Just back from the match. Sitting in the away end behind the goal you're never going to get a complete view of the match, but I travelled home with two City supporting friends who gave me their perspective too. Personally, I thought we played quite well first half with McGugan impressive, but Deeney looked isolated. The second half, City came out much the stronger and we had a very poor period where nothing seemed to come off. Then we scored the goal and that should have been that. The one thing you would NOT expect a Sannino side to do is conceed straight from the kick off..that was very very disappointing, considering all the emphasis he puts on solidity at the back. City had brought on their young winger to try and capitalise on us playing players out of position at wingback and that he did. I had hoped our habit of not holding a lead had disappeared with Zola. I have to disagree with my friends Legskeetch and say I thought Fabrinni was ok today..in fact my City friends thought he was our best player. True, too often he runs into blind avenues or falls over and he doesn't yet have much end product but at least he makes people sit up when he has the ball and looks to run at the opposition. Far better that than some of the stodgey football being served up by Sannino so far! It wasn't a great game or a good overall performance (and it means our recent record is now just 1 win in 13 matches, and we've not beaten eleven men since Oct 5!) but Cotterill's got City buzzing again since he arrived, and at least we didn't lose (they missed a sitter of a header half way through the second half). They've been a bogey side to us at the Vic, so here's a chance to bury them in the replay, when we should be stronger. Full marks to Sannino for playing the strongest side we could (a real difference from our last visit to Ashton Gate) and well done to Sean, who has this great habit of popping up with a goal even when not on top of his game. He must love Bristol..he scored at Rovers too this season and at Ashton Gate in 2012.
He's played enough to see that he's never going to adapt IMO. I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but to me he doesn't look like he wants to adapt. Last year when Forestieri was similar he worked his arse off and gave everything and looked like he cared, Fabrinni will lose the ball then sulk for 5 minutes. He's been consistently poor, and I'm hoping this is the last we've seen of him. I think the 'in the wolfs mouth' assessment of him in his last peice was spot on.
I don't think Spanish football would suit Fabbrini. Latvian league would be right up his street though.
Difficult to work out how I feel after that game. MCGugan started well and I thought Iriney did Ok breaking up their play in midfield. Troy was isolated up front and seemed to lose interest as the game went on. I appreciate that it's not going to be Vydra and hopefully Ranegie will provide this help, as long as he and Troy are going to play together. Fabbrinni seemed to be doing ok and would like to know if he dived after his little run in the first half. Difficult to see from the away end but he seemed to beat a number of players and I thought he was going to go for goal but 'did look like' a dive. Bristol city defence seemed solid, but then again they didn't have to deal with much from us. Still can't see anything other than a big win for us in the replay. I am now going to try and straighten my back after having to endure those awful backless seats in that pitiful excuse of a stadium.
I may have been tough on Fab - he did scare the opposition - but once they realised what he was about, he was screwed! We really missed third man runs and people in and around the AM position (i.e. Abdi)
What?? Of course he wants to adapt. He would've handed in a transfer request by now if he didn't. Forestieri never did that?
I think the negativity towards Fabbrini is a bit harsh I thought that he was one of our best players today and he had a much better game than Troy who looked like he couldn't be a***d for most of the game. Overall we never played well but to be honest it was a wet and windy day away to a lower league side in the FA Cup 3rd round so I kind of expected the sort of performance we had today.
I think the annoying thing with Fab is there is clearly something good there..you get the feeling that in the right system under the right coaching and maybe with a bit more to his physique etc, he could be awesome. So when he gets the ball, you sit up because you just sense something amazing is about to happen...and then inevitably he loses it, or slips over, or runs into a blind alley and you're left cursing... I'm not for one minute comparing him to Ash..but I don't think we should forget it took the latter a few seasons to really become the good player he was, after several false starts. If you suspect there's a half decent footballer, you have to stick with them and try and make them work for you. They don't grow on trees at our level. My main problem with Fabbrini is I'm an old fashioned 2 up front person and Deeney looks so isolated and frustrated without an out and out forward up there with him. I was also a bit surprised we played 3-5-2, considering our problems at wingback. I hoped Sannino wouldn't prove to be inflexible.
