Watford Fc 3-0 Birmingham City - 20/03/2021

Good day at the office.

Brum did threaten a little with their high balls and maybe could or should have nicked one, but we could have scored 2 or 3 more.

Chalobah has taken the longest time to get there, but finally looks like the player we remember from before his injury. Today was another best performance from him as he seems to get better week after week.

Success was involved in the first goal, but could have gone off after that. He was abysmal. It's one thing when things go wrong, but what's utterly unforgivable is his total lack of work rate. Sickening waste of a career.

Gray's goal was outstanding. Simply an amazing touch, run and finish.

I had expected the whole season would be like the last 10 games. We finally look like a premier league side in waiting. The break is actually annoying, because any games we play right now, we just feel like we will win. I don't want an international break to interrupt that.

 

What’s that, 17 goals conceded in the last 5 meetings.

 

Hopefully his last too.

 

That’s exactly what I thought, maybe it’s my memory playing tricks on me but I don’t remember the Joka season so much like this, but I do remember the Boothroyd season like this, regularly dispatching teams 3 or 4 nil.

 

Tbh I would send Success on some form of "athletic" training camp before pre-season, forget the ball.! He's not going to get fit in normal training <he never has) so I would give him an ultimatum... Get the legs fit for purpose by next season!

 

Players do often say though, you can really only get match fit by playing matches - I know I found something similar to be the case during my lacrosse career.

 

I'd buy him a one-way ticket to Southend.

I've focused negatively on our crap players but a win by three with two passengers is most encouraging.

 

From what I've seen of Sanchez he looks like understated class. A very solid player to be able to bring on.

 

Anybody else fed up we now have the break?

 

No, in fact I'm delighted we can have a week off from the nerves...not that the last two games have been particularly nervy!

 

I’m always fed up when we have a break, even more so now.

 

or watching them from the bench!

 

I love that we are a team again, with leaders all over the pitch. It was a long time coming....

 

I think we actually need it, players dropping like flies. Recharge for the charge.

 

Agree with this appraisal.

I do differ on my expectation for the season, I think time was always going to be needed to find the right formula. As I’ve said in other threads, it took too much time but we seem to be there.

Worth also noting how Will Hughes missed the first part of the season, I would maintain he is our best player.

 

Definitely thought it would be a tougher day at the office without arguably our two best players, delighted to win so comfortably in the end. Not our best performance I don't think, and they did have good moments where they were on top and huffed and puffed but didn't really threaten that much, but I'd have taken that all day long when we discovered that Sarr and Zinckernagel were out!

 

Is he injured (or maybe 'injured')?

 

They deserve a break.
I reckon Munoz has been doing lots of formation work in trading.
Anyone else notice that sometimes when pressed the defence widens out and Hughes drops into a slot in the middle as last man, then they work the ball out from there. Looks so good..!

 

Swans losing.... Toot toot all aboard the promotion train.

Looking bad for the sheep now too. Happy days.

 

yep definitely, also when you watch it’s amazing how quickly he then moves the ball forward, one min he is in front of Bachman a few seconds later he is on the half way line and the ball is away.

 

Even Gino seemed happy when the camera cut to him

 

Very fetching mask as well

 

I feel he (Hughes) is the catalyst for our improvement in results!

 

Come on Cardiff!

 

Yes I don’t disagree we could maybe use a break to refresh and get players back after injury, ready for one big final push.

But with us having won 5 in a row it could equally derail our momentum, while Swansea and Brentford now get chance to repair their push after neither winning their last two matches * at time of writing.

Oh well hey ho, can’t control it. There’s a break so have to deal with it.

 

On the flipside of the flipside, it's not just the general squad refresh, it's that we currently have two of our three (or four) best players out injured, but with no expectation that they will be (as it stands) by the end of the break. It's come at as good a time for us as anyone else, at least.

 

Problem is that our rivals get to refresh as well over the international break, and at the moment they are definitely flagging more that we are

 

Great result, even if the performance was a little jittery at times. However, once we got the second goal the game was effectively safe and we went on to win comfortably. Even Gray finished like a striker today.

Thought we struggled with the long throws early on. We survived a few scares, but always looked capable of scoring goals at the other end. We're so strong defensively with players saving certain goals with body blocks. I love seeing that type of commitment from players. If you get that, plus a bit of ability, you should do well and this is what we're seeing right now.

I think the players really believe in themselves. It's a self-perpetuating sequence or non-vicious circle. Form is fragile though, and we must beat Sheff Wed after the international break. I'm pleased there is a break now, as we've got time to rest injured players as we'll certainly need them for the last 8 games.

To win without the quality of Zinckernagel or the highly rated Sarr, is testament to how the squad is pulling together. Success was very poor, it has to be said. Can't see him offering anything in the run-in and I'm surprised he got the nod over Perica.

That said, great credit has to be given to Munoz. He's probably not our long term answer, but he's certainly taking his chance and has surprised me with getting such an incredible sequence of results. 9 wins from the last 10!! Not sure I've ever seen Watford do that in my 42 years of supporting the club.

We cannot let up now though. We've put ourselves in a good place, but we needed to be ahead at this stage. After Sheff Weds, our run is extremely tough. Only Millwall at home can be considered a banker. 5 wins, 2 draws will probably ensure we finish top two. A tall order, but then no one ever achieves automatic promotion without going on a brilliant run of form. If we're good enough, we'll do it.

 

No I think with Sarr and Zinckernagel out it's a very positive thing and we may even get Cleverley back to full fitness.

 

We have a good first XI to rest and recharge them batteries, and then go again.

 

Perhaps, but we get time to recover Zinc, Sarr and Cleverley

 

The goal scored by Andre Gray was the Gray of old.
Troost-Ekong, just not strong enough
Bachmann, still stays on his line when the ball is in the air within his 6 yd box.
Success, he is not at the races at all. Will he ever make it? It's a pity that he can't keep defences busy rather than just the local prostitutes.
3 more points, so all is forgiven