This one isn’t quite the six pointer that the Norwich game was, but it’s still massively important as although Watford won’t catch us, we’ll lose more ground to the clubs above us.
It’s a case of trying to not let those above us get too far away until we can get reinforcements in, I reckon.
There isn’t much squad news, with Abdoulaye Doucoure being in contention for Watford, but neither Mings or Davis will be available for us, although they are both training.
Which is maybe all academic as surely both sides will both want to change things up just to rest players, won’t they?
The problem is, I’m not sure how we can change it up really.
You could start Hourihane, I suppose and perhaps Smith will, although I don’t see him as anywhere near a 90 minute player. Yes, he has a “wand of a left foot” and all that, but I’ve often said he isn’t the type for a battle.
And this will surely be one, as Watford are undergoing the new manager bounce and will give their all for Nigel Pearson.
Targett was poor on Saturday, so you could maybe rest him and play Taylor.
Guilbert could come back instead of Elmohamady.
The point is we do have options, but I think it all depends what Dean Smith thinks, as he’ll have done his homework on Watford, as opposed to me having very little knowledge apart from thinking that Troy Deeney is a decent, bustling striker.
It appears the Watford fans are not overly worried about facing us and I can partly see why.
We’ve been quite poor in our last few games and our heads drop if we go a goal down, which makes me think Watford will come out all guns blazing.
I’m hoping the win over Norwich will have greatly improved our confidence, but the performance wasn’t at all convincing.
We need to be better; quicker in the build up, with more accurate, faster passing and more clinical.
In other words, basically a better Premier league team.
But I think this will boil down to who wants it more.
And that’s a tough call on my part.
My heart says we can win this, but my head says we’ll lose.
I’m going to go inbetween and say we’ll draw 1-1, which while not ideal, would do as long as we perform decently.
A loss, combined with a poor performance will just have me worryimg all the more.
‘Watford fans not overly worried about playing us’ probably applies to the fans of pretty much every club in the EPL.
And that’s been a problem for too long now.
We’re just too nice and that’s another reason why we miss Mings.
Having two games close together (plus injuries) demonstrates the lack of real depth in our squad but Pearson seems equally concerned on that front given his use of an ice chamber to help players recover more quickly!
A draw would be an acceptable result – we have to learn how not to lose games.
villa squad was rated to finish 18th. the only two squads in the league with less market value are sheff utd and norwich. both of whom finished miles ahead of us last year and beat us in three games with other a draw which we had to comeback from three nil down to get.
this season was always going to be a tough one. we are not shaming ourselves , we are bang on the bordering line to surviving or being the last club relegated. all the new players needed time to settle and form a new relationships unlike those at norwich and sheff utd who both kept their squads from last seasons together.
look at the last squad we had that got relegated. they were all thrown into together new squad etc. they all lacked the cohesion they played like strangers. now four years on some of that squad are now flourishing in the premier. point is it is very hard to change the dynamics of the squad and be a instant success.
we will be fine, just needed to get through this sticky patch, that win at home will boost low confidence. playing away will also release the shackles. norwich are good team yes they are bottom,but they walked the championship last year. they out played wolves the week before we beat them. they off course had revenge as motivation losing to us in front of their expecting fans.
watford beat utd at home, but this is not a glamorous game. it is a battle of two relegation threatened teams. villa will be much more relaxed and watford will be feeling the nerves. if we can had to that pressure by scoring first. we will win easy.
i think the new partnership in cb might need to change, both were brilliant last time. but watford will carry more dangers in the air, so recall for engels to partner hause. but saying that watford do have pace to threaten us with with, that Deulofeu is lightening speeds, but overall watford will try to bully us on corners / freekicks, this could be the deciding factor. we have been poor all year at defending crosses , this will be pearsons game plan.
Keeping players fresh for all the games over the Christmas period is key. I don’t think we have many options to change players round from Norwich game. Nakamba started well for us but has been poor recently. Hourihane scores and creates more but is today’s game more suitable for ball winners?
I don’t fancy our chances if I’m honest. Watford will bully and out muscle us. They will win most of the 50-50 tackles and knowing Pearson, they will target Grealish. No doubt Deeney will score, so I’m predicting 2-0. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.
Targeting Grealish might not be the most sensible strategy.
I am however concerned about him being injured.
Assuming we can, is there an argument for recalling players like Green and O’Hare from loans in the January window?
