The standout players for me today were Angella, Iriney, and Fabbrini. The atmosphere was good, but only because we shared the low roofed stand with a good and loud set of home fans. It seemed like most Watford fans lost their voice before kick off as we were so loud during the warm up but pretty average throughout the match, shame. I don't think we should have used 3-5-2 today because we didn't have the players to fit it, especially in the second half. Finally, if Doyley had been playing then we would not have conceded an equaliser, but you all knew that already.
Also one thing that really annoys me: celebrating a goal by goading the opposition fans, the Bristol City fans looked like caged animals after their goal and I'm sure those doing it on our side looked equally stupid when Murray scored
I thought the game became very grim and uninspiring. The positives were :- Sannino could see more people in the squad in a competitive match to assess what and who we need. Or don't. Credit to BCFC ground staff for succeeding where Yeovil didn't. Sannino showed character by sporting Puma Kings with his designer suit. Raincoats and managers jackets too cissy for him. WFC survived against a robust, motivated side set up to attack with some players much better than League 1. WFC will have better players available and fit for the replay (we'll need them) Steve Cotterill said very nice things about WFC as a club (all welcoming, nice officials, good players) on BBC Bristol post match - made special mention of McGugan bringing out a fine save for what would've been a brilliant goal early doors. SC said he told his team all about McGugan and what to expect and that Lewis didn't disappoint. Our team got roughed up by some bossing players like Marvin Elliott but didn't retaliate - Baldock led with an elbow into Almunias jaw first chance he had - Cassetti was crocked by three late tackles. This led to running dialogue between Fabbrini and the ref all game and at HT and FT - couldn't see whether he should've had a pen/ free kick for his first beat-three-players and go down run in first 10 mins. Almunia was sharp and kept us in it. Brizzle looked very dangerous at all the corners they had first half. I know he scored but for me Sean Murray was a passenger for most of the match. BCFC came through his position at will and he offered bott all support to Cassetti. Failed to see the danger or close down the players like Elliott and the lack of bite meant that BCFC sprayed the ball at will across field to their right wing back or slotted in a ball down the flank past Cassetti. Murray was just jogging about it was no coincidence our attacking threat came from our other side in the first half and BCFC gained possession and broke out repeatedly down Murray's side. Thing was Sean and George Thorne together as a unit in the last match were completely different- ballwinningand playing our players in. It was very big men against boys in there - Iriney excepted who did exceptionally well considering how much he had to repel. When we play away, you have to have pace in the side to counterattack or make the other side think a bit. Without Bellerin or Anya we just didn't have that. If Fabbrini had got a penalty, the referee clamped down on some rough housing from BCFC early on (he didn't) then the play from WFC might have been different. mcGugan cam within an ace of scoring it as it was BCFC grew in strength and poor Troy Deeney grew more isolated. Troy would've had a hat trick if he'd been playing in red and white and been given the services of their fast men. When Connor Smith came on for Cassetti at HT, out of position or not, he showed he was way off the pace, in mind and body and struggled like he did in his last starting appearance. Is that because the squad don't have competitive reserve games to keep them match sharp? McGugan wasn't fouled for a pen, the BCFC player got the ball but Fabbrini was fouled in passing it to Lewis - I was in the front row to see. I think Fabbrini was hard done by by some on here - he offers a threat and was always alive to picking up a loose ball and going for it - it's just Steve Cotterill is a good coach and had also motivated and drilled his very capable players. The sub they brought on was jet fast and that's how they got the equalizer. Good crowd and fine voice by 1881 and away section. Good banter and no gloating which was cool. I thought Nozz saved us in fist half and Angella and he played very well together. Replay might be interesting. I was glad to hear the Reading fans on Talkpanto and 606 bemoaning how poor their team are at present - if we don't get some midfield bite and some pace, we will need them to be rubbish.
Gotta say I don't like us trying to replicate the Holmesdale fanatics either by doing all their tunes, but at least someone's having a go
I understand what your saying but in all fairness most teams sing the same songs even Palace took other peoples ideas.
Looks like we actually lost!! http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...-Emmanuel-Thomas-saves-the-day-for-the-Robins
Sannino is a holding manager. To draw plenty and win a few, but not lose many. We won't start winning until we get some grit, some fight, some muscle upfront to challenge/partner Deeney. I'll keep saying it. And for those who won't listen look at my orns total won on betting on the outcome if games. Deeney alone won't score enough and there ain't any other goal scorer at the club. Fabrini looks great. As does forestieri BUT THEY DONT SCORE MANY GOALS. If you play with one striker you don't win a lot
The truth is Sannino said to the players: "Good serious train for teem. Want more! Also boss Pozzo happy with tickets. Let they score draw!"
The 1881 don't usually officially do away games but there was a sizeable gathering of us in the corner nearest to the goal
I have thought this. They're both similar players it seems and Im not sure how they'd get on as a partnership. Troy has value. Maybe we're keen to cash in now in case this value deteriorates. Still think we need an off the shoulder type player.
The noise mostly emanated from that pocket of fans too. Although, I still couldn't work out the final verse to Allez Allez Allez Au. People on here have made it confusing!
That's my fear... Let's be honest we can't go a lot on Ranegie till he's playing let's remember he was scoring v AC Milan 15 months ago.. but from all his YouTube vids and reports we ve had, he s a 6'5" forward that holds the ball up, doesn't have a great strike rate recently (although 83 from 178 isn't shabby) and looks slower than Troy! If I was Troy I'd be miffed by it... And at 29 years old we ve signed him up till 2017 !!!! There's no doubt we need another forward but with Troy, fessi, Acuna, Fab and and Renegie... And Mensah and Uche in the squad...... I fear one isn't coming !!! Should ve played Acuna the whole game today, at least he s 100% ...
