Category Archives: September

17th September 2022- Championship, Watford 2 Sunderland 2

This was the first home game since the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. The programme had a special wraparound with a tribute from club CEO Scott Duxbury.

Attendance:19,767

BBC Sport: Jewison Bennette’s late equaliser earned Sunderland a draw at Vicarage Road to deny Watford a fourth home win of the season.

Sky Sports: Colombian teenager Yaser Asprilla curled a clever ball into space on the left for Hassane Kamara to chase. The full-back’s cross was shovelled into the path of Keinan Davis by Sunderland goalkeeper Patterson, leaving the on-loan Aston Villa striker the easiest of tap-ins on his first Watford start.

BHappy: We can’t implore the club to exercise more patience on the one hand and then turn on a young manager in a challenging position if things look a bit tricksy after ten games.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62858313

13th September 2022- Championship, Blackburn Rovers 2 Watford 0

Attendance: 11,803

BBC Sport: Ryan Hedges and Dominic Hyam scored their first goals for Blackburn as they beat Watford in the Championship at Ewood Park.

Sky Sports: The scoreline scarcely did justice to Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men who hassled and harried their opponents who couldn’t match their hunger, workrate and quality.

BHappy: It’s bloody awful. Or at least, we’re bloody awful… Blackburn do a reasonable job of looking like a competent football team. So we’re bloody awful. Or rather… we’re not completely awful, but the bits that are awful are so awful that they render the less problematic bits sort of obsolete. For instance, I don’t really think there’s much wrong with our defence as far as actual defending goes. Nothing that something more cohesive going forward to release the pressure wouldn’t relegate to merely something to work on in the goodness of time, for all Christian Kabasele’s generosity with possession. Kortney Hause’s number has come up on the “who’s missing today?” spinning dial – a worryingly non-specific sprained ankle depriving us of the option of his surges out of defence and swinging crossfield balls.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62803562

10th September 2002- Watford v Reading; Match Postponed

After the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II on the 8th September all football due to take place the following weekend was postponed. However the programme for the game had already gone to press.

3rd September- Championship, Rotherham United 1 Watford 1

Attendance: 10,607

BBC Sport: Evergreen defender Richard Wood continued his fine run by heading in his fourth goal of the campaign to put the Millers ahead inside three minutes.

Sky Sports: The first bit of quality the visitors produced got them level on 33 minutes. Ken Sema wriggled free down the left flank and his cross was volleyed in emphatically by Bayo.

BHappy: The other significant contributor to the first half was Kortney Hause, making his full debut on the left side of the defence in front of us… indeed, so tall and broad is Hause that he blocked our view of much of the rest of the pitch during the first half from our position three rows back in the corner.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62696868

25th September 2021- Premier League, Watford 1 Newcastle United 1

WFC.Net Jon Mark’s Goal Commentary: 1

Watford

Newcastle United

BBC Sport: Sean Longstaff gave Newcastle the lead, but Ismaila Sarr levelled for the improved hosts after the break.

Sky Sports: Vicarage Road then erupted with one minute to go when King fired home from close range but referee Jarred Gillett – the first overseas official to referee a Premier League game – was instructed to disallow the goal by VAR for offside.

BHappy: If there’s anything more enjoyable than scratching and fighting and shithousing your way to an away win it’s depriving an opponent of doing so. The few seconds between Joshua King tucking away the loose ball after João Pedro’s tidy lay-off had set up Sissoko to drive at Darlow were a wonderful thing but it wasn’t to be. Referee Gillett rubbed salt into the wound unnecessarily by getting his handpointing all wrong and invoking a second abortive goal celebration, but VAR confirmed that Newcastle’s offside trap was in better working order than ours had been and King had stepped beyond it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58606474

21st September 2021- League Cup Third Round, Watford 1 Stoke City 3

WFC.Net Jon Mark’s goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 8,421

BBC Sport: Late goals from Sam Clucas and Josh Tymon gave Championship side Stoke City a surprise win over a wasteful Watford in the Carabao Cup third round.

