Category Archives: November

5th November 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Coventry City 1

BBC Sport: Viktor Gyokeres scored the only goal of the game as Coventry City ended Watford’s three-game winning run with a hard-fought victory against the high-flying Hornets at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: A goal from Viktor Gyokeres five minutes into the second half turned out to be just enough on a day when Watford had a goal disallowed as well as seeing Ismaila Sarr miss a golden chance.

BHappy: Whilst the game’s outcome is hugely frustrating, any disappointment should by mitigated by the fact that whilst Coventry’s template is very much The Way To Play Against Watford, none have executed it as effectively as this. We know that without Imrân Louza we are short of a lock-picker; here Coventry are disciplined and focused in the face of what, for the first half hour or so, is a purposeful attack. Come the second half they’ll be stretched, we could easily have come away with this with something so – annoying, but maybe a blessing in disguise. We’re better, but not better enough to take anything for granted.

Fran’s Watford Blog: At half time, tribute was paid to Cliff Vassiliou who was a very familiar face at Vicarage Road before his passing earlier this year. He would also often be seen at reserve and youth games with his best friend, Tom Walley. They also remembered Paul Stallard, a lifelong fan who had given 25 years of service to the club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63436136

2nd November 2022- Championship, Cardiff City 1 Watford 2

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1 2

BBC Sport: Set-pieces proved key in south Wales as Watford came from behind to beat Cardiff City 2-1, with all three goals scored from corners.

Sky Sports: The Hornets replaced Swansea in sixth place with goals from Francisco Sierralta and Ismaila Sarr completing their fight back after Cedric Kipre had given the home side the lead.

Fran’s Watford Blog: This was a very good showing from the Hornets. Some of the passing from the back can be scary, but when it is executed well it is a joy to watch. João Pedro was absolutely magnificent, he was everywhere. Sarr put in a decent showing and was good value for the goal. The defence were well organised, and it was good to see Gaspar put in a decent shift. Finally we are seeing some consistency from this team, they are working hard and playing as a team. They are doing the dirty work, closing down the opposition, but also showing some great skill going forward. The chants of “sexy football” were well merited.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63363846

28th November 2021- Premier League, Leicester City 4 Watford 2

WFC.Net Jon Marks Goal Commentary: 1 2

BBC Sport: Jamie Vardy scored twice as Leicester beat Watford in a hugely entertaining match to ruin Claudio Ranieri’s return to the King Power Stadium.

Sky Sports: The former Leicester boss, who led the club to the Premier League title in 2016, was given a hero’s welcome by the home fans before the game, but his side were behind in the 16th minute after James Maddison capitalised on an error from William Ekong.

BHappy: Our response to this setback, and to the start of the second half, and the fact that we were still pushing at the end of the game are big positives. If, from the point at which Maddison scored, it rarely felt that we were quite on the edge of turning Leicester over it was never quite out of reach either. Compare and contrast with any number of our preceding defeats when a goal might not have arrived if offered infinite hours, a written invitation and an armed escort.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The Hornets had another chance to draw level when a Cleverley free kick to the back post was met by the head of Masina but his effort was wide of the target. At the other end, the home side had a chance to increase their lead when Castagne crossed for Vardy who headed over the bar. The Hornets should have been level after a brilliant strike from Hernández, but it was deflected off the inside of the post and Schmeichel gathered. The equaliser had been coming and it came from the penalty spot. Dennis had received a ball from King and broke into the box where he was tripped by Ndidi and the referee pointed to the spot. Schmeichel employed considerable gamesmanship in questioning the referee and delaying the spot kick. We speculated on who would take it. The consensus was King, who took penalties at Bournemouth and is from Norway so not fazed by snow. Sure enough, he stepped up and took a lovely penalty into the corner to beat Schmeichel.

