20/21 Matchday Thread

[That Fat Centre Half]

Our game at Watford moved to the earlier time of 1230 on the advice of police.

Quite something when no one is able to actually go to it!

 

[Super_horns]

What I thought!

Maybe don't want people going to the pubs and meeting up ?

Not that there are many in Watford I don't think .

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Maybe they got wind of some trouble being planned from somewhere. Wouldn’t surprise me if some of the idiots were thinking of doing something in the town unfortunately.

 

[Super_horns]

No doubt something will be arranged on social media.

Most of our fans will probably be complaining and venting their annoyance on the forums/Twitter if you beat us!

 

[thewwfc]

yeah - you guys need to tell your top boys that if they're going to have a scrap, that they need to stand 2 metres apart at all times, and just throw:

• bricks
• broken bottles
• ninja stars made out of Stanley knife blades, and that kind of stuff.

And they need to wash their hands after they've thrown each projectile.

If you're close enough to punch or kick anyone, you're too close - sort it out!

Let's all help to stop the spread of this terrible disease, even while we're stoving each other's fucking heads in. Yeah?

 

[djs]

Today's interesting fact.

None of the last 12 games between Luton and Watford have ended in a home win. Five at Luton and seven at the allotments I think.

Let's hope we make it 13 on Sat.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Herts police now announced extra police being deployed in Watford for Saturday. For a match with no fans that kicks off at 1230. Mental.

Lovely bit of overtime if you can get it.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Today's interesting fact.

None of the last 12 games between Luton and Watford have ended in a home win. Five at Luton and seven at the allotments I think.

Let's hope we make it 13 on Sat.

Today's interesting fact:

0 - the number of trophies Watford have won in their history.

 

[Kenneth E End]

So the Herts Constabulary moved the game to a 12:30pm kick off with no fans, asking pubs not to open and now they are boarding up the Graham Taylor statue.

This is getting mighty ridiculous considering as a club we haven't had any significant incidents for many a year.

 

[oakroader]

i'm from a generation that has that deep hatred for the golden shower DOWN the slab...
but nowadays i'm probably more jealous of how they've progressed over the years tbh...
i find myself more revolted by those UP the slab ie franchise fc...
thats the fixture i look forward to....

 

[Super_horns]

So the Herts Constabulary moved the game to a 12:30pm kick off with no fans, asking pubs not to open and now they are boarding up the Graham Taylor statue.

This is getting mighty ridiculous considering as a club we haven't had any significant incidents for many a year.

And I presume all your real fans will be watching the game at home rather than looking for a fight ..

Same with ours.

They just need to patrol the town centre if they need to do anything really I feel.

I mean the ground is on a main road near a hospital and sure it could be protected by a couple of police men.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Right - today is the day. It also reaffirms the terrible and sad situation everyone is in. Not having any fans in the ground takes a real gloss of it for me and moving it to 12:30 really doesn't help either.

We will be up for this. The players will know it and Jones, who needs no invitation for chest thumping, and obviously Mick Harford, will have been spending the whole week driving this into the players. I'm not convinced other than the likes of Ben Foster, the Watford players will be.

That said, especially for us with a side with a far lower budget and probably technically inferior players, there is the need for discipline. They need to be balanced and not let the occasion get to them. We haven't had a red card for 17 months now, but we don't want that run to end today.

We have almost a full squad to pick from - James Bree is doubtful after clashing with Derby's new signing last weekend, who seemingly came off far, far worse. Rhys Norrington-Davies has played every minute so far as he has no cover in his position. Tom Lockyer is really unlucky as the partnership between Bradley and Pearson has been excellent so far, unlike last year.

I'd go with the following:

GK Simon Sluga
RB Martin Crainie
LB Rhys Norrington-Davies
CB Sonny Bradley
CB Matty Pearson
DM Glen Rea
CM Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu
CM Luke Berry
RF Jordan Clark
LF Harry Cornick
CF James Collins
Subs: James Shea, Tom Lockyer, Peter Kioso, Kazenga LuaLua, Ryan Tunncliffe, Elliot Lee, Danny Hylton

And I say it again... why the hell are Sky not televising this game?!

 

[thewwfc]

And I say it again... why the hell are Sky not televising this game?!

Fair. A proper local derby is a far more attractive prospect to the neutral than us v Swansea.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Right - today is the day. It also reaffirms the terrible and sad situation everyone is in. Not having any fans in the ground takes a real gloss of it for me and moving it to 12:30 really doesn't help either.

We will be up for this. The players will know it and Jones, who needs no invitation for chest thumping, and obviously Mick Harford, will have been spending the whole week driving this into the players. I'm not convinced other than the likes of Ben Foster, the Watford players will be.

That said, especially for us with a side with a far lower budget and probably technically inferior players, there is the need for discipline. They need to be balanced and not let the occasion get to them. We haven't had a red card for 17 months now, but we don't want that run to end today.

We have almost a full squad to pick from - James Bree is doubtful after clashing with Derby's new signing last weekend, who seemingly came off far, far worse. Rhys Norrington-Davies has played every minute so far as he has no cover in his position. Tom Lockyer is really unlucky as the partnership between Bradley and Pearson has been excellent so far, unlike last year.

I'd go with the following:

GK Simon Sluga
RB Martin Crainie
LB Rhys Norrington-Davies
CB Sonny Bradley
CB Matty Pearson
DM Glen Rea
CM Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu
CM Luke Berry
RF Jordan Clark
LF Harry Cornick
CF James Collins
Subs: James Shea, Tom Lockyer, Peter Kioso, Kazenga LuaLua, Ryan Tunncliffe, Elliot Lee, Danny Hylton

And I say it again... why the hell are Sky not televising this game?!

