Watford lose to Reading in the Championship
Vladimir Ivic claims bad decisions cost Watford at Reading
Watford players rated after Reading defeat
James Garner came closest for the Hornets, thundering a first-half free-kick against the crossbar.
Glenn Murray scored and had a late penalty saved as Bournemouth were held to a home draw by Watford.
It’s been seventeeen years since I came to Dean Court. That was a very different time, a different set of circumstances altogether. Everything’s changed since then, the teams, the sport, the profile of the fixture. Hell, even Dean Court itself has been picked up, rotated ninety degrees and plonked down again. It’s small, of course… small for it’s current lofty status. Half the capacity of the Vic, which is hardly a colosseum in this environment itself. And as such it feels almost as if it belongs in 1997, back when we played at stadiums this size, nestled into a well to do area of large houses and shady avenues as a sort of afterthought, a discarded multi-vehicle garage abandoned between the houses. Bournemouth aren’t above their station…
report
report: the back four are individually more than adequate, but about as watertight as, well, something with ruddy great big holes all over it at the moment.
BSAD report: Sandwiched between Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, it’s easy to see Leeds as something of a respite. It has as much to do with not seeing their shirts on every high street and their absence from the intolerable hype of the Champions League as anything. Above all, they’re still recognisable as a football club (fans that sing, quaint stuff like that) rather than the entertainments arm of some giant multinational – although the imminent share purchase by Sky will soon put paid to that. You get three points if you beat them, but you don’t get to parade around the office on Monday morning.
