Very encouraging. Moussa Sissoko is an absolute dream player - a bargain at £5m. Rudiger is so good isn't he, makes the game look easy. Definitely worth a point today. Can't fault them, they gave it everything.
Honestly enjoyed watching that, despite the loss. On the evidence of the last few games, I think we'll stay up. Our forward play is excellent at times, far better than most teams in the relegation dogfight can hope for. Huge credit to Ranieri for the speed at which he's shaped the team. Dennis is a revelation. I'm going to enjoy him while it lasts, because unless he's on whatever Ighalo was on during his purple patch he won't be ours for long. He's the first Watford player in history to score 5 and assist 5 in his first dozen Premier League games, and only five other players have managed the same: Cantona, Klinsmann, Robben, Arshavin and (Bruno) Fernandes. Not bad company to be in! WTE had another 'mare in the first half. He needs to be dropped - he's making too many mistakes. Despite the fact he also has a mistake in him from time to time, I think Kabasele is a much better player than he is. If we can play most of the rest of the season playing two of Kaba, Sierralta or Nkoulou, it'll be a big boost. I reckon we'll be bringing in at least one centre back in January. They don't need to be spectacular, just solid. More overall performances like that will bring points, and enough that we'll survive fairly comfortably. If Ranieri can sustain this level of performance it will end up being a better season than most of us expected.
A strange analogy, to be fair to be fair. I disagree, and so do the vast majority, with your assertion - he did not have a good game. And it's not about outmuscling, is it? It's about being intelligent in any way whatsoever, particularly when he was on an (unfair) yellow card already - why misrepresent it?
Great performance really, should have got a point but Chelsea have quality players and scraped through. Dennis was immense in the first half, I think they kept him quiet in the second half but what a player, as is Louza, was bossing the midfield sometimes. Shockingly I cant remember any gaffs from the backline today which makes a nice change. If we play like this against the teams in the bottom half of the table we should stay up comfortably.
Troost was good overall BUT he was at fault for the first goal and nearly gave away another one moments later. But I’d rather be positive overall from tonight - apart from the most obvious bit that we lost - the performance was very good.
There's ways to lose to a big team. Letting Liverpool stroll about to a 5-0 win isn't it, getting in Chelsea's face is and being unlucky not to take a point is. We played well, they're just better than us. Troost-Ekong should never have let Alonso bring that ball down unchallenged for the first and then very nearly cost us again a few minutes later with the disallowed goal but bucked his ideas up in the second half. Thought Louza was really good at picking up scraps, Cleverley great until he ran out of gas just before the one on one and Sissoko immense. Dennis the pick of the front three, Pedro came of age a bit and King worked hard. Think the people blaming Bachmann are being very harsh, many better keepers get beaten by shots from close range that are hit hard and go just over their heads. Ngakia in the advanced central midfield role was a bit weird, didn't look like he had a clue what he was doing poor chap.
Also, in fairness, I wasn't expecting Kucka's free kick to be anything other than pure shyte, and was willing him not to take it directly throughout the build-up, so to then see that cannon blast explode off his boot was pretty fun.
Very proud of that performance tonight. Bit gutted we lost but performance was very encouraging. We will stay up putting in performances like that on a regular basis
Frustrating that we didn't get something from that this evening. I really do dislike 'that club' and their nasty spoiling tactics. At least we know when Manchester City roll up on Saturday they'll simply play football. But biggest 'well done' of the night has to be to everyone in the Upper GT just above and the right of me who alerted the players/officials that something far more important than the game was taking place, and of course the Club medical staff & paramedics in the ground who dealt with the situation so superbly.
