HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday's game by delving into their forums.

"I'm crying here. Gianfranco Zola left with dignity and he is a brilliant man, even if he is not exactly the greatest of managers", "We had one of the greatest ever players managing our little club for a short, glorious period before fizzing out like a bright shooting star."

"I would like to thank him deeply for his wonderful efforts. He brought great joy to the club and its supporters, and a more courteous man you will not meet. The best of good fortune to you Gianfranco", "What a genuinely lovely guy."

"Thank you for the memories, Zola. You left me an emotional mess." At the start of the month, 67% of Hornets supported the now departed manager on a forum poll, and a second poll last weekend still showed 8% more supporters backing him than wanting him to leave.

Gianfranco Zola

"You can't have five defeats in such awful style at home and get away with it", "We've lost five on the bounce and not scored in the last four. That is appalling."

Watford have maintained decent away form, securing recent draws at Burnley and Leeds, but poor home form proved to be Zola's undoing.

"He had to go really. He was out of ideas, and his confidence was shot. What a true legend. I hope he knows how appreciated he is by all Watford fans", "I've been saying he had to go for weeks, but it doesn't make it any less upsetting", "A lovely guy but time for him to go."

"Ultimately it was a glorious failure. Let's get the right man in who can give this team the kick up the arse they need", "It's pretty hard to get someone as classy as Zola, but [owners] the Pozzos will make an intelligent decision", "Anything can happen but I trust the Pozzos 110%."

Giuseppe Sannino

"The new manager may not be as personable as Zola, but I suspect we may be more organised and tactically better. I think most of us would have accepted a more robust style of play to win games of late", "You have to give the Pozzos credit for not dithering around."

"Sannino has been around the lower division clubs in Italy but he never cracked it at the top level. He's very humble and never forgets his roots. He's also down to earth and used to managing struggling teams."

"Having read some information about his background, he comes across as an Italian ‘Colin' [Neil Warnock], good at getting teams promoted but lousy at keeping them up", "He's not afraid to try different formations, including 4-5-1 and — I kid you not — 4-2-4 depending on circumstances."

What Went Wrong

Hornets widely agree that there were three major contributing factors to Zola's demise. The team suffered from confused tactics, they lost several key personnel over the summer and started to suffer from a growing lack of confidence in recent games.

"This season has been poor. Some of the tactics employed and constant changes of line-ups have shown Zola's lack of experience", "We need a tactician and a good coach with a clear philosophy who can make us consistent, pinning teams back with our technical quality."

Zola had worked with a 3-5-2 formation for much of the season, but changed this to 4-5-1 for the last three games. It worked well in their 0-0 draw at Burnley and 3-3 draw at Leeds, but the balance was seen to be far too defensive last Saturday in their 1-0 home loss to the Owls.

"Any manager who plays one up top against cannon fodder relegation sides with no away wins deserves all he gets", "If that wasn't disastrous, then what is?" "It was dire. Plenty of inaccurate passes and some ridiculous hoofing", "I had absolutely no idea what they were trying to do."

"The issue is that we're not actually very good without Chalobah, Abdi and Vydra", "We lost one of the league's best defensive midfielders, one of its paciest and deadliest finishers, and are currently without one of the league's most creative midfielders."

"Breaking down defences with deliberate possession football needs brave and assured players. Most of our players look as though they are trying not to mess it up", "Confidence ebbed away after the Wednesday goal went in", "They scored a poor goal and our heads dropped."

Defence

"Our defence is shocking time and time again. Earlier in the season we were living a charmed life at the back, but that luck has now run out as Derby, Leicester, Yeovil and now Leeds have scored three against us in recent weeks."

"So many goals scored against us are due to either a lack of man-marking, or being outpaced by their attack", "I'm amazed at how many crosses we allow opponents to get in."

In goal, 20-year-old youth product Jonathan Bond has started in place of the veteran ex-Gunner Manuel Almunia in the last four games. "He's very quick and acrobatic, and makes outstanding saves", "His command of the penalty area is not so good but this will improve with experience."

Manuel Almunia

"Almunia is a great keeper, but he has been getting sloppy in recent matches, turning off at the worst time."

The 36-year-old was controversially substituted at half-time in the 1-0 home defeat to Bolton with a "mystery illness" after blundering to concede the visitors' winner.

Former Sunderland centre-back Nyron Nosworthy "is a big no-nonsense defender that knows this league well, and isn't afraid to shout at someone if needs be", "He's a massively under-rated player. He actually knows how to defend and isn't afraid to get hurt."

"His experience and aerial ability are welcome", "His lack of mobility only makes him suitable to playing in the centre of a back three." The 33-year-old Jamaican international "has marshalled our defence in a way that has been missing from anyone else this season."

