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

"I just got home. I'm not sure why I am surprised about tonight. So many times in the last 35 years I have turned up full of expectation and 90 minutes later I have walked out blooming annoyed", "We have been overachieving up to now and Birmingham tonight was the end product."

Watford's 2-1 defeat at Birmingham on Tuesday was their first in 10 games. The run of good results before this setback has seen them score in each of these games and they are third in the table. Although they have scored in each of the last 10 games, they have only kept two clean sheets.

A 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough two weeks ago and 3-1 home win over Millwall last Saturday have been more typical of their recent good results, but there is no doubt that the defeat at St Andrew's has dented Hornets' confidence.

"It's all down to performances to me and ours have been average all season. The results were bound to get worse", "We need a huge improvement in performances if we are going to remain up there." "We have only picked up four points from the six games we have played against top 10 sides."

Birmingham 2-1 Watford

"They say there are no easy games in football but you have to believe we can win this and win it comfortably. Birmingham are a shambles at the moment", "If we go to Middlesbrough and draw I can see no reason why we cannot win this one." Hopes were predictably high before the kick-off.

"The only truth in the world is Clayton Donaldson." Watford were undone by two goals from the Blues striker, one early and one late on in the game. Supporters are split over whether boss Slavisa Jokanovich erred in rotating his squad or in getting tactics wrong.

"It was a bizarre selection. We were always going to lose the minute the team was announced", "We went out with a half-baked rotated squad thinking we would stroll it, but we didn't", "I had a horrible nagging doubt after the Millwall win and wasn't convinced. It was not a surprise."

Slavisa Jokanovic

Hornets have been impressed with their new manager. The Serb, appointed at the beginning of last month, is their fourth manager of the season. The former Chelsea holding midfielder "seems to be the calming influence we need", "He looks a very inspired appointment so far."

"He has a Plan B and changes the team around in the match to combat different threats", "Good tactics, a good positive approach and good substitutions", "He gives the players self-belief and lets them get on with the job", "I have been impressed with his knowledge of the team from day one."

This praise came before the Birmingham defeat. "Joka - rotation has led to the downfall of more likeable managers than you. Use it carefully", "Please, please learn from this", "He underestimated them with a very weak team selection", "The one positive is that you could see Joka was fuming."

Squad Depth and Rotation

"It's fascinating how our squad turns into a mid-table team with a few injuries", "We have a good first XI who can compete for the title but after that I don't think so", "Our squad is full of attacking players but not enough high-energy ball winners."

Watford have missed key personnel in recent games, especially in defence. Those absent have included Romania centre-back Gabriel Tamas, Italian defender Gabrielle Angella and Norwich loan signing Sebastien Bassong. The biggest loss however has been Switzerland midfielder Almen Abdi.

"We are right to rotate but we don't have decent options in crucial areas." Jokanovich's supporters believe that he had no choice but to rotate players for Tuesday's defeat. "I thought we looked a bit exhausted against Boro", "The international break cannot some soon enough."

4-3-3

"The common denominator in the Middlesbrough and Birmingham games was our set-up and personnel. It left the full-backs exposed dreadfully", "Playing 4-3-3 with three out-and-out strikers rather than two wingers leaves us so open on the flanks and the full-backs are up against it."

"In the first half at Birmingham, the two wide strikers were not tracking their men nor cutting off the midfield. We were playing a narrow 4-3-2-1 formation", "There is no doubt that we play better with four at the back, but we struggle for width with 4-3-3. We may need to swap to using two strikers."

Central Defence

"Our defence is pants. It cannot defend crosses and it seems to part like Moses and the Red Sea", "It continues to be our achilles heel. We have only kept four clean sheets in 16 games. We never seem to have a solid base and we can't defend crosses and set-pieces."

"We desperately need to reinforce our centre-backs", "Donaldson was unmarked in the box. It was sloppy, sloppy defending once again. He was winning everything and spreading the ball wide.", "It was laughable at times." A regular concern has been their defensive vulnerability in the air.

