Watford Fc 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers - 27/04/2019

...and, which is more, you'll be a man my son.

 

Lets stop this blame game, I'm as pissed off as anybody we lost to that bunch of Neanderthals, but Big Ben especially does not deserve the stick some of you have been dishing out on here since we lost. Without Big Ben we would probably have been nearer to relegation than qualifying for Europe, so lets lay off and look forward to the rest of the season.

You never know we could still get that 7th spot even though it now looks very unlikely, and remember the Sunderland - Leeds final and also the Wimbledon - Liverpool one too, underdogs do sometimes win!!!

So perk up everyone and lets look forward to Marriappa scoring the winner with his backside in the 95th minute after Gomes or Big Ben has had the best Goal Keeping display at Wembley since Montgomery in that Leeds - Sunderland final when Leeds were the equivalent of Man City today!!!

U 'Orrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnssssssssssssssssssss​

 

My card didn't scan either. Red light. Persona non grata. First time that's happened.

 

It’s because a number of our ‘supporters’ are part-timers at best (and that’s not including the Family Stand), as evidenced by an apparent 22,000 of them not buying all of the 6,000 tickets available since Friday for our biggest game in 35 years.

 

That's shocking tbf. Assumed they would have sold out quickly.

 

Are you sure?

 

Looks there's a good chance the season fizzles out into nothing ultimately, although I'm overall proud of the players for overachieving with an average squad. Without better central defenders, a more prolific and technically competent striker (and backup beyond Success); we have probably had the best season we could have hoped for. Even our midfielders, namely Pererya, Hughes, Doucore, have been passengers for weeks now. 11th place and a Cup Final "big day out" isn't a bad result and gives us something to aim for next season.

 

I overheard several in the ticket office with the same problem.

What with this & Tickermaster, are Watford trying to reduce attendances?

 

Annoying that the screen wasn’t working.

Is it being transferred to Bolton?

 

As I'm not able to get to the games so often these days, Mrs ZZ has to put up with my reactions as they happen as I watch on the smaller screen, instead of greeting me after I've had time to calm down after the journey home.

She said yesterday how, over the past few years, how much calmer I am when we lose - like after yesterday's game, compared with how I was under, for example, Walter's time in charge. And she is right.

Back then, in general, we weren't a team but a blob of "couldn't care less" individuals led by a Captain who couldn't be arsed and by a coach who had little respect from those players and who probably showed little respect to them.

It is so different now.

Yes, players have poor games, but it is absolutely clear how hard they are trying as individuals and as a squad, and clear how they are together as a team, probably as much as how any group of egos can be. There is obviously respect between the players and the coaching staff and that is so important in a football club.

For me, once you have a relatively competent team, football is 75% about attitude, and 25% ability.

It is also apparent that our players with only a couple of possible exceptions, do not have consistent "top six" technical ability, but it is clear that they can compete with the top six, and how they are better than most of the Premier League teams - without, in my opinion, playing to their full potential anywhere near often enough and that is something that players and coaches have to work on together, as better consistency would have given us 7th place easily.

So as disappointing as the Ben and Craig's mistakes have been as, with our low goal scoring forwards, we do not have the luxury of being able to make mistakes at the back without it costing points, I don't get angry, I just get sad at lost opportunities.

Our club now need to recruit well. We will probably lose Doucoure and Delefoue (but they have been too inconsistent anyway), but if we can replace them with players who are maybe not better in terms of ability, but who more consistently play to their potential, then we won't miss them too much. We have a few players possibly coming through and I think Quina is good enough to be become a regular star in the first choice team.

We are so much further ahead than we were 2/3 years ago, and it is now so much clearer where we need to be better.

I'm happy.

 

Not bad, but failure to even finish in the top half would be ridiculous imo. No reason why will lose our final two games. West Ham have been poor until yesterday and Chelsea are very inconsistent. They will still be playing for a top 4 place, however.

 

I think Kiko takes equal blame for the second with Ben.
Having worked outside in the wind all morning I can sympathise with the players as any ball over head height was swirling around a great deal. Add to that the lightness of a modern football,it was very difficult to judge.
Oddly enough,after three weeks of silence,Mr IBB's tennis playing,Wolves supporting acquaintance has broken his vow of silence!
Apparently he started talking at 7.30pm yesterday and was still going when Mr IBB put the phone under the cushion at 9.45pm.
I'll check the phone in July.

