Watford Fc 1-3 Southampton - 28/06/2020 - An Effin Disgrace

Kabasele coming in won't solve anything, he's just as error-prone as the other two. If Pearson has the guts, I'd like him to go Sarr Welbeck Pedro, but I doubt he will...

 

This thread (among others) is a fascinating read to analyse where we all sit in the grief cycle.
Lots of anger, depression and acceptance on here...



I’ve been through the denial (we surely can’t be THIS bad), lost count how many times/much I’ve been in the angry mode, and I’ve been depressed most of the season.

Happy to report I’m now in the final phases switching to and from acceptance (we’re down, so bad nothing can save us, I’m too tired and depressed to be angry), and bargaining (if Muff and Villa keep losing I promise to be good)...

Only a few more games to permanent acceptance... and I can hopefully get on with my life...

 

I don't think they are any better than us I have watched all of their games since the restart and they have been just as terrible, Bournemouth have had one shot on target in their games and Palace basically played in 2nd gear against them they seemed to be walking at one point. Villa rarely look like scoring either and were very fortunate to get a point against Sheffield United. Martlet is right though the others have got harder games than us so if we go down we only have ourselves to blame.

 

I can't see how we can start Craig Dawson after today, one of the worst performances I have seen from a Watford played in a very long time. I actually agree with your forward line up, I would like to see us stay compact and try and counter with those 3, counter attacking and a set piece are the only was we will score we have no creativity to break teams down.

 

Agreed, much as he deserved credit for the Leicester performance he should get pelters for this one. All miskicks, misjudgements and rash decisions.

How easily did Ings get a shot away for the second? He didn't even do a trick or a shimmy to create the space, he just ran in a straight line. And then when we'd got back in the game by the only way we were ever going to score, Dawson's challenge to give away the free kick was one of the most brain dead bits of defending you'll ever see, which clearly he should've got a second yellow for too.

But this is the problem with bargain basement defenders. They're inconsistent and for every good performance, they'll put in a horror show. See also Kabasele, Cathcart, Prodl, Britos and all the others.

 

Both centre backs were effin hopeless today. Let's hope Chelsea have an off day Saturday and only bang in four or five.

 

Have a bit of faith. Negative ****.

 

You have a complete lack of self awareness, as you have been “banging on” about people critical of Pozzo who don’t agree with your thoughts for 2 seasons now. Anyway it’s clear how we both feel about each other so there is little else to say. Put me on ignore.

 

Tbf Britos was decent in the first QSF season. We've definitely
regressed from him and Prodl.

 

They definitely have. The disappointment should be that we're as bad as them - but we're not worse.

 

I don’t criticise, I argue you my point. There is a difference

 

I don’t agree but let’s move on?

 

Decent. Very well.

Fine margins.

Ref didn't give us a stonewall penalty and then gave them a soft free kick. If not for him it was 2 all and who knows what might have happened.

Lots of positives.

 

You missed out the crowd were in good voice and the grass looked lovely. It really is a top, top pitch these days.

 

They haven't been great by any means, but I don't think anyone's put in worse performances than our last two games, and they were very winnable games, unlike most of the others' games which were against Champions League chasers

 

As bad as they may be, the sample of games left is not enough to ensure that the worst team will be relegated.

It's hard to imagine that West Ham, Muff or Villa have been any more toothless than us in attack, or fragile in defence.

All it takes is for Muff to scrap a win through a penalty or actually turn up against one of these mid table sides with nothing to play for, and they could leapfrog us.

Sure, same could be said for us, but we all know we won't.

Our realistic aim for the next six games, playing like we are - 4 more points? 5?

Can we really expect that 32 points will be enough? That either Muff or West Ham will surrender just as meekly as us?

Nah. We are down.

 

The Ben Foster interview confirms there are individuals who can’t be bothered now . They must just want their summer holiday . No matter who they are they shouldn’t be getting selected . This is Pearson’s job to put out a team that wants to win , although I appreciate this is a tough ask if the desire isn’t there . If we cannot put out a team that has the desire we will probably even lose to Norwich which will all but confirm our relegation.

 

Beeb reported we had no shots on target.

 

The problem is I don’t think that will necessary happen if we go down. Players like Sarr could easily leave and we wouldn’t attract players like Sarr and Pedro in the first place. It seems more likely that we would struggle to offload past it players on high wages and possibly struggle at the bottom of the table as so many other relegated teams have.

if we go down we may be off the gravy train forever, which I accept may not be unpalatable for some. I’d still much rather stay in the premiership (it hasn’t been all bad) and bizarrely we still have a chance of doing so whilst other teams are similarly poor.

 

Harder games? 3 of our last 6 are against Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal.

 

Reading this quite a bit. That if we go down, we'll go bust, get relegated again or fall apart.

If our owners are so great and the structure of the club is so much better now, why would the club fall apart if we are relegated?

 

I think the players are in a confused state. They cannot understand why they are so sh1t. But to my mind too many are hiding. No one wants to take responsibility to makes things happen. They are all passing the ball in the hope someone else does it.

So many performance levels have dropped. Capoue and Deeney looked f&cked. They have no energy. You can see when the camera pans in on them they are panting heavily with hands on knees. Dawson, who was inspired against Leicester and one of the few who could come out with some credit after Burnley, was back to his absolute worst yesterday. Players were running past him too easily. He gives away the needless freekick, which I knew Ward-Prowse would score from. Masina is just being functional rather than dynamic. Kiko is constantly running out of position. Foster is doing erratic things in the past couple of games. Sarr looks completely lost out there, a bit like when he first signed.

We're missing Deulofeu massively, but we've still got enough quality to at least compete with the likes of Burnley and Southampton.

