Tag: Graham Simpson

13th December 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Coventry City 1

John-Joe O’Toole’s winner after 72 minutes gave new Watford boss Brendon Rodgers a second successive victory

The rain. I’m not complaining; we played the conditions much more effectively than Cov and it was a remarkably positive showing from both sides in the circumstances. But… it didn’t seem likely that the game would finish, as late as the end of the first half. Bonus marks to Chris Coleman for stopping short of Walker (R)’s plausible enough prediction in his post-match comments.

More games from 13th December at https://oldwatford.com/tag/dec13

29th November 2008- Championship, Watford 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

Brendan Rodgers first programme notes.

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Striker Steve Brooker came off the bench to score an equaliser with his first touch in a Doncaster shirt to earn his side a point against Watford.

BHappy report: I want to get my counterbalance out of the way quickly. First game of a new regime, unreasonable to expect to see the finished article. Every educated account cites Rodgers as a great coach, but the best coach in the world isn’t going to get it all dancing to his tune in between press conferences in the space of three days…

…but I think we have a right to expect better than that. After a week in which we’ve pulled in four points and two decent performances from two awkward looking games under Mackay’s caretakership, what’s the sense behind making SEVEN (count them) personnel or positional changes to your starting eleven, only one of which (Ward) enforced? Having a clear idea of how you want your team to play is one thing. Turning it all upside down within the space of three days such that the good bits – and there were clearly good bits – of the side inherited were chucked out with the bathwater smacks of blind arrogance.

More games from 29th November at https://oldwatford.com/tag/nov29

22nd November 2008-Championship, Watford 3 Queens Park Rangers 0

Note: The video is incorrectly labelled. It’s actually the 2008-09 review.

report: how’s that for a bit of perspective. For all that watching our team in recent weeks has been a bit like building a house of cards on a draughty window sill, we’ve never looked as utterly lamentable as QPR did this afternoon.

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1st November 2008- Championship, Watford 3 Blackpool 4

Aidy Boothroyd’s final programme notes

Blackpool equalised three times before Alan Gow’s last-gasp winner.

Will Hoskins, Grzegorz Rasiak and Tommy Smith from the penalty spot all put Watford in front at various stages of a thrilling game.

Of all the decent players that have left the club over the past few years, the one you’d have back quickest – with the possible exception of Ben Foster – and with a few fewer miles on the clock, would be Malky Mackay. Which begs the question… how can a defence that is being “coached” by Mackay look as utterly, comprehensively, incapable of doing the job?

Watford have appointed reserve-team coach Malky Mackay as caretaker manager following the departure of Adrian Boothroyd last night. Mackay will be assisted by first-team coach Martin Hunter while the club search for a suitable replacement for Boothroyd.

25th October 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3

Michael Gray’s winner settled an enthralling clash at Watford and maintained Wolves’ promotion push.

Not for the first time since August, it’s tempting to look at the stark contrasts between this season and last. Expectations dramatically lower, certainly. Sixth from bottom after this game, as opposed to sixth from top in May. By and large, playing our better stuff – and certainly picking up more points – at home; our away record was a proud thing last season, but merely loitered in the back of the mind of those who didn’t get to many away games.