Too much like a friendly/training match for me. Too much looking for a killer dribble / killer pass etc.... Just no end product.... Typical "good team not really firing vs an average team working hard"... Typical championship game then...
Thought Hull looked decent tbf, better than their position would suggest, but, other than a 15 minute patch just after half-time, that was pedestrian from us. Not sure I expected anything more given the starting XI, but regardless, we need to be winning those sorts of games or else we can kiss goodbye to any hopes of the top 2
Picked up where we left off With the exception of Pedro, attack is slow, predictable and has no discernible tempo Fitness and depth problems continue, with two subs being subbed off themselves, our free transfer dud striker missing the one clear chance we did have and Hungbo stinking out the right wing We're a very average side in a very average league. Hull well worth a point today and might have nicked it on the counter with a little more composure in the right positions
Still 10% too slow in transition, 20% too negative with our passing and 100% too lethargic in the press. Pedro is too deep for a game that needed 2 forwards up top and we didn't risk anything going forward.
I am still deflated after lastnight, this didnt help at all. I thought we deserved the win but the ball just didnt drop right for one of our players in the box apart from Manaj who fluffed it big time. TDB and Ngakia did ok, Hungbo is still a work in progress but it was nice to see the young lads getting experience. I havnt given up with the autos yet but we need to strengthen significantly in Jan due to injuries more than anything else.
Possibly but I think we made it a bit too easy for them. We were complete and utter pony today and I genuinely think we would not have beaten any team in this division with that performance.
As has so often been the case over the last few seasons - no Sarr, no party. Automatic promotion even in 2nd is now increasingly looking unlikely, so to not be playing our best player and subsequently dropping points in games like this is mind-boggling. We still had the chances to win it with the Asprilla and Manaj shots. It'll come eventually for Asprilla, but his inability to shoot properly is not helping us. Manaj didn't even look fully sharp/fit when he came on. Will that miss and injury do for his time at Watford?! It does suggest we could do with another CF. Choudhury getting injured is also obviously a blow. Hungbo was abysmal when he came on and not up to the pace of the game - he was rightly subbed again. We'll need to somehow find a starting 11 without him in the team despite all our injuries. JP was generally very good, but was guilty of doing too much and trying to force it at times - he tried quite a few unnecessary hollywood passes that didn't work. Dele-Bashiru was a minor plus (except for when he tried to play long-balls). Ngakia also wasn't terrible, though not particularly great either. Hull were time wasting right from the start of the game. We should def have had more than 4 minutes added time second half.
They have some decent players, but were playing off vibes under the old manager, think with a bit of time now to adjust to Rosenior they'll settle into lower mid-table
Don’t know what to say really. As frustrating a watch as I can remember. Asprillia, Sema, Hungo, Davis, Pedro all below par. TDB lacked composure at times, but hopefully he will improve. Defence were ok. Hull parked the bus for the last 15 mins and Manaj managed to fall off it and get injured. Need to consign the game to forgotten history.
Kabaselle was our. Best player today followed by the rest of the defence, the forwards might just as well not been on the pitch
Utter crap. No way we get promoted playing like this. Shameful lack of effort alone from some individuals and the basics of football from others. Pass and move. Nope. Just stand like statues. Heard Kone and Martins have cancelled their flights. More incompetence from the medical staff in letting Chaudhry play on as well. And Manaj injured again. Waste of space. Missed an elementary chance. From the excitement of the World Cup to this dross. Takes some getting used to. Utter *****.
Clearly the better team but didn't actually create much, while Bachmann was forced into a couple of decent saves. Hull came for a draw and it worked, wasting time unpunished from 20 minutes onward. Manaj has better link up play than Bayo but Bayo buries that chance. Manaj clearly not a natural finisher. Hungbo useless, League 1 player I'm afraid. Sorry state of affairs to be halfway through a season, off the back of an extended break, and have zero CMs on the bench. And of course we get an injury to a CM in the first 10 mins. Very annoying to drop 2 points but could end up being a useful point when we get players back/bring more in I guess.
What stands out for me is the lack of effort. After watching the World Cup, seeing players throwing themselves into tackles, busting a gut running, determined to win - then seeing this lot jogging around and tip tapping it to each other without any ideas. Dreadful. Absolutely abysmal. I've seen more quality and definitely more passion in a parks match.
He was basically being asked to play central midfield though due to injuries leaving us with no one else. I don't think that was the main problem today as generally he is better creating. Bilic did kinda make the right sub in the end with Hungbo coming off for another CF, but Manaj was crap when he came on.