Heurelho Gomes

"Gomes had no chance with the Birmingham goals. He must be pulling his hair out with the defending." The 33-year-old former Brazil and Spurs keeper "is the least of our worries", "He is very good at commanding his area and dominating the six-yard box from crosses."

"Gomes is quality. He is a class above Almunia [his predecessor] and most keepers in this league", "His all-round game has been very good", "I'm glad we have a keeper who is proactive because it will save us more than it will cost us over the course of a season."

There has been very little criticism. "He's a good keeper but you always feel a mistake or a moment of madness is around the corner", "I love the way he tries to dominate the box. We need this desperately as we are generally poor at defending crosses."

Centre-half Sebastien Bassong is a doubt for Saturday's game with a calf injury and will be missed if unavailable. "I have been massively impressed with him since joining on loan", "He is an absolute unit and you can tell he is a real personality already."

The 28-year-old former Spurs man joined the Hornets on loan from Norwich at the beginning of October and missed Tuesday's defeat. "Our physical presence massively improves, and Bassong provides us with much needed height when defending and attacking corners and set-pieces."

"It didn't help that our manager said two days before the Birmingham game that Tommie Hoban would start. It wouldn't have taken much for the opposing coach to see that our defence lacked anyone with aerial or physical strength."

The 20-year-old youth product struggled on Tuesday. "Both Birmingham goals came from slack marking and poor positioning by Tommie Hoban", "He was all at sea trying to deal with the muscular Donaldson", "He was not confident on the ball and was outmuscled too easily."

"Joel Ekstrand was doing a cracking job of marking the invisible man for one of Birmingham's goals." The 25-year-old Sweden international "has had a decent season so far but his marking for crosses was non-existent", "He has had good games this season but has been bullied on a few occasions."

"Ekstrand has been better this year", "He has improved", "His lack of pace showed against Millwall when Ricardo Fuller just walked around him", "He can be slow and gets turned far too often for me."

Full-Backs

"Our main issues are at full-back, where we have no experienced back-up", "Defending from crosses reared its ugly head once again. We have tried three at the back and now four and still it happens", "They did not play badly. They were badly let down by having no protection from the midfield."

This is huge area of concern for Hornets. They have no strength in depth and their tactics have left the wide defenders badly exposed in recent games. "The bloke on Birmingham's right had the ability to get over an excellent cross and we gave him ample opportunity to do so."

"We have two international wing-backs, bought to play 3-5-2, but they aren't good enough defenders for a back four", "Our full-backs are easily exploited and cannot cross", "I don't think we have a full-back in our squad who can put in a consistently good ball from wide."

Club veteran Lloyd Doyley was pressed into service at left-back against Birmingham. The 31-year-old "was okay at times, but he just stood off and watched his man put in cross after cross. He was a complete waste of time going forward", "He was overrun for the cross that led to the winning goal."

"While Doyley is good defensively, he is absolutely useless going forward. He tries to make things happen, but we were next to impotent with Anya on the left in front of him", "Not having a left-footed left-back stifled our play, as Doyley constantly went in to the crowded midfield."

"Daniel Pudil has been looking more tired and even slower than previously." The 29-year-old Czech Republic international left-back "looked exhausted against Millwall" and was rested on Tuesday. "He got skinned by Fuller but made a couple of great tackles and a typical Pudil goal-line clearance,"

"I'm perplexed as to why Pudil rarely tries to block crosses properly", "He's a good player in this division, but is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. He doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, but isn't amazing at anything", "He has a great touch, but lacks pace and this adds to his inability to block crosses."

Juan Carlos Paredes

"It's no good standing there waving your arms, Paredes. You should have been competing for that header." The 27-year-old Ecuador international and former Barcelona man "was hopeless last night. After a solid start he seems to have regressed into just another Championship right-back."

A number of Hornets put his poor performance on Tuesday down to tiredness and a lack of protection. "He looked tired against Millwall and may need to be rotated", "He seems shaky but needs help here", "He had the stuffing knocked out of him by Lee Martin and was pretty timid."