Like the look of that lineup. I liked the look of Lockyer and his comfort on the ball as opposed to Pearson but maybe he isn’t ready yet. Clark absolutely has earned a start, only question for me would be who of Cornick and him would play on the left. Clark hasn’t played there and there has been a reluctance to play Cornick there although he did do it against Derby after the Lee sub.

Really hope RND and Bradley are good to go after playing every game so far (possibly every minute so far?)

Game should absolutely be on sky bizarre it’s not, I guess it’s not a well known derby outside of these parts. Don’t get Wycombe being shown every other week though!

 

[Super_horns]

Maybe the Herts police asked for it not to be on given the concerns they seem to have.

Let's hope the football is the main talking about.

Our fans will probably be in meltdown before the game if Sarr/Deeney (some doubts about his fitness and would he manage to control his temper) aren't in the team and Murray plays!

 

[SF_]

Fair. A proper local derby is a far more attractive prospect to the neutral than us v Swansea.

I wouldn't watch either

 

[SF_]

Stoke at home, really need 3pts or we can officially class this as a shit start to the season.

I'm not expecting DJ to play, i'd be surprised if he's not a Rangers player by the end of the window.

Rudd
Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Hughes
Pearson, Ledson
Barkhuizen, Browne, Sinclair
Maguire​

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Maybe the Herts police asked for it not to be on given the concerns they seem to have.

Let's hope the football is the main talking about.

Our fans will probably be in meltdown before the game if Sarr/Deeney (some doubts about his fitness and would he manage to control his temper) aren't in the team and Murray plays!

That’s the reasoning I’ve seen, herts police not wanting it on in pubs etc. Poor really.

I see the boarding up of the statue made a minor twitter storm and made the bbc news mainly about the chagrin of our fans at the implication of it. Hope that doesn’t back fire on us.

 

[Super_horns]

Sadly I think a few idiots on Twitter or Facebook said that might but hopefully just kids messing around with empty threats.

Last thing both teams will want is bad PR at a time of national crisis.

I am sure the EFL wouldn't waste time punishing us both.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Game should absolutely be on sky bizarre it’s not, I guess it’s not a well known derby outside of these parts. Don’t get Wycombe being shown every other week though!

For me its obvious - they want the social media likes over Akinfenwa.

Its frustrating considering virtually every Derby v Nottingham Forest game is televised, which I'd argue is less of a fierce derby.

 

[Kenneth E End]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1309762567775100929

I'll leave this here...

 

[Super_horns]

Yes - that was cringe worthy.

I mean least if has been kids you could understanding it a bit more (one of couples on there I know are actually Brighton fans as well!)

And well I am sure the wife in the first bit is really gutted Liverpool lost one match 3-0 when she saw her team win the title for the first time in 30 years!

(Whilst we got relegated)

Who had the last laugh then!

A stronger looking team on paper for us.

Hopefully Sarr will be motivated for the game though.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

No Glen Rea for us which is a blow. Tunnicliffe did alright in midweek but no doubting we are a better team with Rea in the starting 11 and the stats bare that out.

Watford line up looks very strong indeed, taking the rivalry aspect out, a point would be an excellent result for us.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Had a fantastic chance to make it 1-0 to us, Collins somehow hits the bar from 6 yards and not 60 seconds later Watford take the lead. Fine margins and all that.

Not a huge amount in it but one thing that’s noticeable is that physically Watford are a level above us and that’s helping them win a lot of second ball in the midfield and probably the difference at the moment.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Lucky scum wankers! Collins hits the underside of the bar and then Pedro goes up the other end and gets a deflected goal within 30 seconds.

 

[Super_horns]

Yes - that was unlucky for you.

Both teams look dangerous going forward but maybe lacking that final ball.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

We certainly are lacking a bit in the final 3rd. One time we got it right we made an excellent chance but one probably isn’t enough.

I’d like to see Clark on for Lee.

Fears about RND also proving to be founded, he’s looked tired and given the ball away a number of times

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

It was a fairly even game to watch with both teams having spells where they were on top. Trouble for us was that Watford made those spells count for shots/corners etc whereas we huffed and puffed and didn’t really trouble them at all. Huge lack of quality in the final 3rd of the field that only Clark coming on did something to really try and change that and even then it was a 10 minute spell before Hylton came on.

Collins is going to get pelters for the miss before the goal but harsh to expect your centre forward to live of scraps and tuck away literally the only chance in the game. He did it at Barnsley but to expect that with regularity isn’t going to happen. When he went off the game just petered out from our point of view as we have no one else to really cause problems up front outside of him.

No disgrace in it given the quality available to Watford and we look a more competitive side from last season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Frustrating lunchtime that, but when you look at the resources Watford have, it was probably an expected result, especially when they named Sarr in the starting lineup. We didn’t create enough and the luck wasn’t on our side.

6 points from 3 games though; and with Wycombe next week, I can’t complain too much.

 

[Super_horns]

Surprised our defence have done pretty well so far this season - 3 clean sheets.

Attacking needs some work - probably depends if Sarr stays and Deeney gets fit.

I was worried you were going to get a 1-1 tbh!

You looked dangerous in attack at times and pretty solid in central defence although we got past the full backs a lot.

Typically another injury as well.