Great that we won and another cracking strike from Asprilla …. But the overall performance was woeful again, how we don’t dominate a team like Rotherham is very concerning- yet again the no loose tactics bore everyone to death …. While I am at it what benefit is there in dragging Dennis to Rotherham for 11 mns of game time - how is that helping his fitness ??? I am losing patience with Vals ‘process’
Rajovic has scored 10 goals in limted starts which indicates he has something about him. One can't dismiss all his goals as flukes anymore than one can dismiss our 6 away wins as all lucky, which let's face it would be ridiculous to even attempt. However, he is appalling in every other aspect. There was one bit when Dennis closed their keeper down with pace and rattled him which was a joy to see compared to Raj's efforts. I find it unfathomable how for a big lad he cannot hold up the play, outbattle or win headers as if he could he would be great. Maybe as a starter it would nice to see him get a bit nastier and perhaps pick up some yellows to get a bit of edge - he really should be scaring the opposition more.
Yes, good. That's already highly debatable - even on one of the most objective measures going, whoscored's match ratings have Doumbe, Eaves and Hugill as Rotherham forwards all with lower ratings than Rajovic for today's game. That was also in probably Rajovic's worst performance in a Watford shirt. He has 3x as many league goals this season as Rotherham's top scorer - Hugill - in 300 fewer minutes. I'm sure that even if he doesn't get any better from here, a team like Rotherham would give him game time ahead of some of the strikers they currently have on their books. And they are basically an upper League One level team really. There are still professional levels of the pyramid below that. Rightfully so that he's played so few minutes. I've explained my logic clearly. Pre-seasons matter a lot, and I've pointed out how players like Pollock and Kayembe clearly improved their sharpness after this summer's pre-season. Even Morris improved his compared to last season, but it's still not enough for him to not be good enough. As an aside, full-backs tend to peak the earliest of all positions on a football pitch, so he's probably at a similar age in terms of his development as Rajovic, but having had the benefit of years of training already at clubs with much better facilities than Rajovic has had. Also, we did not even have a "warm climate jolly up" this pre-season - the players stayed at London Colney, so you're just making stuff up. Btw, when I'm talking about needing a pre-season to gauge how much he can improve or not, I mean evaluating his ability after the full pre-season has been concluded, so more like by his first few games of the proper Championship season - not meaningless pre-season games vs Stevenage as you can't read a huge amount in to such friendlies and the competitive games often end up seeming very different. Rajovic didn't only not have a pre-season here, but he's not had one for almost a year already because the Swedish season began at the start of April - he'd played 20 games in Sweden already this year before joining us. It's no wonder he's been running on fumes.
Rotherham are poor but they have lost less than half of their home games which is some indication that not every team automatically dominates them. The key thing today imo was to get the win and some confidence back to hopefully go on another run. I'd have liked to see Dennis come on earlier too but it sounded like Val had some beef with him after the Norwich game as I suspect his "generic" criticism of the subs in that game was mostly aimed at Dennis.
It's not, a small minority of the fanbase were peddling this stupid line to support their attention seeking entitled narrative. With regards to the game, we just looked like a very fatigued tired team. I belive everybody will be back in training next week (if i recall correctly, Bayo's injury was just 2 weeks out), so next Saturday val can select from a rested full squad (possibly minus Bayo if I'm wrong)
“That's already highly debatable - even on one of the most objective measures going, whoscored's match ratings have Doumbe, Eaves and Hugill as Rotherham forwards all with lower ratings than Rajovic for today's game. That was also in probably Rajovic's worst performance in a Watford shirt. He has 3x as many league goals this season as Rotherham's top scorer - Hugill - in 300 fewer minutes. I'm sure that even if he doesn't get any better from here, a team like Rotherham would give him game time ahead of some of the strikers they currently have on their books. And they are basically an upper League One level team really. There are still professional levels of the pyramid below that.” I’d imagine playing for the team that lost, has such an effect on ratings on whoscored. Objectively, Rajovic did nothing in the game to warrant a rating higher than anyone on that pitch today. Stick Rajovic in that Rotherham team instead of ours, and there’s no chance he’s on 10 goals. Worst performance? Debatable… He’s been honking for a long time. “Also, we did not even have a "warm climate jolly up" this pre-season - the players stayed at London Colney, so you're just making stuff up.” Well, Pre-Season starts around July, and by memory, it’s typically warm in the UK at that time.. See, I can be pedantic too!!! “Rajovic didn't only not have a pre-season here, but he's not had one for almost a year already because the Swedish season began at the start of April - he'd played 20 games in Sweden already this year before joining us. It's no wonder he's been running on fumes.” So he had a pre-season elsewhere, for the conditioning you mention, as well as playing league matches for his previous team, to give him a nice head start to hit the ground running for when he joined us. Understood. He not running on fumes, he’s not running at all..