"What Paredes gives us in attack is very good. He is quick, has great ball control and the trick of being able to cross with the defender in front of him", "His crossing is average. It is slow, lofted into the box with no whip or pace", "He has been resolute but should really play as a wing-back."

Central Midfield

"The problem in midfield wasn't squad depth - it was bizarre decisions", "We could have been playing Luton and we wouldn't win with McGugan and Anya in there", "You cannot expect to win games with passengers in midfield", "What was he thinking putting out a paper-bag midfield?"

There were warning signs in last Saturday's win over the Lions. "Millwall controlled large parts of the game, and bossed the midfield for long periods", "We were out-battled by Millwall in the first 15 minutes as our midfield was sitting too deep", "There was a huge gap between midfield and attack."

"Playing possession football without Almen Abdi is like swimming without water", "We fail to keep possession and control the game when he is missing", "We need to find a way for it to work without him." The Switzerland international is out with a shoulder injury and will be massively missed.

"Can someone tell me exactly what Lewis McGugan brings to the side? He sometimes has a fierce shot on him, but he takes one touch too many and his passing is often shaky at best. I cannot remember him making a great tackle or dispossessing anyone."

The 26-year-old former Nottingham Forest man made a rare appearance on Tuesday and was heavily criticised, along with his manager for selecting him. "McGugan exists in a midfield purgatory, doing nothing particularly well or awful", "He deserves to be sold after that second half showing."

Gianni Munari is also doubt for Saturday with a groin injury. The 31-year-old is on a season-long loan from Parma and "looks every inch the kind of guy who has spent years in Serie A. He is positionally super and he breaks up play brilliantly", "He's a top drawer box-to-box midfielder."

He missed Tuesday's defeat. "Munari does for us what Mascherano did while at Liverpool and that is to spoil opponents' play. He has a touch of class and does the dirty work so that Tozser can shine further up-field", "He had his poorest game against Millwall but scored with a well-controlled shot."

Daniel Tozser

"With Andrew Shinnie sitting on Tozser, he was completely marked out of the game." The Hungary international struggled to get a foothold in the Birmingham game playing in a weakened midfield. "Their game-plan was to stop out most creative player", "Without him, we had no midfield."

"With Munari and Abdi absent, Tozser was left with too much to do with very little help", "He had too much to do on his own but lacked any urgency", "He was our only proper ball-playing midfielder, but was sat in front of the defence", "He was off his game, but should have been moved forward."

He wasn't allowed to settle into a rhythm by Millwall "wasting possession and passing poorly, but he scored from a free-kick. His set-pieces are a weapon. "Eleven decisive points this season have come from penalties of free-kicks from Tozser", "His freekicks can be lethal but his corners not so good."

Keith Andrews

"The biggest mistake we made at Birmingham was not starting Andrews in midfield. We desperately need someone with a bit of bite and someone who isn't afraid to get stuck in", "I would have had Andrews starting, but it's likely that his legs aren't up to 180 minutes in four days."

The 34-year-old former Ipswich loanee is with Watford on a season-long loan from Bolton. "Andrews broke up play well against Millwall, pinged a few good passes and did an unspectacular job well", "When he pushed forward and took the game to Millwall, it changed the game from then on."

"I would rather have the consistency of three Keith Andrewses than mess around with McGugan or Anya", "We were totally outmuscled by Middlesbrough in the centre of the park, but Andrews helped when he came on", "We need his tenacity in midfield."

Wide Midfield

"One negative was how easily Millwall were finding space down the wings. The same problem that appeared at Middlesbrough appeared today. A better team would have scored more than one goal against us." Hornets were highlighting problems on the flanks ahead of Tuesday's defeat.

Watford's defence and central midfield areas have been hit by injuries, but a case can be made for the wide areas suffering as a result of the many changes of management and tactics this season. They have a mix of full-backs, wing-backs and wingers and no sense of a plan for how to use them.

