http://www.skysports.com/football/n...retending-to-be-one-of-his-watford-team-mates Seems its all in good sporting banter...
Can I just say, there were a couple of times Chalobah made Arter chase shadows, a flick and a dummy so filthy that Arter had to pay to get back in the stadium.
It's refreshing to see some positive solidarity on here amongst Watford fans regarding a fellow fan's loss (many condolences Malt). Not only does it put things in perspective but also it shows we should appreciate the good times, football or otherwise.
Thoughts are with you @Malteser - echo Moog's thoughts, always came across as a lovely human being on here.
Oh so reassuring to see that the media coverage of us and Bournemouth is as skewed as always. Love how they flash the stats up at the end, revealing they had 6 attempts to our 19. (Don't quote me on that!) I mean I'm sorry but watching the highlights as a neutral with no prior knowledge, you'd just think we were pretty lucky. After all they did show all 6 of those Bournemouth attempts and about 3 of ours. Perhaps the media will give up if they continue to look so bang average as they did most of today? My condolences to Malteser also - I'm sorry to hear that.
If Garston Boys under 10s played Watford, the BBC would only show the restarts and talk about how well they passed the ball. What is it that we did to upset them? Who shagged the director generals wife? Come on own up...
Thought we were absolutely brilliant today - it just seemed so much more thought went into that performance tactically than any previous Premier League game. Long may it continue! Very very impressed with Silva so far. Gomes - made a couple of decent saves in the first half. Still think his distribution is a major downside - imagine having a keeper to set Gray/Richarlison off on the counter quickly (aka Schmeichel and Vardy). Femenia - what an absolute steal. Looks a really really good player and you can tell he's been at Real Madrid etc before. Always looking for the overlap and always managed to find space when Cleverley/ Amrabat had the ball. Crossing was v good too. Could prove to be one of the Pozzo's best free transfers with Prodl, Gomes etc. Prodl - back to his best today and completely nullified any threat of King and Afobe along with Britos. Also nice to see him look for the shorter ball instead of lumping it up to Deeney like last year - something Silva has said? Britos - same as above - kept Bournemouth attack quiet which is all you can ask of a CB! Holebas - seems to have a good understanding with Richarlison which bodes well. Whipped in a couple of really nice crosses second half also towards the end. Doucoure - absolutely tremendous again. Easily top 6 quality in my book. Always looking for the ball and, as the song goes, never loses it!! As mentioned by other posters I wouldn't be surprised if a big team comes in for him. Top top quality and has a brilliant partnership with Chalobah already which is a good spine to build on. Chalobah - really solid performance again building on from the Liverpool game. Ran Arter ragged and some really nice touches which reminded me of the quality he had under Zola. Will be a really really good player for us and looks so happy to be here too judging by the way he stayed out at the end with the fans! Amrabat - not his biggest fan usually but thought he did ok today. End product still so frustrating but he worked so hard and didn't leave Femenia as isolated as last week. However he is a weak link in our attack and imagine Carrillo in his place!! Cleverley - one of the most underrated performances today in my book. Played really really well. Always looking for the ball and used it well. Constant menace for the Muff defence and never gave Surman or Arter a minute on the ball. If he can add a bit of attacking threat to his game we have the Cleverley of 2010 who has finally realised that potential we saw in his first loan. Richarlison - wow. Hell of a player and the type of player who can take us to the new level of Europe. So direct, hard working and has tremendous ability in the air too. Could be our Sanchez equivalent. Superb bit of business by the club. Gray - not everyone seems to agree but thought he was really good too. It's so good to finally have a Vardy esque player in our team - he drags CB's all over the shop allowing room for Richarlison etc to play. Imagine Pereyra feeding through balls to him when they're on the same wavelength. Different type of striker and I am so pleased we have him in our club!! What a day!!!!!!! COYH
Really sorry to hear that Malts. I'm constantly humbled by and, to be honest, a little in awe of your positivity, even now. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that we all can learn something from the way you live your life. My thoughts are with you.
My condolences, and I more than echo what others have just said, Malteser. You come across as a thoroughly nice person here, and even more so in the private conversations we have had on your Mum's illness and other matters. Your Mum would be proud. I wish you the best.
Thank You very much for all the kind and sensitive messages. Really appreciated. I hope I haven't hijacked the thread though, as there's so much to celebrate and be happy about yesterday's win. It's our earliest ever in a PL season, and unlike our last two campaigns we shall head into the first (annoying) international break with at least one victory in the can, which is a real confidence booster. It will be interesting now to see how we cope with going into our next match with the tag of favourites, against a side desperate to break their duck back in this league.
Indeed the international break is a pain. I feel positive about the season at the moment. The togetherness and energy shown by the players so far shows just how much Mazzari sucked all of those things out of the players last year. I am looking forward to Tuesdays cup game against Brizzle. It'll be my first game this season and even if he plays the bench players, they are still good quality and I'm hoping that they'll play in the same style as the last two games. If they do that they'll win. Then we have Brighton, without assuming too much, it is a game we should be able to win. We'll go into the break in a good league position and Silva will have another couple of weeks to work with the players. That was our first win away to Bournemouth since 199? Gino Pozzo's Silva Army!
