Watford FC 1-2 Manchester United - 15/09/2018

Cheers!

Ha! I can neither confirm or deny that question!

 

End of it. All the my uncle supported them and I fell in love when I was 4, or they were rubbish when I started supporting them, or I went to their games because I can afford to travel the length of the country to glory hunt - all invalid. You are a consumer.

You are a fan if it is your home town team, even if you have moved away. Or you are Norn, who just happens to be mental enough to support Watford.

 

Not sure I agree with that point. I see no reason why we cannot beat United on Saturday. If we do then we will be level top for another week at the very least.

Saying how far we'll sink down is a negative way of thinking and there's no reason to be talking like that right now.

Of course I do not expect Watford to do a Leicester, but I see no reason why we cannot be the best of the rest, or even slightly better.

Something good is happening right now, and this type of thing is self-perpetuating. Just like losing runs are hard to break out of, winning runs also push players that extra mile in order to keep it going. That type of incentive should not be overlooked.

 

There's a ticket swap page on FB. Join and post about which game you'd like to come down for. People who can't make it and have STs or have bought tickets, but have a last minute change of plans are more than happy to sell onto fellow Hornets.

 

When Alan Smart tucked away at Stamford Bridge, it was pretty tasty.

 

Exactly. Without meaning to sound negative, let’s enjoy it while it lasts. There will be an inevitable bad bit of form - the real test will be whether we can turn it into a run that only lasts a few games or whether it turns into the season defining run of form like the previous couple of years.

The start we’ve had gives me hope that we could be real contenders for ‘best of the rest’ this season. But we all know injuries will be the acid test for the club. But the last few games for me mean that the club should be quietly aiming for the top half of the table as a realistic goal now.

As for Saturday, again it’s easy to get carried away with out start and predict a victory. We certainly stand a good chance. But United showed signs of life against Burnley and are just a few players ‘clicking’ away from being feared opponents again IMO. If we can get at their defence, we’ll be right in the game for sure. The midfield battle between Capoue/Doucoure and Pogba/Matic is key to who comes out on top.

Play like we did against Spurs and I think we win. Although we won, if we play like we did against Palace (in the 1st half), could be a tricky afternoon. All things considered, a draw is a great result still. Will show just how much we are progressing if we are disappointed with that.

 

I was in The Shed when John Barnes scored a last minute beauty to beat Chelsea 3-2. My Chelsea mate pinned my arms to my sides so I didn't get my (and probably his) head kicked in

 

I stood on the Kop at Hillsborough when we beat Wednesday 3-2 (last away game of 78-79) to set up our promotion against Hull City 9 days later. I have never wanted to cheer a Watford goal so much but was terrified of the Neanderthals around me who were grunting their displeasure.

 

That's so strange. I was in The Shed during that match also. I cheered every Watford goal as well. No one really minded as I was only a youngster in those days. If memory serves me right, it was our first win of the season, coming in October. We'd just sold Mighty Mo, and hadn't won any of the first 9 matches and were rock bottom, although we still had a good team.

They took the lead, before we came storming back to lead 3-1. They scored right at the end to make it a bit nervy.

 

If we are as lucky as we were against CP (Ward header) or Spurs (Kane header) it's not impossible for us to win. No matter how the match pans out, "football's a funny old game" and the best team on the day doesn't always win anyway. I'd say 40% Man U win, 40% draw, 20% we win.

 

Watford v Manchester United, Saturday 5.30pm
Watford have been outstanding but United will be able to match their physicality. They can look after themselves. Away win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

Merson really has given up trying to justify his predictions. It's just funny now.

 

With that level of indepth analysis it's pretty nailed on. I'm going to find something else to do now that I know this.

 

You & Vinnie Jones?

 

Because English isn't your first language?

 

Fulham v Watford, Saturday 12.30pm
Watford 100% but Fulham. Home win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

 

About as much use as saying there's a 47% chance of rain.

 

Good to see Horace doing things other than skiing.

I recall my first foray up North and people kept calling me 'duck' at first I kept looking nervously over my shoulder until I realised it was a term of endearment.

 

Well your memory is better than mine then !! I could have sworn Barnes' goal was the final one in a 3-2 win, but just looked it up :

Chelsea 2 (Dixon 7 and 85mins) Watford 3 (Jobson 13, Jackett 38, Barnes 83)

And it was the first win of the season (13th October). It was the season we lost 4-5 at home to Everton and 3-4 at home to Arsenal, with 3-3 draws against Villa and Newcastle, all before the end of October - 13 home goals for 2 points !

