Agreed. I do feel it will be a missed opportunity if we don't go up this year. Having said that I don't think the Premier League is all that special this season either so would have nothing to fear from the sides who get relegated
The last few seasons have shown us that there's always one surprise team whose total is greater than the sum of their individual parts. Not many people saw Burnley coming last year or indeed sustaining their challenge all campaign. But they did because they were well led, well moulded into a tight unit, with consistent selection. Ditto Hull the year before. And even us the year we went up under Aidy. So this season, in another topsy turvy Championship, Bournemouth, Ipswich and Brentford are upsetting the early season predictions, while the likes of Forest, Fulham, Norwich, Cardiff, Wigan, Brighton etc aren't in the top 6. And that's how it is. Like it or not. Rather than sniping at them, I believe we should be looking at clubs like Bournemouth and asking what they are doing so right? Why are they 7 points clear of us when we patently have a bigger squad, a more financially stable footing, access to a vast pool of talent and some very exciting players? (I know the obvious answer after last night is they have refs on their side but you get my point!).
Bormuff and Derby being top two may have something to do with only having one manager this season, compared to our 4 coaches!
Consistency with the manager. How long has Howe been there? Luckily it seems we've landed on our feet with Slav.
I've been told they've had 10 penalties and have played against 10 men on average every 1 in 4 matches this season. Maybe we have to get referees on our side like they seem to?
They've also had consistent team selection. So partnerships have been allowed to build and develop all season. Of course not all our chopping and changing has been our fault (and last night's injustice could mean yet more changes at the back unless its overturned) but when Mensah came on last evening he was our 29th different player to play in the Championship this season. If the two projected new signings who arrive before Tuesday aren't returnees (ie Guedioura) we'll end up just short of fielding enough players to fill 3 different teams this season! Added to that, as already mentioned, the 4 different Head Coaches this season, plus I make it about 8-9 other coaches at various times, and two Directors of Football/Technical Directors, plus Joka constantly rumoured to be one bad result away from the boot, and the impression you get is of a club that still isn't totally at ease with itself or certain of the best way forward. Maybe we'll settle down and still be successful this season or maybe it'll take another year and we'll really be the business next year. But I really think we can learn from the likes of Burnley and Bournemouth and not feel ashamed to do so.
Maybe one day your conspiracy theories will be proved right but until then I just don't see the 'world's against us' angle to be very productive in terms of us progressing this season? Yes last night was a total stinker by Probert and no sane WFC can think otherwise. But I'd far rather Joka focussing now on trying to prevent the sort of sloppy passing after just 15 seconds last night that gave the ball away, allowed the break to happen and the bad decision to be made. I'd far rather he tried to cut out the sloppy defending too that led to the penalty. On another day we might have got away with both, but last night we didn't. We put ourselves in positions where refs were allowed to make bad decisions. That's the only thing our team can influence on the pitch.
One more word about the ref. Most good referees after making such a bad decision (and I can't believe it never filtered back to him) will try and even things up with the next contentious decision and though I'd say the penalty was correct, it was certainly played for and had it not been given you could understand why. It wouldn't have brought Angella back but that was the ref's chance to somewhat rectify things but he blew it ... The Pudil none-decision came far too late for anyone.
Conspiracy theory are your words not mine. I just say it how I see it nothing more. If your conclusion is a conspiracy, then so be it. This season Bournemouth seem to be the recipients of a lot of dubious decisions. It is there for all to see, and you can make your own conclusions. Maybe last night was nothing more than Watford falling victim to the latest favourable decision Bournemouth have received this season.....who knows. What is undeniable, is that the referee directly influenced the game towards Bournemouth and made it impossible for any other result than a defeat for Watford. I certainly do not take too kindly to things like that.
Just one thing. I hereby christen Daniel Man On ! Toszer. Serial offender - maybe his team mates could help him out with a shout or two.
My conspiracy theory label was based on an earlier comment you made here about us getting terrible decisions all season! There was also an inference that Probert's actions last night were more sinister than a simple mistake.
