Did he? I thought he was very good. Didn't give a red initially. Booked one of theirs for diving trying to claim a penalty. Played just the right amount of added on time given that there was a substitution during it and both Deaney and Foster got booked for trying it on. There will always be decisions you disagree with. What is this thing about refs having it in for us in particular? Are you related to hb1?
The Neto goal was a massive deflection. I don't see how anything around us not getting Massina on more quickly (which admittedly we could have done) had much to do with their goal at all.
(Shepherds Road). Watford Borough has had decriminalised parking (not enforced by police traffic wardens) as a special parking area for 20 years. As a result single yellow line restrictions apply on every Monday - Saturday (including public holidays) with the normal 08.30-18.30. Every Road into the borough boundary displays a road sign saying that yellow line restrictions apply on public holidays. If the yellow lines apply to different than the normal times. You say that it says 2-4 Monday to Friday for Shepherds Road; then they also apply if one of those days is a public holiday. Which of course was the case today.
That was magnificent. For me, the most satisfying of our three recent home victories given that we had to hold out in adversity against a very good team. Those new found cojones are entirely down to the 'Pearson effect'. We started well and they then had a 'purple patch' when Doherty was put through by Coady and Jimenez engineered a bit of space on the edge of the box and got his shot away. If one of those goes in it looks a bit different. After that we were the better team until the red card. Then it was backs to the wall Rorke's Drift style. For those who blame Holebas for getting skinned by Traore well Traore wasn't doing exactly badly prior to Holebas coming on. In fact he hasn't been doing exactly badly all season against any defender. The bloke is an absolute beast. At one point in the first half he beat three of ours in the space of about 5m twice. A joy to watch for the neutral. As for the Neto 'lucky deflection' well Coady deflected Doucs goal too. Deeney orchestrating the last five mins added on time was absolute theatre. He was like an MC directing the crowd, officials, ball boys and opposition. Sarr, Massina and Pereyra played their parts too. It was down by that corner flag for three of the five. U 'Orns.
They were very different scenarios/deflections, though, come off it! Doucs' was a hard shot hit from the middle of the box right on target; it may very well have gone in anyway. Neto's was a desperate hit and hoper from a player with seemingly very little end product from well outside the box, that was of no particular strength, which if even on target would have been gladly swept staight into Foster's arms. The deflection made everything about that goal; Neto was practically a bystander, and the deflection itself was freak in a way that Doucs' wasn't at all.
There is no way Douc's shot would have gone in (unless we were play Man Utd). That said - it was a lot better than Neto's - his shot was weak and never deserved to be deflect in.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Squawka/status/1212516602912133120 Just goes to show the solid game Chalobah had.
I watched Sarr a couple of times in the African nations and couldnt se how he was worth £35m or even 20 on top of that no one else was seriously after him at that price. So huge respect to the people at the club who thought he was worth the cash. He's been amazing in the last few games now hes found his feet!
It was definitely Holebas coming on. And yeah, while the goal was a massive deflection, it was one of the most infuriating types of deflection as it came off a leg half-wafted in the general direction of the ball after no one took responsibility for closing down the attacker. I could see it coming (Wolves scoring, not Neto scoring a deflected goal from outside the box as if I'm Mystic Meg or anything) as we looked to be in disarray for that short period and I was hollering at the telly about the poor game management. Anyway, it cost us little in the end and I'm sure big Nige will analyse what went wonky in that period as we've otherwise proven playing with 10 men causes us no real issues.
I did consider speaking to her, but as it wasn’t my car involved gave her the benefit of doubt at the time! As I don’t live in the area thought it would be worth asking what other members thought was correct!
You were so far out with your prediction for the Wolves result that I'm not sure your opinions carry any weight anymore. .
I had a good run and milked it for all it was worth. When I call a draw and it turns out to be a win I'm delighted to be wrong (waiting for Lowerrous to pick up on that)
Hearing Pearson talk about him, I think he's made it his mission to help him fulfil his potential. He mentioned that he's his own worst critic, and you have to say many performances this season have looked like a lad that's started to doubt his own ability. I do feel however that its unlikely he'll be given enough of a run here to really progress his career. Capoue and Hughes are ahead of him
Wolves fans are salty as hell Can't see how we were "given" 2 goals, and this poster failed to realise that hey only scored once against 10 men - their goal also being a deflection.