20th November 2021- Premier League, Watford 4 Manchester United 1

WFC.Net Jon Marks Goal Commentary: 1 2 3 4

BBC Sport: Harry Maguire was sent off as beleaguered Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suffered more misery in an emphatic defeat at Watford.

Sky Sports: United could easily have been behind inside six minutes after Scott McTominay’s clumsy foul on Josh King gave Watford an early penalty, but Kiko Femenia’s goal on the rebound from Ismaila Sarr’s saved spot-kick was ruled out for encroachment, and Sarr was again denied by De Gea from the retake.

BHappy: You don’t get to fail to convert a penalty once against United let alone twice and still expect it to be your day. They were poor, poor penalties too and Isma’s longevity in this role has to be questioned. The second had been necessitated after Kiko encroached before joyfully converting the rebound off the first, the inevitability of celebrations being terminated clear as soon as the exemplary Jonathan Moss put his finger to his ear. As United cleared the rebound off the second we exhaled and waited for the sucker punch.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The Hornets took the lead just before the half hour mark, an attempted clearance by Wan-Bissaka dropped to Dennis who cut the ball back for King whose shot beat De Gea to send the Watford faithful wild. It was a lead that the Hornets thoroughly deserved. The Vicarage Road faithful greeted the goal with an ironic chorus of “Ole’s at the Wheel.”

The Guardian:In a rare moment of note at the other end Foster repelled a half-volley from Marcus Rashford, who joined McTominay in departing halfway through. But Watford, spurred by the surges of Moussa Sissoko and cleverly prompted by the young midfielder Imran Louza, could have scored at least once more before Sarr exploited acres of space on the right of the box to arrow a thrilling finish into the far corner. De Gea will be vexed that Pedro, a substitute, shot through him but was beaten more comprehensively from an angle by the superb Dennis. Watford departed to cheers and a sense that, having lifted them four points clear of the relegation zone, Claudio Ranieri is capable of keeping them up.

7th November 2021- Premier League, Arsenal 1 Watford 0

BBC Sport: Watford manager Claudio Ranieri accused Arsenal’s players of showing a lack of respect as the Gunners claimed a narrow victory in manager Mikel Arteta’s 100th match in charge.

Sky Sports: Watford boss Ranieri, who had stern words for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta at full-time, was critical of Arsenal afterwards but also said the challenge on Sarr merited a foul.

Jamie Redknapp says Arsenal should have given the ball back to Watford in the build-up to their goal and sided with cross Hornets boss Claudio Ranieri.

BHappy: Tufan wasn’t badly hurt, his subsequent removal almost certainly tactical. As the ball went out he was already rising to his feet and declining what looked like an offer of medical attention from the official, something which rather spoils the subsequent “yes but they were just wasting time” justifications overheard in queues for the tube. Watford anticipated the ball being returned and Arsenal didn’t do so. Not only that, but they took a quick throw with the defence not set up, further capitalising on the confusion. Friend should perhaps have pulled them up, but the act wasn’t his – this was cheap, classless opportunism on Arsenal’s part. The ball worked its way across the box (via a collision involving Sarr, prompting optimistic calls for a foul on the Watford winger) and Smith-Rowe, perhaps the best outfield player on the afternoon, struck home.

Frans’ Watford Blog: Arsenal took the lead after a pass from Kucka reached White, he rode a couple of challenges then came up against Sissoko, who made the tackle but the ball dropped kindly for Smith Rowe who fired past Foster from the edge of the box. There were bitter complaints from the Watford players as the move had started following a throw-in after the Hornets put the ball out for an injury, the Arsenal players did not return the ball, but the Hornets managed to regain it until Sarr was knocked down in the build-up, this was not deemed to be a foul and, despite the protests, the goal stood.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59107413

28th November 2020- Championship, Watford 4 Preston North End 1

Match-Report_-Watford-4-1-Preston-North-End-Watford-FC Download

Another home game, another win – a sixth in seven games – and a best start to a season at Vicarage Road in at least 13 years. No wonder the fans are so desperate to have their name pulled out of the hat ahead of the return of supporters next week.