I think you've confused me with someone else. I said the complete opposite and that we've had a good season with decisions, until last night.
Probert was awful he didnt even blow when Wilson two handed pushed Anya in the chest. Disgusting officiating.
The 3rd para of your post at 12.01pm today is very ambigious then! The bit about 'it happening far too often'. To what is that referring?
Let put last night game out of our minds we still have a lot to play for and I firmly believe that we can still get at least play offs this season. Hope we can hold on to Deeney though. It would appear that muff rate him highly and are discussing the possibility of signing him when they are promoted.
Apparently we now lead the Football League for the biggest percentage of our season spent with less than 11 men on the pitch - 10.2% of our game time so far.
Joker's emotionless, statuesque form on the touchline needs to be replaced. It's not good for team morale(especially when we collect the customary early red card), and it's quite frankly boring. We can't replace him with Sannino - as much as I loved his touchline antics, the phrase "never go back" must be abided by. I say we go for a club legend, someone that has a passion for the game, has an infectious personality, and isn't afraid to express this on the touchline -
I didn't but I'd love to have seen how we fared against them with a full team. Totally wrecked as a spectacle from the 1st minute. More than that, if we'd have done the business it would have done 2 things... 1. Send out a clear message that we're serious contenders for automatic 2. Given a massive confidence boost to the players, the management and the fans. It could well have been the kick on we've all been waiting for. To be fair if Reading had a goalscorer they'd have beaten us when we were down to 10 for the 2nd half. They couldn't hit a barn door that day.
Average compared to what? Bayern Munich? They controlled possession, and forced several saves out of Gomes even though we were sitting back. And saying they were average means nothing because they're top and they keep on winning.
Fans were immense last night, by the way. Our loudest period was immediately after B'mouth's second goal. Great stuff.
What are you saying? I'm wrong in my opinion that they are bang average? They struggled to break us down and needed a dodgy penalty to break us. They were bang ****ing average. I don't give a **** where they are in the league.
Not trawled though 21 pages yet. Any comment on how the Watford fans came across on TV? Was one of the best away atmospheres I've been in for a while.
It's not all doom and gloom guys, this team is still good enough to go up. More then a third of the season still to go. I think this team will get better in the run in, we haven't peaked yet!
ive wateched the game back ontv this morning and whilst you could hear our lot, i didnt think it came thru that notably... at the ground inthough it was mega... i was sat behind the goal nearest to us and the volume was brilliant, really loud... anyone who was ther should be well proud. on a side note, sitting watching your own team in the oppo's section is very hard... its not something i'll rush to do again.
Nothing ambiguous at all. Here is an exact quote from the 12:01 post you are referring to. I will say that this season has been very well officiated, from a Watford point-of-view, until last night. There have been very few incidents of note, but no one can ever convince me there was not some sort of campaign against the club in Zola's first season. It was so obvious that something untoward was going on, but no one could prove it. You just have your suspicions and that's as far as it goes. Last season we still had a lot of poor decisions go against us, but nothing like the previous campaign, and this season, as I mentioned, has been pretty good until last night. How you've come to the conclusion I'm talking about terrible decisions all this season, has surprised me. I think it's pretty obvious I was talking about incidents from previous seasons, and not this one.
So you are not able to make sense of the paragraph directly below it, which should clear up any confusion you may have?
There's no fighting. I don't do confrontation on here..and I don't believe HB 1 does either. I just asked for clarification on this para as it sounded as if he thought there was a conspiracy against us... Knowing how experienced the referee is, and his position on the field at the time of the incident, I would say it's highly unlikely, almost impossible, for that decision to have been an innocent mistake. There were far too many dubious decisions, all of which went for one side, for it to be anything else but an intentional act. Why he wanted to gift Bournemouth a match like he did is anyone's guess, but I wish someone within the club, or a neutral person within the game who wants the game to be clean and above board, to start an investigation into these things. It happens far too often for it to be just a mistake from a referee.
