I don't think this is true at all. Yes, football fans are notoriously fickle but it's mainly based on performances on the pitch. If Deeney somehow started playing brilliantly, scoring from open play and assisting lots, he'd get loads of credit and would further cement his reputation as a club legend. But similarly, if he continues to play the way he has the last 2/3 seasons, people will be fed up if he's starting games.
I got the impression over the summer (perhaps wrongly) that we were looking to play a pacey front 3 that would allow us to make the most of our defensive solidity and catch teams on the break. Much as I appreciate what Deeney has done for us, unless his role is to receive the ball and then release either of the two wide forward without actually being expected to get into the box to get on the end of things, he will struggle to contribute as much as I'm sure he'd have hoped to in this sort of system. I'd expect one of King, Denis or Pedro to offer a lot more chance of getting on the end of moves assuming we're trying to up the pace of our attacks.
Going to be great. At home. The stadium will be rocking, fans will get behind the boys and be the extra man they need. So much to look forward to this season. Got a great squad, albeit a little light in 2 areas, but altogether our squad is looking good. Stronger than at least 5 other squads in the league. Obviously with the window not closing for another 3 weeks, that will probably change, but confident we will bring in the right players to help us stay up. Aston Villa are certainly nothing to be afraid of, in fact it’s a great time to be playing them. Grealish is a massive loss. Bailey is still isolating according to Villa fans. Buendia potentially injured. Villa fans seem to think they are playing 442. Hope they do, our midfield will dominate the ball. This is how they lined up in their final pre-season game yesterday. Think this will be how they line up against us, with the exception of Buendia/Traore coming in for Bidace. No Watford fan can seriously look at that squad above and be that worried. Is it going to be a tough game, sure, but nothing in their team makes me worried. If we lose it will be down to our own doing. If the boys have their heads on, fight for every ball, and Ekong doesn’t think he’s prime Pirlo. No reason why we won’t win this game. Sarr will run Targett rampant. Cucho will embarrass Cash, Dennis to come on against tired legs. Wish I could be there for the opening the game. So whoever is going on this forum, sing your freakin heart out, enjoy being out of lockdown, give the boys everything you’ve got and have a beer for me. Watford 3-1 Villa
All season. Last season I was a bed wetter. Decided to switch sides this season and become a Happy Clapper/COG just to see which one I like better.
Well in a way it will be less stressful as people expect us to be rubbish and not do well so anything else is a bonus whereas last season it was promotion or nothing.
Agreed and as Watford Twitter and most specifically Roy 'Absolute Mentalist' Moore says, if we DO lose, it's not the team or the owners fault. It's the fans that negatively pointed out weaknesses in our strategies. Wa*kers. COYH!
Predicted team for 1st game of next season if we get relegated: Dahlberg Ngakia Cathcart TE Masina Cleverley Dele Bashiru Gosling Zinckernagel Fletcher Sema Net spend: minus £110 million
I think, just like last season, our home record will be key to any hope of staying up. Villa are a good side, but are not unbeatable. They've improved a lot over last season, but losing Grealish is going to hurt them. Sure £100m will help them buy new players, but they'll not sign anyone as good as Grealish. Playing Villa at home I think is a good opening game for us. A team with credential, but not someone we should fear. It's one we can win, if the wind blows in our direction. It's vital to get off to a good start and I think we'll nick this 2-1 to surprise everyone. Deeney and Cucho scoring the goals, just to p1ss everyone off, which will make my weekend ever the more sweeter. I look at our squad and see good options up front, but still lacking a consistent goal scorer. However, I think we have a lot of tricky, pacey players who can cause havoc. I'm hoping we'll create chances, and by the law of averages, some will go in. The midfield is down from where we were last time we were in the Premier. It's very hard replacing Doucoure and Capoue. Looks like we've lost Hughes too, and certainly he'll not be involved against Villa even if there is a big change of heart with him. Louza, Etebo and Kucka don't seem to be at the same level as those before, but they should still be able to do a job. Hopefully the new guy AL mentioned this morning will happen and he'll be at a high level. The defence worries me though. We need another commanding CB. We look so much weaker without Sierralta. I think Cathcart and Kabs are very much backup players now. WTE is a good defender, but he does have issues with his distribution. We need another player at the level of Sierralta. If we get that, then others will make up healthy competition. So a couple more good signings needed before we become competitive for the duration of a season, IMO. But I think we'll get off to a good start on Saturday.
I do agree this might be a good time to play Villa. They are probably still not sure about how best to set up post Grealish and to get the most out of Ings and Buendia (not that we know how best to set ourselves up yet either) so I think we have a fighting chance of getting a win.
Why? Because the team they support won? Baffling argument to actually think anyone here wants us to do badly.
I do agree, but I also foolishly thought that about the opening game v Brighton in August 2019! We need to attack and score though, I don't trust the defence to keep Ings/Watkins out all game.
WFC 0 (Deeney missed pen 1) AV 4 (Hogg 2, 88,89,90) Pre-season seems to have been a bit of a shambles. No run out for our first XI, who knows what that actually looks like ? Our 2 key CMs wanting away. Other than Deeney being back to full fitness to lead the line with Gray, I really can't see an upside. Ambitious AV will show us the gap in quality between beating Millwall 1-0 at home and playing vs prem quality. At least we are solvent....ish.....
It would not piss everyone off if Deeney scores. But many would probably prefer we had other options to score for us playing. I think many people here feel he is past it and he changes how we play negatively. We'd prefer there were other options but we are where we are. Yes he has historically uped his game against Villa - no one is denying that either. There may be some value in using him as a disruptive physical sub in the last 15-20 minutes depending on the scoreline when the opposition is tired.
