What a let down. I'm sure people will be on here telling us how we are not entitled to higher than 11th, but just after the semi final, I think we all felt we were in the driving seat for 7th. To end up finishing one point above Palace shows you how we really let it slip. So many what ifs and could have beens, but ultimately this squad looked on the verge of history. Now were just slightly better than QSF's team, who were, let's face it, massively inferior in quality. Of course, if we do the impossible and go and win the cup next weekend, then it's all good again, but to be honest, if you'd offered me 11th place and a hammering in the cup final 5 weeks ago I would have expected more.
Completely agree. If we lose on Saturday (as expected) it will be a bang-average season overall. Makes you wonder about the character of some of the players.
You could argue that its positive that we've not even once been in relegation trouble, but we've hardly overacheived. We just has it all in our grasp, which is so frustrating. If we didn't think there were points we could've got that we didn't, I'm sure we'd be happy, but we shat the bed over and over and over in the past few weeks.
Chill out everyone. Enjoy the sunshine. Enjoy that we're in a cup final, THE cup final and enjoy that Gracia has pulled off a masterstroke by lulling Man City into thinking we are crap. Shame about Holebas. Masina needs to have a stormer if appeal goes like i think it will.
We should have done a lot better with finishing in the first half. Red killed it but the ref was in a better position than the lino and hadn't given a foul. Foster had already picked up the ball and just distributed it before the lino flagged. I would say that there was at least 6 or 7 seconds between the 'contact' and the flag. Like Deeney's sending off the other week you wonder whether someone had given the lino an instruction to flag through the headset they wear.
True, however we've not been in relegation trouble since promotion. So, again, barely an improvement. I suppose we'll still have that Semi-final win.
Absolutely no finishing prowess in this team. That scoreline is pathetic. Holebas seeing red was wreckless just after we pulled one back Players may as well boycott the final as their is absolutley no fight in this team anymore. I wasn't expecting anything at Chelsea but we played better in that game and conceded fewer. We've just lost 4-1 to West Ham at home, that will take time to sink in. Every season we do it... without fail. If the players really do have heads turned for next Saturday then they better win the bloody cup. That performance was unacceptable. I know we can play football, but our finishing (or lack of) has killed us again. Our defence is weak enough without having our best defender being sent off. Had we kept 11 we may of got a point, but I do not blame him solely for the result. The whole team need to really look at themselves after that game. Starting places for the final us up for grabs now for sure. Who would even get a spot? Foster's recent displays have been so disappointing too. Yes we finish 11th and it's our second highest finish in the top flight. That's all well and good - but what we saw today could see us in complete free fall next season unless some major changes happen. We NEED a goal scorer, we NEED a decent left back. We NEED at least one midfielder - I can see Decoure' going in the summer even if we win the cup. I don't even have a MotM today. It felt worse than the Bournemouth and Huddersfield home games of the past. Today we had a chance to end the season on a high - and we bottled it. West Ham deserve the top ten finish, because on display's since the FA Cup, we have been very average. I'm so angry. God help us next week. It's going to be blue murder.
When? On Saturday? I didn't think the suspension would be in effect for then. Won't it be at the beginning of next season?
Yes, although it grates that the inevitable loss next weekend (&, I'm sorry, but I can't envisage anything but a thrashing now) will hand Wolves a place in Europe.
Yes the end to this season hasn’t been great but we have improved on last season and had our best premier league season in our history. Anything can happen next Saturday and we should be proud of our team for getting to the final and being able to fight for the trophy
Masina’s useless. Worst positional sense I’ve ever seen in a full back. Watch him charge at Kyle Walker and leave Sterling with half the pitch to himself next week.
I don't think we've improved much. We've just had added Deulofeu and Capoue in the form of his life. We still have all of the same deficiencies.
im happy enough with 11th and an fa cup final. depends on what people's expectations were at the start of the season. I remember people saying back then we would be bang in trouble by not upgrading the defence, Gray needing to be sold, Deeney being too fat. yes the ending has been disappointing but as moog said earlier, we never looked like being relegated. I think the central pairing of Doucoure and Capoue deserve a lot of credit for bossing games against teams we were expecting to beat and the strikers giving us some memorable moments.
