Watford Fc 1-1 Wigan Athletic - 18/03/2023

Discussion in 'Match Day' started by SkylaRose, Mar 16, 2023.

?

Roll up, Roll up and Win A Prize!

Poll closed Mar 20, 2023.
  1. Watford will be Wonderful

    50.0%
  2. Wigan will brush us aside

    2.1%
  3. Score Draw

    10.4%
  4. Bore Draw

    12.5%
  5. Gino Out

    25.0%
  1. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Last Five Games:

    Watford W L D L W
    Wigan D L L D L

    So, here we are then, two games into the Wilder reign and he has collected 3 from a possible 6 points with three goals scored and only the one conceded to date. Doesn't sound too bad until you remember that one goal conceded was in our worst performance of the season at QPR. Thankfully though we bounced back strongly on the following Tuesday with a very promising openning 45mins against a Birmingham side who looked like they had booked their flights abroad for the Summer already. Rest of that game wasn't as good, but we just about clung on and poor finishing from them and us scoring against the run of play rounded off a satisfactory evening.

    So, how do our playoff hopes look going into this fixture now? Well, thanks to most of last night's results going against us we now sit six points from the sixth and final playoff place, with the worst GD of all the chasing sides. So, Wigan is pretty much a must a win then. Realistically, we need to win our next two games and then see what the table looks like after that. At the time of writing, that would include having to beat our neighbours up the M1 away from home in what will be a very fiesty affair. Sir Edwards against our third manager of the season in Wilder. Another thing not in our favor is we have played all the sides above us twice (bar Luton) so we cannot rake any points off them, thus relying on at least three of them going on a bad run of form and us to suddenly break out into a winning streak.

    All we can do right now though, is worry about the next game. Wigan, promoted from League One last season, have endured a torid return to the Championship and have possibly one of the worst home records in the division. They are not playing too much better away, but at the moment still have a chance of survival. We won the reverse fixture 1-0 at their place due to a fairly late goal in a very scrappy game. Hopefully Sarr will remain absent as I was impressed how well we faired without him sulking around for 90mins on Tuesday. I would like to see Asprilla start although Bacuna did have a good game, Kone' must start he was excellent and looking like a more contempt version of Sarr minus the pace. A midfield three seems to suit us, although Cathcart had an off night in defence - so hoping for better from him. Bachmann needs to stop punching the ball to opposition players' as well. Wilder may of picked up on this and hopefully had a word.

    Still quite unsure on what formation suits us. Louza seems to play better with a lot more space afforded to him, and Pedro likes to slot in just behind. I am actually alright with Davis starting if he can re-discover his first 45 from Tuesday for a little bit longer on Saturday.

    It's a must win - anything less would almost certainly put paid to any small chance of the playoffs we have.

    Watford 2 Wigan 0
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2023
  2. I don't think us not playing teams above us (apart from L****) is a disadvantage! They will be taking plenty of points off each other and the standout 'hard' away game we have is hopefully one our spineless wonders can really get up for. Bring back Troost for the team talk!
     
    Happy bunny, SkylaRose and Carpster like this.
  3. StuBoy

    StuBoy Forum Cad and Bounder

    Can't wait, biggest moment of my life as I return to watch a game at the Vic for the first time in a couple of years. Upstairs eating my prawn sandwiches so if I see Gino I'll be sure to tell him his fortune and throw my sandwiches at him.

    I mean what more could a man want, a day drinking with no family commitments, prawn sandwiches and seeing the mighty Wigan Athletic, whilst engaging in a dirty protest towards my football clubs owner.

    Prediction: 0-0
     
    Lloyd and SkylaRose like this.
  4. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    It certainly is a must win game, we have squandered so many points this season, we are somewhat fortunate we are still in with some sort of chance!
     
    Carpster likes this.
  5. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    It's great that we get to see these former premier league silverware laden giants at our own stadium.
    Must win game.
    1-1.
     
    SkylaRose likes this.
  6. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    Must win game as teams above us also have “easy” games. We need to win just maintain the 6 point gap. With our mental midgets of players, we won’t. We’ve seen this all season, one decentish performance and it gets us hopeful, only for them to completely revert back to the useless waste of space most of them are.

    Fully expect us to buckle under the pressure of must win.

    Going for a score draw, 2-2.
     
    SkylaRose and UEA_Hornet like this.
  7. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Fair assessment. I too thought Cathcart was poor. Maybe by switching him and Porteous would help.
    I wouldn't mess with a winning team but would like us to play closer together as we did in the opening of the first half.
    Start with the same desire and Wigan will crack open. But in all honesty I wouldn't back Watford to win.
     
    SkylaRose likes this.
  8. Cthulhu

    Cthulhu Keyboard Warrior Staff Member

    Must win game and some slight glimmers of hope?
    So I fully expect we inconsistently put in a lacklustre, tepid performance and it ends up 0-0
     
    SkylaRose likes this.
  9. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    I think it’s more to it than that, Tuesday wasn’t just a case of us putting on a decent performance so as not to incur the wrath of the manager and fans before reverting to type, it was a result of Wilder changing formation and tactics and making the bold decision to finally drop Sarr. He also has a history of going on long winning streaks when it matters so I’d be surprised if we don’t see a follow-up.

