Back from the game - Watford

[Mr Optimist]

Love the sour grape comments from one of the lamest bunch of supporters you will ever meet.

[RoyalBlue]

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Tim 'I back you Nigel, honestly I do' Dellor still found cause to be negative at the end. Criticised Cummings coming on for Obita - said we 'Adkins got away with it' - when it was pretty obvious to most that Obita was knackered and Watford were starting to exploit that.

[3points]

Watford fans have been spoilt by the football played in the Zola era and now think anyone who don't replicate Barcelona are all hoofball merchants. Problem is you need to have the players to execute that style of play, as we have been finding out. They lost a couple of their star players from last year's team of Serie A loanees and haven't been able to reproduce last season's form. Have to say I had them tipped to get auto promotion this year.

[Haag Royal]

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Tim 'I back you Nigel, honestly I do' Dellor still found cause to be negative at the end. Criticised Cummings coming on for Obita - said we 'Adkins got away with it' - when it was pretty obvious to most that Obita was knackered and Watford were starting to exploit that.

No surprise there. Dellor has never rated Adkins, never wanted Adkins and for all his protests to the contrary, acts like a BmD love child. He really must get over it. He acts in the same way he did towards Brendan Rogers and look what happened there. I would personally much prefer Ady Williams to interview Adkins after the game then at least you get a fair perspective.

[sandman]

Ady has backed Timbo's criticisms for the most part so I doubt you'd get your wish.

[bobby1413]

I said after the loss at Brighton that I didn't think Guthrie should start. Many say how good he is, and sometimes he is but I think recently he's been poor and the team play too rigidly around him.

Due to injury, he wasn't available, and I thought we were more natural and flowing in movement. Midfield seemed to handle things well, there was fight, there was passion, there was hunger to win the ball.

A great away day experience. I don't know what Watford are on about though... I think the vast majority of fans stood (not that it matters), constant singing - whether they heard it or not.

In short, I don't give a shiiit what they think or any other team. It's all "sour grapes", and pretty pathetic to say "ohhh, they sat down, they didn't make any noise...", whatever, we won and that's all that really matters.

Unfortunately going to miss the Bolton game due to work, but fingers crossed for another good win.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Classic away performance and merited the three points, even if we did ride our luck at times with some shocking finishing from Watford. The referee was appalling, the fourth official should've sent off their manager and the Watford fans were a complete (silent) joke - all makes the victory sweeter though.

McCarthy - 8 - did all that was asked of him

Gunter - 6.5 - fine
Pearce - 7.5 - steady performance, some good blocks
Gorkss - 8 - excellent first half, looked a bit shakier later on, gets a bonus point for the goal
Obita - 8 - rarely looked troubled playing in a new position and great corner for the goal

McCleary - 5.5 - can't really remember him doing anything, unfortunately
Williams - 7.5 - possibly his best display for us, looked good going forwards and decent in defence
Akpan - 5.5 - hmm, he's got some praise on this thread, and he was better than previously this season, but still thought he looked incredibly lightweight and there were several times when I felt he should have done better in putting in challenges. Allowed Williams a platform to get forward though, and hit one great pass to Jobi the 2nd half
McAnuff - 7.5 - 100% effort and this seemed to set the tempo for the team, always looked lively and happy to get stuck in. Doesn't score higher as I can't recall him beating his man or delivering many dangerous crosses

Pog - 8.5 - won everything in the air, battled away all game, the most important player in our squad, by quite some distance
Alf - 5.5 - didn't really contribute, should have had a penalty though

Overall, it was encouraging, and much improved in terms of effort and commitment from the previous away game I saw at Leicester. Same team for Bolton at home.

[JIM]

bobby 1413 please kill that fxxxxxg bug , its driving my cats crazy.

[bobby1413]

bobby 1413 please kill that fxxxxxg bug , its driving my cats crazy.

Sorry Jim, will remove it later for you (well, for your cats).

[No Fixed Abode]

Not a bad following from Reading yesterday, 1600. Very quiet by all accounts though.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Some of our fans who you deem ridiculous follow the team up and down the country and are in a much better position to give their version of events than some keyboard warrior!