Really great performance we know where we are weak and once again it cost us. Troost on the 1st and Bachmann on the 2nd. It was straight at him and Foster saves that 9 times out of 10 hopefully another confidence boosting performance in Saturday and then we can get stuck in. Play like that every week and we will not go down Dennis - what a buy he was
We were undone today by the quality they had upfront. For the most part I have no gripes with how our defenders played today as they clearly worked their backsides off. But yes we need better quality. Our midfield and forward line were to a man brilliant though. Dennis specially was giving them hell. We can all dream of having strikers like the champions of Europe but it doesn’t feel that long ago I would have told you to Fk off if you said we’d have a Dennis or Pedro in our ranks so it’s all relative. We just need to do this against our rivals and we will be okay. On a side note, sometimes despite how we are all feeling on match day life transcends football. Wishing a speedy recovery for the person affected tonight and I really hope the Chelsea chants of ‘let them die’ that I’ve seen mentioned are a fabrication, because that would again overshadow the work of the medical staff, officials, players etc that thankfully don’t share the same views as the absolute pondscum who seem to be milling about in the gene pool at the moment.
Really deflated. Deserved at least a point but leave empty-handed again. We need to start picking up more points from these good displays. I fear Ranieri can’t keep getting this level of performance from this squad week after week so we need to capitalise while we’re in good form. Hopefully the next game’s easier
Good overall? What did you see from him that you thought 'good'? I can remember one cutback from them that he cut out and cleared that could vaguely be described as good. On the downside, there was the complete failure to look along the line for their first, thereby playing them all onside and facilitating their entire move. Then there was the loss of the ball in a dreadful central position, allowing them to break free and nearly score on the counter. Then there was one of his few efforts at a pass forward which turned into a big loopy punt straight to their midfielder. I don't know whether his booking was for the foul or for the dissent afterwards. I thought the latter, because the ref didn't produce the card until after William had finished yelling right in his face and flecking him with spittle. I tell you what, if that's his reaction when he thinks he's been wronged, then we can draw our own conclusions about whether he "thought he heard a call" or not on Sunday.
I didn't think WTE was at fault for the 1st goal. Alonso drifts into the box unmarked, gets picked out and WTE has to leave his man to shut him down, pass pass goal. Who should have been picking up their full back marauding into the box? Kiko or Dennis?
Fantastic performance, we deserved the point and maybe all three. They had to bring on one of the best CB's ever, a £40 million winger and a £90 million striker. They had £200m of talent warming up next to 3 of our free transfers in Fletcher, Kucka & Ngakia at one point, a laughable gap in resources and that's what it came down to. Dennis was superb in that first half, simply wonderful 10/10 first half from him, he was doing it all. Cathcart & WTE again costing us, I can't blame Bachman for the goal, it was in the net before he could see it, haven't seen replays but would like to know why Ziyech had the freedom of the box. Louza played some really tidy passes, forward ones too. Cleverley was good at getting in faces, lacks quality elsewhere but God loves a trier. I actually thought Sissoko had one of his lesser games for us so far, still got the assist though. Ngakia in the #10 is not something I want to see again. Tuzan must be awful in training if that's Ranieri's option. King tried hard, not his fault it didn't really work for him today, sending him crosses against three centre backs is not going to work. I thought Thiago Silva changed the game massively for them. Absolute Rolls Royce of a defender. I'll take performances like that all day long, hell I'd even get relegated quite happily losing 4-2 and 2-1. We're scoring, we're creating, there's patterns of play, triangles, a clear plan, it's not boring and we remain in games which is all I ask.
The more I look at that second goal, the more I think Ben Foster would have caught that. It was straight at Bachmann and at the same sort of speed and height as Cuska's free kick. Mendy stands up and pushes it fairly easily over the bar. Bachmann jumps, bends over backwards and weak hands it into the net.
I hope the parasite taking photos of the steward performing CPR from The Gallery never steps foot in the stadium again.
What Ranieri has achieved with this time in a matter of weeks is truly remarkable. Am feeling very confident about survival now .
Hope the poor fan that collapsed is ok. Overall a lot better than I thought we would be. Fantastic game from Dennis. Unfortunate we couldn't get the points. For the love of whatever you believe in drop WTF this man has costed us 2 goals in 2 games.
