Watford Fc 0-1 Crystal Palace - 27/09/2015

Yeah, that was me. Dunno what happened to be honest, I had a little flash of anxiety (I get them a lot), felt a bit light-headed, and next thing I remember I was being wheeled into the hospital! Had a few tests done, and it appears everything's fine, but I'm seeing my local GP and will probably get referred to a neurologist or something.

Sorry to all those in my row who (according to my Dad) had to get shifted out the way while the St John's people came over. Apologies also for the somewhat self-indulgent post, as it has sod-all to do with the match!

A bit gutted to have missed the game, but then again, based on what the general concensus is on here, maybe I got the better end of the deal!

Thanks for your concern!

 

Thought both teams cancelled each other out for long spells in what was a fairly even game. Speaking to some Palace fans after the match they thought we deserved a draw, which would have been a fair result as i dont believe eiter side warrented all 3 points.

Palace have alot of pace & attacking threat out wide which we struggled to deal with - Nyrom especially seemed to struggle & was left far too exposed. Palace had far more joy attacking him than Anya. He was lucky not to have been booked in the first half for a series of fouls on the winger.

As others have said we didnt seem to get going in attack, though it was a very physical game and Palace certainly arnt above a shove in the back or a swan dive for that matter. In fairness though Palace didnt create or threaten anymore than we did and when we where able to nullify their wingers they didnt seem to have a plan B.
The ref was poor & inconsistant throughout. Like I say Nyrom was lucky not to recieve a card and how Sako or Hangeland didnt see yellow for two quite cynical fouls in the first half
was surprising. As for the penealty well it was a definate foul but from where I was sat in the Rookery it looked out side the box. Many others have said it was the reight decision so will need to see it again really.

Should note that the home support was fantastic imo, even got a mention by the presenter on 606. The Palace fans by contrast seem to have become very ordinary.

All in all while it was a disappointing result against a team I thought we matched on thr whole, there are still plenty of positives to take from it.

 

With regards to the penalty.....I'm afraid it was the correct call.

I was very close to the incident. The tackle was inside, very close, but inside the penalty area. The referee took his time and did look at the divot to confirm in his mind where the tackle took place. He even had a brief discussion with the surrounding players and gestured as to why he had given it.

Nyom missed the ball and took the player. It was a silly tackle to have made and the risk was not worth the reward. Like in the playoff final, Zaha was going nowhere, but his pace scared the pants off our defender, Cassetti last time, Nyom this, and I think he panicked a little and was drawn into making the rash challenge.

It was a big call but I think was the correct decision.

The ref did miss an incident in the last kick of the first half, when Prodl was blatantly fouled when the corner came in. Had the ref seen it he would have given a penalty, but it was very quick and probably not easy to spot.

I have to say the officiating has been miles better in the Premier, to date. Even the referees that had games with us last season, seem to be 100 times better in the Premier. I feel a lot more confident we will get just decisions this season than ever was the case in the Championship.

 

I'm not going to be too critical, we lost to a very good side. However, we clearly didn't do our homework. Surely it's just basics to not play hoof ball when your opposition has one of the tallest defenders in the league. If Palace did that Prodl would've dominated the air, so did we?

For some reason our forward play is one dimensional. We scored a fine goal last week by getting behind the back four - why did we neglect this method today?

I thought Anya has played better this season than he did last season. I would love to have seen him in a more advanced role. I understand the switch from left to right back, but that pace would've killed palace's back line.

Jurado had his best game yet. Linked with those flanking him. Final ball is getting better but still not great.

Watson didn't really do anything wrong but he doesn't press like Behrami does.

Thought Capoue could've seen red and I thought Deeney was playing in an unusual role. I couldn't work it out, until they scored then he played closer to Ighalo. I don't get that link up play, I can't work out what QSF is trying to achieve with them.

The games are getting harder, I can't help but thinking next weeks match is a big one already!

 

Good to hear you're mostly OK mate

 

Not to worry.

http://www.wdsport.co.uk/2015/08/if-im-creating-chances-then-the-head-coach-cant-leave-me-out/

 

Impressed with Palace. I can't help but think "what if" every time I see them. Had we turned up at Wembley they'd very feasibly still be mid table Champ and we may be in the position they're in now. Oh well.

We were very average. Capoue had his worst game for us. Defence looked shakier than usual although that's no surprise considering the pace and strength of the Palace attack. Jurado seems to very much divide opinion. I thought this was his best game for us and possibly our MOM, but I didn't pay attention to his off the ball work which seems to have come under criticism.

A very disappointing day. I did however walk past Nic Cruwys on Vicarage Road after the game. Great to see him looking well.

 

Really glad you're okay, I was a few rows in front and it looked an incredibly frightening experience for you and your family.Good luck with the neurologist and take it easy mate, all you missed was a replay of the play off final!!

 

22:30. BBC One except Scotland, Match of the Day Two.


Are you sure you wish to cancel recording of this program?


*YES*

 

Poor game, cant really complain about the result, Palace shaded it to be fair. Just brush this under the carpet, forget about it and move on, we know we are better than that.

