Disappointing but hey ho we didn't lose like we did V Bournemouth at home! Another point, the run keeps going, teams around us lost, 11 days to get everyone fit to take another point (or three) V Spurs! You never know!
First 7 minutes Capoue was amazing and showed well. Controlled the ball well. Positioned well. Pinged balls all over the park. It was awe-inspiring. For 7 minutes.
That was a shocker. Probably the worst home performance of the season, and that's including Bournemouth. Started off very well though, with two scoring chances created in the first 4 minutes, but the game just fizzled out. I thought Burnley played well, for a limited side. They did the ugly stuff well, and that's all it took to stop us today. We looked physically weak against them. They won far too many individual duels and this stopped us from playing our usual stuff. Without Cathcart and Doucoure we did look a little threadbare, especially defensively, so it was ironic we kept a clean sheet, not that we deserved one though. We rode our luck with Burnley missing a host of great chances, and then that very unusual piece of good luck from a linesman, flagging a perfectly good injury time goal for offside. Had that stood, that would have been a typical ending to a thoroughly pointless match. We often lose this type of game in the last minute, especially at Vicarage Road. The only good thing to come out of it was a point and a clean sheet. Burnley probably deserved the three points, but we played far too many squad players today and it showed. What's happened to Janmaat, Penaranda and Chalobah? Surely they should be on the bench at the very least. I like Sema, but today he looked like a bargain bucket £1m player. He tries hard but he looked like a Championship player trying his best to step up a grade but failing. Mapps and Kabasele are far too error prone and we ended with those two and Britos on the pitch. It was a miracle we kept a clean sheet. Because of injury, I thought we'd struggle defensively, which we did, but I did not expect such a lack lustre display going forward. We had no ideas at all. Every cross was wasted as there was no one in the box to attack it. Seriously, if Deulofeu and Pereyra are off their game, then our scoring opportunities are massively reduced. We did create a couple of moments, and one chance that produced a world class save from Heaton right on the stroke of half time. Had Hart been in goal we'd have scored that. At the end of the day, it was a missed opportunity against a beatable opponent, but we did not do enough to win it and that's the most disappointing part of the day. Good show of scarfs before the start of the match though, that was the highlight really.
Kabasele was woeful, time and again Wood and Barnes, two of the slowest forwards he'll face all season got in behind him down the left channel. Mariappa got shoved about a bit but covered quite well on occasion. I would've started Britos, a game made for him, no pace in behind and a big physical battle. Played well when he came on. Really irritated me that Oliver started giving them free kicks when the defender attacks the ball and the attacker just backs into them when they're in the air. Happens to Deeney tens of times a game and he's very rarely given anything for that.
And the tribute to Tom Sawyer at half time too. Guess it puts the football into perspective really! The game after GT died was pretty much the same outcome too. Very un GT like!
Well that was a great game,full of attacking intent and excitement. Oh no,that was Shapovalov v Djokovic this morning. I thought we really missed Douc's energy and tempo today.No blame attached to TC,fancy coming back for Burnley,fair chance of having your spleen removed or worse! Horace,I know what you mean about Cuddly Ken. At least he had some intent.GD just appeared to waft about and what on earth was he doing after missing the chance early on? The ball's still in play man,GET ON WITH IT! Having said that he looked more use than RP who clearly didn't fancy the Slag Brothers and pals. Dyche has got it down to a fine art. Even from last season's debacle. Slow it down,foul,time waste.Buster Keaton doing his Johnny Wilkinson goal kick (what an odd shape he is,long body,small legs,huge bottom). Should have been two up within 10 minutes.Lost the tempo and never regained it by which time we had sunk to their level. Great tribute to a great man. Lord only knows what he would have said. Probably "Do I not like that" Kiko out for a while?
Just looking at the offside again and the linesman has played a blinder. He is absolutely 100% correct. How you say, let me tell you. If you zoom in and draw an extremely thin line from Holebas’ foot, Wood’s shoulder, which of course, you can score from, is in fact offside by about 2mm. Superb eagle eyed vision from the linesman. Deserves a pay rise. Dyche has nothing to complain about. The right call was made.
Gracia and Pozzos OUT. Shocking performance . What the hell are they doing up at London Colney everyday ? Should never have sacked Dyche and then we would have drawn that game away rather than drawing at home . Gracia and Pozzos out of my football club NOW
I've never seen a game where I thought Cleverley really works in the middle in a two, I don't think he's that physical or rangy
Wonder if the lino flagged with the fact that he’d missed a pretty obvious foul right in front of him on his mind? Or am I giving him too much credit and it turned out to be one moment of ineptitude following another? In real time, and watching again on replay, it looks a blatant foul on Holebas. Onto the game. As has been the case a few times this season, Deloufeu scoring his obligatory opening 5 minutes 1v1 and we probably walk it. But he missed, and we didn’t walk it. Probably would have lost this one last year. We go again.
I was surprised at the announced attendance today. It looked full, but was recorded as 19,510. That's the first time we've been under 20,000 since promotion.
