Tag Archives: Nigel Gibbs

16th March 2002- New Division One, Watford 3 Coventry City 0

Went off half time 2-0 up after another headed goal from Brown having dominated the first half. Mahon, in particular, had been a star in defence but, on the rare occasion that the boyz had given, or lost the ball, they went looking for it as unit, and worked very, very hard. Delightful stuff.

Still, let’s enjoy it. Sure, the scoreline gives little indication of what a hard-fought contest this was, nor that there were periods when Coventry were clearly on top. Until the third goal went in, we were never comfortable. That’s a good thing, though. We need challenges right now, we need to be tested, we want to get into the habit of meeting opponents head-on rather than hiding away. Just as we’d imagined that we’d seen all that Luca Vialli’s Watford had to offer – some gorgeous football, made mediocre by limp performances and stupid results – it has revealed a darker, more threatening side. A First Division mentality, if you like. A winning mentality, certainly.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2002-03-16

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/16-march-2002/

2nd March 2002- New Division One, Watford 0 Crewe Alexandra 1

Crewe striker Dean Ashton scored the only goal of the game to ease his side’s relegation fears. It was Ashton’s eighth goal of the campaign but Watford boss Gianluca Vialli will wonder how his side lost.

Somehow, another opportunity has slipped from our grasp. While this performance fell far short of Tuesday’s, neither capturing its furious intensity nor matching the elegance of some of the football, it still should’ve been enough to produce a single goal victory.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2002-03-02

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/02-march-2002/

26th February 2002- New Division One, Watford 2 Norwich City 1

At seven o’clock, debate is raging in the Estcourt. Whatever his mistakes, I can’t help feeling a little sorry for Luca Vialli, who has so far failed to create a team that can speak on his behalf and is therefore in the position of having every word in every sentence in every interview picked apart. Personally, I’m thoroughly bored by it all…so many opinions, so many personalities, so much guff (and I include this guff, of course) where there should be football.

It’s a long time since I have been able to pack life’s niggles into a box and keep the lid on it all the way through a Watford match. For me, going to football used to be all about leaving the outside world behind for ninety minutes, and immersing myself in a world of yellow and red. Somewhere along the way, the boundaries came down, and the world seeped in; the colours lost their brightness.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2002-02-26

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/26-february-2002/

20th January 2002- New Division One, Watford 1 Manchester City 2

Kevin Keegan’s promotion bandwagon was given a slice of good fortune as Watford gifted Manchester City all three points on Sunday.

As early as the quarter hour mark we were forced into a reshuffle as Cox limped off having earlier received treatment. Doyley dropped into his more accustomed central role, with Heidar continuing his tour of the outfield positions as a right wing-back.

At this point, anyway, Luca brought Helguson on, and I assume we went to four in defence, with Glass dropping back and Helguson, inexplicably, playing wide right. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and there’s no denying Pennant’s usefulness up front, but isn’t he supposed to be a right winger and Helguson a striker?

A difficult pitch and a difficult opponent, full of tricks and movement, but we played as well as we could, which is all you can ask for. Although City were better than us, technically, our battling performance could have earned a draw. Helguson’s unfortunate own goal gave City a win they barely deserved: that’s what happens when you ask strikers to play a defensive role.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2002-01-20

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-1/20-january-2002/

5th January 2002- FA Cup Third Round, Watford 2 Arsenal 4

Director of Marketing Ed Coan reveals that a ‘Wembley Revisited’ brochure was designed in the run up to the Tottenham semi final in 1987.
The East Stand redevelopment plan is shown in detail in the middle pages of the programme. None of it ever happened due to the collapse of ITV Digital.

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1st January 2002- New Division One, Watford 1 Millwall 4

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4484

Gianluca Vialli’s men were torn apart as Millwall claimed all three points in clinical fashion. Watford hit the post through Tommy Smith after 23 minutes but otherwise were rarely a threat until Heidar Helguson scored a consolation nine minutes from time.

BBC-SPORT-_-ENGLISH-DIVISION-1-_-Watford-1-4-Millwall Download

Gianluca Vialli said in his match programme notes that he didn’t want “to take stock” until the end of the season. However, only 45 minutes into Watford’s first 2002 commitment the Vicarage Road fans were voicing their concern.

One of these teams is indeed well-equipped for a Division One charge (if not, you feel, for Premiership survival). The other has its head in the clouds. One was hungry, sharp, well-organised, strongly bonded…and, crucially, aware of its limitations and prepared to work hard to overcome them. Not so very different from the Watford side that passed swiftly through the First Division under Graham Taylor, in fact. The other was lazy, sloppy, weak, fragmented, and entirely deserving of a stuffing.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2002-01-01