Category Archives: October

21st October 2023- Championship, Watford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0

BBC: Watford substitute Yaser Asprilla snatched a late winner to deny Danny Rohl a point in his first game as Sheffield Wednesday boss.

Sky: He picked the ball on the right flank from Ismael Kone and was able to work his way towards edge of the area where he fired his shot past the diving Cameron Dawson.

Watford Observer RECAP: Watford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0

Asprilla strike ends Watford’s winless run

Given the context, Ismael was pleased with the victory

BHappy: There were no hooks in this game; nothing but inertia, a sense of perhaps misplaced obligation and the persistent rain keeping most in their seats and nobody but nobody was desperate for more.  The conclusion, however, was more than adequate.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The post-match consensus was that it had been a poor game between two sides low on confidence.  In the first half the Hornets had appeared afraid to attack.  A frustrated shout from one of my neighbours of “Bachmann is open” when the ball was being played about the midfield summed it up.  But the introduction of Koné, Sema and Chakvetadze led to a more positive approach and more willingness to run at the defence.  The goal came from an audacious move by Asprilla, which was great to see.  Hopefully Sema will be fit to start on Tuesday as he makes a tremendous difference.  The others have to show that they can affect the game for ninety minutes rather than being impact substitutes.

7th October 2023- Championship, Cardiff City 1 Watford 1

https://www.skysports.com/football/cardiff-city-vs-watford/teams/484823

BBC: Mark McGuinness put the hosts in front with an emphatic close-range finish in the first half.

Sky: The Cardiff goalkeeper’s clumsy control of a harmless pass from centre-half Mark McGuinness gifted a 54th-minute equaliser to Hornets striker Vakoun Bayo.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Cardiff 1 Watford 1

A point, some improvement but still so much needs to be better

Ismael: We should have won the game

Fran’s Watford Blog: Most leaving the ground seemed quite happy with the performance.  While the first half had been woeful, the second half was much better.  The players were closing the opposition down and making things difficult for them, which we haven’t seen for a while.  The attacking effort was also better than of late although they were still far too shot shy.  There were a couple of occasions (Bayo and Asprilla come to mind) when a shot seemed a better option than the pass that they ended up failing to make.  Livermore had a solid game and Kayembe looked more solid as the game went on.  Louza impressed me on his appearance from the bench showing some decent touches which have been all too rare in the past few weeks.  It was not a great performance, but there was a spirit there and it was good to see the team come back from a goal down and they were the most likely winners of the game.  It was certainly good to break the losing streak before the international break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66968686

4th October 2023- Championship, Sunderland 2 Watford 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/sunderland-vs-watford/teams/484820

BBC: Sunderland continued their fine form in the Championship as they inflicted a third straight defeat on Watford, a day after boss Valerien Ismael signed a contract extension.

Sky: Watford’s miserable night got worse with three minutes remaining when substitute Ryan Andrews was given a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Jack Clarke on halfway.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Sunderland 2 Watford 0

Everyone may be on the same page – but currently it’s grim reading

Ismael locked players in to get answers – and he wasn’t accepting excuses

Not all players acknowledging fans at Sunderland is ‘unacceptable’ says Ismael

Fran’s Watford Blog: There were loud boos from the travelling Hornets and some in the crowd got rather animated as they expressed their displeasure, so much so that the stewards got involved.  It was another frustrating loss.  Based on possession and chances it had been an even game, but the Hornets were undone by poor defending and being wasteful with their chances.  There was an argument that we were unlucky to go behind in the first half as we had been on top and should have had a penalty just before they scored the first.  But you can’t defend like that and expect to get something out of the game, and we never looked like getting back into it once the second goal went in.  I do worry about Ismaël’s insistence on the players playing out from the back as they are clearly not comfortable doing so.  Hoedt, in particular, looks to be in a complete panic while looking for a pass.  That doesn’t help anybody’s confidence.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66932475

29th October 2022-Championship, Wigan Athletic 0 Watford 1

WFC.Net Jon Mark’s Goal Commentary: 1

Attendance: 10.642

BBC Sport: Joao Pedro headed in a late winner as Watford consigned Wigan to a fourth-straight defeat. The forward rose highest to meet Yaser Asprilla’s cross to plant a fine header past Latics goalkeeper Jamie Jones.