I thought Mcgugan was excellent today. The others were all OK but we really lack pace without Anya who would have destroyed them if he'd been available. I would have liked to have seen Ikpeazu come on in the 2nd half. Anyway at least we are in the hat with plenty of players to come back from injury. First Great Western :boo:
A few Championships teams had tricky games today and some lost - at least we're in the hat. Hopefully decent prices for the reply and maybe we'll have a slightly stronger side. Credit has to go to Bristol City - a much better side under their new manager.
Last minute decision to go Not much to add to the posts above-we had chances in the first half-McGoo-twice and Angella header-second half we lacked penetration apart from twice when Fabrini played Deeny in and then McGoo-who went down-it looked a fair penalty shout from where i was stood/sat. Bristol had a couple of chances including a free header which should have been taken Overall a fair result from what is a scratch side given so many injuries-i would have thrown Ikpeazu on for last 15 just to see if he could shake them up-we looked a small/slight side in the middle/upfront and with little going our way in the second half Still we are in the draw which is more than can be said for some and with players returning from injury/arriving the number of games should not be a concern
We aren't winning as we only have deeney upfront and he will score 1in 2.5? Still will draw our way, and the odd win, to safety this year. We desperately, desperately need more championship/English style options up front
I thought Troy looked totally disinterested. Fabrinni is class, the exception to this being his decision making. On a pitch like today, with todays weather conditions that undoubtedly suited Bristol's style of play, he was never going to set the world alight, but having said that he did ok. They didn't plant two defenders on him for no reason. McGugan - really, is he good enough for us? He saw a lot of the ball today but didn't do anything with it. Passes went astray, he bottled challenges as per and took too long to release the ball when deep in his own half. Not many positives today, but a mention for Iriney. He bossed it. Very, very impressive performance. I wonder why? The only other positives from today are: - We're still in the draw - We don't have to return to that ****hole again - When you look up into the roof of the stand it looks amazingly like a very large chicken run - Atmosphere was good - We won the pirate "Rrrrr!" game when the keepers kick the ball - My boxers are no longer wet through. Result. Negatives are: - Couldn't get a beer anywhere. "There's an off licence about half a mile away". C*nt. - I got drenched walking to and from the ground - We were terrible - We played 3-5-2 with no recognised wing backs. Genius. - The brunette in front of me wore a yellow thong (positive), but she caught me staring at her (negative). - It took 84 minutes to score but nobody could see it as the chicken run is held up by several massive obstructing beams. - Driving through the city of Bristol is as enjoyable as sticking my pen*s in a beehive.
I watched the Arsenal Spurs game earlier today. Someone should give Fabbrini a video of Tomas Rosicky - very similar in style, but the latter delivers an end product.
The one he stuck in the top left corner, as we looked at it? Great strike. Especially seeing as nobody else could hit a barn door!
My point is that, he doesn't try/work hard enough to give the impression he gives a ****. He doesn't look like he cares when he needlessly gives the ball away. To me someone who is working hard to adapt would have learnt by now that if you lose the ball cheaply you don't just sulk you track back. He looks like a player who's here because he's been sent here, not because he wanted to come here. I don't think he'll adapt till he changes his attitude is basically what i'm saying.
About 1600 of us there, good to see quite a few old faces appear for this one. The ground is a ****ehole but there are a couple of tidy boozers very close to the ground, didn't get wet once and decent atmosphere. Could have been far worse! A draw pretty much a fair result, they weren't anything special (considering they're 22nd in League 1) so it was more a case of us not being at our best. We have plenty of injuries atm, didn't work with having to put Battochio and Smith as full/wing backs. Would have liked to have seen Acuna and Ikpeazu given a chance for this one instead. Game was scrappy and Bristol were up for it and not afraid to make a tackle. Apart from Deeney, who should have been subbed off, no one stood out as having a particularly bad game.
I think McGugan's honeymoon period is over. Decision making, awareness, ball retention and distribution were poor today. He should be nowhere near free kicks. Fabbrini still falls over too much Deeney didn't have a great game and seemed very virritated Murray standout for me.