    Also I’m not sure what pressure there is for us to buckle under - we are not clinging onto the play-offs or an automatic spot by the skin of our teeth, apart from a small chance of even getting to the play-offs we have nothing to lose. Maybe they could feel the pressure if we go into the last minute of a long period of second half injury time leading 2-1 with the slight chance to extend our season up for grabs, but I think they’ll be less cautious and play in a freer and more confident manner at the start of the match at least with the mindset that the season is over barring a dramatic upturn in results and take this game as it comes.
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2023
    cyaninternetdog and SkylaRose like this.
  10. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    Come on Wigan!
     
  11. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Sarr got injured on Saturday, albeit only a minor one, so it wasn't a big call to leave him out! The big call would be to keep him out of the team even if he's fit at the weekend
     
    põder, Happy bunny and FromDiv4 like this.
  12. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Am excited about this, which hasn't happened for a long time in a while.

    Just looked and we've only followed a win up with a win, three times this season. Pretty sorry state of affairs.


    Screenshot 2023-03-16 at 13.52.55.png
     
    Leighton Buzzer and SkylaRose like this.
  13. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    That makes for horrible reading.
     
    BigRossLittleRoss likes this.
  14. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    And all of those follow-up wins came against a team in the bottom 4 - does bode well for Saturday though...
     
    BigRossLittleRoss likes this.
  15. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    One of the few brightish spots in this dark, dark season has been the emergence of Porteus and Hoedt as a semi-competent centre back pairing (although, admittedly, Hoedt can't pass for toffee). The defence seems less assured now that these two have been split up and Cathcart has been reintroduced to stumble around in between them.
    0-1. Any slim hopes of the play-offs will be gone by 5 o'clock on Saturday and the bloodbath of recriminations can begin in earnest.
     
  16. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Oh good!

    I like a bloodbath, especially after Medea last week!

    'It's just a dug out that my Dad built.
    Incase the Reds decide to push the button down'
     
    DaveWFC and Lloyd like this.
  17. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    This being a Fagen solo effort, it might have to go to the adjudicator.

    But a brilliant lyric nonetheless.
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2023
  18. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Too early to get out the Lidl cocaine? Might be worth a pre emptive strike.
     
  19. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I have played the solo card before Your Honour, with Walk Between the Raindrops.

    Good old Donald!
     
    BigRossLittleRoss likes this.
  20. VR94

    VR94 Academy Graduate

    Really?!
     
  21. FromDiv4

    FromDiv4 Reservist

    Generally his passing has been good, but he made several bad ones in the last game.
     
  22. cyaninternetdog

    cyaninternetdog Forum Hippie

    A must win game (as they all are now!!) and we need to make it a big win with a standout performance, 5-0.
     
  23. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    His passing at QPR was spectacularly bad
     
  24. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Yep. I don't think he managed to find a Watford player at all at QPR. I like him, but Franz Beckenbaur he aint
     
  25. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    Whole team was rancid that game though wasn't it? I've been quite impressed with his passing in the home games I've seen. At least it's an improvement on Troost, to Cathcart, back to Troost, to Cathcart, to Bachmann, back to Troost aaaannnd... it's gone.
     
  26. With A Smile

    With A Smile First Team

    He's also been turned as many times as a ballerina.
    Better than most of what we have, but his not going to stand out over a season.

    They'll stick 11 men behind the ball, we'll run out of ideas and settle for a for a 0-0
     
    Lloyd likes this.
  27. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    ~Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on the lad. I'll watch him closely tomorrow and then decide
     
  28. FromDiv4

    FromDiv4 Reservist

    Sorry I have been trying to eradicate that game from my memory :(
     
  29. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Hoedt was I worry for me when we were initially linked but I'm happy we did. Yes his passing has been a little wayward at times but some of his crossfield passes have been superb. But he does look at getting it forward usually so not all passes will be completed especially if we're a little static in our movement.
     
    UEA_Hornet likes this.
  30. cyaninternetdog

    cyaninternetdog Forum Hippie

    They cant afford to put 11 behind the ball now. They need to go for the win in every game if they want to avoid the drop.
     
  31. Stuey

    Stuey Reservist

  32. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

  33. 6 points from safety plus facing a 3 point deduction. And haven't been paid. In theory they will make a half-hearted attempt to go for it, and be ripped apart by Watford counters.

    0-1
     
  34. Stuey

    Stuey Reservist

    Haha! Me giving a f*** when I have to pay for/provide my own lunch at work and earn about as much in a year as they do in a fortnight.
     
  35. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    If they cannot beat Wigan then that's it for this season. The team still play like mental midgets. One moment of adversity and they collapse like a pack of cards.
     
    UEA_Hornet likes this.

Share This Page