Here is a preview of the Watford game on Saturday based on a summary of opinion and feedback taken from their independent supporters’ websites and forums.

Overall
“Our aim for the next few seasons is to avoid the drop and try to develop this side built on a shoe string budget”. Hornets are not really surprised to see their team involved in a relegation scrap this season.

“You have to understand that this season was always going to be a struggle when with [Malky] Mackay leaving, taking all our transfer targets and [Don] Cowie on a free. Replacing Danny [Graham]’s goals was always going to be an issue as we don’t have the kind of money to buy a proven player capable of picking up where he left off".

Watford lost manager Brendan Rodgers to Swansea in 2009, but the loss of his replacement Malky Mackay to Cardiff last summer has hurt them more keenly. Indeed, there is an undercurrent of resentment towards both Welsh clubs and a fear that what quality they have in their squad may be poached, especially if this season does become a relegation battle. “It’s all Malky’s fault”.

The departure of players like last season’s Championship top scorer Danny Graham to Swansea, midfielder Don Cowie to Cardiff and frontman Will Buckley to Brighton have hurt the quality in the squad, especially in attack. “Any side would struggle having lost a 27-goal forward”.

A pattern in recent seasons was identified by one observant Hornet: “We have started well in each of the last few seasons because we haven’t had to blend new players, but we have faded as we haven’t the strength in depth."

“If the team fares poorly in this stretch, you can guess where the season is going”. Their current run of games against Pompey (a 2-0 win), Doncaster (0-0), Bristol City (2-2) and now us are seen as season defining, “Especially if we hit our usual post New Year form”.

Watford Fans View on Selection and Tactics
“The quality of 'football' engineered from Dyche is still absolutely shocking. The back four pass it sideways every now and then, but whenever the ball gets anywhere near the halfway line it is hoofed up towards the area. It's like watching non-league”.

“Tactically inept”, “What exactly are our team’s strengths? Please answer that as I can tell you Dyche does not know what they are”, “Explain what he means by a ‘mixed style’ of football and ‘leaving the players to decide’? Does that not sound like inept, clueless and shirking his responsibility?”

Manager Sean Dyche’s performance provokes heated discussion. “He said the diagonal ball is an effective weapon, but not every bloody time because even a second-rate manager like [Steve] McClaren figured it out after 15 minutes and then we had nothing”.

Dyche has been contrasted unfavourably with managers like Aidy Boothroyd, Mackay and Rodgers who “had an articulated tactical model and playing style”. The basic 4-4-2 model they have been playing does not seem to have been developed beyond putting the right players in the right positions and hoping for the best.

“I think the turgid football, lack of entertainment and lack of hope make the case against him. It’s not like we’ve been playing okay but losing or playing with kids. Hurrah, we’ve got some points recently, but it doesn’t paper over the cracks”.

Watford’s recent run of only one defeat in six games is seen as down to luck more than judgement. “I still don’t believe that Dyche is anywhere near good enough, but if the wins he has been stumbling across or fluking can point him roughly in the right direction there is an outside chance we could stay up”.

One small final tactical note here is a comment on how Watford have struggled when opponents play a pressing game high up the park. On Tuesday, “Bristol had a policy last night of pressing our back four and not allowing us to play the ball out of defence. Every time Loach rolled the ball out to a defender so he could run forward with it, he had a man closing him down.

“All we could do was hoof it or play it back to Loach, a ploy that brought dividends with the second goal back pass cock-up. This was a smart move by the opposition manager, in my opinion”. This came up in match threads earlier in the season.

Defence
“For the month of November, we have comfortably had the best defence in the league, having conceded one goal in four games” before the 2-2 draw against Bristol City on Tuesday. Watford have had a measure of success this season at the back, with a settled back five which has attracted little criticism in recent weeks.

Former Ipswich Academy player Scott Loach is in his sixth season with the Hornets. The 23-year-old goalkeeper’s “new found confidence is directly related to having such a good back four in front of him”. However, some old concerns reappeared against Bristol City. “Old butterfingers Loach strikes again”. He conceded a goal from a back-pass by a centre back similar to Paul Robinson’s howler in Croatia.

Northern Ireland international Lee Hodson is establishing himself in the right back berth. The 20-year old “is looking better than Doyley”, this comment refers to Lloyd Doyley, who was been at Vicarage Road for 10 years, but who has been replaced by Hodson in recent games due to a thigh injury.

Carl Dickinson has been highly praised at left-back. The 24-year-old former Stoke player (who played for Pompey last season on loan) joined Watford this summer and has “vastly improved” as the season has progressed.

