Category Archives: September

14th September 2024- Championship, Watford 1 Coventry City 1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/clywd1zqzllt#Line-ups

WFC.net goal commentary: 1

Report: Watford 1-1 Coventry City – Watford FC.htmlDownload

BBC: Tom Dele-Bashiru’s simple close-range finish earned Watford a point and denied wasteful Coventry City a second Championship victory of the season.

Sky: It was an awful start for the home side, who for the third game in a row fell behind after less than four minutes of the contest. On this occasion, Ellis Simms was allowed free space from a Jack Rudoni corner, to direct his header off a post and into the net.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 1 Coventry 1

Watford 1-1 Coventry: Five talking points from Hornets draw

BHappy: Silence is weird.  Not… “peace and quiet”, everybody needs a bit of that from time to time to various degrees.  But the absence of noise where you’re used to having noise, is weird.  Disconcerting.  Wrong.

Frans Watford Blog: When we arrived at the Vic, there was no music being played on the PA due to a technical issue. My neighbour in the Rookery very kindly played Z-cars on his phone so that we got the full experience.

From the Rookery End: Colin, Jason and DCW gather outside Mad Squrrel to breakdown Watford performance – what and who caused a Watford turn around, which only fell a little short.

1st September 2024- Championship, Sheffield United 1 Watford 0

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c5y5d4zm044t#Line-ups
Report: Sheffield United 1-0 Watford – Watford FC.htmlDownload

BBC: Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann scored an own goal inside two minutes as the Blades kept up their own unbeaten streak in the league.

Sky: It could have been a more comfortable win for Chris Wilder’s men, who saw Kieffer Moore miss a first-half penalty.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Sheff Utd 1 Watford 0

Sheffield Utd 1 Watford 0 – as the action happened

No complaints from Clevs as Watford’s 100% start ends

Cleverley will address another slow start from Watford

Run ends but Watford’s start has still been so positive

Fran’s Watford Blog: After the great start to the season, it was a disappointing defeat. A lot of fans afterwards were bemoaning the fact that we lost the game to that terrible goal, but we didn’t do enough up front to make up for it and, while Bachmann was at fault for the goal, he made a number of excellent stops (including the penalty save) that kept us in the game. United were a strong side, who dealt well with what little threat we posed.

From the Rookery End: You might have had problem getting Oasis tickets this weekend, but during August Watford didn’t have any problems getting a win or two. However, that run of wins came to an end with a defeat at Bramell Lane against the Blades of Sheffield.

30th September 2023- Championship, Watford 2 Middlesbrough 3

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-middlesbrough/teams/484809

BBC: Middlesbrough continued their return to form with a third win from four unbeaten against an under-performing Watford at Vicarage Road.

Sky: Local boy Josh Coburn scored the 63rd-minute winner that halted an improbable comeback by Watford, who now sit just a point above their visitors having won just one of their last eight league fixtures.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Watford 2 Middlesbrough 3

Poor Hornets suffer Boro defeat

Ismael admits his change of shape was “not a good decision”

Does Ismael fear the often-used international-break Pozzo trigger finger?

BHappy: If three goals within the opening twenty minutes sounds exciting, it really wasn’t.  “Park football” was Vicky’s comment as the visitors demonstrated that they were equally capable of offering unchallenged chances…  an accurate but optimistic Porteous pass somehow found it’s way beyond Boro’s defence to Bayo who even more somehow overcame his traditional fallibility in such situations to steady himself and roll past Dieng.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Ismaël made a change at the break bringing Martins on in place of Rajović, who had been invisible.  The substitute was involved immediately winning a corner.  His next contribution was to find Dele-Bashiru whose shot from outside the box cleared the bar.  The Hornets should have equalised when a cross from Ngakia was met by a great header from Bayo that was on target, but Dieng made a wonderful save to keep it out.  The resultant corner was cleared to Hoedt on the edge of the box from where he found the bottom corner to level the game.  It was interesting that he ran to the dugout to celebrate.  There was another booking for the Hornets as Sierralta was cautioned for a rash challenge on Crooks.  The Boro player stayed on his feet, which was as well, or Sierralta could have seen red.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship#tab-Results

23rd September 2023- Championship, Leeds United 3 Watford 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/leeds-united-vs-watford/teams/484789

BBC: The Whites dominated the 90 minutes with Georginio Rutter having a goal ruled out for offside and Daniel Bachmann keeping a muted Watford on level terms with a string of excellent saves during the first half.

