Category Archives: Slaven Bilic

21st January 2023- Championship, Watford 1 Rotherham United 1

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1

Attendance: 18,911

BBC Sport: Watford were left to rue a host of missed chances as they were held to a draw by Rotherham. Mario Gaspar hit the outside of the post early on for the hosts, before Shane Ferguson gave the Millers the lead as he blasted in from close range. Vakoun Bayo grazed the Rotherham bar soon after, while Matheus Martins also struck the upright for the promotion-chasing Hornets shortly after the restart.

Sky Sports: Joao Ferreira rescued a point for Watford in a 1-1 draw with Rotherham but the result did little to help their automatic promotion chances. In addition to Ferreira’s superb equaliser from 20 yards, which cancelled out Shane Ferguson’s first-half opener, Watford clipped the visitors’ woodwork on two occasions on what proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the Vicarage Road crowd.

BHappy: Rotherham aren’t dirty or particularly defensive, but they are strong and organised and, frankly, bigger than us.  With new, young signings and promising youngsters and that we are relatively lightweight…  Choudhury, stamping all over the midfield once again, and Sierralta stand out for their ability to give some back but Koné, whilst he has a good touch and the nous to spot and execute a long range pass isn’t nearly robust enough.  We get bullied once again, as we have far too often this season;  there’s a lack of physical presence up front in particular, where we simply don’t have a target for a direct ball and aren’t clever enough in trying to play through, but also in midfield despite Hamza’s best efforts.

Fran’s Watford Blog: At half time, Richard Johnson was talking about the week that the Academy players have had with the appearances in the FA Cup, the Youth Cup win against Everton and the league appearances including Adeyemo’s tremendous goal against Blackpool.  One thing that he didn’t mention was an event that the under 15s attended on Monday at which Eve Kugler, a child Holocaust survivor, spoke of her experiences during the rise of Nazi Germany.  I was lucky enough to be invited to join them.  Eve kindly spent her 92nd birthday talking to the group.  Her story was both chilling and very moving.  It is wonderful that the club educate the youngsters in this history and encourage them to learn about different communities.

14th January 2023- Championship, Watford 2 Blackpool 0

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 19,679

Official site: Watford fans inside The Vic marked the GT Matchday by paying tribute to the club’s greatest ever manager before kick-off, raising their scarves aloft as the teams walked out onto the pitch, while all in attendance honoured the late Gianluca Vialli with a minute’s applause.

BBC Sport: Teenage substitute Tobi Adeyemo helped send Watford up to third in the Championship with his first senior goal in a win against strugglers Blackpool.

Sky Sports: The striker, 17, looked as stunned as he was elated to have found the net in the 72nd minute – just four minutes after replacing Vakoun Bayo for his first taste of league action. 

BHappy: His celebration is magnificent, and mirrors the response in the stands – pure joy to start with, he has the armspan of an albatross.  Then giddy disbelief as he clutches his fingers to his scalp before being mobbed, youth team colleague Jack Grieves first on the scene from his touchline warm-up.  The youngster’s popularity is evident from the reaction of his teammates, who make a bee-line for the mob in the corner.

Fran’s Watford Blog: As if a goal from a 17 year-old making his league debut wasn’t pleasing enough, he scored it in the 72nd minute on the GT matchday.  I am sure that the great man was celebrating with the rest of us. 

26th December 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Millwall 2

Attendance: 20,204

BBC Sport: Andreas Voglsammer scored his first goal in English football to set Millwall on the road to a vital victory over Watford in their fight for a Championship play-off place.

Sky Sports: The home side were reduced to 10 men in the 38th minute when Hassane Kamara was sent off but they were comprehensively outplayed on their own turf.

BHappy: The first half was a one-sided farce.  Daniel Bachmann, for all that he almost gave an opening goal away with a sloppy clearance before redeeming himself by throwing himself across goal to block Bradshaw’s resultant shot, kept us in the game with a number of brave stops, none better than a reaction save to deny Voglsammer after yet another Cooper knock-down.  By that stage however we were already a goal down after a rare Cathcart error contributed to Bradshaw setting up Voglsammer to stroke past Bachmann.  “That had been coming”, said everyone in the stadium.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There was then a long break in play after João Pedro was fouled by Saville and seemed to slip as he went down.  After treatment on the field, he limped off the pitch and was sat on the sideline while his ankle was strapped up.  In the meantime, the Hornets won a corner, the delivery from Sema was met by Ngakia whose header was straight at Long in the Millwall goal.  While João Pedro was being treated, Asprilla had stripped and was ready to come on, but the Brazilian returned to the field even though he was limping heavily.  It didn’t look like there was any chance that he could run it off, so it was no surprise when he went down again.  He was clearly distraught as he left the pitch to be replaced by Asprilla.  Losing our best player was pretty upsetting, but Christmas was properly ruined soon after when Kamara chased a ball in the Millwall box and collided with the goalkeeper.  An altercation with McNamara followed, Kamara lashed out and the referee showed a straight red.  It was an utterly stupid thing to do and there was no sympathetic applause as he left the pitch, instead he received a smattering of boos. 

