Yes, I’ve never once said we’d be relegated, only that we’ll be in a relegation fight. 18th is a bit too close for comfort, but I’ve always maintained we’ll stay up. Let’s see where we are after the next two matches, which will be the half way point. I suspect we’ll lose them both and could easily be around 18th place.
The way the second half unfolded it was inevitable that we were going to lose 1-2. We're playing okay, but we still don't look remotely threatening in the final third. Ismael keeps banging on about the need to be clinical and ruthless, but that's never going to happen as long as we have Rajovic on the pitch. It's like being a man down. I've said it since day 1 - he's nowhere near Championship level. The only reason to keep him around is as a last minute sub, and even that is kinda pointless since he's not actually good in the air, or good at anything else for that matter. Play Bayo or even Healy up front ffs, hell I'd even play Sierralta or Pollock up front for that matter - anything is better than a non-existing Sunday league footballer. I also don't understand bringing on Ince at 1-1. He's great for closing out games, but doesn't have the creativity or directness to worry defenders.
Really disappointed to come away losing that match,didn't think much of Ipswich we should of won the match the chances we had ,we gave them there only chance in the second half , COYH
Totally agree. Whatever momentum we did have was killed by those subs. He read the game completely wrong tonight, and Asprilla and Sema were keeping us in the game to an extent. Kone' was poor and Ince was a waste of a shirt tonight. If Raj starts at Preston serious questions need to be placed at VI's front door.
Curious for your thoughts on how Healey would work in this set-up as a solo striker. Maybe just me, but feels like we're pushing crosses into Rajo, who is rarely getting to them, whether headers or at his feet. A few nice goals but not consistent. I like Healey playing off Bayo - not because I like Bayo, but because Bayo has potential to head or knock down the ball to Healey. Would he work as a lone man up top?
Have to assume so. Good riddance to a player who has flattered to decieve for so long now and evidently doesn't want to work to get back into the team.
I thought he was excellent along with all the other players who seem to be really knuckling down to the relegation battle we re clearly in . If they’ re not careful we might accidentally knuckle our way down into a play off spot .
I really don’t think that’s how we are playing - we are playing as a team that needs a striker who can both hustle defenders and get in behind them - Healey is the only one we have with both those qualities. When you match that with the fact he’s the best finisher out of the 3 of them, it’s genuinely baffling how he is overlooked. He fits the way we play better than the other 2. Much the same as Kone always suited us over Louza - and how Martins should be picked over Ince. I like Ismael. But his blind spots drive me up the wall.
Hoedt was abysmal- lost count of the amount of times he gave the ball away either to an Ipswich player or just kicked it straight out for a throw. A shame since he’s been good as of late. Taking Asprilla off for Ince was a poor decision. Ipswich comfortably the best side I’ve seen us play- I didn’t go to Leicester so can’t comment on how they did. I’ll be amazed if that isn’t the top two come May.
Leeds and Leicester were much better in my opinion. I didn't think they were anything special to be honest. I actually thought Hull we're better when we played them the other week.
Agreed that Healey should get a run (as unlikely as I think that is), but if Martins is to play, surely it would be on the other side? Unfortunately I think the only way to accommodate Sema and Martins is to drop Sema further back, which to be fair, on the basis on Lewis' performance tonight, I wouldn't be too upset by!
That might be your take, but I think we are strong enough, especially if we get reinforcements in January to survive. But being around 16th-20th come May, if that's where we end up, has to be considered a relegation fight. That's how I would categorise it anyway.
Really good game of football to watch, and a good performance from Watford. Same as Saturday we were good for a point. Three defensive errors were to blame for all three goals on the night - Hoedt, Lewis and the Ipswich keeper. Frustrating but doesn't change anything. We are a firmly mid table team who won't trouble the play offs or the relegation zone, and we are improving week by week.
I'd say Andrews should have done better for their first. Caught napping when he should have been goalside.
I disagree with you, we have changed our season round from looking awful on the eye, ridiculous at the back with the tippy tappy system not working and looking as if certain players were only interested in themselves. To a team willing to put their bodies on the line, mostly holding onto leads and playing forward thinking attractive football. We have momentum which we didn’t have earlier in the season, V.I. is getting to understand his best 11 and generally making a good use of subs, 2 defeats in 10 and they were against the top 2 teams, is a little different to losing three in a row against the likes of Sunderland etc. I see no reason not to predict an 8th -12th place finish!
When Healey came on last night he had an opportunity to run at the defender inside the area and cross the ball and nearly created a chance. I have not seen either of our other strikers do this so I agree that he should be given his chance to show what he can do
I am more confident than this if we have a reasonable January window. Regarding our two defeats against the top 2 , IMV , we were worth a point yesterday especially as the game moved on . We were the team applying the pressure and we shot ourselves in the foot with an avoidable error. At Leicester they were the better team however Vardy should not have been on the pitch so on another day ....who knows ?
