Watford FC 1-4 Huddersfield Town - 16/12/2017

As the last match thread I did was the Newcastle one, hopefully we'll get a similar outcome.

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Vicarage Road welcomes back Jonathan Hogg, three and a half years after being part of the Greatest Watford Goal Of All Time. He's sure to get a great reception. I'm not sure that the scorer of the Greatest Watford Goal Of All Time will get such a great welcome, or even make the starting XI, after a point blank miss that would have put the game to bed art Selhurst Park.

The last game against Huddersfield was, IIRC, a very snowy and miserable defeat in Yorkshire, but I was inpressed by the town which seemed to be a very well preserved example of a prosperous victorian market town.

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Famous Huddersfieldians include Yer Darlin 'Arold, Paul 'Do I Not Like That' Daniels and CIA Director Avery Bullock.

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Huddersfield are after a pretty bright start, have been on a pretty grim recent run (any bells?) although for a promoted side to be sitting on 18 points at this stage of the season is pretty creditable. Their defence is as crap as ours so hopefully we can score and early, then reinforce it. At the other end, they have only scored 12 in 16, so on paper we hold the upper hand. Their danger man is Steve Mounie who many were suggesting as a Hornets target in the summer, and boy wouldn't we say yes now.

No idea who is unavailable through suspension or injury for us so no expected line-up. After a few bad results it would be easy to get down on the team, but considering the fine margins and downright bad luck against Chelsea, Spurs, Burnley Everton and Palace, we could easily be making the same sort of waves as Burnley with infinitely more enjoyable football.

Chins up and fingers crossed that Lady Luck smiles for once on Saturday!

 

Best we can hope for is 0-0. Unless okaka starts, which he wont.

Sadly I have nothing better to do so will be there to see us not score.

Prediction: 0-1.

 

We'll go 1-0 up then capitulate and lose 2-1 when Holebas gets sent off.

 

It’s not going to to be a cracker. We’ll play like turkeys and get stuffed.

It will be Christmas come early for the Terriers.

 

5-0 Huddersfield, a tough afternoon for the hornets

 

3-0. Grey silences his critics with a hatrick, but further alienates himself from the home fans by 'mooning' at the Rookery after his third

 

4-0 to Watford

 

Silva's Yeovil moment.

Followed by his Portillo moment.

#pollotixinthematchfred

 

Hogg was substituted at half time against Chelsea because he had a migraine and couldn't see the ball. I believe he also broke his neck vs Bristol City last season. I hope for his sake the two things arent related.

 

Watford 5 Udders 1.

 

That's what i was thinking. Mind you i guess he's played many games since recovering from the neck injury so probably a one off.

 

Thought I'd have a go at the Cthulu sweepstake.

I've gone for:

Watford started brightly for the first 15 minutes despite injuries to several key players.
They tailed off for the rest of the first half before a mini revival at the start of the second.
Despite a goal set up by Doucoure and scored by Capoue they failed to see the game out and end up conceding 2 goals in the last 30 minutes as we visibly tire and Silva is forced to adapt and make substitutes due to injuries, rather than tactically.
Gray was ineffective and missed an open goal. Put clean-through on a one-on-one, he ran towards the corner flag and puts the ball out for an opposition throw-in in a "dangerous position".
Gray is substituted for Deeney. Our home fans collectively shrug and Shoutbox combusts.
Doucoure gets an injury to his leg somewhere and goes off and we have a sending off for Prodl for an accidental elbow. Whilst never given and experts quoting that it was a very harsh decision, some fans will insist that "if you challenge and win the ball in the air without your arms glued to your side, you deserve everything you are given".
There was some controversy as a double footed slide tackle through the back of Doucoure goes unpunished and this is compared to our sending off.
Despite hardly being involved, Gray is praised for the amount of space he created and for the amount of time he spent running the channels and other areas of the pitch which are far away from the goal. He touched the ball 8 times before going off, one of those crucially finding a Watford player.

 

Amid claims that Gray “isn’t good enough” and that he “does nothing positive whatsoever” clappers will rally behind him, arguing that “at the end of the day, 18m is simply what you pay for a striker these days”.

 

Well I for one am really looking forward to watching a midfield that consists of Watson slowing the play down just in front of the back four, a knackered Doucouré doing his best to get up and down and Capoue wandering around aimlessly in the more advanced role.

 

Two weeks ago I would have been confident of a Watford win, now I’m confident , but not of a Watford win

 

Or as many have challenged before, the £18m includes addons that haven't been triggered yet which makes the £18m figure a lazy easy go to criticism of the terminally ignorant.

 

My fpl team is so bad this week that my choice of captain is currently swinging between Doucoure and Richarlison.

 

Of course it is.

We're going to thrash them.

 

0-3? Flippin hope not

 

More likely to be due to his tour of duty back in 'Nam.

 

Holebas to be dismissed in the 76th minute for breaking the lower half of Schindler's leg off near the touchline (Watford later unsuccessfully appeal the dismissal). Pereyra substituted for Britos back from injury. Britos to be dismissed in the 79th minutes for shattering the pelvis of Ince near the touchline. Watford later successfully appeal the dismissal on the basis that the recipient totally deserved it.

 

I remember Barry Endean (not Ghost Of) doing this at the Watford end at Oxford, after setting up a late equaliser for Ron Wigg. Not a pretty sight, but at least he was a tattoo free zone.

 

Another one to tick off his list.

 

Ob-la-di-ob-la-da. Barry Endean, Barry Endean is our king

 

You forgot to add that Richarlison hit the post in the 28th minute when in a one on one with the keeper and in the 34th minute Richarlison again missed a header when it was easier to score and on the 38th minute the game was stopped because of then freak head injury to Richarlison who was hit bu a rogue pidgeon.

 

First goal is so important. If they score first, they will sit back and grind out a victory.

If we score first, we'll go on to lose 2-1.

 

Going to lose.

Season is over.

Championship football beckons. It will be a miracle if we stay in the Prem.

Oh well, it’s been a good run. Back to where we belong next season.