I don't personally know, but a few in the Shout Box going by what little streams they had said he looked very off the pace and was hardly involved. Doesn't sound promising.
Well, that was awful. So many misplaced passes, the team didn't gel at all. Tufan looked promising and Sema worked hard but that was about it. Everyone else looked either really poor or like they couldn't be arsed. Let us hope we never have to have Elliot in goal ever again.
Sounded like we were the better team, dominated the second half but couldnt take our chances and were undone by a deflection and a total miss hit for the third. Bit of a jammy result really.
Not many players staking a claim for the first team. Louza looked pretty terrible throughout, Tufan grew into the game but was still pretty average for the most part, Gosling awful. Masina was truly *****, Ngakia little better. Sierralta looked like his confidence was shot. Sema bang average, looked his level, Kabasele ok but not sure he's any better than Cathcart. Cucho probably the pick of the bunch as he tried to make things happen but an alarming lack of quality. Fletcher was a lump, managed to block a certain goal from Sissoko. We were in total control up until the second goal but without really impressing. Disappointed not to see Baah, game was flat and crying out for someone to just try something different.
Lowlights : https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/stoke-city/12414004/watford-1-3-stoke We really did shoot ourselves in the foot both defensive and attack wise !
it was alright up until the final third where we just couldn't, for whatever reason, put the ball in the net again. Gosling was hardly involved, Louza got stuck in but gave it away so many times and Tufan did well. Hernandez's decision making needs work, he shoots when he should pass and passes when he should probably take a shot. Having said that, most of our attacks did come through him
It’s a little odd that Xisco spoke pre-match about how he was confident a couple of the academy boys could come in and ‘deliver’, yet when it came to it none appeared.
Just got back, thought we played quite well, certainly not a 3-1 loss type performance. Very entertaining game at least, we should've had 3, Cucho hit the post and Fletcher scuffed one and poor header for another. Tufan looks to be just what our midfield is lacking, calm on the ball, forward passes, was blowing but promising performance, once integrated I think he'll be starting, maybe after this 2nd intl break. Louza has a lot of work to do, often finds himself in the right position to intercept but can't find a pass and because he's so weak he doesn't have the time to play the proper pass. Potential is there, decent play in there, time on his side given his age but does have vast improvements to make. Ngakia isn't going to make it, gave away the first goal, passed to the opposition three or four times which at a higher level will be punished. Puts in the effort, solid enough going forward too but just poor decision making and again really weak. He wasn't even that bad but then does something spectacularly **** and undoes all the good work. God forbid Ashley Fletcher ever has to start a Premier League game, awful footballer. Wilmot dominated Sema who was otherwise industrious as always. Cucho was bright, tries hard and was the spark for a lot of our play but the right-wing didn't suit him much, think he's better suited to the left. Needs to work on his 1st touch too, often goes 2-3 yards away from him slowing him down. Rob Elliot is utter gash but he probably should be. Stoke's second was fantastic, not sure if it took a deflection and the third was sublime football until the luck. Another loss against a back three, with Xisco proving stubbornly committed to his 4-3-3. That is concerning but Newcastle is the real test.
Oh and you can add Louza to the list of Watford players who can’t take a set piece. Ngakia probably got MOTM because every corner was headed out to him as the last man or a Stoke player that he chased down to prevent a counter.
Embarrassing decision. His performance was out of the bottom drawer. He tries the fancy stuff despite not being able to get the basics right. Sarr will have to track back again Saint Maximin, assuming Kiko is injured again.
Well, I've heard various opinions about Tufan, generally fairly positive though, not sure he'll be starting against the Toon, but definitely the type of player we're missing in the midfield at the moment. Cucho certainly doesn't seem best suited to the right wing, he's fairly quick, but he's probably best suited to cutting in on his left. Hard to see him getting a look-in in the league at the moment, which is a bit of a shame given the start he made, but hey ho, I won't be complaining if our current front 3 keep up their current form! Is Stoke's system relevant here? Unlike Wolves and Brighton, we did create loads of chances, but just couldn't take them (but then again, shouldn't we have done that anyway given we were against Championship opposition?)
Their no.16 looked solid at the back there and pretty handy at playing it out too. Should take a look at him.
Cucho disappointing in some ways but at the heart of everything good we did so gets a pass. Cannot understand anyone sitting through that and thinking Louza or Tufan are viable options any time soon in the Premier League. Tufan at least showed enough that he might adapt but thought Louza was absolutely terrible. If Cleverley had turned that performance in, people would be up in arms about how he's not good enough. Our starting midfield from the weekend is the best we have at the moment, and Etebo is first option from the bench. If Sarr/Dennis/Sissoko/Rose get injured we are completely ****ed. Oh and Masina was the worst player on the pitch by a comfortable distance. Decision making, distribution and positional play all abysmal.
Ngakia - Not Good Enough Masina - Not Good Enough Gosling - Nowhere near Good Enough Louza - Not good enough Fletcher - Athlete with no football Ability Sema - Athlete with no Football Ability Rose - Has football ability , but nowhere near an athlete Scott Duxbury is the worst director in football history . Sack him
Well, that looked like a pile of crap by Watford. Which player threatened to force their way into the first team squad? None. We are simply not good enough by a long way to make wholesale changes. We are not Manchester City 'A' side. Nevermind, tomorrow is another day.