Sky Sports: Pedro’s effort earned Slaven Bilic’s side a third win in four games that leaves them two points off the play-off places.

Fran’s Watford Blog:  Just as we were settling for a point, a corner from Asprilla came back to him and he put in a lovely cross that João Pedro headed home to send the travelling Hornets wild.  There had been very few goal chances, but the Hornets thoroughly deserved the lead.

BHappy: There’s a lot to be said for an away venue that’s close to a motorway, even if that motorway has to be the M6.  The abundance of accessible car parks, including the one that we tumble out of and into the away turnstiles, is also handy and the steep, claustrophobic design means that this remains one of the better “new” grounds at which to watch football.  We’re two thirds of the back, but directly over the goalmouth – at West Ham you’d be in a different postcode.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63354627

23rd October 2022-Championship, Watford 4 Luton Town 0

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2  3  4

Attendance:
19,282

BBC Sport: Watford put their recent poor run behind them as they hammered illness-hit local rivals Luton Town at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: First-half goals from Keinan Davis and William Troost-Ekong set the tone and the visitors’ doom was sealed when goalkeeper Ethan Horvath gifted Joao Pedro a third before Ismaila Sarr completed the rout. Hatters substitute Gabriel Osho then saw red late on for a dreadful challenge on Ken Sema.

BHappy: I remember this being described somewhere, many years ago, as “the sort of derby that the locals get very agitated by but nobody else gives much of a toss about”.  Harsh but fair.  Thing is…  it’s been sixteen and a half years since supporters were able to watch this fixture in the ground, and the previous a further eight years before that.  Many of the people in Vicarage Road today won’t have seen a derby game in person before;  fewer still were here the last time we won this one in front of fans with John Barnes and Worrell Sterling doing the damage in April 1987 (I kept a diary in 1987, the entry features the word “murdered”).

Fran’s Watford Blog: The players went on an extended lap of the ground and were cheered and applauded all the way around.  I am usually pulling my replica shirt off at this point, but wanted to display my colours as I showed my appreciation.  Troost-Ekong appeared to be particularly delighted and Kamara was eliciting cheers from the Rookery.  Oh it was wonderful.  As Tim Coombs said, “It is like 1997 all over again.”

Watford Observer: OPINION Let’s win the derby with style, on and off the pitch

RECAP: Relive the joy of Watford 4 Luton 0

Superb Hornets thrash Hatters to make derby history

Fans and police involved in clash as Watford smash four past Luton

‘It’ll be a totally different game when they come to Kenilworth Road’ – Jones

Derby delight: 15 pictures from a Hornets day to remember

Match report from eight-year-old sums up derby day for Watford fans

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63274085

19th October 2022- Championship, Millwall 3 Watford 0

Attendance: 12,787

BBC Sport: Tom Bradshaw’s first-half hat-trick helped Millwall inflict a third defeat on Watford in their past four games under Slaven Bilic.

https://www.skysports.com/football/millwall-vs-watford/teams/468013

Sky Sports: It took just eight minutes for Bradshaw to open his account for the evening, as he latched onto a long goal-kick that was not dealt with by centre-back Mattie Pollock on his first Championship start for the visitors, before deftly lofting the ball over Daniel Bachmann.

BHappy: We start OK.  Yes, really.  Bright, positive.  Briefly we wonder whether, having once again demonstrated our ability to beat teams that give us space to play we’ll finally overcome a more obstructive opponent.  Ho hum.

Fran’s Watford Blog: What a disappointment this was after the excellent showing on Saturday.  I can only describe this performance as a shameful shambles.  Before the game we had discussed the Blackpool game and the fact that we had performed well in the first hour before our collapse.  It certainly hadn’t been the abject display that we had seen at West Brom.  This performance was certainly more in that vein but with added soft goals and no wonder strike for us.  There were some bright spots in the second half, Kalu and Joao Pedro at least looked to be putting some effort in, but overall it was awful and the Hornets never looked like getting back in the game.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63224177