 

I had the same problem on Tuesday night for the Southampton game along with about half a dozen others. Frustrating.

 

The advantage of the old phones was that you could physically cut the cord if a garrulous Midlander called you.

 

I like how this team of journeymen and unfashionable players have been knitted together to produce a cohesive unit and one in which we can be proud of. We do need some quality though. Watford have some big characters in the dressing room, but they were not galvanised or motivated in the past. This is where Gracia came into his own. He's shown them love and respect, made them integral and they've responded in kind. Players like overweight Deeney, sulky Holebas and on his way out Capoue are like new signings this season. These are good players but who were not playing for previous managers. Now they are and they are setting the example, which the others have followed.

When I saw how technically competent Jimenez was for his header. We don't have a single player who would have taken that chance. We would have headed it wide or over the bar. This is what we are missing up front. Someone who can hit the ball cleaning. When Gray got that chance at the end of the first half, I just knew he would hit it high and wide, because his technique is so poor. He often slices the ball, and rarely hits it cleanly. Gray is useful player to have coming off the bench as an impact, but for the money we're paying for him, he really needs to be a first team regular. He's a poacher which is a very good quality, but we need a better main man up front.

Deeney has been hugely missed in the past 4 games, but even he doesn't score that many goals. I think this season is his best return in the top flight for goals in open play, and that is 9. I'd happily keep Gray and Deeney, but bring in at least one first team striker and sell Okaka, Success and Sinclair. Not sure what future Penaranda has at the club either, as Gracia rarely considers him even for the bench.

I'm happy with the midfield, but we need a viable alternative to Hughes. Cleverley is that man, but his injury record suggests you're not really going to get too much playing time from him.

The defence is the next area where investment has to be made. None of our centre backs are happy with the ball at their feet. We get very little in terms of goal threat from corners or freekicks from them. 52 goals conceded in a season where Foster has been a standout performer, shows we are too weak in this area. We have made improvements, but we need at least one good first team centre back.

Retaining key players is also a priority. Doucoure, even though he's been below his usual standard this season, is still a tremendous workhorse. An amazing athlete who constantly breaks up play and is at the heels of the opponent. We really missed him when he was out for a couple of matches, and he came on against Newcastle to save us a point. Like Deeney, you really notice it when he's not playing.

Pererya and Deulofeu are our sprinkling of star quality. Pereyra ran the show at the start of the season, but then has faded. But he's always likely to do the unexpected. Deulofeu is another who can frustrate but always gets you off your seat. He's box office, and we don't really have too many of those at the club. He can win you big matches. They could both be off in the summer and would need replacing like for like.

So our shopping list has to be 1 x striker, 2 x CB, replacements for GD/RP although Chalobah could well replace Doucoure, we'd need another alternative as backup. Keeper to replace Gomes. That would be my immediate business of team building.

 

I thought I would feel better this morning but if anything I am more annoyed. It was not so much yesterday's game that messed up 7th place but home to Southampton. With what was riding on that match we ought to have been up for it and got the win. Had we gone into yesterday's game a point ahead of Wolves instead of a point behind the draw would have been a positive result for us and Wolves would have had to win. OK - we lost anyway - but you can set the team up differently if you know a draw will achieve what you need.
I have a horrible feeling we will see yet another rotten end to the season with four defeats on the trot. I expect West Ham now to beat us as well as Chelsea and of course Man City. Hopefully my normal optimism might return before next week.
Odds are then we will finish 10th or 11th. While at the beginning of the season most of us would have ripped your hands off for a comfortable season free of relegation worries from the start and with 7th place likely with four games to go and a cup final to boot - it does not feel good at the moment.
When we look back we will view this rightly as our best season for decades but it just does not feel like that at the moment.

 

It could certainly end with 4 defeats on a trot and but for a 90th minute equaliser, nearly 5. It would be a shame if the season ends in such a way, as it's not a fitting finale to a "special" season. West Ham is clearly the best chance we have of winning any of the final 3, and I think we'll beat them, as they'll have nothing to play for. They are a team who are a little bit flimsy at times, and I'll think they'll be mentally on the beach by then. We'll be playing for cup final places, so I think that would tip the perform levels in our favour.