My cap is doffed

 

"The Magic Man Paul Merson" - good use of irony from Sky

 

We can all have a laugh at Paul Merson's football insight.

Watford v Brighton
Watford are another team who need a flying start, and this along with the Bournemouth v Cardiff game are six pointers already.
Brighton are going to be there or thereabouts down the bottom again, so you might think it's just the opening day but these points will mount up.
A win immediately takes the pressure off you, and I don't see Brighton losing. The most important thing for both these sides is that they don't lose.

PAUL PREDICTS: Watford 1 Brighton 1

Burnley v Watford
Watford had a great result last weekend and Burnley did well, too. It depends what happens on Thursday with Burnley but they're always a difficult side to beat.
I think being in Europe will affect Burnley, they've not got the biggest squad in the world to be travelling and then playing on a Sunday. If you fight to get into Europe then you want to go through, even if some clubs will think they don't need it. It will affect them as the season goes on, no doubt about that, but I think they'll win this one.

PAUL PREDICTS: Burnley 1 Watford 0

Watford v Crystal Palace
Watford have had a couple very good results, as they did last season before fizzling out.
This is a tough one to predict, because Palace do have a bit about them. They sat 10 behind the ball against Liverpool and hoped Zaha would do something special. But I think they'll win this game.
They'll have a raucous following at Vicarage Road and it should be a good atmosphere.

PAUL PREDICTS: Watford 1 Crystal Palace 2

Watford v Spurs
Spurs have to cement what they did on Monday at Old Trafford. You can't go to Manchester United and win and then drop points, or even lose, at Watford. It'll be a tough game for Spurs but they normally do well there and have ripped them to shreds in the past.

PAUL PREDICTS: Watford 0 Spurs 3

Watford v Manchester United
Watford have been outstanding but United will be able to match their physicality. They can look after themselves. Away win.

PAUL PREDICTS: Watford 1 Man Utd 2

I can see he's given up giving too much detail. This week he's only given a one line analysis. Still stoically clinging to another Watford defeat, but he's not banging the drum quite so loudly.

 

It seems to me the result of this one depends largely on whether this is the one time in about six when Lukaku comes to the party as Drogba or one of the other five when he comes as Benteke.

 

My brother and I were at the front of the side stand and remember the abuse and the bananas coming over our heads! Chelsea and West Ham were scary away games in the early 80s. Started to believe we had a great team in the making with that result.

 

The worst I've experienced was at Derby in 1982. We had already won promotion and played Derby on the final day. They needed to win to stay up and we were winning 2-1. Somehow we conceded two late goals and lost 3-2. Derby fans ran on to the pitch, ripped up seats and threw them into the crowd where we were sitting. All they wanted to do was fight the Watford fans. The police on horses just ran through fans, not caring who they trod on. I saw a young mum and her child get trampled on and hit with a baton.....and this was the police!!

Fans were treated like nonentities in these times. If you went to a football match, you were fair game for hooligans or the police. It's just the way it was in those days, but this one was particularly bad.

 

In this moment, I cannot comment.

 

The season that Coton joined and promptly let in about 300 goals in his first 5 games and must have thought wtf have I just done in joining these guys.

 

Abdi's English is much better than this & Fessi would, I reckon, simply point.

Neck out time.

Pudil!

 

I was at that one too ! Not a very fun walk back to the train station !

 

That was a very wild day....

 

There's one other thing you may have forgotten..

Boy George on the pitch

 

Excellent reseach, HB - even better tham the Magic Man's!

 

In the home end away at the New Den, 1 - 0 to us, Mooney leaping like a salmon to head home a corner, even I wasn't stupid enough to celebrate that goal!

Interesting day all round that, certainly makes you appreciate what a decent club a support base we have.

 

During the run-in in 1999 I did get a ticket for Barnsley but a couple of weeks earlier when we were away to Crewe I had to stand on the home terrace. There was little chance of agro anyway and the home terrace was sparsely populated.

 

He’s got a fantastic goal-scoring record for something who only turns up on average 6ish times a season then?!

He’s prone to having a dud game now and then but he’s nowhere near as bad as you’re making out! One of the Top 5 strikers in the league IMO.

 

Let’s not complain. He’s turning into a lucky mascot of sorts!

Let’s face it - Merson was still claiming Leicester couldn’t win the league when Wes Morgan was lifting the trophy. His analysis or predictions hold no weight whatsoever because he actually knows very very little about the game that’s given him a living. It’s actually quite astonishing why broadcasters would rather employ someone like him over people who I’m sure would give far more educated views on the game.

The fact a football league club actually employed him as manager is really quite astonishing.