Just had my second, onto my third. Would say I’d race you but I’ve got a train to catch in an hour. Enjoy!
NBC said Lee Mason on VAR looked at both decisions (inc Davies tackle on Louza) and said ‘no further action required’ very very quickly - which would indicate he didn’t spend long looking.
Someone (@Lloyd ?) said that Spurs had a case for a pen in the first half. Some Spurs fan on the BBC site claims Dier was “rugby tackled to the ground”. As ever, probably a matter of which side you view the game from.
Spurs shouts for penalties were half a dozen of one, 6 of the other. Kane is backing in with his arm out pushing whilst getting held around the chest. Dier is wrestling with the Kucka, who goes down first and only pulls Dier down because gravity. Neither were clear cut and while both "could have" been given, both would have been soft IMO and if given all the time would result in 5 pens per match
7 Watford players and 3 Spurs. Not very good defending at all. It feels that we are as good as down and it is only January 1st. The complete lack of investment in our defence is shameful. Every fan could see the defence was never going to be good enough for the Premier league, yet the club has ignored this area season after season. The weak squad shows that the owners have not learnt anything from our last stint in the Premier league. The Championship is very poor, but we will be good enough to mount a promotion challenge next season? We look to be getting relegated and we deserve it. The fans don't deserve it, but many would have been fearing relegation at the beginning of the season after the summer transfer market. It is totally naive of the Watford board to think that the Championship squad and summer signings would make Watford a side that could compete at Premier league level. Confidence is at a low right now for many fans. Failure to gain 4 points from the Norwich and Newcastle games may comfirm our relegation and will Ranier be asked to leave or will he just walk away? He knows that you can't make chicken soup out of chicken sh*t. The Watford board knew how deep the water is in the Premier league, but they went into the season with players that need armbands just to float. We are sinking fast and there is no more room on the lifeboats. Fail to plan and you plan to fail. This is down to Gino and Duxbury as the players were never going to be good enough.
Anyone else have loads of d1cks in spurs stuff sat round them, whipping their phones out at any opportunity to video the heroes that obviously never watch at home games? Some seemed to treat it like a home game and our p1ss weak stewards do nothing. Bloke next to me had given his tickets to a family of spurs fans and the mum was behaving like the "I'm mad me" character off Catherine Tate. After she shouted out "I don't have favourites, but Son you're my favourite", my wife snapped and said "you do know you're in the home end", to which she rudely said "yes thank you". I said "then could you be a bit more respectful and keep it down", and she shut her trap for the rest of the game. Probably wrong, but flicked a bottle top at another lot cheering at full time, who also piped down. Girl two rows behind thanked me for my accuracy and said she sent a photo of someone in a Newcastle shirt in the home end a few weeks ago to the club, who said "well it's the family stand" and wouldn't do anything.
I came to the conclusion that this was the plan. I presume Cuddly was there to keep Moura in check as he never seemed to help Masina and appeared to be trying to keep as far away from him as possible! Masina never ever stops a cross, mainly as he is usually running back from the penalty box and by the time he arrives Emerson Lake and Palmer or whoever the opponent is,has crossed the blasted ball.
Predictable doom and gloom from our dedicated fans but we actually played better and I’m more encouraged by today. Every Watford fan will say we are definitely relegated, we’re not even in the relegation zone. Awful fans as always. We will stay up easily.
Despite my moaning, it was a lot better to see us compete and a bit of feeling came back as I was expecting a 4-0 defeat. That said, you can look at it the other way and think that expectations have got so low, a 1-0 defeat feels good
I think the club should do something about it really. I can't get 2 tickets adjacent if I find myself able to go along a week before the game, probably because opposition fans have signed up. I would very much like a S.W.A.T, SAS, crack commando team of mercenaries brought is as stewards to smash these opposition fans out the stadium. Preferably giving them a good kicking outside. Word would soon get round about the hostile environment and it wouldn't happen much in future. Or just check tickets, dont sell tickets to new accounts online or check postcodes at least. Years ago there were warford fans who would start a proper fight with interlopers, but its seemingly a free for all nowadays. Not entirely sure if its better now or not.
