For the last two years we have had a better first half of the season than second half (15/16 29pts to 16 and last year 22pts to 18). We are already on 22 points and ought to get to at least 25 points at the half way stage. So even if we did no better second half than in 2016 we ought to reach the 40 point and safety mark. How likely is it we will again prove to be a first half season club? I am not sure - two or three recent games make me worried that we are not yet an assured side and only 7 points from the last 8 games is also "second half" form. Having said that I think we have played tougher games for our points so far this year. Silva clearly would have liked to talk to Everton - is his commitment still as strong as it was before Everton turned his head?
Unless he has the IQ of an 8 year old and is prone to sulking,he jolly well should get on with it and improve his reputation with us.
I can see why we’re not as effective right now. We press with intensity like the top clubs, without the quality rotation options and some injuries to our starting 11. Yesterday, we lacked sharpness and incisiveness. We’ve also had a few dodgy decisions against us in the past few weeks, costing us further. We have better players, a better manager and better conditioning this year, so I think our second half return will be better. I also think Rich’s form will pick up again as the weather improves, and our winter signings (a centre back and striker) will improve us. For now, Okaka should play, but he won’t. A top half finish will still be a great achievement, and I think that’s a likely outcome.
Tend to agree with that - I am quietly optimistic - I do think Silva is good and feel our squad is the strongest we have had - and will be strengthened a bit further in January. Am hopeful we will aim towards the 50 point mark this time.
Under qsf our first half was a lot down to Iggys goals. Once they dried up the points did too. Players were played out of their natural position and some players continued to get games even though they were under performing. We weren't particularly good and played way too defensively all the time. Under Mazzarri we were pinching wins with awful displays in the first half of the season. Only a couple of times we actually looked any good. Our tactics were awful. Our players looked aimless and didn't seem to have a clue what the manager wanted them to do. We had no creativity whatsoever up front and looked awful, really really awful. This season we have purpose, direction, speed, fitness and a gererally solid team and game plan. We are missing a lot of players and yet we are still competing and playing well with the replacements. Last 3 games were against tough opposition. We deserved at least a point v manu. We deserved and were denied an extra 2 v spurs. Didn't see yesterday but Burnley are a solid team and we played the majority of the game with 10 men, still ending the game with the best stats for possession and attempts at goal. This is not a blip. This was a tough run of games. Chill out and enjoy it and ignore the pessimistic gremlin in your ear. All teams barring city will lose a couple of games in a bad spell. We have to accept we will too. We will remain strong and we will finish in the top 10.
By god you are right. How did we all not realise it earlier? Rah rah Watford, all join in everybody...
On the face of it results have tailed off, but I think that's down to the level of opposition rather than anything else. We're not a good home side, but are an effective away team. We would have won at Everton had Gomes not got that unfortunate injury, and also would have got something more against Burnley and Spurs had the officials made the correct decisions. I do believe we've missed Chalobah, but I'm confident we'll improve the squad in January with incoming transfers and the return of Chalobah. We're not the finished article yet though, and a couple of injuries really seems to hurt us. Overall though, I think the performances away from home have been strong and only mitigating circumstances has stopped us from picking up even more points. We do have issues at home though, and this is something we need to overcome in the second part of the season in order to avoid potentially sliding down the table.
Both youngs goals were against the run of play and at 3-2 we were in the ascendency. 4-2 only came because we had to throw everything at them. Ok "deserved" maybe a bit strong. Would not hsve been unfair though.
Oh dear god. Everyone on here is so bloody spikey today. Tell you what. I'll stay away until we win again.
Agree. I think his absence is starting to have more of an effect now. Him and Doucoure were such a good partnership (albeit briefly). Fingers crossed he's back by February at least, but the lack of news on what exactly his injury is makes me worry it's more serious than they've let on and we won't see him again this season.