The one thing I think we can all agree on, is that we won't all agree on who has or hasn't played well. Having read through all the posts Fabbrini, Murray and Deeney have all received praise and criticism, especially Fabbrini. That doesn't mean posts are right or wrong but that we all have differing views. In respect of Fabbrini we should continue to try and work with him still because he has undoubted talent but if in another year we still get the same results then we just write it off as a signing that hasn't worked but certainly worth sticking with at the moment. Decent result yesterday, no more than that but I do find playing wing backs a but strange when we don't have any. A bit unfair on Battochio or Smith to play this role. Still in the draw and gives us a competitive game to give Ranegie and Merkel and any other new signings some game time. Hopefully have Anya Bellerin and Ff back for Reading as well Lastly. An excellent turn out, fair play to all those that went
1 win in 13, and that win came against a side that got smashed by Southend yesterday Still a loooong way to go
[video=youtube;9I8oYcT3iA4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I8oYcT3iA4[/video] Two goals are both shown here for anyone that hasnt seen them.
Under Sannino we are unbeaten in 4 matches having scored 6 and more importantly only conceding 2 goals, which is not bad considering most people on here say that our defense is s--t, I think it says more about Zola than our defenders who I believe are some of the best in the league. Leagues are won by teams that dont conceed goals, as for yesterday we would have lost that game under Zola as he would have played a weakened team, at least yesterday we probably played our strongest team available, maybe apart from Doyley. We are on the right track and we have strengthened already this window. The likes of Ranegie will give us more against physical teams than Fabbrini and Forestieri. I know people say that Ranegie is rubbish but you dont get picked for a national team that England haven't beaten in a competitive match in years if you are
Having seen their goal again on tv, as it was difficult to work out how potentially stoppable it was from the away end. I have to say I think Nosworthy totally bottled a tackle which could have prevented the cross coming in. He ran across well, pretty much got there but then failed to actually make a challenge.
No Anya, Fessi, Pudil, Faraoni, Bellarin, Cassetti off... not to mention Abdi, Hoban.. bit unfair to make any judgement on yesterday, but yes we have a long way to go Nos bottled the challenge for their goal, hope he's not got the injury playing on his mind...
Unless you are familiar with a team's players, you will usually notice what they do, rather than what they don't do. So it's not surprising that Febb's moments of flashiness stood out for the Bristol supporters, rather than his lack of goalscoring ability, inability to make a pass, and unwillingness to close down or make a tackle. Fabb's reputation seems to be based entirely on what he might do in the future rather than what's he's doing now, in a match or in his career in general. But what he's doing now is almost nothing. The dwindling band of Fabb apologists seem to think that despite his lack of end-product, which they usually admit, we should carry him as a passenger until such time as he learns to play for the team. I don't think we can afford that. I doubt that he will ever succeed in English football - maybe in France, where the game is slower and less physical, or perhaps one of the smaller European leagues, but not here. So what if he's an Italian international? He played the last 20 minutes as a sub. In a friendly. Against England. That's a less impressive international record than Michael Ricketts, Francis Jeffers, Gavin McCann or Michael Ball.
Cracking song this. Although whenever I've heard/sung it, it's been: 'Watford FC, the team for me' Which I think is better
And if you're a Watford fan, you tend to only notice what a player doesn't do, rather than what they do. Unless they run around a lot.
Yeah, that's a fair point. I'm still on the fence. Half of me thinks we should persist because he obviously has something, the other half of me sees him as the downside of the Pozzo Project..ie, us feeling almost forced to take players who can't quite find a regular place in the Udinese side, regardless of their suitability for the Championship! Neuton's another example..he obviously had talent but did we need a ball-playing centre back in our division?! I didn't think he was that bad yesterday, but I do see where you and the other sceptics are coming from. I'd far rather we played a conventional two up front, as brought us so much success last season. I hate seeing Deeney looking so isolated up front. The one saving grace, however, is that the midfield trio of McGugan, Murray and Battocchio have now scored 14 goals between them. That's not bad, especially considering we've been short of Abdi most of the season in that area.
Haha yes, very true! But you get my meaning! I think I heard it mentioned the other day when they were discussing Berbatov going to Fulham.
One thing I noticed at the game and again in the video was McGugan who didn't appear to really want to celebrate the goal, it was almost as if he was upset at Murray scoring!
just twitrd mcgoo and said u8 murrey m8? will update u wiv ne replys wonda if vis is v reason murey want 2 leve
Firstly Fabbrini has been mainly used as a backup foward this season (with Forestieri being the better player) - are you stating that he isn't even good enough as a backup player? Considering we have become a rather average and uncreative attacking outfit in the last few months, i'd suggest that "moments of flashiness" are in fact a good thing. In my opinion, a lot of our fans are using Fabbrini as a scapegoat to cover up the fact that we have become rather blunt going forward. Without Fessi, Abdi and Anya available, we seem a bit cluesless when we're moving forward, and without Fab I think we'd be even less of a creative team. All of my opinions of Fabbrini are based on seeing him play for us, his potential is negligible given how we've struggled lately. While a lot of you obviously only see him rolling around on the floor for 90 minutes, I see a player who is always looking for space and wants quick movement and passing. People point to a lack of compatability with our style, but i'm starting to think that even Abdi will struggle to operate in our current side. Fabbrini was brought in to compliment the fluid style of football displayed last season - unfortunately we are not the same team as last year. We could debate all day about him, but ultimately I think it comes down to what you like in a footballer. A player with excellent movement and skill are the ones that make football exciting for me.