He is error-prone, being slated for “two mistakes against Peterborough” which led to goals. Against Bristol City, he was seen to be indecisive. “Not for the first time this season, Dicko was static which led to him being out jumped, but I would have liked to see the keeper come out and clear everyone in that situation”. “Nyron Nosworthy and Adrian Mariappa (the two centre-backs) are in fine form”. Former Blackburn and Birmingham defender Martin (Tiny) Taylor (infamously involved in the tackle which broke Eduardo’s leg against Arsenal) has been out with a collarbone injury. The swap of Nosworthy for Taylor has fortuitously strengthened Watford’s defence.

Mariappa is in his sixth season at Watford. “Mapps is probably our star performer so far this season”. The 25-year-old is “in the top 10 central defenders in this league” and is “absolutely outstanding and consistently so”. He adds pace in the back four and he was many supporters' man of the match against Pompey. “Mariappa is looking more and more like a captain every game”.

“We have all been proven wrong, and I for one would like that to continue”. Former Gillingham centre-back Nyron Nosworthy is on loan from Sunderland, and has established a good partnership with Mariappa.

A slow start led to the 31-year-old being labelled “a carthorse” among other names. “Nosworthy has had a massive influence in defence” and one of his tackles against Portsmouth was “Bobby Moore-esque”.

Midfield
“The fact is that we have no wide threat. We either go for diagonal balls which haven’t worked or we go long up the middle. Either way we’re predictable”. Criticism of the midfield’s tactical weakness is laid as much at Sean Dyche’s desk as his players.

In the centre of midfield, the replacement of captain John Eustace (who was out with a back injury) in recent games with Ghanaian Prince Buaben has brought a new dimension to the Hornets midfield play. Eustace and Jonathan Hogg are seen as primarily defensive, whereas Buaben, “is an excellent box-to-box midfielder”.

Jonathan Hogg dropped to the defensive point of a wide midfield diamond for Watford after Eustace’s injury. “JH has been a revelation this season with his high energy and total commitment. He sometimes walks a fine line with referees and needs to keep his trap shut, but I wouldn’t swap him for anyone in this division at the moment".

“For a short fella, he wins a great deal in the air,” the 22-year-old, signed from Villa this summer, had a storming game against Pompey and was “man of the match by miles” against Bristol City. “Gawd only knows how we managed to sign him. He is a real coup”. “Hogg has to control his enthusiasm,” was the only comment against this highly-rated player.

“The last two performances with Buaben have been a massive improvement”. Having also joined (from Dundee United) this summer, he plays at the forward point of the diamond. The 23-year-old retained his place after the Captain returned from injury. “Credit to Dyche, he could have stuck with Eustace in midfield and dropped Bauben but it seems he's now finally realised Hogg and Bauben is far more balanced in the middle”.

The Ghanaian needs to work on both his finishing and his match fitness. “Buaben needs to spend a few months learning to hit a ball without leaning back”. “He’s the biggest threat to cups of tea behind the goal since Neil Cox”.

“Prince has started strongly and played well for the first 55 minutes. From then he has looked tired, sloppy and essentially fatigued and as a result has been substituted”. “He was out on his feet by half time,” against Bristol City and fans were saying that Eustace should have been brought on at this point in the game.

On the right flank, Watford have used 25-year-old Irishman Mark Yeates. The former Colchester and Sheffield United player has been subject to some criticism. “He is so selfish it’s unbelievable. He’s got to start working more for the team because he’s not as big a talent as he seems to think he is”.

Described elsewhere as “a very average Championship winger,” he has started to knuckle down. Against Pompey, “his defending and support for Hodson were far, far better than in previous games”.

In contrast, Michael Kightly, on loan from Wolves until January, has been highly praised down the left flank. “When he’s fully fit, he’ll rip teams to pieces”. The 25-year-old is coming into a run of form, and his game against ITFC will be his sixth, and most Hornets would love his loan period to be extended.

He was “quality again” on Tuesday night. “Kightly is a completely different class to what we or Brizzle have”. “We’re going to miss him when he goes back in January” was a constant refrain. In the ITFC programme for the Palace game, there was a small news piece about him needing “five or six games to regain match sharpness”. He has had six games. You have been warned.

Strikers
“Watford remind me of the monster from ’The Holy Grail’, except that in the end it really is a cute bunny”. A lack of real pace is widely perceived as their greatest weakness. “If we want to play the ball long, we need speed, energy and mobility. We don’t have that”.

Chris Iwelumo has “about as much mobility as a dead whale. We have paid £100,000 for someone to lump the ball up to”. “Emu’s legs have gone”. “We surged forward and I thought he was sleep-walking”.

The 33-year-old signed from Burnley this season has been hammered by many supporters. “Iwelumo has not got the legs for it, but in a young team, I suppose he adds that physical presence that you need”. “I don’t mind if he’s slow, but his laziness is inexcusable”. He is, “a real lamp-post”.

