Category Archives: Slaven Bilic

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.”

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.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Asprilla put in a wonderful performance. In previous games, while he obviously has talent, he has looked like a boy playing against men, too often outfought as he tried to make things happen. On this occasion, he was going on runs, jinking past players and finding team mates with some clever passes. It was a shame that he had to go off, I hope that he is not out for long. Gosling was excellent. There was some scepticism when he was drafted in at right back, but he looked the part on Saturday. So often it was his head on the end of high balls into the Watford box and the tackle to stop Sargent’s run near the end was superb. Sarr was the Sky man of the match for a performance in which he shone. Gone was the unmotivated sulky demeanour and back was the creative player making and taking chances. He even joined in the lap of honour at the end with some enthusiasm.

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.

Fran’s Watford Blog: After the excitement of Sunday, this had been a rather dispiriting showing. There were some really good signs in the first half, but the Hornets were undone by poor defending.

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

10th September 2016-Premier League, West Ham United 2 Watford 4

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-22

clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary

Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-36-44

Live report
Full time report
In pictures
Hornets boss Mazzarri always believed his team could claim comeback win over Hammers

Watford boss delighted with mentality of captain Deeney

West Ham release statement on violence during Watford match

How Watford’s players rated in West Ham win

Deeney: ‘Disrespectful’ West Ham spurred us on

Deeney slams “fickle” critics after netting first goal

Hornets boss describes new signing as a great player after first start against Hammers

Hammers ban 13 fans for crowd trouble during Watford match

BBC image

SKY image

Screen Shot 2016-09-05 at 22.56.39

report:We took the bag that West Ham thought the game was safely tucked away in, emptied it, clubbed them round the head with it, popped Dimitri Payet inside and lobbed it to Younes Kaboul who drop-kicked it into the stinking River Lea.

Fran’s report

FTRE image

As always we headed to an away game more in hope than expectation, persuading ourselves that if nothing else, it would be nice to be back inside the Olympic Stadium…

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2016-09-10

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-23-58-26

18th September 2016-Premier League, Watford 3 Manchester United 1

18th September 2016-Premier League, Watford 3 Manchester United 1