The 26-year-old former Roma defender Marco Cassetti has struggled. "Why Zola has kept faith with him is beyond me, He has been woeful", "He has been dire all season", "His passing has been terrible, and he has been consistently too casual and sloppy at the back."

"Joel Ekstrand is having a horrid time and needs a rest", "He hasn't looked the same player recently", "He needs his own personal passing coach."

The 24-year-old former Helsingborg defender was suspended last week. "He could have done Zola a favour by playing better. He has been awful all season, having been brilliant last year", "Ekstrand is a technically sound defender but is not a leader."

Former QPR veteran Fitz Hall started against the Owls. "It's excellent to have proven back-up. He's an experienced head in the dressing room too." It is also worth mentioning 24-year-old former Empoli man Gabriele Angella. He hasn't featured in recent games, but is in the vast majority of supporters' proposed line-ups.

Central Midfield

"The main reason we have been worse this season is the changes in midfield. None of the three we're playing now would regularly have played last season", "The midfield is the main issue. We're too lightweight, lose pretty much every 50/50 ball and seem to lack bottle."

"The simple problem is that Hogg-Chalobah-Abdi is a better midfield than McEachran-McGugan-Murray. It has nothing to do with our formation", "We need energy, craft and strength through midfield."

Lewis McGugan

"Last season we mixed it up. This season it's far too predictable, and that is more to do with personnel than our formation. We are far too reliant on balls to feet with many of the new recruits instead of playing into space."

"Last year we were playing one-touch football. We were always looking to move forward with pace. Most teams could just not handle it. Now the pace is so slow and the ball seems to go back and sideways", "We just end up running into a brick wall every time we get possession."

"Let's be honest. George Thorne is not even remotely close to Chalobah's level", "He does create passing options and is available most of the time. It's what he does with the ball which is disappointing", "He just doesn't offer anything to the attacking side of the game."

The 20-year-old West Brom loan signing "keeps things ticking over, but he doesn't make things happen and he isn't going to take the game by the scruff of the neck to influence it", "We are missing a bit of creativity and is just isn't that type of player."

"Cristian Battocchio tends to float in and out of games. He's a talented player, but has struggled to stamp his authority on the matches I have seen him start." The Argentinian born player "is too good to be consistently benched", "I can't understand why he's left out."

"We should play Battocchio all of the time. He is a live wire and creates things due to his high energy", "He runs his socks off", "He can provide energy and impetus, and play a defence splitting pass from deep."

"Lewis McGugan is a massive luxury player who only gets involved when it's a freekick near the box or if the game is easy. When the going gets tough, he doesn't get stuck in", "The problem in our midfield is McGugan. The tempo will always be quicker without him."

The 25-year-old former Forest player "pulls out of challenges, is too one-paced and unable to defend", "Point your finger at McGugan if you want a lazy midfielder not pulling his weight", "He's one of the new players who has destroyed our midfield."

There has been little comment about 20-year old Irish youth product Sean Murray. "Murray is a better option in the middle than McEachran. At least he won't bottle a challenge."

"I don't see what McEachran adds to the team. He doesn't have the vision or passing ability that Chalobah has. He doesn't even have the grunt a decent anchor man has and he's got nothing going forwards", "McEachran's a reasonable player but nothing special."

The 20-year-old Chelsea loan signing has hardly featured this season. "He has the physical stature of a 12-year-old. The only thing he appears capable of is a five-yard sideways pass,", "He doesn't hurt the opposition or win enough tackles."

On the Flanks

"We only have wing-backs that are wingers who can defend a bit. They are not full-backs that can both defend and get forward", "We will struggle with four at the back, as we only have one natural full-back at the club."

"Faraoni and Pudil are natural wing-backs." The Hornets have recently experimented with former Inter Milan player Marco Faraoni at right-back, and Czech Republic international Daniel Pudil at left-back. Many supporters felt that this cost the team much needed momentum down their flanks.

"Diego Fabbrini was utterly useless again. He genuinely looks like he doesn't give a damn. He falls over every time he's touched and slows things down by holding on the ball for far too long. It's made even more frustrating by the fact that he's clearly very talented."

Diego Fabbrini

The 23-year-old has appeared from the bench in recent games. "Fabbrini's flaws are obvious. He's too lightweight, can't cross, only ever cuts inside and gets excited by blind alleys", "On the Udinese pre-season blog he said he didn't feel suited to the English game. I think he could be right."

"Hector Bellerin might as well f*** off back to Arsenal. At the moment we are in a fight, and the last thing we need is players bottling out of headers and tackles like he has been frequently doing." The form of the 18-year-old Spanish loan signing has suffered as the team have struggled.

"We are much more dangerous with Ikechi Anya on the pitch. He just gives our attack so much more pace and he frightens the life out of defenders", "Leeds couldn't deal with his pace and movement." The former Northampton wideman has pleased Hornets with his displays this season.

