Not too sure - that 80% win rate was according to Statsbomb (who are the most reliable stats provider around), but WyScout has him at a 60% aerial win rate and Opta have him at a 56% win rate (!) so there must be some circumstances where one provider counts it as an aerial duel and others don't to get that big of a discrepancy!
I hope we give it a right good go this week with none of this sit back, wait and see stuff. HB1 said a couple of weeks back that we need to get the Vic back rocking like it can do but so often it seems like we are afraid to make things happen. My solution? If we win the toss, elect to kick towards the Rookery End in the first half for a change and really try to press at the start of the game. If we catch 'em early, get the crowd up, you never know!
In my experience nothing depresses the crowd more before kick-off than realising the teams are going to be playing ‘the wrong way round’ in the first half.
Realistically Sierralta was the only centre back dominant enough in the air to challenge Ronaldo. If United had any sense they'd just sling crosses in now and wait for Cathcart to play musical statues.
Haha! You cannot be serious? In any case it's not what the crowd thinks before KO but during the game and afterwards.
Tough decision. Play very defensively and limp to a 0-2 defeat or go for it and lose a more exciting game 1-5.
I'm deadly serious. There's an audible groan around us in the Rookery when the teams change ends before kick-off. Of course it's wholly psychological, but it's the feeling that, if Watford don't make the most of attacking the Rookery in the first half, they will find it all the harder making something happen in the second. You would have to ask players, but I think the assumption is that they get more of a 'buzz' attacking and hopefully scoring at the home end and so are encouraged to push on for more. If I were a coach of an away team I would always find out which way the opponents prefer to play and disrupt it if possible.
Fair enough, I do know what you mean. In a way it sort of plays into my main point. The team and the crowd are almost 'waiting' for the second half. Of course, changing ends at the start is a long shot but it's an attempt to get everyone (team and crowd) on the front foot and have a proper go!
Should we not get our own house in order before we criticise atmosphere at other grounds?! Vicarage Road has been abysmal the last few years (either side of the pandemic).
3 pages and not one hint of the phrase ‘free-hit’…. Keep it up guys and gals. This is behaviour I can get behind.
There is no need as we can call the previous game, this one and the next three as "free hits". Maybe Leicester is a possible result. Heck the way we defend we could call every game a "free hit"
The team being absolute gash hasn't helped but I agree, the atmosphere is terrible. It definitely feels like the crowd would much rather get stuck into our own players than support them. That's fine, people pay their money and as long as they don't cross a line then they can whinge as much as they like. Personally I leave my whinging for here as I don't feel it's productive at the stadium but let's face it, the players have deserved criticism over the last couple of PL seasons. The Liverpool game was awful. The team were abysmal and from the first goal the atmosphere was toxic. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been like that in the 2015/16 season, even with the same scoreline.
Ah yes, happier times with Deeney in his prime and Iggy putting John Stones on his @rse in the opening fixture. Despite what happened when our forward line forgot how to score after Xmas, that season is a personal highlight for me. Even though we had QSF as manager, he got more of a tune out of a lesser squad than we have at the moment.
Tufan to have a late fitness test. https://mobile.twitter.com/WatfordFC/status/1461305714299838465 Club have confirmed Sierralta injury.
It has. But, my post clearly stated a Manchester United fan criticising the atmosphere at Old Trafford because of tourists. And that real Mancs mostly looked down on the glory hunters from down south. So the Vic didn't really have much relevance in the context of conversation.
Don’t forget to wear your colours… American ones that is! https://mobile.twitter.com/WatfordFC/status/1461378674603827202