Watford Fc 4-1 Preston North End - 28/11/2020

I'd love someone to time his penalties - he really does hit them hard.

 

Yes, was thinking that too.

 

Surely we don't have to start cheating do we!

 

Enjoy it tonight because no doubt it will be a return to gash on Wednesday. Hughton will do a number on us for sure.

 

Have thought for a while we were pretty close to being a good side. Hopefully today was the day that clicked!

 

It was nice that we didn't slow the game down and revert to passing backwards all the time which we have done lately especially when Capoue plays! we have some of the best players in the championship they have to just have the conviction like they showed today and go at teams!

Our home record is the best in the division 19 out of 21 points, our away record is 16th in the table 7 points out of 7 games improve that and we will be laughing all the way to the premiership!

 

oh, **** off you miserable ****.

 

Doomed, we're all doomed.

 

You're not really Malts are you?
The original would never have been such a dismal Jimmy.
Maybe we will,hopefully not but buck up now old thing!

 

He'll be back.

 

Just out of a kindly desire to humour us, could you perhaps give some detail on the chain of events that led you to setting up the Hertfordshire chapter of the Andre Gray fan club (Membership: 1)?

 

I think Deeney made a big difference today, though not particularly for the way he played, I think he made a big difference just because he was on the pitch.

The Preston defence bought into the massive hype of him being our main man, and hence gave our other guys a lot more room than they have been getting so far this season because of worrying too much about the supposed big threat of the mighty Deeney, and long may that continue.

We have been threatening to do that to a team all season and today it all came together, now lets push on and make it happen every week, we can do this.........

COME ON U 'ORNS​

 

This is what happens when you have so many injuries and cannot play players in their proper positions.
No wonder we could attack down the wings easily because they didn't even have their second choice full backs available.
I don't think they will ever get over the shame of allowing Kiko to cross with his left.
It's a dark day in Preston tonight.

 

This was our most complete performance of the season. Superb.......and no coincidence it happens when Deeney starts.

Great performance from the captain, and he has mugged off all his detractors (for tonight at least).

Solid at the back, but for once, we showed menace going forward. Much better from Gray for his 30 minute cameo, Pedro and Sarr looked on it too.......and it all goes down to having Deeney on the pitch. He makes others play better. Ok, he did miss a sitter, but his overall play was great. That little pass from him for Chalobah, was the kind of instinctive passing we've missed. We've got to play with freedom up front, instead of taking a touch and being too precise. We've got to be far more instinctive, and that will produce goals. This is what we did today.

No one had a bad game. We've also got Sema, Hughes and Capoue to come back in. Not sure what WTE has done to upset Ivic, but maybe just unlucky to lose out because of the change of system. This is a criticism of Ivic, being so slow to switch to a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, but now he's done that, and we've been infinitely better because of it, I hope he sticks with it.

So far, we've played in 2nd gear and we find ourselves 3rd. There is so much more to come from us. My only concern right now is the form of Norwich and Bournemouth. It could become a three horse race, but I've seen nothing from this league to suggest we can't win it, especially if we click into gear....as we should do.

It's taken us a long time to reach tonight's level of performance, but it should provide a lot of confidence going forward.

 

Deeney was great. Quina was MoTM. Garner was v solid and can deliver set pieces. Chalobah is still poor passing forward but is trying hard and deserved his goal. Foster was terrible all game and gave away the goal. Bring in Bachman

Look at the players NOT playing and things are looking good. Hughes,capoue,cleverley,sema,TDB

COYH

 

I love Capoue, but I think we've been better without him...

 

One of the craziest things to note about this afternoon's game is that Ivic has gone in the space of a week from utterly insisting point blank at the expense of double-figure performances that we don't have a single player capable of playing at left-back to allow him to implement a four-at-the-back formation, to making a like-for-like swap between Femenia and a 21-year-old centre back who has never played there before. Life comes at you fast...

 

I agree, but that's because he's been playing like a d|ickhead - if we can get him at half his actual capability and hunger, then we will see performances better than today's, and as disgustingly twee and cliched as it undoubtedly is, I think that Deeney being on the pitch and demonstrating his own adaptation and desire may actually help Capoue wake up a bit.