Condolences Malteser, and brave of you to post after such a sad loss for you. I hope you and your family are coping ok. I had to listen to the game on 3cr yesterday and grab the highlights, but evidently a great team performance. What is clear early is that even if there are days against the big boys this year where we are beaten for quality, we will never be out of a game. He's installed quickly a work ethic and competitiveness which will be vital as we go through the season. If we add in a couple more positions and have better luck on the injury front then I also think we have excellent squad depth for the first time in a while. Doucoure, Chalobah and Richarlison, if consistent, could all be £40m players in the future.
You haven't hijacked the thread at all Malt. You are one of, if not the, nicest members of this forum who always manages to put their point across without personal abuse to those with a different view and I'm glad that fellow members have come out in force to express their sympathies. So sorry for your loss but glad Watford gave you something to smile about during a terrible time.
Need to see how Troy copes playing second fiddle this season. Will he get into the press having a moan. The team looks to have gelled well without him already. Walter was fair game for leaks from players to the press but Silva already seems much more media savvy so it'll be interesting how this all pans out come January. Could it be the end of Captain Troy?
Just looking back at when Chalobah was clean through, just to show what 'orrible runts Bornmuff are, who was it that took out Gray when he was steaming forward? What I really like about Chalobah, he's not a selfish player, if I read it right, he heard the shout from Gray that he was in support, so IMO he was going to draw Begovic then slip the ball to Gray for an open net. That's why he looked like he hesitated. Also, when he left the cut back that he left, again unselfish...thinks there's a player coming on to a better position. Other than Arter being a twunt, my problem is no one gave him a shout on 'man on'
I'll refer you to my earlier post, he hasn't had a preseason, only been back in training a week or so and has been training intensely by all accounts. The subs Silva made were sensible after the Capoue's goal, defender and midfielder to shut up shop. I thought Gray put in a shift, never stopped running and gave the midfielders an option in the channels...all that was missing was a goal.
Troy's never had the pace to play #9 fast counter attack; where he could fit in this system is #10 / Cleverley role, or #9 where we need to bash through a parked bus. I suspect the days of him being an automatic starter are over but he still has an important role and will get games. If he's happy with that then I would be delighted to keep him.
Agree with that assessment tbh, he isn't in the team to score goals but to support and in both instances I felt he was looking to assist those more likely to hit the target.
Sorry to hear the sad news Malt but I love the fact that Watford winning brought a ray of light into your weekend. Bournemouth under Eddie Howe have always been nasty little cheats and I'm still surprised that it's not brought up by others more regularly. They dive, they foul, they do stuff like yesterday by shouting out and putting players off, this is routine to them. On the sidelines they're always in the 4th officials faces. The whole ethos of their play makes me sick and I for one will be glad when they go down.
I think it was. We upset the apple cart as our team of Celts, Picts, Gauls and Jutes with a Roman manager overcame the home grown Britons of Bournemouth
But there was an enjoyable report in The Sunday Times headlined "Watford mix substance with style". And on the front page of the sports section,"Chalobah and Rooney in frame for England call-up." Always dangerous when players from smaller clubs mix with established internationals and find out how much they earn, but there could be big pluses if promising players from big clubs realise that they've got a better chance of advancing their career by joining Watford than by hanging around at a top club.
I agree with this Diamond. Mr IBB thought I was prone to hyperbole regarding The Sainted Eddie and his Disciples,until AFC visited Sellhurst. His seat is directly above the dug outs and he remarked how often the AFC staff,especially Tindall,were berating the 4th official. He (Mr IBB) played to semi pro level and he was not impressed with the antics of the players either.
Pretty sure that isn't a risk with Chalobah. We signed him from Chelsea so he knows what other players earn.
Malt. I too echo the sentiments expressed. May I offer my thoughts and prayers to you and yours at this sad time and may your mum rest in peace.
It was Cook who took out Gray - he got a booking for it eventually, but only after Gray himself got booked for complaining to the ref about it! Also, had Cook not taken him out I think Gray would have got his goal from that attack as well, Chalobah seemed to think Gray was in support and he would have just had an easy tap-in had he been able to continue his run. The performance of Gray was exactly why I spent the entirety of last season stating that we need to replace Deeney with someone quicker if we're going to play one up top, especially away from home. Gray's pace was key to setting up Richarlison's goal and his constant runs off the shoulder meant the Bournemouth defenders always had something to think about. He was only unfortunate today that he was being marked by Ake a lot of the time who is probably the quickest CB in the league, anyone else and he would have had a couple more opportunities to score, on top of the chance he would have had were it not for Cook's foul. Literally his only black mark was blazing that chance in the first half over the bar with his left foot. But overall he more than justified his place.
