Category Archives: November

4th November 2025- Championship, Ipswich Town 1 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Ipswich Town preview: Watford can put themselves on the Championship map

Gracia wants Watford to convert home ‘strength’ into away form

Match Wrap: Ipswich Town 1-1 Watford – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Ipswich Town 1-1 Watford

Match Report: Watford earn creditable 1-1 draw at Ipswich

Gracia believes point is ‘reward’ for spirited effort at Ipswich

‘They are more mature’ – Gracia on Watford youngsters and Maamma debut

Gracia not bothered by quick turnaround as he plots seven-point week

Analysis: Watford combined resilience and luck to secure Ipswich draw

BBC: Watford captain Imran Louza scored for the fourth time in as many games as his side frustrated Ipswich Town to secure a draw at Portman Road.

Sky: The visitors’ leading scorer Imran Louza found the net after 16 minutes, with Jaden Philogene equalising for the home side.

Fran’s Watford Blog: This had been a difficult game for the Hornets. Despite scoring with our first attack of the game, there had been little time to take the momentum as the home side equalised soon after. Ipswich certainly had the better of the chances and Selvik kept us in the game with a couple of excellent saves. Pollock and Abankwah were solid in the centre of defence so, despite being under the cosh for a lot of the game, we didn’t look like we were hanging on. I had done an interview for Radio Suffolk before the game and had (unsurprisingly) picked out Louza as the man to watch as well as mentioning Maamma. I was pleased to be proved right. Louza scored for the fourth game in a row and again put in a man of the match performance. Maamma really impressed. As soon as he came on the tempo changed and he was completely unfazed by a Championship defence looking lively going forward but also getting back to do some defensive work. I am really looking forward to seeing a lot more of him in the coming games.

From the Rookery End: Mike and Kieran react to Watford’s 1-1 draw on the road at Ipswich in a game that saw Imran Louza score his fourth in four games, Tom Ince come in for the injured Rocco Vata, more rotation at centre-back, and our first signing of our Moroccan world cup winner Othmane Maamma

1st November 2025- Championship, Watford 3 Middlesbrough 0

Watford Observer: Team news: Gracia on niggles, Maamma, Chakvetadze and centre-back options

‘Take care of the details’ – Gracia on how Watford can become consistent force

Gracia knows young players need time but warns competition is on

Rob Edwards reflects on ‘frustrating’ Watford spell but believes exit was right

Gracia: Vicarage Road has to be our ‘extra power’

Match Wrap: Watford 3-0 Middlesbrough – Watford FCDownload

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: Watford 3-0 Middlesbrough

Match Report: Watford beat Middlesbrough 3-0 with clinical display

Vata injury the ‘only bad thing’ to come from Middlesbrough win

Gracia on Middlesbrough win: ‘We showed a hunger, an attitude’

Louza: ‘Gracia has brought the spirit we’ve missed for years’

Scoring first and strong vibes: Five talking points from Watford 3-0 Middlesbrough

Edwards reveals Middlesbrough worked to stop exactly what led to Watford goals

BBC: Rob Edwards left Vicarage Road frustrated again after Middlesbrough’s promotion hopes were dented by his old club Watford. Edwards was back at Vicarage Road for the first time since his sacking in 2022 after just 11 matches. And the Boro boss left disappointed again as the Teessiders missed a great chance to move level on points with Coventry City at the top of the Championship.

Sky: Pacy winger Kwadwo Baah ran 60 yards with the ball, beat Matt Targett down the outside and his cut-back was fired home by Watford captain Louza, whose pass had instigated the breakaway, for his fifth goal in seven games.

BHappy: There’s nowhere to hide with a formation that’s less 4-4-2 than 4-2-4. The excitement at the prospect was tempered by the memory of the flimsy defending that contributed to at least two of the goals last weekend and the knowledge that we were again up against one of the division’s strongest sides the like of whom we’ve largely gotten away without playing thus far thanks to a quirk of the fixture list.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The main criticism last week against Coventry was that the Hornets were not clinical enough in front of goal, and the defence was porous. Neither was the case in this game. The Hornets took their chances brilliantly and gave Middlesbrough no space to play. The defence looked well organised and when the visitors did create chances, Selvik was superb. Baah was back to his best, belting down the right wing and putting in some great balls, particularly for Louza’s goal. Ngakia also found space down the right and his cross for Kjerrumgaard’s goal was sublime. Luca had his best game for some time and capped it with a brace, even if he didn’t know much about the second goal. Pollock was very solid and the defence looked like a unit, finally keeping a clean sheet. In fact, Gracia has got us looking like a team again rather than the group of individuals that we saw under Pezzolano. That and the attacking approach has been very pleasing. The only negative was the injury to Vata. He has been a joy to watch in recent weeks, so I hope he is not out for long.

From the Rookery End: On this weekend’s FTRE, Jon, Jason, Kieran and Jordi shelter from the rain as they stand outside Vicarage Road to celebrate a dominant 3–0 win over Middlesbrough — and Rob Edwards’ return. The team unpack a near-perfect display under Javi, from Selvik’s superb save to Bola’s standout performance against his old club, Louza’s growing influence, and a front line that finally clicked.

30th November 2024- Championship, Watford 0 Queens Park Rangers 0

Report: Watford 0-0 QPR – Watford FCDownload

BBC: Watford extended their unbeaten home run to 15 matches as they played out a goalless draw with struggling QPR at Vicarage Road.