Ever heard the saying One Swallow does not make a summer?

Idiot!

[RoyalBlue]

Ady has backed Timbo's criticisms for the most part so I doubt you'd get your wish.

In which case, simple solution. Mick Gooding always seems capable of taking an expert and balanced view.

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Some of our fans who you deem ridiculous follow the team up and down the country and are in a much better position to give their version of events than some keyboard warrior!

Ever heard the saying One Swallow does not make a summer?

Idiot!

I find it strange that some people seem to wish for a summer wash-out, in order to prove that their weather forecast was correct, even when such a wash-out spoils things for them too!

[Pepe the Horseman]

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Some of our fans who you deem ridiculous follow the team up and down the country and are in a much better position to give their version of events than some keyboard warrior!

Ever heard the saying One Swallow does not make a summer?

Idiot!

Nice sig.

[URZZZZ]

Mccarthy-7
Gunter-7
Pearce-7
Gorkss-9
Obita-9
Akpan-6
Williams-8
Mccleary- 5
Jobi-8
Pog-9 MOTM
Alf-6

[RoyalBlue]

Back to the game.

Had a good laugh (only because he missed the player and a nasty injury was avoided) at Blackman's exocet challenge towards the end. Had he actually made contact, I think their player would have landed as a heap in amongst the diggers!

Your commitment is admirable Nick but that challenge was insane!

[Ian Royal]

The pressures on Nige. I want to see the same commitment against Bolton.
You get another week of grace from me.

How gracious that you're happy for a manager that as us one point off the Play Offs to get at least one more week at the club.


Some of our fans are oxf*rd ridiculous.

Some of our fans who you deem ridiculous follow the team up and down the country and are in a much better position to give their version of events than some keyboard warrior!

Ever heard the saying One Swallow does not make a summer?

Idiot!

Good job Adkins has had ten swallows then isn't it.

Congratulations for going to matches. Doesn't stop it being ridiculous to be giving a manager who has us in touch with the Play Offs in his first full season and after a relegation a week's grace.

[sandman]

"Congratulations for going to matches"

You should try it sometime.

[JC]

Not a bad following from Reading yesterday, 1600. Very quiet by all accounts though.

Strange isn't it. I was amongst them and they sounded quiote loud to me. Perhaps an acoustics issue as they were mainly at the top and to one side (the open end) of the stand.

[Barney]

Not a bad following from Reading yesterday, 1600. Very quiet by all accounts though.

For those of us who know EXACTLY who you are, that is pretty pathetic even by your low standards.
You need to change your material and man up a bit. Try harder. Ask your teacher tomorrow for some tips.
And by the way, you really shouldn't spend the whole weekend on your computer. Your on-line friends aren't real.
Go to a game of football or something. Leave your bedroom for an hour or two, you might even enjoy it.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Decent game - but I think Watford will feel aggrieved that they didn't get anything from the game. They missed 3 or 4 excellent chances in the second half, and all the saves were comfortable for McCarthy. One thing I noted about McCarthy that is kicking was much better.

Thought Obita did ok at left back. First half he was getting caught to high up the pitch, allowing a midfield runner in behind him 3 or 4 times and therefore the centre half being pulled into full back areas. Didn't do this second half, and showed good strength to shepherd the ball out a few times. Definite potential there.

Also thought Akpan did well. Did the dirty things well, cynical fouls and won second ball headers. The holding midfielder we need. I just don't believe Guthrie can play in 4-4-2 with someone who wants to get forward like Williams.

Pogrebnyak was excellent. Hold up play brilliant, very rarely lost the ball, and having two Watford defenders bounce off him was brilliant. We need to hold on to him.

McCleary had a pretty poor game, he seems to be losing a lot of confidence, whereas McAnuff was very good down the left.

Thought their number 20 looked useful, apart from being booked for diving and throwing himself to the floor every five minutes. We still desperately need a centre midfielder and centre half to cover injuries, and if something happens to Pogrebnyak we are going to struggle as ALF was a shadow of himself. Shanked one wide early in the second half, but probably should have had a penalty. His reaction to the fans at full time makes me think he wants out.