11th December 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Hull City 0

I’ve not checked the stats, but I’m pretty sure this is the first competitive game we’ve been involved in where three substitutes who came on were themselves substituted during the game.

Attendance: 18,846

BBC Sport: Watford and Hull City played out a dour goalless draw, as the home side missed the chance to move up to third in the Championship.

Sky Sports: Attempts on goal were sporadic, with Hull’s Jacob Greaves sending a header from a corner well wide and Christian Kabasele sliding in to block Tyler Smith’s shot from the right of the Watford box.

BHappy: The first half is utterly joyless.  It’s insanely cold for one thing…  I think I remember being colder for that 2-1 defeat to Manchester United when Troy scored at both ends but this is still ridiculous, particularly since I am now versus then seven years closer to having to recognise that I’m approaching middle age, and have dressed accordingly.   The atmosphere is non-existent, and nobody in the stadium objects… there’s a tacit recognition of the circumstances.  The home ends are painfully sparse until kick-off, when all those sensibly huddling in the concourses for the illusion of warmth scuttle out into the stands.  The game starts and briefly there’s the relief of stuff getting back into the groove… I’ve not half missed it because, you know.  It almost doesn’t matter what happens, it’s just football.

8th November 2022- Championship, Watford 2 Reading 0

WFC.Net Jon Marks Goal Commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 18,847

BBC Sport: Joao Pedro’s double was enough for a victory over Reading that sent Watford into the Championship play-off places.

Sky Sports: Goals in both halves ensured the Hertfordshire side bounced back from defeat against Coventry last weekend.

Fran’s Watford Blog: As this was the nearest home game to Remembrance Sunday, Bilić and Ince laid wreaths on the touchline and a trumpeter played the Last Post to impeccable silence in the ground.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62776174

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

Attendance: 20,164

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

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.”

Official Site: Match Report

Hornets Share Their Thoughts After Luton Win

Gallery: Hornets Hit Four To Sink The Hatters

Reaction To Hatters Hammering

Bilić: ‘It Was A Brilliant Occasion’

Davis: “It’s an amazing day to have been involved in”

Troost-Ekong: “It’s Everything We Wanted From The Game”

Sarr: “We Knew How Important It Was”

Joint Statement – Watford v Luton Town: Watford FC & Hertfordshire Constabulary (Oct 23)

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

15th October 2022- Championship, Watford 2 Norwich City 1

WFC.net goal commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 19,400

BBC Sport: Imran Louza and Keinan Davis scored for Watford as the Hornets bounced back from two straight defeats to beat Norwich City and move back within two points of the Championship play-off places.

Sky Sports: Josh Sargent then pulled one back for Norwich, but they could not get level as they missed the chance to go top of the table. They drop to third after Burnley won earlier in the day to move above them and Sheffield United to the summit.

BHappy: There are (to varying degrees) nascent partnerships all over the pitch.  Gosling and Sema, our unlikely right flank.  Louza and Asprilla.  Sarr and Kamara, who spends the evening bounding forward like an excited puppy in a manner that Isma might find familiar.  Their first link up sees Kamara dink a pass over two opponents to where Sarr has skipped unnoticed;  young midfield Liam Gibbs is panicked into grabbing an arm and Sarr’s momentum does the rest. Good to see goal machine Louza, having so gloriously if inconsequentially broken his duck at Bloomfield Road, grabbing the ball in JP’s absence.  Not so good to see Gunn save well as the Moroccan international struck the spot kick firmly yet eminently saveably to the keeper’s left but hugely heartening that we didn’t miss a beat – to the extent that City fans’ celebrations at their let-off were quickly dampened by the aggression with which we chased down and regained possession after the spot kick, albeit to no immediate benefit.

5th October 2022- Championship, Watford 1 Swansea City 2

WFC.Net Goal Commentary:   1

Attendance: 17,231

BBC Sport: Ben Cabango’s header in time added on saw Slaven Bilic suffer a defeat in his first home game as Watford boss. Watford led at the interval thanks to Ismaila Sarr’s 34th-minute opener as he finished from close range. The visitors equalised on 52 minutes when Olivier Ntcham’s deflected effort from 20 yards gave Swansea parity.

Sky Sports: The defender headed home Ryan Manning’s free-kick eight minutes into a total of 20 added on after the officials’ communication equipment failed, leading to the players having to leave the pitch.

Official Site: The Vicarage Road faithful were dismayed when match official Tim Robinson refused to award a spot-kick for what the Hornets’ players believed to be a handball with the clock deep into the red, and the final whistle soon sounded to condemn Watford to their third defeat of the campaign.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63056517

26th September 2022- Rob Edwards departs and Slaven Bilic is appointed Head Coach.

BBC Sport: Championship club Watford have named Slaven Bilic as their new boss on an 18-month deal after sacking Rob Edwards just 11 games into his tenure.

Sky Sports: Bilic has signed an 18-month contract at Vicarage Road, replacing Edwards who took charge of just 11 matches during a three-month stint at Watford.

Watford Observer

Watford sack Edwards but sporting director Giaretta stays

Watford appoint Bilic as head coach after Edwards sacking

LIVE REACTION: Bilic new Watford head coach, Edwards sacked