 

That's how I saw it as well-we do not need crosses that will be meat and drink to their centre backs-that is not the strength of Igloo or Troy either-we need that trickery to get past players and drive into the box or get to the byline and pull it back.

Having gone to the pub after and just watched the "highlights" on fast forward mainly, we only had two on target shots-presumably Abdi's and the Jurado free kick-no wonder QSF is saying-although very difficult to understand him (not due to my alcohol intake either)-Palace shaded it and we did not play well.

They have a great away record and pace to trouble defences but we held them well I felt but when we got to their box -which was quite a lot we seemed to want to over elaborate rather than take a risk and shoot or drive forward to try and draw a foul/create an opening for another.

If they are a measure of mid table premiership then we are at least competitive so not too downbeat

 

We constantly banged our head against the brick wall that was Hangalaand, who was oustanding and we were far too tentative for the last half hour when we should have been pressing more in their half....why QSF could not get a message on to stop playing aimless balls down the middle is beyond me

I know I'll get slated for saying it but the last 20 was crying out for Guedioura's unpredictabiity....surely he would have lifted the crowd against his old club and been more effective than Ibarbo or the lightweight Berghuis, who produced nothing.

Jurado was once again busy and tidy but also created zilch I'm afraid.

Nyom was excellent and deserved penalty aside, we looked far less effective after he came off.

Please please please Quique can we go gung ho now and again at home and try to win games more positively?

 

Whatever Ighalo was, it was not excellent

 

Despite what people are saying about Jurado having a good / great game, he still created nothing.

 

Very frustrating watching high balls being played to Deeney when he is up against someone who is around 6'7''.

Very impressed with Ake and although Nyom had a few dodgy moments, he also had some good interceptions.

Definitely time to push Anya wide right in the AM role, and a few nice touches from Ibarbo. Berghuis looks scared and just appears to want to get rid of the ball as soon as possible. Hopefully more to come from him.

In summary, we need to keep the ball better, cut out the long straight balls and try to build attacks a little quicker. Just my opinion

 

Would you be saying the same had his FK been an inch lower? Be patient. He was much improved today.

 

Agreed and doesn't have the pace to beat his opponent

 

Disappointing that once again, we're hanging players out to dry after a handful of games. You'd think we'd learn our lesson but no.

 

You say that but I'd go as far as saying that the way he plays and the movement and choices he makes are exactly what Flores wants him to do.

 

Gomes had a good game, but maybe I'm expecting a lot, but everyone else was exceptionally average bar maybe Cathcart and on occasion Anya.

 

How can anyone think Ighalo didn't have a good game? His hold up play was ****ing sensational at times.

 

Not sure about Quiques tactics either, and thought that he took far too long to respond to situations today.

The main problem is that we need our full backs to overlap for width, which exhausts them, and then we lose a lot of momentum later in the game. Nyom was targeted by very quick wingers and was exhausted into a mistake many could see a mile off.

I don't mind Jurado and Abdi in the first half, but then we need to apply pace higher up the pitch before the hour. Ake and Ibarbo on, with Anya higher up the pitch , is how I'd like to see us late against Bournemouth.

 

Agreed, he didn't threaten the goal but played well generally & worked bloody hard

Ake looked class when he came on I thought.

This season we are going to get some disappointing performances & results against the better sides in the division. Welcome to The Prem.

 

Agreed. Showcased a new dimension to his game today. He's shown glimpses before but some of his hold up play, against brutes of centre-backs, was fantastic.

 

Also, for people that watched the game with the benefit of multi-angles and slo-mo replays, how good was Gomes' save early on from Hangeland?

 

Think a few of our players played well in periods, but none really had a great game. Ighalo did some good things, but went missing. Same goes for Jurado, Abdi and Deeney.

I think some of the problem is we're using the 4231 but with players in the wrong positions. Jurado and Abdi on the wings means we're very reliant on Anya and Nyom and against good wingers they can't attack so much and get pegged back meaning we have no width.

QSF needs to be a littler bit braver at home. I'd quite like to see us play with two wingers and Jurado/Abdi in the number 10 role, although it'd be very harsh to drop one of Iggy or Deeney.

 

Him hitting the bar with a free kick doesn't change the fact he slows attacks turns sideways or backwards and fails to create anything time and time again. A glorified forestieri although Id almost say there would be more end product with forestieri

 

Does Flores want him to be completely ineffective and frustrating in equal measure? If so Jurado is playing it perfectly

 

I hope that Flores or the players don't think this way.

Sure Palace have some quality, but there isn't a particularly large gap in skill between our team and theirs. They just came with a gameplan that stifled us, and we didn't adapt whatsoever.

Well done Palace, but we gave them nothing to think about.

 

Deeney and Iglaho had good games? I don't think so. Our results are solely based on them 2 linking up and scoring. If they don't we don't score. That's where we are at the moment with team selection.
Capoue defensive midfielder. Behrami defensive midfielder. Abdi not looking a goalscorer in this league. Jurado not looking a goalscorer in this league.

 

Great to hear you are alright.You were sitting just a couple of rows in front of me and there was a lot of concern. Will be nice to tell the people who sit around me that you were ok in the end