"We have missed Ikechi's pace, especially away from home on the counter-attack." The Scotland international has played in the last two games, having recovered from a calf injury. "Anya shows how much we need him as a pacey outlet from which to launch counter-attacks."

Strikers

"We do need another striker desperately. One of the main problems is that 80% of the time when a forward has the ball there is nobody in front of him making a run or getting into space", "Without Vydra, we don't have a striker stretching play and creating space for the midfield to operate in."

Fernando Forestieri

"Fernando Forestieri has endeared himself to the fans by working his ass off in games and showing some passion for the club." The 23-year-old was sacrificed with the move to playing one striker. "It seems hard on Forestieri. He has been pretty good for us, and combines well with Battocchio."

"I like Javier Acuna's direct running style and robustness, but he never gets himself into positions to score", "He's never in the right place at the right time." The 25-year-old Paraguayan has been a fringe player "but he suffers from the same problem as Troy Deeney — zero movement in midfield."

"Troy Deeney isn't the same player without an effective partner. He gets no space, and doesn't seem capable of creating it either at the moment", "Even when he wins a knock, there's no-one anywhere near him to lay it off to", "Hoof to Deeney, lose it and repeat."

The 25-year-old former Walsall striker was handed the captain's armband when Manuel Almunia was dropped. "Deeney's not a captain. Every time he doesn't get the ball he shrugs his shoulders, whining at his team-mates."

Hornets' Views on ITFC and the Game

"This will not be our day. We might be good on the road and we might be Ipswich's bogey side, but I do not think we have it in us to get a point at Portman Road", "Ipswich have only lost once in six games and that jumps out as being a good record."

"I don't think we will see any flowing football tomorrow and it will be a case of every man behind the ball. 0-0 on the cards or 1-0 to Ipswich due to a goalkeeping error."

"Surely the new manager will only be an interested observer this weekend. Two days is no time to do much other than a kick-up-the-arse inspirational speech."

Most Hornets have low expectations despite their good record against us, but they have been doing some homework on our squad.

"Cresswell is an enigma for me, He's a left-back and a hugely important part of their defence, yet he has abundant energy and has the most assists in the league", "McGoldrick will be looking to take advantage of our leaky defence."

"For a team like ours who seemingly cannot hit a barn boor with a banjo, having to face a goalie on form like Gerkin won't make things easier for us. It seems like he single-handedly earned them a point against Nottingham Forest."

Websites

The busiest message board for Watford supporters is WFC Forums.com.

Photo: Action Images

solemio added 10:04 - Dec 20 How dare somebody compare such a lovely man as Zola with Colin W? I'm appalled. Humphrey.
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solemio added 10:07 - Dec 20 Whoops, the comparison was with the new manager, not with 'Franco.
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Sebastian added 10:09 - Dec 20 We are starting to earn respect all around the Championship. That's a good feeling, and a new feeling.
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StuartBrett8 added 10:21 - Dec 20 Thanks Harry, Top work as usual :)
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Tractorog added 10:33 - Dec 20 Oh Solemio!
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DanLyles added 10:39 - Dec 20 I must admit I thought the 'Watford way' would have its shelf life. A high turnover of loanees from abroad with little experience in the English leagues was always unlikely to be sustainable. These players might have talent, but like McGugan, do they care about the club? It's extremely difficult to develop an understanding between players in such a short space of time even without the inevitable language barriers. An interesting contrast with the attitude McCarthy has installed at Portman Road. Watford's decent away record, the second wind players get when a new manager is appointed and their bogey team status still makes me doubtful we will pick up all 3 points.

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essextractorboy93 added 10:41 - Dec 20 Sounds like those Watford fans are being honest. It's a shame their club has gone the way it has, becoming Udinese B, but the owners can do what they want although I do feel for the supporters. I have always rated McGugan and Deeney are useful players. Let's hope for a good game! COYB!
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Tractor_Thief added 11:23 - Dec 20 I do love the statement "For a team like ours who seemingly cannot hit a barn boor with a banjo, having to face a goalie on form like Gerkin won't make things easier for us." Lets hope that our "barn door" proves too hard to hit on Saturday and that McG puts a couple in. I'm always weary when a bogey side visits but I believe this is a good opportunity to put that stigma to bed.

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WorcesterBlue added 11:46 - Dec 20 Though I always prefer us to play good passing football, the comments about the Watford team suggest Mick's more robust tactics might just be what we need tomorrow! C'mon the Blues
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shoopdelang added 18:48 - Dec 20 I hope HarryfromBath gets paid for these articles. They are brilliant. Another good pre match report
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JCBLUE added 20:38 - Dec 20 Great article Harry, 2-1 Town.
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