Report and Views On Watford

Well yesterday was a lesson of some kind. Without Brammer leading the way a team with a scrambled formation lined up. McCready was the surprise inclusion. The centre back turned right back was playing at left back. Vaughan on the wing. This left Rix out on the bench….a few could see it spelt disaster already.

The full team:

Ince

Wright     Foster     Walker     McCready

Lunt      Cochrane     Sorvel     Vaughan

Ashton       Jones

The start was nothing more than usual. Watford attacked as we soaked up pressure. The first real chance went our way on the 11^th minute. A cleared corner was only cleared as far as Steve Jones in the middle of the penalty area, his over head kick was looping over the keeper but keeper Alec Chamberlain managed to tip it over just in time.

Watford’s lively striker Danny Webber saw his 30 yard shot graze over the bar on the 15^th minute. The match though was, well, dull to say the least. The crowd were silent and there was just no pace to the game.

The game did liven up a little on the 18^th minute though. Kenny Lunt sprayed a ball through to Steve Jones who was about to run onto it but on the edge of the area Alec Chamberlain picked the ball up. After a discussion with the linesman the referee, Frazer Stretton, gave Chamberlain a red card for what must have been a professional foul. Looked harsh – but who am I to argue?

Watford players surrounded the referee for a couple of minutes before Kenny Lunt smashed a free kick into the wall at the re-start.

So, the game reverted back to dullness. Watford changed their tactic to a 10 man defence, annoying but oh so effective against us.

Foster volleyed straight at sub keeper Pidgeley while Sorvel just blasted over.

At half time Neil Baker changed things around. He took off Justin Cochrane, who had been battling hard, for Paul Edwards and Chris McCready off for Ben Rix. After that we had no battler in the midfield and just 3 in midfield which is useless.

Chris McCready should have even started. The poor sod is naturally a right sided player. He couldn’t cross, clear of tackle without the ball going out of play. We’ve just paid £150k for a left back…… Use him!

In the second half we just got worse.  Foster headed the ball into the back of the net, after he assaulted their keeper 3 minutes in.  On the hour mark Watford took the lead, David Vaughan was caught out facing goal and Jamie Hand tackled him, sprayed the ball out to the left to a unmarked Webber to run onto past Foster into the box and shoot low past Ince into the bottom right corner. The problem was, we deserved it.

After that Watford sat back knowing we were useless going forward so were laughing their way to 3 easy points.

We put in poor cross after poor cross. We wasted shooting chance, gave the ball away every other attack and we couldn’t even play a good long ball game.

The team were boo’ed off the pitch and the fans who only go to home matches couldn’t believe that the last match ended in chants of “It’s just like watching Brazil!” as we ran rampant against Forest.

Unfortunately this has been the form of the last 3 league games. Four games, no goals, no points, no plus points. We’ve looked our worse since we conceded 12 in 3 matches in our relegation season.

Every player in a red shirt yesterday should be ashamed of themselves. The past 3 league matches have been nothing short of effortless, passionless and just damn right rubbish.

Im not going to say if it’s right to boo the team off the pitch, I don’t generally agree with it but I could have boo’ed them today, I didn’t though.

Baker after the match has me split. He made his feelings known about Ashton and the team and he made sure Ashton knew what he thought. I thought he was right to say it on the radio at the time, however after thoughts have got me thinking. Some fans have taken Baker’s comments abit too far and an excuse to put Ashton up as a hate figure.

The team AND management have 9 days to mull over that performance and if there’s not an improvement against Bradford then serious questions must be answered. I think Moses, Brammer & Smart should all start, if fit, also lets see a NEW striker in. we've tried and tested all options within the club... lets see a signing of someone who can get goals.