As requested by PYA here are my views of Watfords season. In August, if I had to make any predictions for the season I would have said that Watford would be my banker for relegation. Along with Sheff Utd and one from Portsmouth, Wigan and Fulham. West Ham didn't come into it, I saw them first hand in Cardiff and never thought they would be in the predicament they are, and I thought that Charlton were established enough to avoid the drop, those two along with Portsmouth have really surprised me this season. Fourth off bottom would be a real achievment, I have seen Watford Live twice against LFC and seen them live on Television against Man U, at home, Sheff Utd at home and Man City away. In the Anfield game against LFC you were gritty and determined in the first half without any 'clout' up front and the early goal in the second half shattered confidence. At Home against LFC you were dreadful, poor passing, basic errors and lack of pace gave LFC the perfect game to respond to the 6-3 fiasco four days earlier against Arsenal. The Man U game you did quite well, but still lost(no disgrace in that). The game at Man city was a game you should have won, creating numerous chances early on but failing to take them.Two points dropped in my opinion. The Sheff Utd game was massive, and you failed to turn up, a poor display, and they were'nt much better. I feel these are the only games I can comment on because they are the ones I've seen live. On the whole, a distinct lack of fire power is the main problem with no-one in the side who knows where the net is (we will never know if Marlon King would have made a difference) and it is costing Watford dear. But the main problem is cash, always will be with promoted teams, it is impossible to compete with established Premiership clubs, you occasionally get a one season wonder like Ipswich a few years ago and Wigan last season. And the transfer windows doesn't help either, the only players who move on are the ones nearer to the bottom who want to stay in the premier league, no-one is going to go to a bottom of the table side in January and even if they did it would cost a fortune and they would probably put a clause in the contract anyway, so they can move if the team are relegated.(Lucas Neill springs to mind). It is a difficult situation but an all to familiar one. Its easy for me to say but I think Watfords board have to be applauded, they don't seem to be a 'stay in the premier league at all costs' bunch of directors. They seem sensible and realistic, they know Aidy is a good manager, he proved that last season and they have stuck by him this season, something a lot of clubs wouldn't have done, why, because Watford would probably still be in the bottom three whoever was boss. Continuity is important even if you have to take two steps back before taking one forward. With the parachute money, and the Ashley Young transfer cash, the club has stability to build for next season and push for promotion once again. So I have to say on what Ive seen, that Watford are where I thought they would be at this stage of the season. They are not the worst team Iv'e seen though, Charlton were absolutely abject when we beat them 3-0 and West Ham last week were just as bad, only complacency from Liverpool let them back in, but I think there is too much ground to make up on even those two now. Sorry. RES
Cheers Roady - a well presented summary of life at the Vic -the fact that wfc fans think we are better than we really are in real terms doesn't help their own emotions and feelings at our lowly league status. Your thoughts on our board of dirctors is interesting and prudent, albeit how do you feel about your club now being taken over by Yanks? These types of deals with billionaires coming in, could well kill of the football league structure as we know it. Soon will be a super league - or an euro or even world super league.
Fair enough, not the best games you could of watched though. I personally think we are down but perhaps the next 3 games are a last chance, win 3 or win 2 and draw 1 and perhaps we're back in a battle, fail to win one, the glimmer of hope is over.
My mates at uni have been saying similar things to me to be honest. They keep putting things in perspective for me (lack of money etc) and that's why i'm not as doom and gloom as i'd probably be if i was back in Herts going to the games (and seeing us lose) week in week out. When you think about the money we've spent on players, it hasn't been much, yet potentially we have some bargains (Hoskins, Williams, Moses and Williamson - even Cavalli and Kabba could prove to be good buys).
Cheers for that roadendscally, good post and puts it into perspective. Yes, we have been unlucky at times with decisions going against us and the injury of one of our key player, but we ARE a small club, and i too was expecting a relegation fight. The result at Bolton may well have sealed it for us im afraid. If we were to stay up now id actually go mad with happiness, but i cannot really see it happening.
fairly good analysis, but lack of cash is not the biggest problem. we fail to spend the money we have now, it is more the players not wanting to come, bad luck at the start of the season and as you said the transfer window
Todays events are a prime example of what I mean, Liverpool are at the bottom of a mini-league of their own with Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal all ahead of them, an investment like this was needed even for a club of Liverpools' stature if they are to compete with those three. I know our outgoing chairman will not have taken this decision lightly, even if it was for £450 Billion instead of million he would have turned it down if he thought it wasn't right for the club. There is no bigger LFC fan than David Moores, so I am very optimistic that this is a good move for LFC, but a good move for football as a whole I'm not so sure. When I watched LFC in the seventies and eighties there were many challengers to their crown, Man U, Notts Forest, Aston Villa, Everton, Watford, Southampton, Everton, QPR, Man City, Leeds Utd, Derby County. Now the top four is nailed on every season, we used to critisize the old firm in Scotland, its no different down here now I'm afraid.
Haha! ;D Nicely done, for a minute I thought I was going to have to edit the post...and for someone doing English lit I thought I’d made a tragic error! (hopefully it will be the former not the latter though)
Does James Joyce ever get a mention in English Lit, being from across the waves? Will Aidy become a major player in future classes on English Lit? If Shakespear supported WFC - he would have written - 'to score or not to score, that is the question'