I would leave O’Hare at Coventry seeing as he has been getting game time. As for Green, although he hasn’t played hardly for Preston because of form or injury, could he be any worse than our current wide men?
Langsbury playing as if he don’t want to be here.
Lads don’t build your hopes up on winning this, we haven’t been out of our own box for 20 minutes.
What a save from Wesley. It’s hotting up now, clashes by there centre back and Wesley ref warning both to cut it out.
2 crap sides out there today….
…as long as we’re slightly less crap that them, we’ll take it…
Never mind.
Piss poor that’s us, they have scored 1 none
Last time we kept a clean sheet away from home in the Prem – 23rd January 2016!
Next time to keep a clean sheet – not a f***ing clue 🙂
That bloke again……..why the hell cant we play the ball out …these are not exactly applying all that much pressure on it.
Again, Smith’s arrogance and stubbornness. Why play the ball out at all. Clear the f****** danger! We’re not Man City or Barcelona! Just clear the danger, get it down in the middle or final third, then start passing it. You have to be pragmatic when you’re in deep shit. But no, we’ll stick resolutely to what we’ve always done. I’m in a bad mood, if you couldn’t tell.
That goal was us giving the ball away, us trying to get it out they fighting to get it back Villa are on the ropes.
Thought the worst when Wesley failed to score – all downhill since that moment. It’s as if the fight went out of us and we started to accept the inevitable.
It’s going to be a long second half – to the game and the season.
Always just before or after half-time. Mentally weak. Play to the f****** whistle! I wonder if any of the coaches give bollockings, or if they’re as soft as the ‘boys’ on the pitch. I said in the last thread to make them angry. It’s a war. You don’t put your guns down when the opposition are pointing theirs in your face! No balls. No backbone. Exactly what Deeney has in spades.
Exactly BFR – we are weak, soft and lack real fight.
Perversely (although I’m not wishing him back) the very attributes we are missing you do get in a Bruce team.
For all his ‘modern speak’ I suspect we reflect, on the pitch, Smith’s pleasant, amiable character.
As you say BFR we need to get some real warriors in, in January. With McGinn and Mings out, the fighting heart of the team has been mortally wounded
we were well in this game, but for another gifted opportunity given to our opponents. when will we learn. the game now will become a whole new ball game, watford will settle down and we will have to chase the game which will make it also easier for them. just cutting out the mistakes will improve our chances of surviving.
Smith doesn’t learn. He keeps doing the same thing. Hence the same mistakes.
that mistake like many this season is down to individual errors nothing to do with tactics
jota off which will help he was well off the pace
Individuals make the same errors when you ask them to do things that they’re not comfortable or not capable of doing. Smith wants to play out from the back. These are his tactics. The individuals are not comfortable or capable of doing this, especially in high-pressure matches. So it is tactics.
I admire your loyalty to Smith, Nath. But I wonder how long before he loses the dressing room, assuming the players are intelligent enough to see that he’s not reacting, adjusting or helping them with his tunnel vision.
What a shame.
I thought we were doing pretty well and Hause was winning everything in the air.
Our passing is much crisper and more accurate and then we ruin it all by messing about at the back again.
That’s the risk of trying to play out, I suppose.
This game isn’t over yet, but if Wesley gets another chance, he needs to bloody take it!
Holte66 , true words. We have not been in this game from the kick off. I’m watching it as clear as if I’m at the game. We are piss poor.in every department.
I’m sorry but Smiths team selection is shit. Lansbury and Jota might as well not be playing. Wesley should have scored with our only opportunity but he fluffed it….AGAIN! Deeney scored as I predicted and thoroughly deserve to be 1-0 up.
We are a shite football team and we will be relegated. Teams who go up through play offs nearly always get relegated.
Targett seems to be so far away from their wide men that cross field balls always reach their players.
I’m really pissed off that our recruitment team really made a balls up last summer. To be honest, If I was one of the owners, I wouldn’t trust them with any more money in January.
BFR, you’re right! Men versus snowflakes.
Now we are in the shit….Watford down to 10…
Has Smith learned how to play against 10? Will the experiences of earlier in the season have been evaluated and analysed, ready to be exploited at the next opportunity? The next 30 minutes will tell…
🙂 my sentiment exactly
Saints losing and I assume Leicester will beat West Ham. Big opportunity today. Cometh the hour, cometh the…oh, never mind.
This is our chance – Watford will start to sit back – but can we take it.
On the evidence of other games against 10 men – unlikely.