Whether Forster is correct and players are anxious, I do not know, but no crowd and the mid-season break has been fatal for us by the looks of it.

We now only have 3 games in which to save ourselves. We need to beat Norwich and Newcastle and avoid defeat at West Ham. Anything on top of that is a bonus as far as I'm concerned. We're talking 35 points to stay up this season. I don't think we're likely to get anything more than that. That's our best case scenario realistically.

Will 35 points be enough? Maybe, but it will be tight.

Pearson has to freshen things up. The frontline is so stale and is devoid of ideas. Lumping it up to Deeney is not working, but can we play another way? Probably a bit late in the day for that now. Chelsea has to be seen as a game where we can try something different. We're going to get battered playing like we are going there, so why not play Welbeck up front, Pedro and Sarr on the wings? Bring on Deeney in the second half when other players are getting tired. That'll surprise Chelsea. Welbeck has quality, Sarr has pace and Pedro is an unknown quantity. It might just work. We need that little spark. Take the lead in a game and then see how the players respond when they know they've got a chance of getting something from a game. The last time we took the lead in a match was against Liverpool, and look how that panned out. Since then we've conceded the first goal and lost all but one of those matches.

Something has to change for sure, but it formation, player selection or even coaching staff.....something has to change or we will be relegated for certain.

 

Yes, I don’t really get it either. It seems to be the default view for relegation. But we’re an asset to the owners that’s worth a lot less in the championship, they’d be flushing millions down the drain not having a decent shot at getting us up. let’s not forget they almost did it at the first time of asking when they took over, so it’s not like they haven’t done it before.

Their methods have worked until now, before this season we’d never spent a minute in the relegation zone before this season.

Part of the problem is repeated skimping on defenders which has come hime to roost, but the reality is they haven’t recruited players any better than we had in the championship yet they’ve repeatedly got away with it in a far superior league. Any of our defence now would be absolutely fine in the championship.

Whenever I’ve watched the championship the standard is genuinely pretty woeful.

 

I sincerely hope you’re trolling. If not, look at any side 82-87. Then it’s basically all of them.

 

I know it looks pretty bleak at the moment, but think back to earlier in the season and how many 'must win' games we contrived to lose and yet we've still managed somehow to drag up ourselves to a position where we've got a half decent chance of survival. Southampton and Burnley reminded me of how Watford once were, not the best teams in the world but always looking likely to beat teams below them in the table, which we obviously are at the moment.

With a little bit of luck, some tactical tweaks and some belief in the squad hopefully we'll have enough to stay up and put this dreadful season behind us. And hopefully they can get sort out the bonus scheme long before next season starts . . .

 

If we did survive this season, (we won't), then who'd give us a hope in hell next season? Personally I'm glad the Premiership experience is over.

 

If Gino learnt his lesson and rebuilt the squad, we would stand a chance next year. However it feels now, we do have some talent in the squad and some very promising youngsters.

There's just too many poor players and too many mentally weak players right now. It would take some doing, but we could definitely transform this squad into something better.

I don't think it'll happen, mind.

 

That's an interesting thought. Comparing the squad from 82-87 to the one now.

Well you have to really go back to the era and see how successful that side was. The one in 1982-83 finished second in the First Division, that would mean second the Premier League in today's money and a Champions League place. We also had a great side in 1986-87 and they finished 9th. All better achievements than the current squad.

But from the mainstays from this squad from (2015-2020) to the one back then, I'd take Foster, Deulofeu, Sarr, Hughes, Deeney, Richarlison, Capoue & Doucoure and merge it with Coton, Rice, Rostron, Gibbs, Bardsley, Simms, Bolton, McClelland, Jackett, Taylor, Barnes, Callaghan, Blissett, Mo Johnston, Tim Sherwood, Kevin Richardson & Falco.

That would be my 25-man squad. 8 from this era and 17 from the 1980's. I think that is a fair summing up and indicates which was the better squad.

 

Which won't happen here as we can't develop players.

Good shout on Sarr though, can see Wolves taking a punt on him - would fit in pretty well there.

 

I assume it’s another example of a tax reducing, profit maximising accounting move from our wheeler dealer owners, with no consideration for squad cohesion/ improving the squad.

 

That was an utter disc race.

 

Thoughts after cooling off:

Foster was poor yesterday and against Burnley, but overall I think he still deserves another shot in goal before serious consideration is to be given to Gomes or Bachmann.

Dawson was the worse of the two after his previous strong displays. I think I'd go Kabasele and Dawson though than Cathcart as Dawson seems to be more positionally aware and offers better set piece threat.

Masina has regressed since the break, and Holebas deserves a shot. His attitude is irritable but perfect for our predicament and will bring some steel.

Femenia's defensive failings are being shown up again after recovering from his woeful start of the Season. I wouldn't replace him with say Cathcart or Mariappa there, though.

Capoue I would replace with Chalobah if he is considered for the next game. This is his first poor spell of form since Silva's reign but we cannot afford him to be off pace at this time. Hughes needs a rest as he looks tired off the ball, though his effort can't be questioned.

Sarr has been shocking last 2 games. One of worst players on pitch. I would rather we had a different player there if nothing else just to send a message he isn't irreplaceable and needs to sort himself out. Stopping in the Soton box was disgraceful. I'd rather Pussetto given a go there next game if nothing else as he will offer cover for Femenia and work for the team.

Pereyra was Pereyra. Bright 20 minutes followed by nothing thereafter. Give Penaranda or preferably Joao Pedro a start who looked bright in his cameo.

Deeney is too immobile and we resort to lumping it forward as default. Start Welbeck centrally as he will offer some movement in the final third.