Imagine a midfield with the real Etienne Capoue alongside Garner as well as Hughes (dependent upon formation)

 

Preston had lost a load of full backs - and it showed for Quina's and Pedro's goals. But apparently they were all bans for cards, so no sympathy there.
Quina's best game ever for Watford, surpassing his showing against Bristol. Garner also very good. His set pieces are worth while.
Chalobah's game is very variable, some stuff is really good. His goal drew admiration from Gary Porter - and there's not much you can tell HIM about scoring from that position.
Not too surprising Deeney's game improved as the game went on - it was his first start this season.
The one good save Foster had to make was early on - and was a really good one.
Gray's performance at Bristol was genuinely alarming. But give him credit today - his movement off Deeney gave Preston plenty to think about. But I think his injury was a hamstring, not a knock. And he's already done that once this season. So expect a fair amount of time off from him. Maybe (just maybe) Pedro can be pushed into taking a similar role.).
A good case for saying Sarr dived for the penalty, but the guy stuck his leg out far too late and there was no need to actually kick him before going over. It was a penalty.
Preston had lost just once away from home this season, so this big and deserved win is immensely satisfying. It was also by far our most entertaining game, and that is something that has been getting at me this season.

 

That's night-time for you.

 

Just think what a really decent Head Coach could get out of this squad.

Somebody like Eddie Howe, for example.

I’m delighted with today’s win and performance, but it doesn’t excuse the gash we saw on Wednesday night or last Saturday. Or at Wycombe or Barnsley.

One swallow does not a summer make.

Since crowds were banned, we’ve taken 6 points out of a possible 33 on the road. At the very time that playing away should have become easier, we’ve made it look harder than ever before.

If we start turning in performances like today’s on the road too, then yes we will be in a really good place.

I hope we can.

 

Unless it’s Rotherham. Or Stoke. Or Middlesbrough.

 

OK, we played Preston's reserves and they had at least two players that looked like they'd come straight from the pub, but that was a huge improvement. Plenty of good performances and even Gray was marginally less woeful than usual before injuring himself while attempting to sprint in to an offside position. COYH!

 

I don't think you can really blame Foster for the goal tbf

 

Welcome 3 points and a good performance to go with it. Should improve morale and give us some momentum. Need to translate it into performances on the road.

 

I've got to say, I thought Ivic was going to be too stubborn to change things up. He persevered with his dull as dishwater defensive formation for way too long - every man and his dog has been saying a more attacking approach would suit us so much better. And it has - well done to every man and his dog.
But also I suppose well done to Ivic for finally spotting the obvious.
That was the best I've seen us play for ages, really an excellent performance. Their keeper actually made a few very good saves, and Deeney obviously missed his sitter. It could have been the proverbial cricket score. The polar opposite of many games so far.
I'm still a bit worried that our squad is very thin right now, considering the mad run of games we are in.
But it feels pretty, pretty good to finally see a performance like that. And great to see Quina turning it on in the last two games, after being so disappointing earlier in the season.
On to the next one.

 

Looking at his record at Maccabi, he's never been afraid to switch it up, I'm not quite sure why he never got round to changing it up, but he's done it now and we've seemed to get better. Naturally we're very very thin at full-back, basically as we've been all season, midfield too, one more injury last two games and we'd have had to start Phillips who I'm not sure is ready to start in the Championship, though at least the three with Covid shouldn't be out long-term (and then of course there's Hughes/Cleverley, one of whom probably has Covid with the other hopefully to come back soon)

 

Please not St Eddie. I was ashamed to be a Watford fan when Bassett's gamesmanship turned us into the sort of team I hate, and I don't want to go through that again.

 

Does Ivic ever smile? He looks such a miserable ba5tard. I'm sure if he lightened up a bit he'd get more out of his players. That said, for all I know he could be great fun. Does anyone know anything about him beyond the stuff on his CV?

 

Yes pretty much perfect.

 

Do you mean Bassett’s gamesmanship in the sense that he dropped or sold all our best players and turned us into an utter ****-fest ?

 

Their goal was unfortunate and the deflection clearly wrong-footed Foster.

 

Malts has gone the full bedwetter.

Never go the full bedwetter.

 

An enjoyable game, great performance and some decent goals to go along with it. Good stuff. Love Ngakia's energy.

However, I've been told relentlessly and furiously in the past that you shouldn't judge the team on one performance so we will see how it goes and those taking the position that we've turned the corner should give their heads a wobble for now.