Too much of a coward to step in and help the old bloke huh? But very eager to report your gutless behaviour to the world. What a strange set of priorities you have.
Just have to reiterate how dreadful Dawson was yesterday. Not only was he lucky not to get sent off and give away a penalty in the first half (along with all their best attacks coming from running in behind him), but I just noticed his "defending" for Kabasele's red card while watching the highlights on MotD - Jota was actually Dawson's man, and was far behind Dawson when Wolves first played the ball up. However, Jota runs on to the flick-on while Dawson basically just walks and lets him get beyond him. Kabs was rightfully marking Jimenez and basically got dumped in it by Dawson. Part 1, Kabs tracking Jimenez and Jota miles behind Dawson: Part 2: Kabs challenging Jimenez for the ball: Part 3, Jota running on to the ball, Dawson being a ****: Part 4, look how far Dawson now is behind Jota, Kabs and the ball by the time Kabs begins the challenge. Disgraceful: What a terrible signing he has been. He only appeared okay for a while when we were sitting deep and he had a CB either side to cover for him.
What a result that was! I had very little confidence in us hanging on when we we went down to 10. I loved watching the lads keep the ball in the corner in stoppage time. Brilliant Christmas for the Hornets now we can relax and play the kids and fringe players in the cup and give the lads a well earned and needed break.
What I'd like to know is why wasn't Holebas (yes my mistake) ready to come on immediately as Kiko went off? Kiko was lying prone for ages both before and during treatment and then hobbled off slowly up the touchline. Why wasn't the potential need for Holebas anticipated as soon as Kiko went down whereupon he could have been getting ready? The angst around the ball refusing to go out of play, the increasing restlessness of the crowd, the questions asked around whether Foster should have booted it out earlier or not could all have been avoided by an immediate substitution.
I thought he was solid enough personally. I also felt his last run in the side we were starting to see the best of him before going off against Burnley. All about opinions I suppose
That's a lot of pictures and time taken just to tell us Craig Dawson isn't exactly rapido! For what it's worth, I expect Mariappa would have had exactly the same issue with Jota. I felt Dawson did fine yesterday. Bear in mind full back is totally different to the position he's played for us so far and so some allowance has to be made for that. Wouldn't have even had any meaningful training pitch time beforehand to prepare or get remotely in sync with Sarr. What did you make of Masina's cameo yesterday? I thought he was excellent.
Yeah I agree I didn't think he had a bad game, he won a number of headers from Traores crosses as well. He is a centre-back filling in at right-back as much as he has played there for West Brom he is not a right back, Dawson isn't mobile enough and his positioning at right back isn't brilliant, however he did a job yesterday because we are short at right back and we were defensively solid against a team with good attacking players.
I agree. Players' shirts should match the names they're known by. I'm always confused by Palace's Mr Tumble having some short name beginning with Z on his shirt for some reason.
Too right. Turns out he's even better than Bill Punton, who was quick and could cross well but who was no good in the air and didn't track back. Norwich City's 1959-60 Division 3 promotion team would have been even better if Sarr had been playing.
Plus, in the very unlikely event it happens, he'd be ineligible to play in any replay needed against Tranmere too.
It wasn't just about him not being quick though, he wasn't even trying to track the run or get to the second ball. When Jimenez and Kabasele go for the header he even stood still just ball-watching for a bit. Cathcart at least kept running trying to cover the space (despite his lack of pace) and starting the other side of the pitch, but Dawson just faffed around. After the red card I mostly listened to the match from another room, watched it between my fingers, or paced around outside waiting for the game to finish, so I couldn't really give an assessment on Masina's cameo. I thought he should have come on for Dawson at half time though, and was surprised when Holebas came on before him as Holebas is finished. People here have said that Masina supposedly did well, though I think it's still telling that Pearson is yet another manager that appears to have such little faith in him that he's still behind Holebas in the pecking order. Defending deep also probably helps Masina, whose biggest flaw in the past has been failing to track runners off the ball.