I haven't seen any of the game on TV yet, but something that confused me in the run up to the free kick that led to the goal, was where the ball that Spurs took the throw in on their right came from? The matchball was still on the pitch on the GT side. I thought referees normally stopped the game when there are two balls on the pitch? Maybe I am mistaken, but I am sure the original matchball and a new ball were on the pitch at the same time?
I can’t see that myself given the situation, he has to be involved. The goalie or defender watching him or possibly having to mark him if nothing else. Why would he be it that position if there wasn’t a chance he’d be involved. If purely a distraction, he’s involved.
Not as seen in the rules of the game. Think about when a player is in an offside position blocking the keepers view of a shot. Thats offside but in an offside position NOT blocking the keepers view? Not offside. Forget the fact the opposition may have had 2 men drop off marking the offside player, if he does not touch it or obstruct the keeper hes not offside.
The best bit from today was that for 96 minutes it looked like we were on for a point, the worse thing was that the three minutes that followed said we weren’t! It’s the hope that kills you!
So Spurs decide to switch the game to multiball (with the matchball still on the pitch) and none of the officials are clued up enough to realise what is going on? I still don't understand where the ball came from.
With Watford, the closer we get to the 90th the more likely we are to concede. It’s probably a mental as well as a physical thing. It happens far too often to be coincidence. I thought the break in play on 85 minutes would hurt us, and so it turned out to be. I’m not too fussed about the penalty appeal. We don’t get those, so it’s not a problem. Only the big sides get them. City, Liverpool etc get those, not the likes of us. I thought we rode our luck and nearly got away with it. Spurs we’re strangely subdued and non threatening. I actually think they’re quite an easy side to play against. We only lost 1-0 at their place with Xisco. We actually looked a lot better in that game, so we are regressing as a side. Having said that, it was an improvement on the dross of West Ham, but that wasn’t hard. I don’t see too much to take from today as a positive. We created next to nothing going forward and were always going to concede at some point. Our only hope of staying up is a good transfer window. We have far too many Championship players in the side. We’re celebrating narrow defeats and are happy when we’re not being thrashed. It’s a hopeless task right now.
I'd happily finance the gloryhunter SAS. It really ruined an hour of the game sat next to that stupid b1tch and at some point, someone will chin one of these idiots which could end in a number of ways. I'd rather these nobs stayed away or sat in silence because someone is going to iron them out. I don't pay for tickets to sit next to people who want the opposite to me.
The fact he won player of the season would bear that out. Nkoulou could possibly be #2, which says everything about our centre back recruitment. Ironically the best centre back to play for us in the Pozzo PL era was played at left back. I also see Kabasele's occasional brainfarts in a different light now that we have a constantly brain farting back 5.
Thought we were going to hold on for a point but not to be ,just watched the highlights of there goal ,bearing in mind as I said to my boys during the game how outstanding Sissoko had been defending set pieces today at the front post froze the screen at the injury time set piece Sissoko is nowhere near the front post he at the back what the cluck no doubt he would of made more of a leap to block it than serrialta, troost and masina all together, we move on with some new signings please COYH
I agree, Kucka did pretty well overall but he was clearly tired as you say and should have been subbed. I reckon Lousa made a big positive contribution in midfield. When Kane missed that great chance around 40 minutes, I thought this just might be our day but not to be. Why do Spurs always get the rub of the green against us? Anyone remember when Dier handballed late on down at the Vic and it was not given a few seasons back? From the Rookery we thought this one looked a penalty too. I haven't seen it back but even if Lloris did get the first touch, I thought I saw Lloris go straight through Pedro and clean him out? Bachmann is actually getting worse every game, made one good save but distribution is poor, decision making is poor and gives everyone (both teamates and fans) the jitters.
That covid booster jab is playing tricks with your mind. They are not awful fans, just being realistic. The team is awful and looked doomed to relegation. Touted as relegation fodder by all media pundits, many Hornets fans and opposition fans. We haven't shown anything to say that their opinions were wrong. It will be the Great Escape if we survive. Not as good as the classic film version, but then again we have been second best all season.