I wasn't saying it was a must win game so not sure of the motivations of people who said that. However, I still think we can reach the playoffs but appreciate I'm probably in a minority of 1.
Haha, again, I think you're suffering from a bit of a wish-fulfilment derangement complex here - only two people have described it as 'must win': one was Moog, before the match even began, in a very clear Moog post, and the other was Powerjugs, who I think is very unlikely to be one of the posters on your little 'attention seeking entitled' list.
Our second double of the season, QPR being the other, quite interesting reading these posts, I would have usually watched the game, but spent the afternoon collecting for charity at Ascot Racecourse, another interesting experience!
We have a squad as thin as 90s Kate Moss. Players out on their feet that have been flogged to death. A striker with 10 goals but most fans think he's useless. A head coach that gets pelters for not going for it then gets pelters from the same fans after going for it against Norwich and losing 4 -2 We are where we are. Blame the owner. Only blame the owner.
Yaser adds another half million to his transfer fee so bungling Gono may raise a small smile this evening.
I can't say I'd blame VI for it either. Dennis cost us at least one goal v Norwich and was making every wrong decision.
No excuse at all. Other clubs manage to sign these sorts of players or from South America and get them.up to speed.
No road closure based dramas today and a clear run up and down the A1 is the good news Shyte game tho against a plucky opponent who clearly haven't given up Same old same old up top with no focal point of worth is the not so good news
A giid coaching team/manager will sit down with a player and work on their deficiencies. We've seen it with many clubs and players. Player X will relate Mr. So and so talked to me about an issue. We organised a plan on hiw to rectify it and thanks to that I'm a better player now. I give up on our backroom staff.
You do realise their 'attention seeking narrative' is matched by your narrative of always replying giving the opposite spin and liking every post along those lines that you didn't write? The idea that you (or either camp) hold the moral high ground is very funny. Taking a step back from the forum is very enlightening - I suggest all do it!
Their style of play of throwing long balls and throw-ins in to the mixer would probably suit him. Had you stuck him in their team even just today I reckon he'd have had a good chance of getting one of his trademark tap-ins. Sure I doubt he'd have 10 goals, but I think he'd manage at least as good if not better as what their Hugill has done with his minutes. Rajovic's goals per minute is better this season than Hugil has ever managed across his career at this level, and he's 32 and been at some alright Champ clubs including QPR and Norwich when both weren't as crap. It's better than Nombe managed at Exeter in League One last season. It's better than Tom Eaves even when he was at Hull in League One. You're over-estimating the ability of the Rotherham forwards. None of them created anything either aside from when set-pieces were lumped in. But anyway, this is still already drifting beyond my original point, which was not focused on how good or bad of a professional footballer he is, but whether he is good enough to be one full stop which he clearly is. Whether he should be starting for Rotherham or just on their bench is splitting hairs. Being pedantic, I don't think Ismael is the sort for "jolly ups" - that was what Edwards attempted. Ismael was very clear he wanted his pre-season to be 7 weeks of hard graft. Again, you're glossing over bits. A pre-season at Watford will be to a higher standard than he'll have ever had over his career prior to this - his previous club (where he had just one pre-season) might have been at most League One standard, and prior to that his clubs might not have even been League Two level. And as I keep pointing out, the pre-season we had this summer under Ismael was already noticeably better than the ones we've had here in recent seasons, so it managed to even yield benefits to players more used to this level. He still ran a lot today. He was slow while doing it, but he was at least trying to chase down everything. But it's not a surprise if fatigue might be creeping in.
I hear everything said about Rajovic, but in his defence Andre Gray got 5 goals in the championship and was being paid £70k per week.
Needed that. Not to get a play off charge back on track as that ship has sailed but just to get a bit of confidence back into the team. They were garbage but were probably shading it until the goal but after that some really determined defending kept them at bay. Another pants team next week so hopefully will be in a much better place to take it to them with three points in the pocket. Hopefully the last week will stop Ismael having Asprilla in and out of the starting line up. Yes, he'll be inconsistent but he can always do something like he has twice this week.
Rajovic, how has he managed 10 goals and still be so shockingly ****? How? Watford Top Scorers - BBC Sport He is an oxymoron striker or great Dane proportions. I broke both my heels in a bad accident, have screws and plates in places that I shouldn't, but, thankfully, after a lot of rehab, I can still play and would have played better than him today.
One player with a million tricks, flicks and samba skills who will go onto huge things in his career and is a brilliant footballer..... Scored one more goal last season than a player that can't play football. We are where we are. He is what we could afford thanks to Gino. Next year expect a rummage around Scott Fitzgerald type punts at best.
