6 days agoWatford 1–0 Burnley: Substance over style against esteemed KompanyThree games, seven points, top of the league. Yet the feeling after Watford’s 1–0 win over Vincent Kompany’s much-fancied Burnley is there is still work to be done. And still there were positives to take from a game in which the Hornets had only two shots in the match —…Watford5 min read
Aug 2Watford 1–0 Sheffield United: It felt, looked and was differentIt always feels different on the first day (or evening). Optimism is rife, the sun is usually out and anything is possible. But this really felt different. On another day — or in another league — João Pedro’s winner would have been ruled out for offside. On another day, Sheffield…Watford5 min read
Jul 29Watford’s summer of discontent is (almost) over: a case for the optimistsIt seems a lifetime ago that Rob Edwards was introduced to Watford fans at Vicarage Road during the final home game of a wretched season that ended in a 5–1 defeat by Leicester City. In fact, only 78 days have passed. Yet after the most fractious, ill-tempered, and divisive pre-season…Watford8 min read
May 12Watford 0–0 Everton: Hodgson misses out on panto villain as new era beginsWhether by design or accident, it was fitting that the first song played at full-time following Watford’s goalless draw with Everton was Altogether Now by The Farm. …Watford3 min read
May 4Watford are at a crossroads: Premier League at all costs, or stand for more?Readers of this (very) occasional blog will know I tend to only write in times of Watford hardship. So it’s not by coincidence that I’ve managed more entries this season than ever before. Relegation to the Championship has been a forgone conclusion for some time. It’s testament only to the…Watford4 min read
Jan 29Watford’s Ray of the Rovers tale shows how far Hornets have slippedI can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when Ray Lewington was sacked by Watford in March 2005. Perhaps because I was a teenager and every crumb of coverage about my beloved Hornets was seized upon with ravenous hunger. Perhaps because he was my first ‘real’…Watford6 min read
Jan 1Watford: more Ready, Steady, Cook than MasterchefOld habits die hard. New Year. A new season. A new head coach (surprise, surprise, I know). But the same owners at Watford. This is not and will not become a cry for a change of ownership. As we enter what will become the 10th year of Pozzo control at…Watfor5 min read
Jun 5, 2021Watford end-of-season review: forwardsIf any part of this squad needed a refresh post relegation it was up front and, mercifully, we got it. Yet, as we head into 2021/22, we’re still pondering the futures of Troy Deeney, Andre Gray and Isaac Success — what’s the saying? …Watford10 min read
May 29, 2021Marco Cassetti: ‘My dream is one day to manage a team and Watford would be fantastic’Note: This interview was conducted on March 19, 2020, at the start of lockdown and some references will be out of date. Marco Cassetti made almost 200 appearances for Roma, twice won the Coppa Italia and scored an iconic winner against rivals Lazio in Derby della Capitale. …Watford6 min read
May 25, 2021Watford end-of-season squad review: midfieldersBy the season’s end there were new faces and new heroes throughout the Watford side but no part of the squad saw a bigger refresh in 2020/21 than the front half of the team. While Dan Bachmann, William Troost-Ekong and Francisco Sierralta all played crucial roles, we still saw plenty…Watford8 min read
