Watford 0 Scunthorpe 2 23.10.10

Scunthorpe and Watford, two names of footballing near-anonymity clashed at Vicarage Road on Saturday, proving that sometimes, a little bit of luck can win the day.

Following the win against Ipswich on Tuesday night, Watford fans could be forgiven for getting carried away with being third in the league.

Thankfully, as one fan shouted at the end of a lifeless encounter at Vicarage Road, ‘back to life, back to reality’, the Horns were brought down to earth with an almighty bump as the Iron fought their way to a deserved 2-0 victory.

Maybe Tuesday’s heroic win had taken it out of them, but Watford just did not get going, despite periods of intense attacking pressure, in a scrappy game on a sun drenched Vicarage Road pitch.

Of the three chances Scunny had, they scored two. Watford were unimaginative up front and rarely looked like scoring.

It was one of those days when it became apparent early on that things would not fall our way. A great strike putting us behind was followed by a golden opportunity to equalise – it fell to Lloydinho who headed over from 10 yards with the goal gaping – and hence the game was summised.

A second goal essentially finished Watford off and a team who had started the day looking uncomfortably low in the table, scraped three points from a dejected Watford team.

We never looked like fighting back, and that will be more worrying to the Hornets’ coaching staff, than the result itself.

Watford: Injuries to Danny Graham and Marv are a concern, Matty Wichelow barely had a touch and Troy Deeney is still yet to convince. Michael Bryan had a good game, but needs to stop over complicating his runs – just get in the box! A tough defeat, but one to take and learn from.

Scunthorpe: Came with a plan and stuck to it. Tony Warner was the main man when it came to time wasting – a tactic liberally employed and dutifully ignored by the referee – and enjoyed a verbal challenge with the Rookery front row. They’ll be ok this season and will beat many a team better than us.

Watford Survive, Window Intact

Watford brought in Middlesbrough’s Andrew Taylor in on a six month loan deal yesterday, with Scott Severin completing his exile in England by moving back to Scotland with Dundee Utd on a free transfer.

This represents a bit of a coup for Malky, in so much as that there have been no other significant (ie Scott Loach leaving) transfers outward bound as the season starts to pick up momentum.

Watford’s latest recruit is a left back and will wear the number three shirt, indicating he will be fighting Lloydinho for the left back spot, welcome competition if ever it was needed.

Taylor joins former ‘boro youngsters Josh Walker and Danny Graham at the Vic and will be looking to get some first team football under his belt, adding to his 128 full appearances to date.

“He is naturally left-footed so will give us something different as he joins our group of defensive options.We’re delighted to have him here for six months. It’s a period of time where he can really get settled in and enjoy playing regular first-team football once again.” Malky told the official website yesterday.

Look out over the next few days for a full analysis* of Watford’s transfer activity.

*for analysis read: an overly grandiose muttering of what went on and what it probably won’t mean for the club

No windows were broken in the publishing of this blog post

Watford 3 Leicester City 3 19.09.09

Watford vs. Leicester City has been an encounter in the past which has seen great drama. The Foxes 1-0 victory on the last day of the season to send us down, Watford’s 1-0 victory when playing for 60 odd minutes with 10 men, and this game was no different.

Watford handed a debut to Manchester United loanee Craig Cathcart who replaced the impressive Dale Bennett in the centre of defence, but otherwise kept with the same line up that played Plymouth in midweek. The return of Watford legend Hediar Helguson was to keep us waiting, with Watford’s new number 11 starting on the bench..

Leicester began brightly, as did Watford, both sides knocking the ball around well in the middle of the park with little end product in the final third. It took until a dodgy handball in the Watford box from John Eustace for the deadlock to be broken, Matty Fryatt scoring a straight forward penalty to put the Horns 1-0 down..

Watford were quickly 2 behind after some sloppy defending gave Matty Fryatt another opportunity to hit the back of the net, he did, and the Foxes were almost out of sight.

They say football is a game of two halves, whoever they are, they were right this time. A dismal performance brought about the change the Watford faithful had been waiting for, the re-emergence of 32 year old Heidar Helguson in Watford shirt. Greeted by a raptuous welcome that sent tingles down the back of the neck, we had no idea what was to come.

Watford raced out of the blocks, taking Leicester on at full throttle and within 10 minutes Danny Graham sent the ball into the net – game on. Without enough to time to gain our collective breath, the ball was in the back of the net again, Helguson had scored on his second debut, the Rookery went wild, hell even the Rous managed to cheer a bit and break out into song. What a return, 2-2.

Yet there he was again, getting his body in where it had no right to be, H nicked his second of the game, a dream come true for many of us and surely now three points were in the bag. Sadly, it was not to be. Leicester had been out of it until that third goal, and then seemed to galvanise to score a goal at the start of added time to seal a entertaining and mesmerising draw.

Watford – An unbelievable game, 2-0 down to 3-2 up to 3-3. Great entertainment, a hero’s return for H. We showed real passion in the second half and that is a quality we’ve lacked at times over the last 18 months. This young side have potential to be a good team, if we can cut out the last minute goals. But, the day was all about the Iceman coming home, let’s hope he’ll be fit enough to start against Reading next week.

