Category Archives: Slavisa Jokanovic

17th January 2015- Championship, Watford 5 Charlton Athletic 0

Goals: 1 2 3 4 5

Craig Cathcart fired the hosts ahead before Troy Deeney doubled their advantage with a cool finish after Gabriele Angella’s high through ball. Odion Ighalo slotted in from close range just before half-time and later headed in Daniel Tozser’s corner. Tozser himself added a late fifth with a curling, 25-yard free-kick to complete a torrid day for the visitors.

If anything, the margin of defeat flattered the visitors as the Hornets carved out a succession of opportunities and could easily have scored more goals had their finishing been better and Addicks goalkeeper Neil Etheridge not made some fine saves.

Today was a good day. The sun shone, a beautiful crisp winter’s day which saw early gentle snowfalls melt away, no wind, no bite, a day to grin at the aggressively blue sky. Vicarage Road looked fabulous in front of its biggest crowd for nearly seven years in – count them – four stands. “Your Song” rumbled around Vicarage Road before kick-off and, whilst Charlton started quite brightly and the early exchanges suggested a punchy end-to-end encounter it didn’t take long for the game’s pattern to establish itself. Troy Deeney played a wicked through-ball to release Anya, the Addicks’ defence fell apart like a house of cards, Chris Solly took a yellow by snatching at the escaping wing-back and that was pretty much that. Our worst performances tend to have been followed directly by defiance like this since Slav’s arrival and Charlton were the fall guys. This was the bit of being “inconsistent” that is to be enjoyed. There are worse things than being inconsistent after all…

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2015-01-17

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/17-january-2015/

26th December 2014- Championship, Watford 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

BBC: Wolves moved to within four points of the Championship’s top six after Nouha Dicko’s winner at Watford.

Sky: The Hornets had gone into the contest seeking a fourth straight success, but they were completely outplayed in the first half as the visitors spurned numerous opportunities to gain the upper hand.

BHappy: Wolves weren’t anything special, but they were more than good enough to merit a win against another perfunctory effort from far too many of those in yellow. Debates in previous years have challenged, not unreasonably, the tradition of such a high stock being placed in mere effort… but effort, or rather spirit buys such a lot of goodwill (seasonal or otherwise) and there was precious little spirit about this performance. Contrast with the performance of Wolves’ centre-half Danny Batth, whose brutal, one-dimensional and thoroughly effective approach to the central defender’s art saw him take precisely one touch of the ball (and as much collateral damage as required) to deal with each incident that he was involved in. Other of Wolves’ tactics, such as their taking advantage of the officials’ tolerance of timewasting, kicking the ball away and so on were altogether less charming, but a(nother) irritant rather than something that affected the course of events.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The visitors threatened early in the second half as a corner was punched out by Gomes, it was headed back in by Price but the keeper was able to gather. Watford had their first shot on target as Vydra received a cross from Paredes but Ikeme caught the ball. A lovely passing move featuring Deeney, Vydra and Anya finished with a low shot from Tözsér which was caught by Ikeme. It felt like we were punished for finally showing a moment of quality as van La Parra immediately broke upfield and crossed for Dicko to hit the ball past Gomes. After the keeper’s first half heroics, it was a terrible shame that he was beaten by what was rather a poor effort. Another ball into the Watford box, this time by Sako, was met with a weak overhead kick from Edwards that went wide of the near post. Just after the hour Jokanovic made two changes bringing Ighalo on for Vydra and replacing Munari with Forestieri. Stearman was the first Wolves player to be booked as he handled to stop a Watford break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30543482

13th December 2014- Championship, Watford 2 Wigan Athletic 1

clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary

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29th November 2014-Championship, Watford 0 Cardiff City 1

We haven’t mentioned Graham Taylor yet, have we? The club’s ceremony for the great man and his newly-named stand is beautifully concise and perfectly judged: a guard of honour made of former players and staff, a presentation, a short speech, and that’s enough to cause most of us of a certain age to get a little misty-eyed.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=40823&id=5140

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22nd November 2014- Championship, Watford 1 Derby County 2

Derby went clear at the top of the Championship after Craig Bryson’s impressive strike from outside the area saw them win at Watford.

Win, lose or draw – and it turned out to be the middle option for Watford, you could argue Slavisa Jokanovic was a winner just for being on the touchline. In the previous two international breaks, Watford’s owners changed managers but the Serb survived this most recent break.

Derby were every bit as good as advertised, and whatever our mistakes or limitations it should be borne in mind that we still fashioned enough opportunities to have beaten lesser sides – indeed we’ve played if not worse then certainly as badly as this and won on several occasions this season.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=39623&id=5139

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2014-11-22

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/22-november-2014/

1st November 2014- Championship, Watford 3 Millwall 1

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The 100 year anniversary of the outbreak of World War One was commemorated at this game. Our change shirt for the season was based on our kit from 1914 and was worn specially at the game. Before kick off The Last Post was played followed by two minutes silence which turned into applause during which all those in the Rookery Stand held up foil banners to make an enormous display of a poppy on a black and white background.

Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1 2 3

Watford moved two points clear at the top of the Championship with victory over Millwall at Vicarage Road.

The afternoon got under way with a poignant remembrance commemoration, which involved the Rookery end of the ground being transformed into a giant poppy as more than 6,000 foils were held aloft.

Martyn Woolford had fired the visitors into an early lead, but Matej Vydra equalised before Daniel Tozser gave the Hornets the lead shortly before the interval. Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were largely comfortable in the second half and made sure of the points when Gianni Munari netted a third.

So perhaps stability doesn’t equal success after all. Watford may be on their fourth manager of the season but they are also on top of the Championship after coming from behind to win and maintain Slavisa Jokanovic’s unbeaten start as the latest incumbent of the home dugout.

It’s been a little while since I was last here; the usual excuses apply. I’ve missed two managers in that time…but if I’m honest, I’ve quietly enjoyed our little spell as the division’s in-joke. No better way to remind ourselves of how far we’ve come under these owners than to wipe the egg from our faces and have a look in the mirror; the in-joke within the in-joke is that far from being the next basket-case to trouble When Saturday Comes’ “Clubs in Crisis” page, we appear to be thoroughly good shape. The point is emphasised by the pre-match remembrance display, indicative of an administration that’s doing significantly more than the bare minimum and is being solidly backed by fans as a consequence. (That’s hardly the main purpose, of course, but there’s no shame in feeling proud of good intentions.)

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35051&id=5136

https://oldwatford.com/2019/04/27/27th-april-2019-premier-league-watford-1-wolverhampton-wanderers-2/