Sky Sports: Watford head coach Xisco Munoz changed his entire starting XI from the weekend win at Norwich but the majority of his fringe players failed to impress, while Stoke – showing eight alterations of their own – recovered from their loss at beleaguered Derby last time out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E2%80%9322_EFL_Cup

18th September 2021- Premier League, Norwich City 1 Watford 3

WFC.Net Jon Mark’s Goal Commentary: 1 2 3

Attendance: 26,649

BBC Sport: Ismaila Sarr scored twice as Watford beat Norwich in the battle of the two promoted sides and Premier League relegation rivals – to leave Norwich bottom on no points.

Sky Sports: Teemu Pukki cancelled out Emmanuel Dennis’ opener in the first half, but Ismaila Sarr sealed Watford’s second Premier League win of the season with a close-range finish shortly after the hour mark and another in the 82nd minute.

BHappy: Our recent performances have been characterised by an ability to hold opponents off whilst ceding possession, undermined by an inability to capitalise when we break. Today, subtle changes in team selection and attitude facilitate almost a complete inverse. That “tight and nervy” prediction is blown out of the water immediately as both sides start positively and aggressively. Off the pitch, in the circumstances we may benefit from being the away side; a travelling support in general, let alone on a sunny afternoon in late summer, generally boasts less angst and more bloody-mindedness than a home support, all other things being equal. This is only fuelled by an early assault on the City goal, adjacent to the away block in the first half, which culminates in Kucka hurling himself like a human missile at a right wing cross. His opponent holds him off on this occasion, which takes some doing, but this is fuel to the boisterous fire kindling in the away end. The flipside of this is that having looked generally difficult to manoeuvre through up until now we’re ceding chances a little too easily in what little foothold we afford the home side. This will not be dull.

From the Rookery End: Join Mike and DCW as they share their thoughts and experiences throughout the day, hearing from fellow supporters as the travelling Hornets hordes enjoyed a day in the Norfolk sun.

11th September 2021- Premier League, Watford 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

Attendance: 20,019

BBC Sport: Bruno Lage’s side had lost their opening three games 1-0 and after 69 shots without scoring, it took Francisco Sierralta heading into his own net from Marcal’s cross to give Wolves the advantage.

Sky Sports: With seven minutes to go they turned that into a second goal. Semedo’s low ball across the six-yard box simply needed tapping home at the back post, where Marcal somehow turned it onto the woodwork and away, before Hwang found some greater accuracy to beat William Troost-Ekong’s despairing challenge from close range.

BHappy: The head coach, at least, has built a rapid connection with supporters – a ready smile and a promotion don’t hurt of course – but his request for a barrage of noise to fuel an early assault on the visitors never looks remotely like coming to pass as Wolves dominate possession for the opening ten or fifteen minutes. Jeremy Ngakia is one of two new faces in the starting eleven… I’ve never quite decided in my head whether he’s destined for great things or somewhat less great things, and the same conflicting evidence is on show here. In the opening minutes Traoré, ostensibly the greatest threat (Jiménez, a shadow of his former self, is regaining fitness and confidence), twice loses Ngakia on the Wolves left before slipping a simple pass to a team-mate presumably deemed to boast more reliable end product. It’s all very sensible but rather underwhelming, like hiring a michelin-starred chef to pour you some corn flakes.

From the Rookery End: Watford’s 2-0 home loss against Wolves was a game with a negative result but, by talking it through, Jon, Mike, Jason and Colin, try to see the nuggets the season can be built upon.

26th September 2020- Championship, Watford 1 Luton Town 0

The 14 year gap since our last meeting is the longest since we started playing each other in 1885.