There are issues to be fixed on the road, the Head Coach and the players are aware of that, but this grand old place is becoming a fortress and no-one will look forward to coming here this season, especially when fans are drip fed back in. The win over Preston was the biggest of the season, the fourth time in five home games they had scored at least three goals and only Bournemouth have prevented a 100 per cent record. The 19 points the team have harvested from seven games eclipses the 2007/08 haul of 16 under Aidy Boothroyd.

That particular anticipated push for a swift return to the top flight fell away, but this one should, fingers crossed, have legs, especially as the team is expected to get better and more fluent. The depth of the squad should also play a part, particularly amid such a punishing schedule. It is doubtful there is a team without players of the calibre of Étienne Capoue, Will Hughes and Tom Cleverley and yet still able to field a midfield two with full and England Under-20 honours.

You also had Portugal youth international Domingos Quina playing as a makeshift left-midfielder and he chipped in with his first goal in nearly two years, and his third for the club, after nine minutes. Troy Deeney is slightly more used to finding the back of the net and he slammed in his 133rd for the club eight minutes after half-time from the spot. Not done there, the captain then was involved in a lovely give-and-go with Nathaniel Chalobah for the third that clinched it. It was needed as Preston had threatened to make it a tricky last half-hour when Tom Barkhuizen made it 2-1.

Deeney departed with 20 minutes left as his job had been done. There are plenty of battles ahead and there was no point risking him with this one won. It was one of those days when he would have got a rousing ovation from a packed house as he ambled off and milked it for all it was worth. He was just putting his warm jacket on and sitting back in his chair when João Pedro made it four.

The Brazilian was on after half-an-hour because of an injury to Andre Gray. It was a real shame we only saw the restoration of Deeney and Gray for a third of the match before Gray limped off with a hamstring problem. In their first outing from the off in more than 14 months, and only the 14th time they had been paired together, they looked menacing and set the tone from the front. It took just two minutes for Deeney to find his old sparring partner and for Gray to show the confidence to let fly. The effort smacked against a defender, but the intent was clear. Gray then returned the favour to Deeney three minutes later with a cuter pass.

Without the pressure of being the lone front-runner, you had Gray closing down the ‘keeper and harrying Jordan Storey on the touchline. The rest of the team fed off that energy, particularly James Garner who rattled into three tackles in quick succession, including an over-zealous one on Brad Potts that earned him a yellow card. This was the intensity Head Coach Vladimir Ivić had been demanding.

It was not all plain sailing. It never is in this division. Sean Maguire and Potts, with a much closer one, had chances before the home side scored first while Ben Foster had to save bravely and smartly with his legs from Patrick Bauer even after Quina had put the team in front.

The team lost a bit of momentum after Gray, fearing a recurrence of the injury he sustained against Tottenham Hotspur, trudged off somewhat disconsolately. The Golden Boys were still largely in control without even being dominant. They thought they had that buffer of a second goal before half-time, that one that allows you to relax a bit more, but Ismaïla Sarr had strayed offside in converting a Deeney header from a pre-rehearsed Garner corner.

There were four goals in 13 second-half minutes against Coventry last time out here and there was a similar flurry after the break again, this time in a six-minute spell.

Deeney smashed in a penalty, his 33rd for the club, after Sarr had been fouled; Barkhuizen pulled one back with a shot that deflected off Garner and then Chalobah scored the goal of the game after sweet exchange with Deeney. It could have been more. Declan Rudd prevented the now full-of-confidence Deeney from finding the bottom corner with a low save and then dived high to his right to deny Sarr from lashing one in from range.

The fourth goal that had been coming did arrive on 74 minutes when João Pedro tucked one in at the far post from a Garner corner. This was now the going over the team had been threatening to give someone. Now the task is to transfer a slice of this form to the performances on the road, starting at Forest on Wednesday.