Leicester – The Foxes have had a great start to the season and Nigel Pearson’s got them playing some great football. Matty Fryatt is their obvious goal threat, with ex-L***n forward Steve Horward not really all there, and you wonder how they’d get on without him, ok I think. They’ll end up in mid table with us i’d imagine.

Watford 2 Blackpool 2 22.08.09

Watford vs. Blackpool has gained, this season, a little significance following recent events and may act as a benchmark for which way our season will be heading.

The corresponding tie last season was the final nail in the coffin of the Boothroyd regime. a 4-3 defeat after being 3-1 up to visiting Blackpool saw Aidy Boothroyd shuffle ignominiously out of the club, leaving us in turmoil and in a relgation fight, placed just 21st in the Championship.

This time, Watford have replaced Aidy, who is still without a job, and Brendan Rodgers, whose Reading side crashed 3-1 at home to in-form Sheffield United, with Malky Mackay – his job relatively secure at the moment, and a firm fan favourite.

A loss would represent no footsteps forward.

The matchday absence of Jobi McAnuff did cause a few eyebrows to be raised, particularly those at our glorious local paper, but it seems the under-performing winger was simply injured. Tommy Smith started, as did loanee Tom Cleverley and the now-not injured Don Cowie.

This was a glorious Championship game of football, two teams thrusting and counter-thrusting in an absorbing affair. Every time each team broke forward a goal looked imminent, the wood work, last-ditch defending, poor finishing and fine goalkeeping all playing a part in the final scoreline being just 2-2.

Blackpool had a right to be aggrieved at the allowance of the first Hornets goal, with a suspect looking foul taking place in the build up to Danny Graham’s sublime through-ball which smudge expertly despatched. The blackpool equaliser was just reward for a fine display, but some poor defending (again) was our downfall.

Watford’s second came from Man Utd loan star Tom Cleverley who pounced on an opportunity to slot past former Man Utd goalkeeper Paul Rachubka – scoring his second goal in two games. Cleverley looks quite the player, an attacking midfielder who looks as comfortable winning the ball in a tough 50-50 as he does taking players on in a driving run.

Blackpool equalised, with again some suspect defending, and the final few minutes played out with both teams trying to find an elusive winner. A golden chance came to on-loan Henri Lansbury, who proceeded to blast over with his 4th touch of the game from about 8 yards out with the goal gaping wide in front of him.

Watford – A fair result against a tough team who were dogged in their determination to add to their three draws so far this term. We looked dangerous going forward, but the back four are going to need to put in some extra work following the two goals against Forest in mid-week and the errors today.

Tom has proved his worth to us, yet again, and no doubt Brendan will be pestering the Reading board to raise more cash to take him down the M4. But then again, would you want to join a team down the bottom when you’re playing with a team (currently) in mid-table?!

A cracking game which could have gone either way, which leaves us with plenty of positives and a few things to be worked on. If we can play like this every week, we’ll pick up more points than we’ll drop.

Blackpool – I’ve always liked Ian Holloway’s sides, and this one will be no different. His energy and enthusiasm is pulsating through Blackpool, and with a little better finishing, this season they will easily avoid the drop.

Watford 1 Doncaster Rovers 1 08.08.09

Watford and Doncaster Rovers, two clasic names that you’ll rarely see on MOTD, played out a tough game in searing heat where a draw was an inevitable result.

Watford, playing a 4-4-1-1 gave debuts to Scott Severin and Danny Graham in a game that could have taken place at any time last season. For large periods in the game neither team dominated as the back to school atmosphere at the Vic quickly became morgue-like. A bouyant start saw the fans loud and proud, and even more so following Danny Graham’s debut goal – a proper poacher’s tap in. Already, the boy has a song, and may find himself quickly beoming a fan favourite.

Doncaster set themselves up to take a draw and executed their plan well. A cracking equaliser quickly silenced the home crowd who barely stirred for the following 60 minutes, who had been practising anti-Rodgers songs throughout the early tentative exchanges. The only other highlight was goal that wasn’t with Soctt Loach making a fine save from the floor to keep the ball from crossing the line in a goal mouth scramble in the firtst half.

Watford – A decent result against a finicky team who time wasted and made many dirty little tackles. Given the heat and pre-season turmoil, we came out more disappointed by a draw, but considering the other results, does nothing to help us work out what we’ve got in store this season. We’ll play better, we’ll play worse.

We can be pleased that Danny Graham got his goal, but McAnuff’s lack of effort will have done little to convince Watford supporters that he’snot after a move to Reading. He’ll need to start proving himself over the course of the next few weeks.

We are going to need another striker to support Danny, Tommy is much better suited to being out on the right, and Hoskins did little with the short amount of time he had on the pitch after replacing Jobi late in the second half.

Doncaster – Came for a draw, got one, and will be delighted. They looked good on the break but rubbish at the back and will find themselves struggling against the bigger boys in this division.