Hi all, My turn for a match preview, so you know what's coming = graphs and stats, how exciting. We find ourselves playing a side who may benefit from a new manager bounce as they appointed André Breitenreiter last week and this is set to be his first official game in charge, which throws up a lot of uncertainties as to what to expect. Wikipedia says this about their new appointment: Huddersfields playstyle has differed between Warnock (although that was only 7 games) and Moore, although crossing and long-balls have remained a constant. How their squad is gonna adapt to a manager who likes high pressing remains to be seen. Huddersfields underlying numbers aren't great and shows they're pretty much deserving of their league position so Breitenreiter needs to have an impact quickly, hopefully that doesn't start on Saturday...
We saw with Sheffield Wednesday that they had suddenly become a lot harder to beat when Rohl came in for his first game against us, albeit they still hadn't fully got to grips with their new way of playing, probably not the best time to play them, but equally it might not be the worst
I see we're now ten points off the playoffs, that should kill any delusions anyone has about reaching the top six. Play Andrews, play Dennis, give Grieves some minutes. Don't really care what happens other than that. Watford 2 - 1 Udders
The team with the most draws playing the team with the 3rd most draws, can lead to only one result. 11-12-11 incoming to retain our symmetry.
I expect we'll get the win but it'll be another boring and dreary performance, certainly one to miss if you have better things to do this weekend. The Cardiff loss was the final nail in the coffin for the play-offs and pretty much ended the season for us with no danger of relegation.
Is André Breitenreiter just Aidy Boothroyd's name on the witness protection scheme? What has Aidy seen that we haven't? The "big" incoming news?
Shame because earlier in the season we sometimes were quite entertaining and actually brightened the weekends, now we're as dreary as the weather. But I imagine it'll be a better game than it would have been had Darren Moore still been in charge, but a win certainly isn't guaranteed given Huddersfield like Cardiff have caused us more problems in recent seasons than you'd expect given that we've finished above them for as long as I've been a Watford fan I believe. The big gap (largely thanks to Norwich's resurgence and Coventry and Hull getting unexpected results) with only 13 games left means that reaching the play-offs has become a monumental task all of a sudden, but we can still concentrate on getting as high up the table as possible with an easy run of games to hopefully give us confidence during this season of transition. The big question is what are we transitioning to - the Premier League or League 1? 2-1 and Dennis to give us some spark and not just as a sub (hopefully)
Mystic Lloyd foresees Watford winning the next five games. The winning streak will come to an end when we throw away a 2-0 half time lead against Leeds to lose 3=2. But between now and then our results will be: Huddersfield - 2-0 win Millwall 2-1 win Swansea 3-1 win Coventry 1-0 win Birmingham 1-0 win Put as much as you can afford on this sequence of results - you won't regret it
We've just got to start getting our midfield right. The way we currently set up means we get going over the halfway line but we're a bit shambolic in our own half. IMHO we are a massively different team with Kayembe playing and boy have we been missing him over the last 2 months!! I noticed when TDB plays RB he pushes into a midfield type role when we're on the attack. OK against a few poor teams but stupid against decent sides as they can easily counter down our right side (ad they do quite regularly). Also VI seems to pretend that JL is playing centre mid but he isn't really. So we play a disjointed version of 4141 just to make the players fit a system - and it hardly ever works. I'd have a 433 with Kayembe, JL, and TDB - and a two of Kone / Aspillia behind Dennis....
Just play 4-4-2 (Diamond) for a laugh. Rajovi* and Dennis up top with Asprilla as the number 10, Andrews and Lewis bombing down the flanks from fullback positions, get it in the mix. The rest of the team to be made up with cloggers. Watford to win 5-2 If we don't play as stated above, then 1-1.
Ismael is from nearby Strasbourg, but has German citizenship and wanted to play for the Nationalmannschaft, does he not count?
You've cracked it Smudge! Klopp is leaving Liverpool to replace VI in the Summer. What a scoop for the forumites Gino's told him we cannot afford his wages, so as a compromise Dux is going to drive him to and from the London Colony every day.
I see Millwall are also timing their new manager bounce to derail our otherwise easier run of fixtures
Frustrates the hell out of me when I see us just religiously sticking with the same manager and just handing these other sides the advantage of the new manager bounce. Why can't we just be like the rest ?
Think Joe Edwards' position was quite untenable considering they are now bang in trouble having lost to both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday recently, but it does beg the question, is it better to give the new gaffer an easier run on paper to start with where they might pick up a few wins but risks the club wasting winnable opportunities while the team gets up to speed with the new gaffer's approach, or a harder one where any points would be a bonus, and they should be attuned to the system when the easier games come
Not to mention the recruitment side of things - Edwards appointment was seen as a change of styles for Millwall, going to a progressive style of football than what the club has been known for under Rowett + Harris previously, but suddenly deciding to do that mid-season (with 2 months until the January window opened) did seem an odd move. I liked their loan signings of Tanganga + Obafemi in January but ultimately they weren't enough to change the qualities of the squad enough or change the tide of results.
Think they probably thought, with Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday and QPR being quite pathetic at the time, that they could stroll to survival, but it hasn't panned out that way at all
Lewis bombing down the flank is ambitious. How about 'Lewis getting the ball whilst stood shivering, looks up once then passes to Hoedt before hiding behind a Huddersfield midfielder'.
All out attack seems to be the plea from these fans. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/24136540.nine-hours-since-watford-won-home-league-match/ 2 up front, wingers and presumably attacking from midfield. Well meaning but we do need to defend too but yes we could look to be more positive in our approach I guess although you need the players to do that. Do we have 2 strikers and 2 out and out wingers?
We don't really have an out and out right winger, especially if Dennis plays as a central striker. We were certainly a lot more attacking at the start of the season, when we were ****, the balance worked well, but we've just got a bit tired recently
Big performance needed this week. I think the playoffs are clearly beyond us now, but I would still like us to be closer to them than the bottom of the table. Get to 50 points and then we can start getting some of the younger players involved in prep for next season. Would really like to see Grieve’s get a look in before the end of the season.
I may be wrong but I think a change of shape could do us good. 3-4-3 Hamer; Hoedt, Livermore, Pollock; Andrews, Kone, Kayembe, Sema; Asprilla, Martins, Dennis. I think a left side of Hoedt, Sema & Martins could do some really nice stuff. Or you play 3-5-2 and pair either of Rayo with Dennis with Asprilla at the top of midfield which I’m still convinced is his best position and where he comes to life. Highly doubt that happens though, 4-3-3 most likely with our strongest midfield back in LKK. Asprilla right, Sema left & Dennis middle. Again, I’d like to see Sema LB and Martins LW with Lewis potentially dropped but as I said, highly doubt Val will go for it.
No chance we play 3atb with 4 senior cbs at the club, one of whom may be called upon further up the field