Unsure, but I'd agree I think our chances of staying up are improving. I reckon we've gone from no chance to slim chance.
Yeah I agreed with the 2 main bad parts you’ve pointed out. I suppose just those 2 moments, one of which cost us a goal means it hard to argue he was ‘good’ but then maybe that’s my mistake in how I’ve phrased my comment. I thought he was very strong in one on one tonight’s particularly in the air, and played his part in the very clear tactic of going in quick and hard before they had time to get it down and play it. So for 89 minutes he did well. The 1 minute worth of bad stuff was costly, as it has been a fair few times this season. I’d rather he didn’t play on Saturday, especially with it being City with their quick movement
As much as I think Ranieri has done a brilliant job so far and clearly knows what he’s doing… WTF was he doing putting Ngakia in midfield? Poor lad looked so lost.
Big difference, Mendy has eyes on it for 30 yards, Ziyech shot was from what 12 yards? Reaction time would have to be far quicker.
I will go through this thread in the morning on my way to the airport as I fly back to NYC tomorrow - but there’s been a lot about our club to not like in the last few months. Tonight I was proud of the team, the staff and everyone in the ground associated with Watford. Hope the individual taken unwell makes a full recovery and football pales into total insignificance by comparison. Felt every player did their best after that and were incredibly unfortunate to not get a deserved result as I’m sure they were unsettled by what happened. Don’t have much hope for Saturday but tonight gave me hope that we can get points throughout December. January investment is a must as we know so won’t beat that drum any harder right now. Lastly, Dennis is an absolute beast. I lambast Gino etc a lot for what they haven’t done in the market (defenders) but I must take my hat off for this find - an absolute bargain who I’d be amazed if we see for more than 1 season in a Watford shirt. The guy is built for the PL and big clubs will circle if he keeps up at his current output. Kudos Gino for this one.
There aren't many games when we lose and I clap the team off the pitch, but this was one of them. We took the European Champions all the way. We had their players dropping like flies, feigning injury, we had their fans holding onto the ball for over a minute to run down the clock, they had the referee on their side, yet still they were biting their nails right until the end. I look at the stats after the game. It was 50/50 in possession. We had 13 shots with 6 on target. They had with 4 on target. We had 6 corners, they didn't have one. We scared them to death tonight. Well done Watford. You were magnificent. Chelsea are a cut above this season, playing some amazing football, but we gave them probably their hardest match of the season. Only our fragile defence lost us this game and as I keep saying, until we rectify this problem, all the good stuff we do will count for very little. There's no justice in football. You have to take your points where you can and tonight was another wasted opportunity. It's so frustrating because this Watford team could do some very special things. Ranieri has taken us to another level already. Some of the one touch stuff is fantastic. I love watching this team, and I will accept the defeats if we go down fighting like this. Now we've got to continue this performance level and take this game to Burnley and Brentford. These are games were we've got to be taking points. Special mentions to Sissoko and Dennis.....wow......they are so, so good.
Not a chance that a GK in the world who ever lived ‘catches’ that. A few may get enough on it to get it over the bar but it’s a very select group. And Foster isn’t among it.
Unfortunately we have lost in similar circumstances to Chelsea at home before (play well and get beaten by the odd goal) if they hadn't scored the one they did (2nd goal) they would probably have scored elsewhere, their running with the ball is excellent, we have improved no end since Ranieri is in charge, however teams like Chelsea have better players one of them is on 200k a week I read before the game he was making his debut tonight! Although we played really well, we didn't have much luck, we could have been 2-0 up in the first 10 minutes apart from a goal line save and a tip around from the keeper! Although we do have " wonder results " ie Man United, we are doing much much better but still a little way off taking points of the likes of tonight opposition!
I think we’ve got to give Claudio that one. He’s proving to be utterly masterful. Must have thought it was worth a punt. Not sure he’ll do it again though. With Tufan and Gosling on the bench, it was a strange call for sure. I didn’t understand it, but he’s done plenty right with his previous substitutions.