Statement: Watford v Luton Town

Match Pack: Watford v Luton Town

Foster: “This Is A Big Deal”

Watford tell fans to stay at home for Luton Town derby

Watford board up Graham Taylor statue ahead of Luton Town game

Ben Foster wants Watford ready for Luton Town derby

Vladimir Ivic wants Watford to beat Luton Town for the fans

Ben Foster claims fans were taken for granted ahead of Watford Luton derby

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-luton/teams/429739

1-0

Match-Report_-Watford-1-0-Luton-Town-Watford-FC Download

Whatever career João Pedro goes on to have, and the signs are it will be a damn good one, he is assured of his place in Watford folklore and a place in the hearts of Watford fans after emerging as the winner in the long-awaited derby.

Watford victorious against Luton Town in the Championship

The Brazilian, who turned 19 today, capitalised after good work on the left flank from Ken Sema, his finish deflected past Luton keeper Simon Sluga, who was called upon to make some more good saves on a day when the hosts should have scored more.

Vladimir Ivic thinks Watford’s performance in their derby day win over Luton Town was their best yet since he joined the club, but hopes there is more improvement to come.

Watford players rated after Luton Town victory

The fixture between keen rivals had not been played since April 2006 but although the match was played behind closed doors, police still insisted on a 12.30pm kick-off. As a result, there was little resembling a derby atmosphere in a cold and biting wind and Luton, in particular, struggled to raise their game against a Watford side whose recent Premier League pedigree gave them a decided edge.

The Hatters really ought to have led when Collins could not keep his shot down from six yards from Harry Cornick’s cross, and Pedro punished them – albeit with the help of a deflection off defender Sonny Bradley on its way in.

Whilst we were on top it would be wrong to paint this as a completely one-sided contest. The visitors were the strongest side we’ve faced thus far, defended well for the most part, desperately on occasions but doggedly enough to stay in it and always looked dangerous on the break where their attacks were neat and tidy. Harry Cornick was the biggest threat in the first half, too often finding space down the right. His ball across was smacked off the underside of the bar by Collins with Foster doing well to come out and force the Luton striker to lift the ball. That goes in it’s a different game; as it was we broke and scored, and never really looked back.

Jon, Mike and Jas gather after the game to discuss what turned out to be a fairly routine win for the a Hornets, with Vladimir Ivić starting to have a real impact at Vicarage Road.

19th September 2020- Championship, Sheffield Wednesday 0 Watford 0

Match-Report_-Sheffield-Wednesday-0-0-Watford-Watford-FC Download

It may be a few weeks before we see this new-look Hornets side at its fluent best, but they have picked up the very useful habit of racking up points while being in transition.

Watford play out goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday

Ivic made one change to the team that beat Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season, with Glenn Murray replacing the unwell Kiko Femenia and Ken Sema dropping into the left-back position.

Vladimir Ivic happy with Watford’s clean sheet at Sheffield Wednesday

Watford players rated after draw against Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls got on top in the first half against their sloppy opponents but were unable to make their dominance count, with Tom Lees coming closest to breaking the deadlock when his unmarked header grazed the post.

Watford came on strong in the final half hour but Owls keeper Cameron Dawson made a pair of fine low saves to thwart Stipe Perica and Tom Cleverley.

So what have we learned? Hardly news given Ivić’s reported stylistic preferences but we look an awful lot better at stopping the other lot than scoring ourselves. But for our marking at set pieces we looked pretty impenetrable today, as you’d hope from that extremely proficient back three with Cleverley and Chalobah sitting in front of them. Chalobah, as an aside, is becoming a candidate for that all-but-forgotten mantle of boo-boy, a role largely unoccupied for a decade or so but was excellent today, strong defending and effective supporting attacks. Better. All that’s stopping him dominating football games at this level is a need for a bit more assertiveness.

Hear the boys dissect Watford’s stalemate in Sheffield, which ended up being the classic game of two halves. The Athletic’s Watford correspondent Adam Leventhal joined Jon, Mike and Jason before and after the game to talk everything from transfers to tactics, as Vladimir Ivić continues to shape his Watford side.