Former Leicester left-winger Lloyd Dyer "is a 4-4-2 player. It's difficult to see why we bought him", "He is a very limited player and can only do one job and that is as a wide man in a four-man midfield", "He doesn't have the technical skills to replace any of our strikers in a three-man attack."

Ikechi Anya

"Playing Anya in central midfield is asking for trouble when he has absolutely none of the skills required there", "He struggled with the defensive side of the game, being light-weight as he is. His pace is his only defensive weapon and he only made one tackle."

Many Hornets feared the worst when the 26-year-old Scotland international was selected out of position against Birmingham. "He has no footballing brain whatsoever", "The reason he plays so well for Scotland is because he plays as a winger, and that is the only position he can play."

Strikers

Hornets have no complaints whatsoever about the quality of their strike-force. "We do have quality going forward", "We have the quality to score goals from nothing and win games when we are playing badly" "We genuinely have four strikers capable of being outstanding at this level."

One criticism is a lack of dynamism in possession. "Our forwards were sat comfortably in a flat line against Millwall's markers. The need to find space, come deep or look to do something to disrupt the opponents defensive formation."

"Fernando Forestieri chases and harries and his work-rate is amazing. He can trick his way through defences operating in the centre." The 24-year-old "needs to bring more goals to his game and his decision making can be frustrating", "His performance improves ten-fold when he scores."

Odion Ighalo

"When Igloo first played, he was so bad that I just couldn't see a way he could improve to anywhere near the level required. The turnaround has been amazing. It's hard to believe he is the same player who was so out of his depth at Blackburn. Fair play to him."

The 25-year-old joined from Udinese on a season-long loan this summer. "He holds the ball up well, is good at dribbling and uses his body to hold off defenders", "He is like a Duracell battery and gives his all for the team. He works tirelessly, forcing keepers to turn over possession regularly."

"He's getting better every game and reminds me of Yakubu with his physical presence shielding and controlling the ball", "He's now getting used to the Championship and the physicality of some of the defences he is up against", "He is learning at a rapid rate, has no ego and gives his all for the team."

Matej Vydra

"Why rest Vydra? We really need his movement up front." The 22-year-old Czech Republic international only came on as a substitute against Birmingham. "If he was fit enough to come on from the bench he should have started so he could give Paul Robinson the run around."

"Matej was limping at the end of the Millwall game", "He showed his class in that game by being alert to a very clever corner which was perfectly executed by Andrews chip into the box. His movement fooled the keeper. His runs are cleverer and the midfield needs to be alert to these"

Hornets have noticed his game develop since his first spell here two seasons ago. He can offer more than speed and swift counter-attacking. "We have so much pace, movement and clever passing with Vydra there", "He is a constant menace with his skill and running at defenders."

Troy Deeney

"You could tell Deeney was running on fumes in the second half against Millwall." The 26-year-old former Walsall striker has been building match fitness after a hamstring injury. "He's not totally sharp and lacks that acceleration he saw him gain earlier in the season but he's still recovering."

"Deeney is so strong. His hold-up play is great and he wins a lot of headers for us. He offers many other things than just goals", "One came Deeney against Middlesbrough and it all changed. Our belief was restored. He smashed a goal in and we were unlucky not to win in the end."

He struggled when isolated on Tuesday. "Deeney was anonymous", "He offered nothing but he rarely got any service", "A clearly unfit Deeney toiled around for 90 minutes not doing a great deal", "He was running the backline all evening. It's difficult to shine when the ball rarely makes it to you."

Hornets' Views on ITFC and the Game

"I have just been talking to my postman who is an Ipswich season-ticket holder. It sounds like their win over Wolves was very professional and they never looked in any danger. If we play on Saturday like we did against Birmingham, we'll get well and truly stuffed. Ipswich are now a very good side."

"Expect to be seventh by 6pm on Saturday." The pre-match poll on the busiest Hornets website has 43% favouring a home win and 33% an away win. This is quite pessimistic for a side which are third in the table and reflects the gloomy mood following Tuesday's loss.