Not my take at all I think we're a solid mid level championship team. I personally think you are repeatedly overstating how bad we are and have lost a bit of your objectivity and balance that you used to have. Totally get that it's your honest opinion but I hope that at some point we get the HB1 of old back.
I agree with all of that, apart from the last bit of where we'll finish. VI is doing a very good job, for all the reasons you've quoted. Had he been in charge last season from the off, we'd have got promoted, there's no doubt about that in my mind. There's nothing wrong with most of how we try to play, or the fitness or commitment of players, the issue is recruitment. Compared to the level of player we've been used to in recent years, this team is probably the worst (in terms of quality) we've ever had under the Pozzo's. Last night it was there for all to see. Players constantly taking a heavy touch, losing the ball in bad areas, passing straight out of play, refusing to take good shooting opportunities and this is all down to players being a bit crap.....no matter how hard they try. They are mainly not good enough to be at a club who are supposedly going for a playoff place!! It's a far more likeable team than last season, but the facts are, we are 4 points lower than that hopeless, disinterested, lazy, good for nothing team we had last season after 21 games. So, we like the team more, but it's less effective in gaining points. The foundations are there now, but we need a lot of upgrades. New keeper is higher on my priority list than it was before. Hamer has done ok, but he's just as bad as Bachmann with his distribution, but not as good as shot stopping. Not too fussed about Hamer, Bachmann, Lewis, Porto, Healey, Ince and Bayo. I don't think we really need any of them. Rajovic for me is a failed experiment, even though he's scored 7 goals. He's the type of player who has to score every time he plays, just to justify his selection, as he does nothing else. It's like playing with 10 men when he's in the team, unless he scores of course. In January we need a number one keeper, a first choice target man striker, and a DMF....minimum. I would also like to see a replacement for Louza, as he's clearly no longer part of things, plus a good box-to-box midfielder. If we got the right quality coming in to those positions, then I'd back us to do well this season, but I can't see us doing anything with the squad we have right now, apart from succeeding in staying up.
Disappointed, because I thought we had chances to win that game. Ipswich are a good side as the table shows. Apart from their keeper I thought their team and subs looked well up to par. Our team is developing, and looks like it is coached and is establishing an on field personality. For me it was the lack of quality in our finishing. Rajovic is too slow of body and football brain to become a decent Championship player. He can't win headers, does not move his arms fast enough to make his legs go quicker. He even looks frightened have both feet off the ground at the same time. Like a child frightened to get out of their depth in a swimming pool. Healey is better in the air, and was able to win a few headers against their defence. I honestly think we would have been better starting with Bayo. The substitutions did not create a change in tempo or threat. For me bringing on Bayo and Healey instead of Ince would have been a better choice. Ince did nothing better than a tired Aprilla was achieving. Martin's, a great newsagent but woeful impact sub. He really is turning out to be quite disappointing.
Good Morning everybody! Hope you’re all well? Personally I thought there was much to enjoy and be optimistic about last night. It was another very decent match that either side could have won, and sadly in the end it was our visitors (who incidentally have more points at this stage of a Championship season than any other team in history!). To be disappointed at not beating the (now) leaders shows me how far we’ve come these past few weeks. However, of course as we lost, it’s normal to look at the negatives too. Personally I thought the substitutions hindered rather than helped us. I was especially annoyed Bayo appeared instead of Healey. For goodness sake the guy’s just scored his first goal for us, his confidence will be high, bring him on as first change! Be imaginative! Don’t stick to pre-planned changes! Tiredness may have been the reason but we didn’t benefit either from removing Asprilla, and lately the excellent Sema. Boy was he good. We even looked more threatening from corners too for a change, and should have taken the lead from one but for a terrible miss by our recruit underperforming striker. I imagine Healey bangs that one in! And so our record right now stands at 7 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. The perfect mid-table record! It’s futile debating where we will finish, none of us know! But there have been a lot of positive signs these past couple of months, and it would be nice to think we can continue with these. Let’s see!
I don't rate him at all, Asprilla put the first goal on a plate for him and he messed it up, luckily the rebound went Asprillas way and he showed our striker how to score a goal.
A very enjoyable game, bar the result. I thought Ipswich were very good until we began to overhaul them in the second half. That may have been fatigue on their part after a long trip on Saturday, but also great energy on ours. Shortly before their second goal, I was beginning to feel confident for the win. They do what they do very well. Their passing is excellent as is their pressing. They have some good forwards and a very busy midfield. It’s like Val said, we need more final product, but we competed well. We know where we are, our team play is improving, but there are certain areas we also need to strengthen, notably a striker who is hard to play against. Losing this season, generally better than losing last season.
