That was the game we had to win. And we didn't even try to win it. Two errors which we inexplicably failed to punish and created next to nothing else. 30 games to go, 10 against the top 6. Can't see it happening unless we get 3 or 4 wins against the likes of Utd and Spurs.
Agree with this. QSF did what he could with an appallingly lacklustre group of players. The Positives: There were positive signs, however, at 8 games in, it's too little too late, I'm afraid. The defence were much more organised - they were talking to each other and they didn't have the usual situation of being caught running back towards our goal with opposition attackers free and in between them. It was a massive improvement in that department, however, it's all basic stuff that you'd be teaching U13s and shouldn't have taken nearly 1/4 of a season to instill into millionaire professionals. Kabasele had a great game and won lots of battles. Cleverley was also combative and showed the sort of fight we need to see at this level. For much of the first half, Welbeck looked like a Premier League forward, but he faded dramatically 2nd half. The Negatives: Failing to get a win is the biggest negative of all. We have given ourselves the uncomfortable position of absolutely needing to win games like this, but we look utterly bereft of the sort of stuff needed to turn a solid performance into a win. I was not at all surprised to see our 3 golden chances go begging. It is all too predictable. Doucoure was woeful. He should have been dropped 3 games into the season. He's been awful for so long now that it's beyond a joke. Today he was cumbersome, clumsy, profligate with the ball and just all round looked like a poor footballer. Janmaat and Holebas offered little quality from wide positions. Cathcart was awful - he stank the place out. He was lucky not to score an own goal and gifted the ball to the opposition in dangerous situations on a good handful of occasions. Gray was abysmal. He cannot start matches. He is a supersub at best. He lacks the basic qualities of a competent footballer. Sarr looks an utter embarrassment for his price tag. 25, 30, 35 or 40m, it matters not. This guy is Ken Sema Mk II. I cannot, for the life of me understand what the Pozzos thought they were buying that made it worth focussing the lion's share of our transfer budget on him. I cannot envisage him being a key player for us within the next 2 years. Overall, it's all been said. Nice to see that we can now defend like a professional football side, but it's far, far too little, far, far too late. We needed a win today to give us any chance of building a run and getting out of our predicament. There are not enough "winnable" games left for us to accomplish the 39 odd points we will need to stay up and moreover, it doesn't look like we're even close to being able to put together the sort of run needed to dig ourselves out of the bottom 3. If anything, it looks like we are becoming more and more accustomed to being relegated. The players today, with the way they played and their co-ordinated lack of belief certainly looked every inch a team on their way down. There is no way we aren't going down. If there are any odds available on relegation, I would stake a sizeable sum. It would be printing money. This side is doomed.
One silver lining is that the Big 6 have become the Big 3, with Spurs, Man U and Arsenal all playing rubbish. So maybe we shouldn't write off games against the first two of those as per.
Also - how the hell has Prodl been frozen out for so long? We all seem to have accepted the narrative that his legz av gon, but today he showed that is clearly not the case and his performance suggested he should have been involved more a lot earlier. Perhaps he might have helped prevent the rot which has set in from taking hold. too late to worry about it now though. There is no patching over the iceberg sized hole in the hull of the Good Ship WFC.
We can't beat Sheff Utd. No matter how bad those have become, they aren't being dragged down to our level for a good while yet. There are no teams, realistically, that we look like we would beat. Sure, we will probable fluke some wins at some point, but looking ahead to the end of the season, I'd say there are probably 3 or 4 wins laid out for us in total.
Play five across the back, stifle the opposition and try to nick a goal on the break or from a set piece - almost the perfect away performance. Oh, hang on... we were at home. Against Sheffield Utd. FFS
The very fact Spuds have been humiliated in their last two games worries me. They always beat us very convincingly away from home, and Poch might be in the Last Chance Saloon when we come calling in two weeks. I'm pretty worried we may get a Man City "reaction" type performance and be the side who feels their brunt. Get a point at Spurs' however would be pretty decent I just can't see them not scoring against us.
Our only chance of staying up is somehow keeping ourselves within 5 or 6 points of 17th come January, and hope that Pozzo invests in the squad more heavily than he ever has before, in a final desperate attempt to fend off relegation. This current squad is not going to keep us up. We may have FINALLY kept a clean sheet, but we aren't suddenly solid at the back, we can't score goals, the more "talented players" don't look they give a **** and the others have zero confidence, zero ability, or a mixture of both... Andre Gray.