Why not wait until the season actually finishes before passing such depressing judgement on it? Absolute ******** to say it’s been a bang average season. No it’s been a decent one, a surprisingly good one with a chance of it ending as a really great one. It’s just been the last few weeks that have tailed off so depressingly, and I remain sure that’s linked to us getting to our final. We’ve won more points this year than in any other PL season. More wins. Scored more goals. Don’t let the last few weeks cloud your judgement. In 20 years time mention 2018-19 and people will say ‘oh that’s the year you got to the cup final yes?’ Not ‘oh that was the year you blew a top ten finish and came 11th’ Anyway finishing 11th gives us more scope to improve on that next season. If you feel flat or angry tonight, why not watch the highlights again of the semi final win? Get yourself looking forward to the showpiece day on Saturday. Excuses are already made for losing that one anyway aren’t they? Playing the best team in the land etc etc. Chunter chunter moan moan. Wtf. West ham’s Season ended today. So did Wolves. Everton. Palace. Bournemouth. Leicester. Ours didn’t. If you can’t get yourself up for a cup final, then why on earth are you a football fan in the first place? This forums most prolific poster referred to me as melancholic and self-pitying last week (while missing the irony that he was the actually the one down in the dumps because we lost at Chelsea). Well I’m not. I’m so so excited for next Saturday and am going to totally savour and treasure this coming week and not let a few end of season disasters distract me. Or hopefully our team. We may have lost a top ten finish but we haven't lost the bigger prize yet. And maybe we won’t. And if you don’t have even a modicum of hope, then suggest you start your summer beach trip tonight.
I think we have overachieved to be honest. Pozzo delivered a bottom 5 squad and Gracia got 11th and a cup final.
So this thread had it totally wrong then? http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/big-player-to-miss-final.55741/
A vast proportion of people on here had us as absolute relegation fodder at the start of this campaign I remember it very well. Suddenly in 11th position with an FA Cup final to look forward some of the same people claim they had different expectations. With our squad this has been a very very successful season, regardless of recent form.
Think thats called forum humour. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...tford-finish-10th-whilejose-holebas-red-card/ https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/s...al-after-sending-off-in-heavy-hornets-defeat/
Of course, winning the cup would change everything. It depends on your expectations. I believe we have a squad that was capable of a top 10 finish, certainly not much below that. I doubt many expected us to get to a cup final. It literally all hinges on one game now and I guess a little hope is better than expectation. If you look at things in context of where the team was a month ago, it's difficult not to be extremely disappointed.
I'd love to say it was embarrassing but embarrassing is a way of life for a Watford fan. Can't defend, won't shoot unless you have an open goal six yards out, a clown of a coach playing a full strength team which leads to one of the only few hopes of a goal next week being out. Yet fans on here are criticising other fans for finding that **** today unacceptable. Guess the players didn't get the memo in the first half. Enjoy the half decent flash-harry players next week as they'll be off as quickly as possible. To replaced with nobodies to grind through another season and hopefully avoiding relegation from this poxy league in line with our model. Can't wait. Hopefully Pep will feel sorry for us at 3-0 and ask his players to ease off. Can't wait.
That is totally valid and I appreciate your angle. I am not upset with the season as a whole - we have done very well. What has annoyed me so much after today's poor showing especially is the lack of desire to win a game. I know getting to the final is a massive achievement and must never be taken for granted - but I have a really bad feeling the mood of the players is going to be rock bottom after such an awful run. Had we won today or even drawn, the mood of the player's would of been lifted for the final. Do they need extra motivation for playing in what will be their biggest game of their career's? I hope not. Yes they are going to be wanting to win and we might do it. Of course I want us to win but the form does tend to carry game into game with us. It usually takes something quite dramatic (like when Silva left) for us to end the form. I want to be proven wrong, I want us to win next week. We can do it, but again, it's the lack of motivation after a dismal run that worries me the most.
Yeah, I checked. Must say that the “humour” went way over my head. Oh well, only the difference between 0-4 and 0-6. And at least the mighty Cidermen have made the one day final today. Two finals this season for me and @Malteser.
Pathetic defending. The back 4 all need replacing in the summer, with the exception of Cathcart. Holebas pathetic defending for the sending off. It’s a shame to finish this way after a good season
Is Holebas banned for the final or not? I think he is unless we successfully appeal against the red, but hopefully I am wrong. Ironically if he is, that will be the 2nd Left Back that we have had banned in our only two FA Cup Finals. Older Hornets will remember that Wilf Rostron was banned for our 1984 Final against Everton, and not only was Wilf our left back he was our club captain too. Lets hope this is not history repeating itself as most of you will know we lost that game 2-0 However, we aint gonna lose this one are we........................................ U 'Ooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnssssssssss!!!!
All over them, should make it 2-2... West Ham on the ropes... Take off Deulofeu and Hughes and turn the pressure onto us. Well played Javi.
