Many of us are trying to understand why this season and the mess we are in hurts so much. Why can’t we shrug it off and behave like normal people. They don’t find their weekend better or worse depending on the Hornet’s result. They don’t spend at least a few minutes each day reading about Watford FC or mulling over team selection. I blame my dad. He took me to Vicarage Road in 1951 and I was smitten straight away. Frank Mitchell was captain and we played in blue. Then there was Cliff Holton, Stewart Scullion, Micky Benning, Colin Franks, Pat Jennings, Barry Endean, Ross Jenkins, John Barnes, Luther, Tony Coton, Heider Helguson, Paul Robinson, TommyMoody - I could go on. But then I must blame myself. Our two sons went through the same process and are miserable too. Then I must blame them as our three grandchildren are suffering the same fate and they have only known Watford as a Premier League team. Those of us that started off with Watford in Third Division South, a greyhound track around the pitch, open terraces and a couple of stands for the nobs, should be able to cope with disappointment - but I can’t. It is ridiculous to be affected so completely but few fans are rational people. I know it will wear off and by September I’ll be back in harness and following the team. I just hope nobody tries to tell me it is only a game.
Our useless technical director, our stubborn owner, our weasel CEO and our gutless overpaid players. Simple.
It all starts at the top. Gino gets all the credit when things are going well, but he is the one that has to shoulder the blame for this season. Buck stops there. But to give some balance, financially it's going to hit him and his family very hard. He's not wanted it to go so wrong, but his judgement calls, that used to be so solid and ahead of the curve, have deserted him this season. I felt we we've been on a decline ever since the semi-final win. This was not recognised, or rather was not acted upon with solid remedial actions. It all started to unravel after sacking Gracia. They clearly thought they had their man lined up and there was an announcement the day Gracia left that a new appointment was imminent. That never materialised, leaving me to conclude they panicked and chose QSF as their backup plan. It was irrational and ill-conceived, but the guy they wanted backed out when they thought it was a done deal.
I'd agree with this. A lot of the players aren't good enough which you can't change, but the ones who are good enough have been under performing and seemingly playing at half effort which is unforgivable.
The fans need to take responsibility as well. When they waved the yellow flags at Wembley, they sent a message to the players and the club that it really didn't matter how embarrassingly bad we were.
Gino/Giraldi for not signing better players and for re-hiring QSF. The players we already have for not giving their all.
All of the above and Moog for standing outside of VR against Southampton shouting abuse through the walls.
When some of our players see allegedly the highest paid player sitting on the bench most of the season not breaking sweat, they struggle to motivate themselves because they know come what may they will be off somewhere else on lucrative contracts, if they are not wanted! Although Troy Denney may have more passion than others, unfortunately the team is limited by playing to his strengths when his strengths aren’t good enough!
The reasons are multiple, complex and will take some sorting out but I don't think you can apportion blame as such. Saying that however, I think the catalyst for this 'perfect storm' was the Cup Final thrashing. Rabbit-in-the-headlights performance in front of the world, against a filthy rich club we knew deep inside, we wouldn't beat. Shattered the team's self-confidence which was then left to fester over the summer & not dealt with pre-season. The 0-3 v Brighton on day 1 put the self-fulfilling prophesy into play, a downward spiral, from which we've not recovered. Off-field panicky decisions have exacerbated the situation and the club's poor strategic leadership has been exposed. I believe the role of self-confidence in elite level sport is more powerful than appreciated. It's much more of a motivator than money or contracts. If you've not got self-confidence as an individual it's tough, you can't just switch it on. If you've not got it collectively as a team that's fatal, especially in the ruthless context of the Premiership. I think the vast majority of our players do care and they have tried, but it's not worked for them (see Foster's post-match comments that our confidence is 'crazy, crazy low') and they've become the scapegoats for what's been going on behind the scenes, simply because they're visible. So I don't blame the club, I don't blame the players and I don't blame the fans. There needs to be drastic changes obviously, but what has happened this season was bound to happen at some time, we're a medium-sized, over-achieving club that has had a lucky few years that we had no divine right to expect. We'll (probably) go down on Sunday but we'll survive - hopefully. After the post-Vialli tenure / ITV digital collapse we could quite easily have become a Bolton or a Wigan, so despite this poor season at least we've still got a club to support, however frustrating it can be at times. After 40+ years as a season ticket holder I'll still be renewing. It's all part of the ups & downs of supporting a team outside the top 6! PS. I still want us to beat Arsenal on Sunday and stay up, whatever the odds. COYH!
