I wonder if Deeney is banking on goalkeepers expecting that he will change his technique. This is a game of bluff and double bluff. The advantage for Deeney is that even if the goalkeeper touches the ball he puts so much power into it it can still go in.
I've been saying for 6 games that i won't pay for any more games until something changes, but come match day I come round and watch, desperate that "this is the game we really get going". In the Brentford game it was the worst yet in the first half, the second half was much better, but I just don't believe this bunch have it in them to run, pass, run, pass, repeat without a half time roasting. I'm now out until we show more gumption but I know it's not coming, or not for more than 20 mins a game.! I see Ivic has started to make a noise about transfers. For some reason GP seems to think we've got the squad to get straight back up, so I can see tears in 4 weeks time.... We won't bring in anyone of worth and Ivic will have a "NP strop", we'll drop points and Ivic will leave.
FAO mindthegap I'm not sure why there are so many vitriolic/negative posts and responses to posts on most threads (including by Malteser FFS!!!) these days. But as Bruce Hornsby and the Range sang, 'That's just the way it is'. So: Keep posting Post early for Christmas Never try macaroni cheese If you have tried, and enjoyed, macaroni cheese, stop posting But most importantly... Keep the Faith SCG
Update from the manager... https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co...s/watford-manager-vladimir-ivic-pedro-4808611
"Naming two goalkeepers on the bench Injuries are part of the game and with this situation and covid, in a lot of games we've had problems. I believe at another club it was the same." We ran out of players lol
He does come across well in press conferences. IMO he inherited a squad devoid of any creativity so can’t complain about our points tally so far. Maybe if I was attending the matches I’d be more concerned with the style of play.
It's probably the main issue with the Pozzo model. They clearly look out for players with potential and resale value. Sure we have sometimes get exciting players, but rarely in the position we are crying out for. How many years now have we needed another right/ left back, another striker, another creative midfielder, another defensive midfielder, another centre back. I take your point that maybe if Ivic is given a great squad then, given his defensive discipline, perhaps we can do well. But with the Pozzos, we might need a head coach who can get more out of average players, and adapt more quickly to an ever-changing environment.
I remember going to their ground when it was three-quarters built. People were standing on a hill watching the game through the gap where the stand wasn't. I didn't realize it was shared with a rugby club. Should be conducive to a beautifully smooth football surface.
No change is guaranteed to work. We had an offensive coach in Gracia. He went. We had a defensive minded coach in QSF return. He went. We had something in between in Pearson. He went.
It’s fixtures like this we should all be looking forward to. One of the compensations of dropping into a lower league. We should be sitting here today feeling optimistic of a really good performance and another three points in our exciting promotion campaign. Instead I think many of us are feeling apathetic. We know the team sheet will bring disappointment when revealed. We know that Ivic’s over-cautious attitude towards anybody who has been injured or ‘had a problem’ to quote his over-used phrase, won’t start. We know he won’t play both Deeney and Perica from the start, or Pedro or Masina. We know it will probably be another match where we will show a period of decent play but be unable to keep it up all game. Based on the statistics so far, if we score tomorrow that’s likely to be it as our away form is so over-cautious. And then at full time we will have to suffer Ivic telling us all that the team failed to play how he wanted and told them to. Whereas I’m sure fans of Norwich and Bournemouth and Brentford all sit there on a Friday genuinely excited about the weekend, that pleasure has slowly been sucked out of many of us.
Two different things here, yes the team sheet is inevitably disappointing but do people really want Ivic to rush players back in a shortened season when we've been pretty much threadbare throughout? In the past, we've rushed back (off the top of my head) Behrami, Cleverley, Femenia, Deeney and then lost them again for a longer period of time. There is no slack in the squad at the moment, we have paper thin cover in almost every position. This will be our ninth consecutive game with 3-4 days rest, then we have a week off before launching into the busy Xmas period.
I’d say our main weakness at the moment is the midfield, it’s really quite poor. I don’t think they’ve dominated any game and they lack creativity. It’s odd as this is the one area where the pozzo’s have normally stockpiled players due to their resale value. Just think in our promotion season we had Abdi, Watson, Guardiola, Munari and Layun. This time round we have a spent Chalobah a past it Cleverley and Garner who is very inconsistent. Add to that a constantly injured Hughes and a seemingly disinterested Capoue. If you don’t win the key battles and control the midfield you can’t expect to go on and play exciting football IMO. I’m not a fan of how Ivic has us playing but I think he’s done well to get us the points we currently have on the board.
What if both Foster and Bachmann get injured during the game? It's clever thinking to have 2 keepers on the bench. I'm surprise he doesn't have 9. You can never too be careful. The game is all about not conceding goals you know.
Foster did play with a dodgy finger last week it seems . Some of our other players would be out for weeks with that kind of “injury “!
Fond memories of Huddersfield Away. Drinks and some sort of a monster-sized burger at the Head of Steam on the station concourse, then more drinks at the home fans' social club (the Gas Board?). Prediction: Huddersfield 1 4 Watford A couple of Bishops Fingers are fuelling my optimism...
Still mystified as to what our method is. Get out there, don't attack, don't defend and don't pass to your teammates. A lofted ball is all we ask for.
This feels like pre cup final, knowing that we're playing such a mighty team and there's a good chance we'll get smashed by 5 or 6. Remember, we don't often get these opportunities so gets your flags out and continue waving regardless of the result