It would be unwise to write him off, however, as he has support from an informed minority. “You clearly weren't watching him then where he won everything in the air, held the ball up and brought others into play brilliantly (against Bristol City).

“It is possible to have more than one type of centre-forward and that not every striker is used for their direct goal threat. Had Big Chris not been playing tonight I doubt we would have got a point. He is invaluable to the way that we play”.

“None of our strikers bar Marv look to have any goals in them”. Twenty-year-old top scorer Marvin Sordell is “a work in progress”. Seen as a good finisher, against Doncaster “he did f*** all else. He is lazy and again was a passenger. His all round game is cack”.

“Headless chicken springs to mind. He is still young, so needs a few seasons to develop his scoring talent”. Playing him as a solitary striker against Forest was seen as a mistake by the manager, with “five in midfield and 50-yard punts”.

“Pleased for Beattie to get his goal but not very convinced by him”. Striker Craig Beattie scored against on Tuesday against Bristol City, but the 27-year-old former Baggie (on loan from Swansea) is not rated as having the pace or quality to play regularly up front.

“Beattie was being asked to do more of the movement and he isn't really adapted to that kind of game based on his pretty slow movement as well”. Hornets do not see him and Iwelumo as a natural pairing.

Former Forest striker Joe Garner has also partnered Iwelumo. The 23-year-old “misses everything that comes his way,” but has his supporters as he has “hardly played”. One critic has described him as “an expensive mistake when we have a shoestring budget”. Former Walsall striker Troy Deeney, “who can provide a spark,” and who, “as ever, puts his heart into the game,” may come on from the bench.

Craig Forsyth is another fringe player who may feature. The 22-year-old joined from Dundee in the summer, but is not rated. “A big part to our hoofing tactics,” he brings “looping long throws and the ability to jump a bit higher than most full backs, but with no end product”.

Watford Fans Views on ITFC and the Game
“Just by the by, when did we last lose to Ipswich? They seem to be the one side we consistently beat, whatever kind of season we are having”. Watford know that they are our bogey team. “The one club we always beat though! If we don't beat them this season, we really are doomed!”

“Ipswich away is extremely winnable as they've lost six in a row now and must be rock bottom in terms of confidence”. Just like with Clarets on Tuesday, our form is so poor that a minority are nervous. “I don't see the correlation between them losing six on the spin and it being anything less than a difficult game”.

Tamas Priskin did pop up again, in a thread bemoaning their attacking options a month ago. “I’d take Priskin back,” ventured one Hornet, only to be hit immediately with, “Yes, what we really need now is when, on the few occasions we actually manage to get the ball over our own halfway line, we have some useless c*** standing offside”.

Other Points
Watford’s owner Laurence Bassini, who took over the club this year, is a source of anxiety. Hornets are very concerned about (a) how he funded the takeover (b) how he is funding on-going (loss-making) operations and (c) how he will fund payment of complex formalised debts to past and existing directors.

He has had an erratic track record in business, and concerns were heightened when he pulled out of a forum meeting on November 8th to explain everything to supporters. Nothing may come of this, but Portsmouth may not be the only team in our division coming under financial scrutiny. Watch this space.

The two best websites to look at are www.gloryhorns.co.uk (you may have to register) and www.wfcforums.com, both of which were similarly busy.

My_TFC added 16:43 - Dec 1 Great stuff mate. Should be a 'good game' (I use that term loosely).
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Garv added 16:54 - Dec 1 Good stuff again well done. Are they generally confident for Saturday then I'm guessing? Definitely want Murphy to start again, without him vs Reading we may have lost 3-0! Much needed presence upfront and useful in our own box as well. He must be our only player 6"1" or over surely? That's criminal! Very supportive of Jewell so far but leaving Martin out completely on Tuesday absolutely baffled me and if he was to do it again I would find it very difficult to defend him if we lost.

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Lamby95 added 20:30 - Dec 1 “Yes, what we really need now is when, on the few occasions we actually manage to get the ball over our own halfway line, we have some useless c*** standing offside”. Haha, made me laugh alot.
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JimmyJazz added 22:37 - Dec 1 Great post again, why is it every time I read your briefing notes I think to myself 'we can have them on Saturday'?
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Pip50 added 19:45 - Dec 2 Can you stop doing these useless posts they are becoming a ffin jona!
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HarryfromBath added 11:21 - Dec 3 Going through the Watford websites this morning.. They are very confident of beating 'Jewell's softies'. The most popular score is 1-0 to Watford with us missing a hatful of chances. One discussion highlighted how teams losing to Watford often sack their managers - losing to Watford is apparently the last straw for some chairmen. Hopefully we can keep Michael Kightly under control and start to turn our ship around. COYB!!!

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