And to think he ended up on the scrapheap by helping Granada qualify for the Europa League. Why do players seem to do fine when they aren't playing for us?
I blame Dominic Cummings, for demonstrating to Giraldi that its possible to have an unelected person operating just below the boss with all the power and none of the accountability.
I'd say there is still a decent chance we become a Bolton/Wigan if we go down given the level of external debt. This is a big transfer window in terms of what fees we can get for saleable assets and what wages we can get off the books in the post COVID landscape. I'll just be pleased if we end next season with an average championship team with debt in control to be honest.
I do think the lower points tally for those of us at the bottom is partially related to no crowds though. Not an excuse by an means, but not having crowds for those of us scrapping for our lives is likely to have resulted in a few less points for all of us down there.
Wigan were actually a pretty well-run club under the previous owners, they've just been absolutely stitched up, a lot of very unsavoury stories flying around about their current situation. ******* hope they stay up tonight, not just because it would put L*ton in the mire, but also because it would be absolutely sickening to see a club get relegated under those circumstances. Anyway, onto us, I still harbour hopes of making a promotion push next season, but ultimately ensuring the long-term future of the club is the most important thing. I know we're not exactly healthy at the moment, but I hope to **** we're not another Bolton or Bury in the making
I can remember walking out when Maupay banged in the third. I knew we were in big trouble then as the transfer window was already closed. I've only been to three other home games this season. It's a 360 mile round trip from where I live to watch home games, it's just not been worth it this season.
Yes, but that's the case every season. Had there been no lockdown, I don't think any of us would have thought 34/35 points would have been enough to stay up
My mind goes back to games like spurs at home, I think last season. One down and we win 2-1, that sticks in my mind as a game where the fans really made a difference. With our mentally weak players I think they’re too relaxed without our own fans there at home games to both get on their backs and spur them on.
The coaches and backroom staff, and without knowing much about who does what, they are the responsibility of someone high up! Foster in post match interview last night.... "The confidence is so crazy, crazy low, I don't know why it should be, but you get into a state of trying to minimise as much damage as you can and it's a dangerous way to do things." That is down to the backroom, the coaches, etc. They set up to "minimise" the damage rather to inflict damage. That is a loser's attitude and you don't get 20 players all with a naturally losers attitude- they've been brainwashed by what goes on around them. It is understandable that posters on forums like this go into the games totally expecting to lose, having given up, but you don't expect it from professional players. City just piled forward at will, safe in the knowledge that Deeney posed no threat whatsoever, and Sarr was little threat on his own. They had complete and utter freedom. Our players knew for weeks that they are likely to be playing this game like defending at the Alamo. No team could hold out like that for 90 minutes without a lot of luck. We have to sort the attitude out.
Nobody folds so regularly against City as Watford. A lower league team in a cup would put up more of a fight. In fact, we did when we played them a few years ago. Didn't we go 2 nil up at their place? Attitude and belief is everything.
To be honest, I do think that him being named in the 25 man squad along with Zeegelaar was a big part of the problem. Penaranda whilst not great on the pitch seems to be a positive impact off it. The fact that we shipped him out because we couldn't loan out DF in the summer and kept DF in the squad without much hope of playing will have had a negative impact on the dressing room and possibly the french speaking contingent. We started the season we Foulquier, Janmaat, Femenia, Holebas, Masina and Zeegaler and our Right and Left back options. We're finishing the season playing a Right Wing Back as a Left Back and a aging Centre Back as a right back.
I blame Luther , when I was a wee nipper he jumped off a carnival float and gave me a signed poster of the Watford team so I became a fan . I firmly believe this is true but was young so could have been anybody , I can hardly remember yesterday yet alone 40 to 45 years ago Luther you *******