Troy has six goals in four games for us against Villa. He makes an effort to get on the end of things against them, but rarely does the same against other teams. He loves the bragging rights he gets from scoring against them as this is personal to him. Question is, why doesn’t he play like that against other teams? Surely, fans are justified in questioning his desire when you consider these stats?
Blimey hb1, that was a really good analysis (apart from the bit about anyone being p.ssed off if Troy scores of course). If you stuck to this sort of stuff, rather than gratuitously slagging off anybody who has the audacity to disagree with you, then you'd get less of a hard time.
I do find it somewhat sad that apparently, out of 80 votes cast thus far, 33 (or 41.3%) think that we're going to get stuffed by 2 or more goals on Saturday. And only 16 (or 20%) think we're actually going to win. And the season hasn't even started yet. I get it that if you think we're going to lose, and then win, then that's a pleasurable surprise of 'the only way was up' variety. But whatever happened to cautious/nervous optimism? The only way I can ever enjoy watching our team really.
I have no problem with a fair critique of a player, but this incessant slagging off a servant like Deeney, without anyone apparently offering support for him in return, is wrong....IMHO of course. It's the forum go to........Deeney is a ****, which I find distasteful, and he deserves respect and support of everyone on this forum. Sure, you can have an opinion if he's played well or not, but this constant default attack on him is out of order. I make no apology for pulling up those who behave in such a way. There will be people on here who will be delighted if Watford win, but gutted if Deeney scores as it damages their narrative. This is what I'm hoping will happen on Saturday, and seeing all those Deeney haters squirm..........for a few hours at least.
Firstly, can you explain why Cucho scoring would piss anyone off? Secondly, stop embarrassing yourself insisting you know so much better about other people than they do about themselves, or indeed how they will feel if a particular Watford-related outcome happens. You're not our teacher and you're not in a position of authority here, so saying that you have no problem 'pulling up those who behave in such a way' is downright silly with tinges of megalomania. Thirdly, describing Troy as a 'servant'. ****** lol.
I don't think Cucho scoring would p1ss anyone off, apart from Villa fans of course. What a strange question. The rest of what you say is just white noise, in a vague attempt to justify your stance of constantly slagging off a great servant. Quite sad, but expected.
Yeah, it's almost like people make predictions based on what they see and analyse, rather than what they hope. To be fair though, 'hope' appears to be the way that Governments are dealing with the world turning into fire.
I think you exaggerate this apparent anti-Deeney agenda hb1. Most of us who don't want to see him play simply think he's too slow, doesn't get himself into scoring positions often enough and is something of a 'one trick pony' (and it's not a particularly good trick). Since he scored 20 goals in each of three successive seasons (all in the Championship) and finishing that run when he was a 26 y.o., it's been downhill for him in the Premiership seasons and last time out. He's now 33 and clinging on to past glories while developing his media career (a skill that he's particularly good at being fun and insightful) and should perhaps now move onto that full time. However, if someone were to make a case for him being a battling midfielder (he can control a ball, hold a ball, win a ball and pick a pass) then I'd listen to it. But not for him being our No.9 anymore. He doesn't win enough in the air for a big unit (much better when it's played to his feet rather than being lobbed up to him - but that's not the way we tend to go when he's on the pitch) and his presence at No.9 makes us more ponderous than we need to be. I'll be delighted if Troy scores on Saturday. Absolutely delighted. And nothing will for me ever detract from his magnificent legacy at our football club. It's simply time to move on though and I reckon that's the way almost all of Troy's detractors on here are thinking rather than indulging in some sort of vendetta that you alone have identified.
...and this is a perfectly fine option. I have no issue with anyone making lucid comments over his good, bad or indifferent performances. It's those many mindless morons who contribute on here and by default cannot write anything without a Deeney fat joke, put down or OTT abuse of the guy. It's rather odd seeing all this hatred towards him, then they come back with endless justifications for the abuse. These are not fans of the club as far as I'm concerned. Just support the team with all the players. It's going to be a tough enough season as it is, without all the snarling and ill-will thrown into the mix. We just don't need it.
Why don’t you just stop digging? You’ve made a complete prat of yourself with your childish response to criticism of Deeney (The player) you’re in a minority of one with your views, but you still insist on repeatedly trying to insult everyone’s intelligence. Just drop it and move on.
This is utter nonsense. You named Deeney in your starting 11 on this very thread. When questioned about it and asked to justify it by several posters, you had no coherent response, other than to call forum members thick and say everyone will be unhappy if he scored on Saturday. Now you’re trying to pass it off as personal insults about Troy regarding his weight etc. You know full well this never came into the conversation, it was simply about his ability and opinions on why he shouldn’t be in the team come Saturday. Either stop digging, or come up with some coherent arguments rather than resorting to nursery school reverse psychology.
Stop posting replies then. Quite simple. But I agree I'm in a minority on Deeney which is more a sad reflection on the people that write on here rather than anything else.
It's quite interesting as to who are getting involved on this subject. My observations on Deeney are a generalisation of what I constantly read on the forum. I've not made it personal to any individual poster as I don't know who actually hates him as who supports him. But those getting involved in this are revealing themselves. I can't believe this is quite so emotive. But you guys are derailing this thread, so stop replying to my posts on Deeney. We all know you (that's a collective @you@ btw) detest him, and that's public record. But my plea is to just look forward to a new season in the Premier League, and if Deeney is selected, support him and bloody well cheer if he scores.
It’s more commonly known as reality. Proven further by the fact you can’t back up your minority view with anything other than insults, and the absurd notion that Watford fans wouldn’t celebrate a Watford win or goal of it was scored by Deeney.
