Not sure it’s WAH WAH WAH if the opposition try and break your teams players legs and the ref does nothing about it. Maybe just a WAH. It was a bit different to usual. Normally we are bitching about their diving tactics and ref baiting but there wasn’t so much yesterday. Just good old fashioned 70s leg breakers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It was certainly a decent, effective performance, but to suggest he was “god” is a little over the top. Come on, he’s no Almen Abdi!
Although the level of opposition has improved over the past two games, I think Ivic will be concerned how dominated we were by both sides. Results remain good, which will always fool people, but the match stats are alarming. v Blackburn ...........................Watford......Blackburn Possession................ 34%..........66% Total shots.................10.............19 Corners.......................1................8 Passess......................312............606 Passess completed... 217............501 Pass success..............70%..........83% Crosses......................9...............20 Touches of ball.........489............807 v Bournemouth ......................Watford......Bournemouth Possession................ 38%..........62% Total shots.................9.................14 Corners.......................3................10 Passess......................296............479 Passess completed... 212............393 Pass success..............72%..........82% Crosses......................17...............30 Touches of ball.........515............692 Obviously the only stat that really counts is the final score, and it does show good resilience, but it also shows we are being outplayed in midfield. Both Blackburn and Bournemouth bossed the midfield in both games. If he can, Ivic has to change this around. The trio of Garner, Chalobah and Cleverley seems far too weak to me. We need to bring Capoue back and the sooner Hughes is fit the better. Once you control the midfield, you tend to dominate games, and that usually provides a healthy return of victories. https://www.footballcritic.com/championship-watford-fc-blackburn-rovers-fc/match-stats/2149278 https://www.footballcritic.com/championship-watford-fc-afc-bournemouth/match-stats/2149291
I think the bigger issue between Chalobah and Cleverley is that they're too similar in playstyle in that they are used more to harasse and win the ball than progress it. Both at this level individually are very good. Garner can progress it but had an off day which happens. Chalobah back in 12/13 had his off days which is natural. Even Chalobah and Capoue to a lesser degree have the same issue except Capoue is a far more accomplished passer which will help. If we had a midfield of Chalobah / Cleverley (Hughes to replace Chalobah and Cleverley when fit), Capoue and Quina will see us hold and progress the ball a lot more fluidly and effectively. What we have currently isn't bad as they help with us the ball but they can't retain it effectively as you've said. It's a crying shame TDB got injured when he did as he could carry it forward well.
I’m sure Ivic will be looking to improve our possession no doubt, but what those stats don’t reflect is the potency of the possession. Admittedly Blackburn did open us us on 2-3 occasions and produce very good chances but Bournemouth were largely ineffective. Their increased frustration and niggly fouls and abuse to the ref reflected that. I don’t recall any, “he must score that” efforts until Kelly mis-hit his volley (pretty sure it was going wide) straight to Mepham two yards out. I see both Robinson and Mooney think a draw was a fair result. Even without the abysmal ref I just don’t agree. We edged that yesterday and I have no doubt if Sarr puts his chance away, which was the best chance of the game, we win it comfortably. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This . Although only a draw . Some centre half should have been sent off twice. Some clod hopping midfielder should have gone twice also.
Yes these stats are very disappointing for the 2 home games. We really have to get on the front foot more. Is there XG available for the two games?
Blackburn game was Watford 2.23 v Blackburn 2.28. And then Watford 1.07 v Bournemouth 1.38. (0.71 of Bournemouth’s total was the Mepham goal, though). In both games, though, we took early leads. Game state is very important and I think XG doesn’t really reflect it. A team defending a lead has less incentive to create chances. What’s more a 0.05 XG chance in the first minute that goes in is one goal. So the team responds as if they’ve scored a goal but only 0.05 is reflected in the XG score. My other issue is that different XG modes produce wildly different numbers. Source:https://www.infogol.net/en/team/watford/23 (Click on the different results pages for XG details).
To counter-balance, Garner was walking a tightrope in the first half. On a yellow and made at least two further fouls which could have been seen as a second yellow. One of the many reasons why Ivic swapped him at half time.
Very good point but neither foul was for thuggery unlike theirs and Muff never wasted a substitution either by taking their hatchet men off clearly referees think Muff are cuddly fluffy ballers who would never engage in the dark arts
A red card makes no distinction. Breaking someone legs in a deliberate tactical ploy to stop them from playing, or a couple of yellow cards for minor infringements gets the same treatment.
I think that was the only explanation for the bizarre refereeing performance. Kelly should’ve gone which he realised, so as a result he was extra lenient on Garner. Having made a rod for his own back with that chain of events, the only way he could demonstrate any sort of consistency in his performance was to not then give any very obvious yellow and associated red cards at all.
I would have to agree because I truly can’t fathom how a referee in one of the biggest leagues in the world can be so poor .
Still livid. The cheating w****** must be paying refs or something. They get away with murder every f****** time.
Not the first time he’s bottled a sending off after a horror tackle. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50696488
I think consistency is all any fan wants. The difference between what was deemed a cardable offence between the Blackburn and Bournemouth games is quite unfathomable.
The only reason we didn't win on Saturday is purely down to our transfer business. We didn't sign a referee as good as the Bournemouth one.
Absolutely. A number of important defensive interventions from him. Throwing his body in to make crucial saves. I don't get the dislike. He clearly has a good footballer in there. I think he will grow this season