Yeah, as some others have said, we're playing the best football we have since we came back up, and we have the best players/squad. We have once again had some unfortunate injuries to contend with, and also a few quite ridiculous refereeing decisions going against us in quick succession. But we have a real identity and gameplan for basically the first time since the Championship, and I'm sure we will have our best season in the Prem. That being said, some of the sheen may come off if we do not bring in another striking option in January. I've been a defender of Gray, but it's not coming off there yet, and it's just so disappointing to see Troy continue to descend into a shadow of his former self. Why does he refuse to make runs? I do not get it. Oh, well. Either way, we need a striker who can really do what Silva wants them to, as much to properly challenge the gruesome twosome as to score some bloody goals. If we could somehow get Slimani, I'd be very optimistic. As the Mercury (I think) pointed out, watching Wood, who I didn't even think had a particularly amazing game, really showed what we are missing, and let's not forget he has spent his entire career up to this point in the Championship. Yes, He's perfect for Dyche and the team is partially set up to suit him, but if Deeney's main job is (at least according to him) to harry and harass and cause issues for an opposition defence, instead of running and providing options, why did he barely cause any? He's relatively decent at winning headers, but I don't think you can have a player on the pitch just for that, especially when those headers bounce off to no one as often as retain possession and launch attacks. I also do not see why we reverted to ****** hoofball for quite a decent portion of the match when that is exactly what Burnley would have specifically requested for us to do, and the one thing we didn't want to happen.
I tend to agree with quite a bit of this although not the injuries and refereeing. I do not see us as having better or worse in those areas than other years. Those who defended Mazzari kept on about injuries and how the golden age would return when we got players back. It does not happen - you get a number of injuries every year - it is the norm - and I am not sure our loss this season is extraordinary. However I am convinced not only that we have a far better squad this year but that Silva shows signs of being in the mould of GT and dare I say it Brendan Rogers - they study the game plan and produce one for us to use - the players do not always succeed but unlike last year you now feel we generally have an aim in the matches.
I think we'll have 30+ points by the time we go to Man City in January meaning we can focus all our efforts for the remainder of the season on winning the FA Cup
Do you still? Second half syndrome seems to be arriving early this year. Seven points from the last nine games is relegation form in anyone's language. Something is going wrong and needs to be sorted out. I think I still have faith in Silva but am not sure as I said before that his heart is where it was two months ago.
My 30+ points target was a conservative estimate, but, in light of recent setbacks, I'd be very pleased with that kind of return from the next 4 fixtures. I do still think we'll achieve it though and so, in answer to your question, yes, I do.
Yes, sorry, my normally reliable psychic powers let me down the other night. Despite Tuesday's f*ck up I do still expect us to achieve 30+ points by the new year ( 2 wins and 2 draws from next 4 games)
But next season don't expect anything at Palace, they always* (*nearly always, I went to their cramped ground in the Boothroyd years and we won somehow) manage to screw us over.
From what I saw on Tuesday I don't think we'll be playing them next season. They were bloody awful (which makes the result and the manner of it even more of a kick in the knackers) and I think (hope) they'll go down
I think this is a balanced post, also mitigating circumstances in the Palace game. Obviously we can't keep blaming circumstance and need to kill teams off but palace and everton had a bit of "freak result" about them. Do need to improve at home which is odd because that's what silva was meant to specialise in
You mean the play-off semi-finals? I don't think 'somehow' quite fits the bill. The second half was one of the most thrilling and satisfying halves I've ever seen - 3 premiership-quality goals to nil in a match that really mattered.
Yes some of the recent games have been frustrating and the points return poor, but this season it has been far more enjoyable to watch. We seem to be generally looking to attach, rather than last 2 seasons defend, so more entertaining. We need to turn our current slump around but I am still enjoying the season and believe we will be safely in mid table at the end of the season.
I agree - even if we did not finish higher than last year it has been more enjoyable to watch this year
I found it a bit interesting to look at the seasons reviews on Wiki.. cause the colour scheme they use makes it easier to visualise how things have gone. Generalising.. The first season back in the Prem definitely seemed to be a season of two half's turning around Xmas time.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015–16_Watford_F.C._season Second season looks more split into quarters. Average/good first.. poor 2nd.. average 3rd.. disastrous 4th. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016–17_Watford_F.C._season This season looks so far to have also gone by the quarters. 1st excellent.. 2nd awful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017–18_Watford_F.C._season So will we have another "quarters" season and things change again in the next quarter?
