Category Archives: Xisco Munoz

24th April 2021- Championship, Watford 1 Millwall 0

The game where we clinched promotion back to the Premier League after just one season away.

BBC Sport: Ismaila Sarr’s composed 11th-minute penalty, after the Senegal winger was brought down in the box by Billy Mitchell, proved enough for the Hornets.

Sky Sports: Brentford’s win at Bournemouth earlier in the day meant that only three points would be good enough for Xisco Munoz’s Hornets to be promoted alongside Norwich, who came down with them last season.

BHappy: I sink into the sofa, close my eyes for a moment, smile…and wonder what to do. On the pitch, there are hugs, grins, a few tears being wiped away. A party getting started. In the stands, there are empty seats. At home, there’s dinner to be cooked, washing up to be done, life to get on with. It’s an odd way to end an odd season, and it feels as if the meaning of it all will filter through over time, a slow dawning.

From the Rookery End: You may have heard; the ‘Orns are going up! After Watford secured promotion with a hard-earned win against Millwall, Jon, Jason and Mike took a deep breath and try to do a monumental achievement justice.

Daily Telegraph, 26 Apr 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56781828

17th April 2021- Championship, Luton Town 1 Watford 0

BBC Sport: James Collins came off the bench to score a penalty with his first touch as mid-table Luton Town earned a deserved derby victory over promotion-chasing Watford.

Sky Sports: Hughes sliced wide for the Hornets, who were then reduced to 10 men with two minutes remaining, full-back Kiko Femenia sent off for his second booking after pushing Kazenga LuaLua over as he chased a ball forward.

BHappy: The other thing about derby games is that they matter so much more when your team is terrible.  In the past Watford and Luton’s fortunes often rose and fell together and at times it very much felt as if all there was to play for was avoiding relegation and this.  This Luton incarnation isn’t terrible – they’re in pretty much exactly the League position you’d have predicted based on their solid but limited showing at the Vic at the start of the season.  Nonetheless, the Hornets have rather more to play for as it stands;  Luton’s survival was confirmed mathematically by this win, but effectively a done deal some time ago.  Knocking us off our perch a very much more tantalising objective for them than not being knocked off would be for us.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56698955

9th April 2021- Championship, Watford 2 Reading 0

BBC Sport: Two goals from Ismaila Sarr saw second-placed Watford take another step towards promotion back to the Premier League with a win over Reading at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: Watford took the lead when Kiko Femenia, Nathaniel Chalobah and Sarr linked up brilliantly, with the latter cutting the ball from his right onto his left and then curling a powerful effort and, less than two minutes later, they had a second.

BHappy: For the second, within two minutes, Chalobah robs Gibson, perhaps yet to get his head back into the game, and Philip Zinckernagel plays the pass. In both cases, they’re situations we weren’t even interested in, let alone involved in, under previous managers; we were too busy getting our shape, tucking in, locking up. They come with risk, as we’ll see, but so much reward.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56611869

5th April 2021- Championship, Middlesbrough 1 Watford 1

BBC Sport: Yannick Bolasie’s late equaliser gave Middlesbrough’s fading Championship play-off hopes a boost as Neil Warnock’s side held in-form Watford at the Riverside.

Sky Sports: Watford edged ahead in dramatic circumstances. Boro goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli first produced an impressive save to deny Ken Sema, but Marc Bola’s clearance fell kindly for Zinckernagel, who took control, though there were suspicions of handball as he did so.

BHappy: Xisco has spoken guardedly about securing a play-off place before we worry about anything else. William Troost-Ekong’s stock rose still further with his weekend Extra Time interview over the weekend.  Troy Deeney has made the journey to Middlesbrough to sit in an empty stadium in the cold (and, you know, in Middlesbrough) to “ensure that standards don’t drop”.  As the teams come out and Francisco Sierralta’s approach to the freezing sunshine that is cold enough to put condensation on your breath whilst watching in the warmth of your own home is to douse himself in water; you kind of feel that there’s not much wrong in terms of attitude.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56560222

2nd April 2021- Championship, Watford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0

BBC Sport: Promotion-hopefuls Watford beat struggling Sheffield Wednesday, who were without boss Darren Moore after he tested positive for Covid-19, to record a sixth successive victory.

Sky Sports: Ismaila Sarr crossed from the right hoping to find Isaac Success but instead saw the ball turned into the Wednesday net by Owls centre-back Lees. A raised flag indicating Success had been offside saw the goal initially disallowed but referee Chris Kavanagh consulted with assistant Dan Cook and ruled the Watford man had not been interfering with play.

BHappy: Sarr’s rapid recovery had already seen him play a ball in towards Isaac Success which was smuggled out of play by the attentions of two Wednesday defenders.  The goal itself will prove to be the one truly exquisite move of the game;  Adam Masina had made a pig’s ear of a crossfield ball less than a minute earlier but his second go is magnificent, a searing pass from left to right dropping into the feet of Sarr.  Sarr’s cross does Masina’s work justice, it’s completely undefendable scything between the defence and the goalkeeper;  we get a break, on another day Chris Kavanagh sympathises with Wednesday claims that Isaac Success, lurking on Tom Lees’ shoulder, is offside and interfering with play.  This time he doesn’t, Lees propels the ball past his goalkeeper and the ‘orns are ahead.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56532930

20th March 2021- Championship, Watford 3 Birmingham City 0

BBC Sport: Goals from Ken Sema, Nathaniel Chalobah and Andre Gray strengthened Watford’s Championship promotion charge as they saw off struggling Birmingham.

Sky Sports: It was a thoroughly-deserved victory for Xisco Munoz’s side, who made it five successive victories in the Championship.

BHappy: The headlines coming into this one related to the non-availability not only of Ismaïla Sarr but also of Philip Zinckernagel, both of whom picked up knocks at Rotherham in midweek.  Sarr’s absence ahead of a two week break no great surprise – a “minor” hamstring problem we’re advised.  Stepping back and considering the various options and realising that they were all pretty good limited any anxiety about the absence of perhaps our least replaceable weapon in Sarr, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see Isaac getting the nod.  Two years since his last League start which is remarkable in itself, perhaps only as remarkable as the fact that he’s clearly not out of last chances just yet.  As previously, I’m pleased about that… if he can mobilise his quality and physicality, pull the strings around the parcel a little tighter then we suddenly have a new £12million signing, as my brother pointed out at the outset.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56383239