Maybe I'm clinging to a dream a bit here, but I don't think it's all over for 7th place. I like a long shot, and Fulham getting a point at Wolves and us beating Chelsea is as long as they come. Worth a £5 punt.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if they endure a second-season struggle and next year we're able to serenade them with "you're on your way back"?

 

7th was ours to lose, we had the easiest run in, and we bottled it. I can’t call that a special season. Unless we win the cup.

 

I'm more worried about Cathcart. Usually our best central defender but terrible against Soton after his early blunder and not himself yesterday. Javi said he asked to come off. A niggling injury, illness or total loss of confidence? Three weeks to get it right!

 

Not on here, it isn't!

 

I would have thought the first two are more likely,perhaps a combination of the two?
Moreover he didn't play many games last season so perhaps a little bit of mental fatigue.
He certainly has looked a little wobbly of late.

 

Shouldn't overlook the effect that injuries have had. They've derailed our last two seasons and have eventually caught up with us here, albeit later on. Cleverley has been a huge miss as it's meant that Capoue and Doucouré have barely had a minute off in months. As has Chalobah still not being recovered from his injury. And Quina's season ending injury. Not being able to rotate has killed us.

Saw a stat yesterday that Doucouré has played every minute of the last 12 games and Capoue has started all of the last 15, only getting 21 minutes rest through substitutions. Add to that the extra cup games we've played, including with extra time, and chasing Arsenal around with ten men for 80 minutes and it's no wonder energy levels have dropped. It doesn't affect Capoue as much as he sits more, but Doucouré is running on empty, not surprising as he also had no pre-season. And in most games Capoue and Doucouré are up against three opponents in the centre of the pitch too! They've done well to keep it going this long.

 

Good point.
Perhaps the Chelsea game will see TC and or NC start.

 

If

if we win the cup, i shall be celebrating that far more than getting into Europe, or what it means for anyone else. Winning the cup would mean way more than the other stuff.

 

Poor Nate, Chelsea-Watford games will end up making up about 50% of his career appearances at this rate

 

Anyone in the Rookery who was cheering ironically at Cathcart’s first touches of the ball yesterday should find something else to do on Saturday afternoons. Utterly pathetic.

 

Yes. When else have we been 90 minutes away from winning a major trophy in those 35 years? (Don’t say the Championship v Sheff Wed.)

 

Why? It was clearly good natured.

 

Immaterial. It’s the sort of thing that you do to opponents. Must have done wonders for him.

 

Foster turned round and laughed when it was done. Thought it was funny.

 

I'm a disgusted as you, but I'm pretty sure every set of fans, including ours would do all of this.

 

Wolves fan in peace. Both our teams have had great seasons which we would both be happy with if they were repeated next time around. The majority of wolves fans would have been happy with 14th let alone 7th so to be in the premier league and actually be competitive not just hoping for survival is an amazing feeling. Also getting to the semi-final is also brilliant for our club, however I think alot of the animosity from wolves fans comes from this. Both clubs have had such similar seasons we have both beaten each other in league and faced off in an epic semi final. Deeney has said since the semi final he was looking for the penalty opportunity which says to me he manufactured it and my personal opinion is that if youd been winning at that point or it had been the 30th minute it wouldnt have been given but we will never know, I also think the challenge on Jota yesterday should have been given. I think we can all agree that refs have been inconsistent this season and sometimes it works for you and sometimes against. What really irked me about the semi-final was when you were leading certain players rolling around faking injuries to waste time, if wolves had done that I'd have been disappointed but if we'd done it in normally time it probably wouldnt have come to the penalty decision. Deeney comments about Jimenez afterwards also showed a level of disrespect in victory, as the goal celebration in question is common place in Mexico and is part of the countries sporting tradition. Wolves fans have been looking at this game as a way to get back what arguably should have been in the semi final and winning it is obviously a cause for celebration for us. I dont agree with abuse being hurled and I would say on the whole that the majority of fans will be celebrating amongst themselves. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

 

Which players faking injuries? Do you mean Deulofeu, who was subbed on but then went off injured, and then missed the next match with his injury? Or Holebas who went off injured in extra time at Wembley and only returned yesterday?

And as for Raul ‘Man of the Match’ Jimenez, who cares? He’s not in Mexico now. You’re only all so butthurt about it because he’s your player but you know Deeney was pretty close to the truth. If you’re going to faff around with silly masks do it after the final whistle when the game is won. Or accept the ridicule that rightly comes your way.