Thought Kabs was excellent today. Doucoure was terrible. We had enough chances to win, but didn’t deserve any more than a draw
Norwich were flavour of the month three weeks ago, Pukki, Cantwell, Buendia alike. None of them have scored since and they just got tonked 5-1 by Villa. Sheff United have some rubbish strikers they will be in trouble at some point too, Newcastle are with us. Despite Brighton's result today they will have a sticky spell. Palace can't keep up this form forever. Southampton are dodgy. It's far from easy but it's not that difficult. Stay in touch till Jan, buy / loan a left back and a centre back. Pray that Pedro is a goal scorer and go from there.
Jesus christ there are actually people happy on here? I'm normally positive but that was a ******* horrific performance. We only kept a clean sheet because we gave up all attempts to be any sort of attacking side, and sheffield united had two terrible strikers up top. Even then Cathcart tried to out do Janmaats goal last week. We were dreadful and the body language of the players and lack of attacking intent in the final 15 is why we are rock bottom and not moving anywhere any time soon. That was literally the most winnable game we'll have in weeks and we stunk the place out. Doucoure looked so bad because he was playing as a number 6 when the man can barely pass the ball 10 yards in his preferred role. Distribution and general passing looked terrible because the system was so ineffective. Gray and Welbecks chances came from lucky breaks when Shef Utd threw men forward and still we ****ed up the pass on both occasions (Welbeck should have passed). I love how people keep mentioning how many games we have left as if it that's some sort of hope. Oh yea well shef utd was a great point so we'll just go beat spurs and bournemouth. They'll both destroy us. I don't blame Javi, don't really blame QSF (bad appointment though). Gino has well and truly ****ed it. Shoutout to Kaba he was excellent and Pereyra goodish. Rest were useless.
Norwich, Villa, Newcastle and Sheff utd prob wont set a very high target. We're 2 wins behind schedule. Deeney is the answer. I'm happy seeing us shut the door at the back. Kabs was excellent. I also think we have enough quality to create a few chances every game. Gray was offside for his miss, which is possibly more of a crime than skying the cross. Deeney will score both those chances imo.
Better performance that, nullified any Sheffield attacks but looked hopeless in the final third. Doucoure was diabolical and needs to be dropped. Prodl was superb, marshalled the defence well. Had Welbeck and Gray not fluffed their lines it would have been a good result. Saying that it's definitely something to build on. Btw hope those that booed never come to another Watford game again.
We need Deeney back on the basis that, although not a great footballer, he's the one guy in the squad we know actually cares
Sometimes the bounce is immediate and sometimes wins take a while to come. I don't think Jokanovic won for a few games, but after that we were solid. We were certainly more solid with a back three and although their team play was far superior to ours we had all the real chances. Cut out the mistakes and it can become a winning formula. And this was despite -1 Andre Gray who adds very little and Holebas who at times in the first half seemed bewildered.
If we are tight at the back and competitive in midfield there will be a few teams who will struggle against Welbeck and Deeney together. Despite how slow he is, Deeney will win the ball and has a good eye for a telling pass.
I'd rather see a player who at least cares enough to lash out and get sent off than a dozen who don't give a **** I've been one of his biggest critics, but for all his faults I doubt he would have missed the Welbeck chance. Putting the onion in the bag is the one thing he does well.
I would agree that booing really isn’t helping. A number sat near me, booed when Dawson come on. Pathetic really. I don’t think it’s a lack of effort from the players, it’s a complete lack of quality. The only hope is the lack of quality is mainly driven by confidence, and when we do eventually win, we will see a different team.
Wrong! They were heroes out there today! We kept a clean sheet at home to Sheffield United and got one whole point, what more do you want?!
A few of those were sat behind me, I turned to give one a look of "come on show some support" and got V-signed. Idiots.
Apart from picking Doucoure, I think QSF got it right. Another day, we’d have won that as big chances were missed. The only way we’re going to get out of the relegation places is by becoming more solid and organised, today was the first time in a long,long time we looked like a team with a plan. Yes, it doesn’t look easy on the eye but we can’t have it both ways. If we win 12 games with a 1-0 goal margin, I for one will be a happy man.
Bizarre. I just left in silence. But booing was a more understandable reaction to the oddballs clapping religiously!
I tell you what - I had more hope after Javi's game against West Ham than I did from that today. These two big chances we missed came from two absolute out of the blue clangers that don't generally happen in football matches. Both came from Sheffield United's CB's taking up the wing position and unlucky bounces/misjudgement - it's not sustainable.