Sky: Piroe gave Leeds the lead midway through the second half as he volleyed home to finish off a fine move by Daniel Farke’s side. Byram capped his return to the side as he headed in from a corner and Anthony’s late goal moved Leeds up to fifth in the table having seen off a Watford outfit who rarely threatened.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

Gulf between teams finally reflected in result after Watford hung on for an hour

Ismael disappointed Watford did not force Leeds to work harder

Skipper says some of the Watford players were ‘a bit scared’

Fran’s Watford Blog: Bachmann was the first player to come over to the travelling Hornets, he looked very shame-faced but, without his saves, Leeds would have scored 7.  We were glad to get out of Elland Road and decided to avoid the bus and walk back into the City.  It was a beautiful afternoon and the walk was very pleasant indeed.  There was time for another beer before I caught the train home.  The post-match analysis was brief.  Watford had been absolutely awful, creating almost nothing.  They couldn’t string two passes together for large portions of the game.  Bachmann had been superb and had prevented the score being embarrassing.  Ironically, the Hornets had been marginally better in the second half, particularly after Asprilla came on.  But the fact that the first shot on target came in the 94th minute tells you everything about the game.  The atmosphere at Elland Road was typically unpleasant and our position at the front of the top section meant that we spent much of the second half having to peer around security staff and police officers who were there to keep the fans apart.  A horrible set up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/scores-fixtures/2023-09?filter=results
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table

20th September 2023- Championship, Watford 2 West Bromwich Albion 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-west-bromwich-albion/teams/484785
https://www.watfordfc.com/post-match/watford-mens-team-west-bromwich-albion-first-team-2023-09-20

BBC: Watford and West Bromwich Albion shared the points at Vicarage Road as Valerien Ismael’s Hornets were held to a draw by his old club in the Championship.

Sky: Tom Ince gave the hosts a third-minute lead but John Swift and Jed Wallace replied in the next 14 minutes for the Baggies. Matheus Martins responded for the Hornets but neither side was able to find a winner in the Championship fixture.

Watford Observer: Live feed

The conditions led to errors from both sides though, and one from Wesley Hoedt almost resulted in a winner for Brandon Thomas-Asante, but he was denied by an excellent Daniel Bachmann save after he had also kept out a stinging drive from the Albion striker earlier in the second period.

Head coach Valerien Ismael had seen tonight’s movie a few times already this season, and it’s not one he’s enjoyed previously.

It wasn’t just the sublime finish that made Tom Ince’s first goal for Watford a bit special, it was the move that led up to it as well.

Fran’s Watford Blog: In the end, a draw was probably a fair result.  All of the goals had been in the first 20 minutes, but both teams had chances to win it in the second half and had their keepers to thank for making terrific saves.  The conditions had been horrible, so misplaced passes could be excused, and I was glad that the weather didn’t lead to any catastrophic errors.  Watford’s game is still annoyingly error strewn, but the attacking threat continues, and it was a very entertaining game for those that braved the elements. 

16th September 2023- Championship, Watford 2 Birmingham City 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-birmingham-city/teams/484773

BBC: Birmingham City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end as two stoppage-time goals from Mileta Rajovic and Ryan Andrews gave Watford their first win since the opening day.

Sky: The visitors had started brightly, threatening inside the first minute when Oliver Burke’s pass from the right set up Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield for a low right-foot shot from outside the box only for Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann to save.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

It looked increasingly like the home side would have to settle for a point from a frustrating goalless draw, but with two minutes of normal time remaining the Blues were reduced to ten men when left-back Lee Buchanan was sent off for a second yellow card.

Head coach Valerien Ismael heralded the patience of the Watford fans as being a contributory factor in yesterday’s late, late show victory over Birmingham.

BHappy: It’s a tremendous header.  A Duncan Ferguson header.  Under challenge from several opponents, with the significant distraction of Dion Sanderson flying in to try to clear and having achieved very little in the game to that point – indeed one wonders if, had Vakoun Bayo been on the bench, he would have made it that far – Rajović kept his eye on it, held off the multiple distractions and directed a header cruelly beyond the helpless Ruddy (for whom this may have triggered an uncomfortable flashback to Wembley 2019).

Fran’s Watford Blog: The game seemed to being winding down when Chakvetadze squared for Andrews, but the youngster hit a low shot from distance that took a deflection and beat Ruddy.  He ran to the 1881 section of the Rookery and celebrated with Harry the Hornet while the crowd sang “He’s one of our own”.