You may have a good point there. Here is a player who'd worked his way up through Serie A, culminating in his much publicised Italian full cap (though it was only a 5 minute substitute appearance) who has now been sent to play in the second tier of English football. Nothing at the time of him coming suggested he embraced the move, indeed if i recall correctly he took ages to agree to sign for us. To add insult to injury for him, he then found himself on the bench most weeks. I think it was Sir Alex who once said to never sign a player from a higher club, because they will always give the impression THEY are doing YOU the favour by joining you. Whereas somebody like Vydra was a dream signing for us because he craved regular football after his injury and had something to prove, maybe you're right that Fabbrini has an attitude problem. That said, I thought he did ok today. Maybe Fabbrini's just a sympton of the whole risky policy we've signed up to of getting so many overseas players to the club. Some come off, some don't.
I didn't go today, but I've seen him play plenty of times. He's got a lot of potential and has a real goal threat about him. I heard the reports in the first half and he had 6 shots at goal, one produced an excellent save from the keeper. Nearly every manager comments about him in their post match reports, so people within the game rate him highly. I think fans have to be a little more understanding and patient. Nowhere free kicks? I'm sure every opposition manager would be delighted to hear that. He's played more times than any other player this season, so Zola and now Sannino both rate him highly too.
I don't really understand the logic of persisting with 3-5-2 in the second half. Neither Batty nor Smith are wing backs and it showed - although both did fair to middling defensive jobs. I agree with those who would have liked to have seen a couple of academy players thrown into the mix. I disagree strongly with the people who say Deeney can't be arsed. He's being asked to play a thankless role with a fairy for strike 'partner'. He's our top scorer. If he holds the ball up no one shows for it. When he gets on the shoulder of the last defender McGugan or Fab pass elsewhere. When he heads the ball on no one is running in behind. Yet he's still the first across at the end of the match and often gees us up while playing too. Frankly he doesn't have the stats or actions of someone who can't be arsed.
Judging by Deeney's performance today does anyone now think Ranegie is replacement rather than partner and Troy could be off?
Fair enough. I actually agree with you to a certain extent on that front but I think his attitude has improved recently. I think he worked harder against QPR, although he still did do the sulking thing a couple of times. He also never disappears when things are going wrong, as some of our other players are prone to doing (eg: Murray, Magoo). Even if Fab has given the ball away 3 times in a row, he'll still be making positive runs and gesticulating to recieve the ball.
I think McGugan's done for us exactly what he did for Forest. Scored goals, often spectacular. Had a few blinders, convincing people he's the real business. Then a few stinkers, where he looks disinterested and fades from games. In summary, an incredibly frustratingly inconsistent player. Today I thought he was our best player in the first half and in the second he was unlucky not to win us a penalty. If he could deliver more consistency, he'd be a top player. But like so many others this season, he's built up our hopes only to knock them down again. I agree with UAE about 3-5-2 today. Zola stuck stubbornly to it and only changed it when it was too late. Considering the personnel today, I wish we'd have switched to 4-4-2. I really hope Sannino will not prove to be tactically rigid. Agree too that Deeney needs an out and out forward with him. I hope these rumours of us signing one more forward, one with pace, are true.
I thought the atmosphere was shocking and embarrassing. We really do have some miserable fans, probably including me!!
A real shame that we conceded just after scoring. After all the defensive work sannino has been doing in training, he'll be more disappointed that anyone with that goal I bet. I'm going to say that I'm not reallu that bothered about our attacking movement. As Deeney stated in an interview, Sannino is pretty much working just on defence at the moment, so I wasn't expecting a blinding attacking display. When the time is right and Sannino has plugged the holes in our defence, THEN he will get to work on our attack and help make us the team we should be. I'm not convinced that its going to work out with Fabbrini, but whilst he's here we may as well try to get something out of him. We do need an out and out striker though. When Sannino begins work on our attack, he'll need something to work with.
Some good stuff on here. http://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/160286-watford-fans/ Highlights include: 'Fair play for bringing 1600 hundred down. But how generic are all of their songs? They sing all the same songs as palace. I also found it funny that they had the audacity to sing 'your grounds too big for you', when infact we averaged a higher attendance in every season bar 1 of our 6 in the championship, including last!' ,Find it funny that people have a pop at Watford for having unoriginal songs, when virtually every week we have people on here suggesting songs we should sing that they have heard at prem games. Apart from drink up thee cider, we are a pretty unimaginative bunch nowadays. Lazy I call it. Pretty much everything I hear sung is ripped off from other clubs, albeit words changed to mean something to us., 'I did laugh at the "your grounds too big for you" chant, considering they are all crammed in to an utter dump of a ground with 3 stands'
