute goal earned the visitors a point, after Keinan Davis had given the hosts the lead just before half-time.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a very dispirited group that convened back at the West Herts.  Yet again, we had failed to win a game that was there for the taking.  The lively first half had given way to a more nervous second period in which the Hornets played far too many passes around the box and made far too few incursions in.  The game wasn’t helped by an opposition that were time wasting from early in the first half.  But we have played many such teams this season and really have to learn how to deal with these tactics.

14th March 2023- Championship, Watford 3 Birmingham City 0

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2  3

Attendance: 18,403

BBC Sport: Watford gave new manager Chris Wilder a perfect first night at Vicarage Road with a comfortable win over Birmingham City.

Sky Sports: Imran Louza and Keinan Davis scored within the first 16 minutes of a painful evening for Blues manager John Eustace – a former Hornets captain as a player. Birmingham improved in the second half but could not prevent substitute Britt Assombalonga from adding a third.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Birmingham gaffer (and former Watford captain) John Eustace was welcomed back.  Troy Deeney was out injured but my sister told me that he had taken an age to get from the SEJ to the GT stand as he was stopped by every other person.  Tim then introduced Chris Wilder to the (very sparse) crowd, and he was given a warm welcome.