"Much as I hate to say it, I have a feeling that we will come unstuck on Saturday, Ipswich are a very tight unit at present and can normally manage a goal through Murphy or McGoldrick", "Portman Road is a tough place to go and Ipswich are a good and well-organised side", "I fear the worst."

"Onwards and upwards to Ipswich. I am slightly dreading this", "Ipswich away will be a very tough match even if we are at full strength", "With Derby to follow after the break, Saturday has suddenly become very important", "They are statistically one of the best home teams this season."

The optimists are hoping for a reaction to Tuesday. "You know what will happen on Saturday. We will go and beat Ipswich - that's the crazy Championship for you", "The players first response after that defeat will be to come out all guns blazing", "I hope we keep up our good record at Ipswich."

Websites

The busiest Watford message board is The Hornets' Nest and some interesting additional comment can be found on Glory Horns.

Photo: Action Images

Bluebell added 11:19 - Nov 7 Thanks for that Harry. Really great to hear their side of it. I have a feeling we can beat them tomorrow even though they are our 'bogey' team. If we play as well as we did against Wolves, we have a good chance. At least Deeney isn't 100%. He is the one I always worry about!
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hucks216 added 11:24 - Nov 7 After the win against Wolves the belief does seem to be running through the side but I just hope we can start killing teams off and start to score 3 goals in a game when on top as that extra goal could well be what makes the difference between 3 points and 1 when it comes to playing the likes of Watford & Bournemouth.
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itfccymru added 11:37 - Nov 7 Fantastic input again Harry, don't think an upcoming match day would be the same without this every week. Should get paid!
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dirtyboy added 11:40 - Nov 7 I fancy Sammon to get on the scoresheet tomorrow, but I couldn't possibly comment on the final score. I close my eyes and hope when we play Watford.
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ArnieM added 11:43 - Nov 7 Need to lay this bogey side to rest at PR. Wont be easy and a monumental midfield work rate will again be required.
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cornishnick added 11:47 - Nov 7 One thing is certain. Each day that goes by, is a day closer to giving Watford a good hiding. Let's hope it's tomorrow. Long overdue.
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Seasider added 12:15 - Nov 7 Dont know if Mick & Co have also noticed weakness highlighted in Harrys report above;but looks like we need two Marauding full backs instead of the one we have if Luke plays r.b. I know it seems negative but if Jonny Parr is not fit how about Hewitt playing there with our three reliable centre backs plus Tyrone to combat their very potent strike force. Jonny Williams if fit could take over from Luke Hyam who is suspended,with Kevin Bru and either Hunty or Tabby making the 3 in midfield with the two M's up front. Rarely do I make suggestions about team make up,as its decided by Mick Mc carthy who has done a very good job up to now.

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Kropotkin123 added 12:21 - Nov 7 I'm really excited going into thi game. There isn't just a great vibe from the players, but also from the fans too. The reaction on here to Tuesdays game has been awesome.
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barrysandals added 13:01 - Nov 7 MM should pin that quote on the changing room door for ITFC. What better motivation for a team......' we never lose at Ipswich'
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ericclacton added 13:07 - Nov 7 Good side Watford, they like P.R. If we get the rub, we could edge it, will be tough though. you ask anybody, you ask me.
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runningout added 14:04 - Nov 7 Watford have good forwards like ourselves.. They have a fortunate history at Portman Road..
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bohslegend added 15:17 - Nov 7 Thanks Harry. Great report. Again, away fans giving us more credit than we sometimes give ourselves. Saw the Brighton game at PR last season when Keith Andrews played - he tried to impose himself but was largely anonymous as two Didzy goals helped us stroll through. Will be interesting to see if he can be any more influential this time.
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tractordownsouth added 16:24 - Nov 7 Parades ' got the stuffing knocked out of him by Lee Martin' ahahahaa
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Warkys_Tash added 23:37 - Nov 7 Once again, thanks for a great report, Harry. Before 2004 & Deanos superb hatrick (what a shame, really thought he was the next shining light after that day), Ipswich always had a good record against Watford. Now is a good time to prove we we have progressed, push for the top and keep up our good home form.
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