Sky: The hosts made it 15 home games without defeat to equal the run set by Graham Taylor’s side in 1997, but missed an opportunity to close in on the Championship automatic-promotion places.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 0 QPR 0

Watford 0 QPR 0 minute-by-minute match report

Five talking points: Not finding a way, another clean sheet and points progress

Cleverley: ‘I thought the result was a fair one’

Why Watford need to prevent the ice from forming this winter

Pollock says players ‘gutted and frustrated’ after QPR draw

Lack of quality in final third was rare off-day for forwards says Cleverley

BHappy: It’s a scruffy, hurtly, rattly game of football with all of the discipline and control of a wasp stuck in an overturned glass – and similar impotence.  This was Andrew Kitchen’s third irritating refereeing of a Watford game this season; he’s officiated three of the five games in which we’ve failed to score which is surely pure coincidence.  The irritating bit isn’t though and  it’s clear fairly quickly that he’s going to blow up every time anyone hits the deck.  QPR’s Japanese winger Saito skittles along at high speed and is going to win decisions as a consequence, any contact will send him over – though the highlights suggest a greater degree of cynicism on his part in this regard than we afforded him on our way back up Occupation Road afterwards.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It had been a much better half for the Hornets but, if the visitors had been able to shoot, they would have had 3 or 4. I guess that explains their league position. It was a frustrating afternoon. Chakvetadze has had a couple of disappointing games. He is so desperate to score that he repeatedly runs into defenders and loses possession. Louza continues to impress and looks as if he is enjoying his football again. Vata was a breath of fresh air when he came on, running for everything and the cheeky ball around Smyth was a thing of beauty. Also, it was lovely to see Ngakia back on the pitch after so long out with injury. One other thing of note during the game was Pollock standing in front of the opposition keeper when he was trying to set up the wall at a free kick. It was an annoying distraction and an interesting idea.

From The Rookery End: Were Watford held 0-0 at home to QPR or did the Golden Boys allow it? Jon, DCW, Paul from Denver and Adam Drury disucss the game. They also discuss how it might only be worth turning up at half time, how Tom Cleverley might still be searching for his best starting XI and when should we openly start saying the p word…. Play-offs?

26th November 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Bristol City 0

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

Report: Watford 1-0 Bristol City – Watford FCDownload

BBC:Watford climbed into the Championship’s play-off positions with a narrow victory over Bristol City at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Andrews scored from his side’s only shot on target as the Hornets maintained their unbeaten run at home under manager Tom Cleverley.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Bristol City 0

Watford 1 Bristol City 0 minute-by-minute report

‘We have a way of being able to find a win here at home’

Let’s just enjoy that feeling of winning when we probably shouldn’t have

Fran’s Watford Blog: After the superb showing on Friday, this performance was rather disappointing, but the three points were very welcome. The visitors had dominated the first half, but the Hornets were much better in the second with the defence restricting the chances for the visitors. Sadly, the forward play was lacking. Louza was named Man of the Match by the sponsors, but Bachmann deservedly won out in the fan vote. He had an excellent game, pulling off some crucial saves. Having been impressed by the football played by the Hornets on Friday, I thought that there were too many loose and misplaced passes in this game. But a win always sends the crowd home happy and we can just hope for a better performance for the visit of QPR on Saturday.

22nd November 2024- Championship, Plymouth Argyle 2 Watford 2

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1  2

Report: Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Watford – Watford FCDownload

BBC: Andre Gray scored twice against his former club to salvage a point for struggling Plymouth Argyle as they drew 2-2 with Watford.

Sky: Gray smashed home from just inside the box after being teed up by substitute striker Mustapha Bundu in the sixth and final minute of stoppage-time.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Plymouth 2 Watford 2

Plymouth 2 Watford 2 minute-by-minute report

Watford boss points at failure to be clinical as two points slip away

Watford frustrated by a shade of Gray seldom seen at Vicarage Road

‘It is progress and I cannot be angry with that performance’

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was a very frustrating end to a game that the Hornets should have won. It was typical that Gray scored both of their goals, but it has to be said that they were both decent strikes. Sadly, Watford only had themselves to blame as they should have finished the game off. There were enough opportunities to do so, and they will be ruing the missed chances, particularly the Bayo one-on-one.

From the Rookery End: The fixture gods did not shine on Watford fans when a late November trip to Plymouth was announced, and got even worse with the move to the Friday evening. But the Hornets put in a great first half performance but couldn’t quite get it over the line after a very late goal from Andre Gray meant its was only 1 point a piece.

8th November 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Oxford United 0

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

Report: Watford 1-0 Oxford United – Watford FCDownload

BBC: A second-half goal by Vakoun Bayo sent Watford fourth in the Championship as they held on to beat Oxford United.

Sky: Tom Cleverley’s hosts moved above Burnley, West Brom and Millwall thanks to a 54th-minute strike from the Ivory Coast forward, who had scored four times at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend but only once before that this term.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Oxford 0

Watford 1 Oxford 0 – the action as it happened

Players delivered half-time tactical changes perfectly says Cleverley

BHappy: It’s a long old time since Oxford were here last.  Twenty six years…  twenty six years and one day, in fact. The Oxford United of 1998 were in a sorry state on and off the pitch;  notoriously they had turned up without a change kit and ran out in our two-tone blue number, a version of which is up in the loft somewhere.  On the pitch they were hardly more competent, supine in rolling over to accommodate a routine home win that could have seen a bigger margin of victory.  More than half of the intervening period has been spent in the fourth tier, with four years spent outside the Football League altogether.

Fran’s Watford Blog: As the team celebrated, “Freed from Desire” started playing over the tannoy, the Vicarage Road faithful followed the prompt with a joyous chorus of “Bayo’s on Fire” which saw the man himself appearing out of the crowd of players dancing towards the Rookey with a beaming smile on his face. My smile was equally broad at this point.

From The Rookery End: First, Jon, Kieran, Jason and Jordi chat outside Vicarage Road, after the 1-0 home win against Oxford United. With a few faces, who we don’t see much, being given a chance to shine by Tom Cleverley, there were a few players and performances to pick apart.