Well that was a head watch . Bright start but after that we seemed to get bullied by Burnley and they were first to everything . They are a very annoying side,but we played into their hands giving away cheap feee kicks. The only silver lining is I was absolutely certain they were going to win 1-0 with a late goal but we did get a point . Not a coincidence that we don’t look the same side without doucoure and I’m slightly concerned that it’s been a while since we actually played well ( probably Cardiff was the last time with the exception of the last 10 minutes ). Is the second hand season slump on the way ? Having said that we’re still picking up points and Heaton did make some excellent saves . If one of the early chances had gone in it may have been a completely different game . Hopefully Doucore will be back in soon And we can see some better performances .
It was the most blatant foul on Cholevas that you will see ever. Mr Oliver and the lino saw it different from the rest of the ground
That actually did happen. It was completely out of our control that the linesman did us a massive favour. Had he kept his flag down, opinions and feelings would be completely different. Today was a poor performance and would normally result in defeat. I agree with you, that performances have been on the decline for a while now. It's strange, but I believe we were playing better when we were on that bad run. We were creating plenty of great chances, and generally bossed the games, but didn't win because of an extraordinary amount of misses. Now, it appears to have gone full circle. We are not bossing games, not creating chances, but are riding our luck. We were lucky to beat Palace, and Newcastle and Burnley could easily been defeats. Bournemouth should have been a thrashing as we were so open defensively in that game. I feel we need an injection of quality from the transfer market, just to freshen things up. Luckily we now have 11 days before our next league match. Hopefully we'll have a couple of new additions by then which will inspire the team once more. Right now, we look tired and jaded.
Not the only one. Sema was not the worst player on the pitch. He’d just got a decent cross in before he was subbed. He puts the effort in and gave a bit of strength on the right, something that Delofeu doesn’t offer. I’d have had Delbot off at half time. Absolutely useless, gutless performance. He’s the most frustrating player and he’s not been interested for the last few weeks. He was not up for the game. The Burnley left back had him shitting himself in the second half and he actually let out a squeal that was heard at the back of the SEJ stand when he was easily dispossessed at one stage. He didn’t beat his man, couldn’t cross and judging by his body language he thinks he is above playing at Watford. That’s my rant about him over for now. We need to remember that there’s two teams on the pitch and Burnley came to do a job. They succeeded. We had a good opening few minutes but after 15 minutes they used the trusted tactic of leaving their mark on our players and it worked a treat, the effect lasted for the rest of the game. Pereyra bottled every challenge. Woods and the other striker bullied Kabesle so that he was so scared of being clattered that he miskicked clearance after clearance. Our heads dropped and our players were arguing amount themselves. Foster, Feminia and Capoue played their parts for us. Holebas was OK but that isn’t enough, we needed the whole team performing.
I don’t think Pozzo intends to buy anybody. Even if we capitulate we will finish 15th which is fine with the ownersz
Deulofeu, for all his frustrations does get into good positions, even if he does miss them. He is absoutely useless in the air though. Deeney I thought played decently when we weren't hoofing it. Pereyra has been missing for games now, his head's not at the club right now. I'd drop him for at least the next game as he's not been good enough. Sema is too one footed to play on the right, but I think he could come good on the left which up until the last 3-4 games Pereyra had locked down.
I thought Mapps, apart from a couple of 50p head headers, played very well (again) - at least in the 1st half when defending the family stand where I was sitting today. Too many people on here have ingrained views which mean they can't objectively view what is in front of them. Overall though I struggle to remember a worse game in recent times. You know things are bad when the highlight was a seagull dropping a chunk of bread or suchlike in Ben's penalty area and slowly circling before diving to retrieve it - to great cheers. Yes the game was that awful.
Twice (yet again) Mariappa let the long ball bounce and caused chaos. It’s basic. He makes good last ditch blocks but little else. I’d suggest his last ditch blocks impress you and stop you having an objective view. Britos at least attacks the ball.
Mapps was OK. I feel that both him and Kabs need a leader next to them though. They both get drawn in and wander out of position. Not so sure about the worst game in recent times comment from you and others. Bournemouth was much worse.
Pereyra has been missing for games now, his head's not at the club right now. I'd drop him for at least the next game as he's not been good enough. Sema is too one footed to play on the right, but I think he could come good on the left which up until the last 3-4 games Pereyra had locked down.[/QUOTE] Agreed, Pereyra looks badly out of form . Delefeou at least frghtens defenders with his pace ( though there wasn’t a lot of that today ) . Having said that I understand why Java keeps playing him as he can always produce that moment of magic that could win a game .
I agree about Deeney but I don’t see that Bobby P’s head has been elsewhere. Funny how different people view the game.
Agreed, Pereyra looks badly out of form . Delefeou at least frghtens defenders with his pace ( though there wasn’t a lot of that today ) . Having said that I understand why Java keeps playing him as he can always produce that moment of magic that could win a game .[/QUOTE] I wouldn’t say that Delofeu has pace. I suppose he is quicker than Deeney and Pereyra.
Looks like Barnes actually handles the ball when he shot wide after Mariappa headed the ball to him ..
This. Burnley did what they meant to do - which was impose their game on the match. Watford just physically couldn't compete and they fell apart. Capoue, Holevas, Foster, (Cleverley) and, yes, Britos showed some of the right stuff but mostly the others were poor.