Well that was about as interesting as watching paint dry. Dis-jointed, out of shape and players slung on for the sake of it. We lost our remaining CM to an injury so he's out for the season now - Leicester may as well take him back. Manaj comes on, almost score the winner then gets injured. You could not make this stuff up. For anyone who didn't go, or see it here are the lowlights: THE GOOD We've moved up to 5th Three games unbeaten Three clean sheets in a row Pedro looked lively Kabasele was solid (one slip up only) We probably shaded it on chances, forced their keeper into to some good saves Hull passed the ball off the pitch after an attack - pretty funny. THE BAD TWO more injuries (Choudhury and Manaj) Dreadful game - both sides had chances but it was painfully obvious lack of game time effected the sides. Where the hell is Sarr? Our Senegal Savior has gone AWOL We look total out of sorts with so many decent players out of the side - never going to make the top ten let alone the playoffs if we continue with patched up sides Squad still looks unfit and made of glass Month off has done little to improve us January cannot come quick enough, but can we/will we be able to make the right noises? Yeah, not much else to say. Awful game, fair result which Hull will be far happier with. Let's just sweep this one under the carpet and move on to Huddersfield. Welcome back to the Championship.
Why didn't he bring on Bayo in the first place instead of Manaj? At least Bayo has proved to be useful on occasion, Manaj is a waster
All about opinions but I thought we pressed well and as a team. Generally controlled the game and I thought for a first competitive game in a month our fitness levels looked good. Can’t complain about the work rate or attitude either. Just lacked a little quality. And even then we’ve had 2 glorious chances in Asprilla and Manaj. Could have been talking about a ‘not too bad and hard working’ 2-0 win there (but of course we aren’t)
There's no good in that - we'd have been 3rd with a win. 7 points behind Sheffield Utd in second now. It seems playoffs are increasingly inevitable. We could still recruit well in Jan and become favourites for the playoffs, but even then they will always be a bit of a lottery.
Don’t agree about the determination and passion. We closed them down all over the pitch and when they counter attacked we chased back hard to support the defence. Lack of quality in those crucial moments - yeah I agree with that one.
Asprilla had the best chance, poor lofty finished when it needed to be hard and low. Joao Pedro had to do it all, the Choudhury injury hurt us. But great from him in a unfamiliar position; felt sorry for him at times. Hungbo is destined for the Scottish Championship, awful, awful footballer. Last we see of Manaj in a Watford shirt. Felt like a Carabao Cup tie. Cathcart MOTM. Davis pretty useless and a moany diva too, throws his arms way too much and doesn’t attack crosses enough.
I guess as we were already light in midfield they might have thought Manaj would at least chip in at winning the ball back a bit more. But in hindsight it was clearly the wrong call.
Just one of those days, to write promotion off based on today is wild. Clearly the better team with probably our best player missing and absolutely no squad depth, chill out.
I kind of agree with this. We were generally too casual in the first half and let the minutes tick by. We had the required determination and urgency for most of the second half, but then were undone by the lack of quality, and running out of time.
Oops you scuppered it... (joking).. It was like Brazil vs Iceland (in Iceland) after a 3 week rest..... with the obvious outcome. I'm fine with it...
Burnsy mentioned in the SB that according to Andrew French, no contact has been made with him at all. So, your guess is as good as mine.
That’s got to be the worst game of football since Watford last played a match. Could’ve played all day and never scored. Everyone kept giving it to Pedro and standing still! Need someone to try and work with him to make something happen. I was frustrated that nobody wanted to play balls in behind the Hull defense when we had the chance. They dropped fairly deep out of possession, but pushed up high when they had the ball. When we won it, there were gaps in behind and (far too infrequent) runs off the back from Davis, Asprilla, Ngakia to name a few. But the pass never came and we just took too long to move it. I wanted Asprilla to swap with Pedro. He might be too soft in the tackle but at least he’s shown a range of passing ability when there are runners. Hungbo didn’t look good enough. I wanted him to get a chance, but have to say he didn’t take it at all unfortunately. Good to see Dele-Bashiru back. Looked good when facing his own goal under pressure, but not the answer to our lack of a ball player. Ngakia was decent too. Didn’t have to defend a lot but he was better with the ball than I remember seeing before. At least I managed to avoid most of the traffic out of Watford by waiting until full time.
Thanks Skyla. Decided against paying to watch and now glad about that. I’ve got tickets for Huddersfield though. Do you think I should be looking forward to, or dreading, our next performance?
Listen to the crap That he spouts out through his trap With his name dropping so alive Self-important in his mind His mind It's not good, not good, not good Uncool Just like Mooney Just like Mooney Just like Mooney Here's the backing music:
Going by our last two performances - dread it. However we should have Sarr back for that game - so small miracles and all that. Wrap up warm - Yorkshire is going to be very cold.
We'd still be there next week and not score ! Might get a few injuries though. Didn’t help Pedro had to play central midfield ( defensive) Still our most dangerous player !
Absolute gash. Bilic is still not winning me over, he's had a few weeks to work with them and nothing has changed. Yet again I have no idea what we were attempting to do today. Of course it doesn't help that our squad is an absolute embarrassment for a newly relegated team. It's almost as if the people running the club don't recruit well enough, funny eh? Also, our medical team are a disgrace. Choudhury should not have been let back on the pitch, we're very lucky his knee didn't properly go. Manaj is total sh!te but I feel for him, I don't think he was ready to return and coming back from a hamstring injury on a freezing cold day is a recipe for disaster.
