Talking of corner flags, did anyone notice that strange moment when we were gifted a corner after a QPR clearance looked like it was going out for a throw-in but bounced off the corner flag over the byline? It was symptomatic of the luck we've been getting much of the season - which ran out during that game.
I'm actually shocked at Leventhal. Being a bit hypocritical as he always shoots people down in flames when others speak like this. I guess he's just as exasperated as everyone else. Even Mr Sit on the Fence has had enough. Bad times indeed. Personally I think Munoz has one game to save his job. Lose to Coventry and play ***** again, he's gone. But I do feel sorry for Munoz, because it's not his fault. He shouldn't be given the top job at a club like Watford in the first place. Sheer lunacy. There's only one person to blame for this mess, and it's the same person who been been treated like a messiah for the past 9 years. Yes, Gino's halo has slipped, and it's now around his own neck. He has to explain himself now, but I very much expect he will stay tight lipped, sack another head coach and the cycle will go on.
It's mad to think that we could be looking at yet another sacking & new manager/head coach, but I think it could actually happen if we don't win this.
I completely agree it’s not Munoz fault, but.... even with his career as a professional footballer in the top flight in Spain and his 11 matches in charge as a manger he’s way more experienced than any of us. Yet that last match was a car crash and most of us on here could’ve picked a better team/formation.
I'd say it's nailed on unless there is a big turnaround in performance and attitude. Let's be honest, even though the results have been decent, there has been no upturn in performance levels from the last guy. If anything we've gone backwards if the stats are anything to go by. A very good performance against Norwich, but that can be attributed to a new manager bounce. A dreadful performance at Swansea, followed by a few mundane performances ending in another dreadful performance on Monday. Something has to change in a dramatic way, or else we'll be looking for head coach number three on Monday I suspect.
Exactly. He'd be more insulated from talk of getting the sack if he didn't keep picking players out of position. And, frankly, if he's not the one picking the team I think he needs to be man enough to come out and say so. Realistically though I know there's zero benefit for him in doing that so...
He's got a new system to try in training this week. But unless he can conjure something up that solves the issue of lack of progressive passing through the middle of pitch and movement upfront, it doesn't matter what that system is. I reckon he's going to go for a 3-5-1-1. Sema and Kiko wingbacks Chalobah(Gosling), Cleverley, Hughes in the middle Deeney Sarr Problem he has is that our star player and most expensive asset can only really play right wing and our undroppable captain can only play as a withdrawn striker, which has hemmed him into a 4-4-2. Something's got to give.
I reckon he's going to play 442 still but have Sema on the left. Gray will play as well but it's a start I guess.
A snowy Highfield Road. Barnes eluding Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett looking on in a 3-1 away win in the FA Cup Third Round. A young Malcolm Allen was on the bench as the sole substitute with veterans Brian Talbot and John McClelland in defence. Two weeks later the team won 2-0 again at the same stadium in Division One. A great FA Cup run was brought to an end by the cheating Scousers.
Despite the fact that we've only had about 3 good performances all season, have 1 shot on target per game, show little to no attacking cohesion and are generally quite a dislikeable team, I still find myself looking forward to match day. It's just something different from every day being the same right now. Average performance coming, 3-1 win. Roll on Saturday
I say now that I won't watch but I know my addiction will hit me hard Saturday morning. End up shouting at the television scaring the dog. My son will emerge from his room saying will you ever learn. Resulting in me having the ******** all day. Oh the joy.
We could play wfc bingo. Gray looks puzzled about where the ball went. Deeney shrugs and looks annoyed at his team mate. Chalobah gives the ball away. Munoz claps. Wilmot slices a pass out of play. Hughes is fouled but the ref plays on. Gray miscontrols a pass. Sarr falls over the ball. Navarro adjusts his hair.
We've gone from having a tedious boring plan, to having no plan. None of our players want to take hold of the game. Chalobah has the ball with yards of space ahead, he turns it back to Ekong, Ekong in turn passes it to Sierallta who can take it forward but passes it back to Bachmann, who hoofs it upfield where we are outnumbered and we lose it. Repeat ad infinitum. We'd be better playing 3 forwards and hoofing it as a plan.
I listened to the Ronny and Ramage Watford FC Podcast yesterday as well and they were saying similar things. It seems like everyone has had enough now.
I am not saying that Munoz don't deserve to lose his job he makes some very strange and ain stupid decisions. However, if he does it will be after something like 7 game, or 6 weeks. This is a massive part of the problem for me how are manager supposed to get their tactics etc across in this time, players are not held accountable and they know someone else will just come in. I know that Xisco is not the right man for the job but unless Pep comes in no manager will do any better, how many managers do we need to go through until Pozzos think you know what it might not be the manager that is the problem? If the players do truly like and Respect Munoz like they have told us then they will show some fight on Saturday. There is no excuse for losing to Coventry.
You ask how many managers do we need to go through, and the simple answer is.....as many as it takes. This is the problem when the hierarchy has no plan. The hiring and firing of so many head coaches is symptomatic of that. They just try things, without too much thought (or so it appears from the outside). Seriously, did they ever think Munoz was anything more than a feel good guy, to add some good vibes about the place, play Sweet Caroline and throw some snowballs? This is what he is bringing to the table. A good number two that players will like. He doesn't have the experience to lead a promotion campaign. It would be a major achievement of epic proportions if he managed to attain that. I don't think for one minute Gino thought he would still be with us beyond 10 games or so, as that's when the honeymoon period tends to ebb away and your managerial nous is tested/exposed. All Munoz is doing is buying Gino some time, until the wheels fall off (which they almost certainly will) and he'll be hoping to be in a better position to hire a more experienced coach. He's not even qualified to manage in the Premier League, but why would that matter when he won't be here anyway? For Munoz to remain longer than this weekend, he has to turn it around completely. There has to be a major improvement in urgency/intensity, a good tactical plan which will get the best out of players, a convincing performance and a win. That's far too much to expect, but we live in futile hope.
Didn't we score in the first minute of extra time too? Or was that Oxford with the floodlight failure?
It's become a vicious circle now though. Without the attraction of the Premier League to coax candidates in I imagine the quality of those interested in taking the Watford job will have dropped noticeably. Gino was insulated from the fallout from having 4 head coaches in the promotion year but is reaping what he sowed now.
Oh, but we have one plan. Punt it upfield for Sarr to chase and take it into the area where he's fouled and Troy scores the pen. Works like a dream.
That was my main response when my brother tipped me off to it, and then actually listening - he is chief of the 'don't be silly, let's be reasonable/brigade - he was doing it the very week Ivic got sacked to questions about whether he might be at risk of the sack. So as you say, it's almost jarring to hear - can't work out whether that's a good thing or not - I wonder if it helps explain why it took him until the last 25 minutes to produce anything about the club's transfer window. I haven't read it yet, but I imagine it will be a fair sight more milquetoast than the podcast.
I've read the latest article and it's more of the same. Criticise the setup, formation etc but don't dare mention the lack of players at left back or the lethargy of the hierarchy to sort it out. We definitely shouldn't play Will Hughes on the left but don't mention Ngakia's disastrous performances on the same side. Mention the lack of goals but just say 'oh the strikers need to start scoring if we want to go up' type stuff we've heard since September. Vydra gets a mention, as he has done for a month with the same old line about Burnley wanting a permanent sale. No one else. He does describe an emergency third string goalkeeper we've signed as 'shrewd' though. Which pretty much sums it up. Lol.
