v Watford (a) - 11/02/2023

[Mashed Potatoes]

Just now, Gav said:

The Armstrong deal was closer to £20m with addons, the Hampshire press reported. 

Judging from Armstrong's "achievements" since he moved I doubt if too many of those add ons have been triggered. It looks like he will be playing in the Championship next season.

[rigger]

9 minutes ago, Andy said:

Completely agree - he started the season well and if we've learned absolutely nothing else about BBD over the last few years, it's that's he's a confidence player.

And right now, he's running on empty.

That aside, really good result today and the lads put in a real shift. We need to follow it up with a similar performance at WBA next and it'll keep us in the play off discussion, as we have been all season.

So if we  manage to get a draw at West Brom, we will have gained three points in the last three games. We would have had three points with a win at home against Wigan, leaving us two free hits.

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He is out of form but isn't helped by his manager playing him so far away from goal. His tactics are leaving him milew away from goal.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by rigger

[Silas]

25 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I'm not sure what you expected from Gally's header. There wasn't really a 'good' place to direct it, other than arguably to flick it behind him to give away a corner. 

He does that, they score from the corner, and we all go mental about it for pages on here. 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just seen the highlights. Dack took that superbly but Watford missed 2 absolute sitters second half.  Lucky point in the end.  

[chaddyrovers]

5 minutes ago, Gav said:

Armstrong deal was closer to £20m with addons, the Hampshire press reported. 

But Newcastle got 40% of any future fee after the fee we paid. So lets say we accept a bid of 20 mil for debate sake, then Newcastle got 6.8 million and we got 10.2 million plus 3 mil we paid for him in the first place

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He is out of form but isn't helped by his manager playing him so far away from goal. His tactics are leaving him milew away from goal.

He has the do the job need as the left side player and track him man back. 

[arbitro]

A good point in isolation which I would have settled for at kick off. Defensively I thought it was the best we have looked for a while particularly against some lively attackers. Carter was the pick of them for me as he continues to impress. Interestingly we finished stronger and on the front foot which we haven't done too many times. That was really good from Tomasson although Watford lost their shape as they threw on substitutes to try and win the game. 

[Miller11]

Just watched the highlights back. I think it’s very harsh to blame Gallagher for their goal.

[davulsukur]

23 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Just seen the highlights. Dack took that superbly but Watford missed 2 absolute sitters second half.  Lucky point in the end.  

Was just about to post similar.

Didn't see the game but the highlights suggest we got away with it today big time with Watford missing those 2 sitters.

I'll take a point on the road but another day we would have deservedly left with nothing. 

[Hasta]

Good point and decent performance in isolation. Watford were on top when they scored. We then changed it removing Dack and Brereton which, for once, helped us get back into the game, albeit removing any goal threat.

Just another game that reminds us that, outside of the top 2, this league is very ordinary all the way through.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Hasta

[booth]

7 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Was just about to post similar.

Didn't see the game but the highlights suggest we got away with it today big time with Watford missing those 2 sitters.

I'll take a point on the road but another day we would have deservedly left with nothing. 

The highlights don't tell the full story, like when Porteous threw himself to the ground to get the free kick from a weak Gallagher challenge, after Brereton let him saunter past him with all the time in the world. Shouldn't have been a free kick.

[Hasta]

3 minutes ago, booth said:

The highlights don't tell the full story, like when Porteous threw himself to the ground to get the free kick from a weak Gallagher challenge, after Brereton let him saunter past him with all the time in the world. Shouldn't have been a free kick.

I thought it was soft but a bit stupid by Gallagher. He just lent into him with his arm. Allowed him to go down.

[Nuttall is lost]

2 hours ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

The OP called it first post of this thread. You were a few days late!

True.  Mine was not a prediction though but an underwritten guarantee

[roversfan99]

26 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

But Newcastle got 40% of any future fee after the fee we paid. So lets say we accept a bid of 20 mil for debate sake, then Newcastle got 6.8 million and we got 10.2 million plus 3 mil we paid for him in the first place

He has the do the job need as the left side player and track him man back. 

But my point is that he is wasted being played so deep in the first place. It is a more defensive role than playing as left of essentially a front 2 (with Buckley floating) when he scored loads of goals under Mowbray or even as left of a front 3 in a 433 where again he offerer a goal threat.

If Dolan swapped with him, his work rate could be used to get up and down whereas out of the 2 Brereton is the one likely to score if near the opposition goal.

To be honest, we play too defensively and don't seem to know what we do when we have the ball. Watford's goal was coming because there is only so long you can just defend without any idea of how to attack. 

[booth]

1 minute ago, Hasta said:

I thought it was soft but a bit stupid by Gallagher. He just lent into him with his arm. Allowed him to go down.

Stupid sums up his entire performance. That wasn't the worst of it. I'd like to see the bizarre moment where he managed to deflect the ball away from the opponents net, to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.

[booth]

4 minutes ago, Hasta said:

I thought it was soft but a bit stupid by Gallagher. He just lent into him with his arm. Allowed him to go down.

It was the way that Brereton didn't put a challenge in that frustrated me. Literally walked past him with the ball.

[Cherry Blue]

12 minutes ago, Hasta said:

Good point and decent performance in isolation. Watford we’re on top when they scored. We then changed it removing Dack and Brereton which, for once, helped us get back into the game, albeit removing any goal threat.

Just another game that reminds us that, outside of the top 2, this league is very ordinary all the way through.

Ordinary maybe but nothing for us this season. Instead we're left with memories of missed opportunities, Wigan x2, Preston & Burnley no shows, return of Brereton & a soggy pitch. 

Still in the cup though! 

[chaddyrovers]

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

But my point is that he is wasted being played so deep in the first place. It is a more defensive role than playing as left of essentially a front 2 (with Buckley floating) when he scored loads of goals under Mowbray or even as left of a front 3 in a 433 where again he offerer a goal threat.

He is playing left of a three behind a main striker and he has to track the right back/wing back into defensive areas

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

If Dolan swapped with him, his work rate could be used to get up and down whereas out of the 2 Brereton is the one likely to score if near the opposition goal.

Is BBD going to be able to play the main number 9 role cos he hasn't be effective when he has played there? 

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

To be honest, we play too defensively and don't seem to know what we do when we have the ball. Watford's goal was coming because there is only so long you can just defend without any idea of how to attack. 

Watford came on strong second half but this was surely expecting probably receiving bashing from Bilic over their first half performance. 

People were expecting us to get beat and hammering including yourself. So to come out from this game with well deserved draw is a positive as has a number of players performances

[Ossydave]

Waggott out chants today apparently, well done lads.

[Bbrovers2288]

Can’t grumble with a point at Watford, I expected a defeat before the game so I’m happy

off topic but special mention to jrc for his upturn in form, didn’t think he had it in him and was all prepared for him sliding down the leagues and to obscurity but the lad now has a future here 

[Feed the Yak]

Good spirit and we were certainly lucky with some of the Watford misses. It was a better performance than I was expecting and an end to end game. My starting XI ratings:

Pears 8 - Made some assured saves and couldn't do much about the goal. A few more parries than I would like but he's really come along lately. He probably deserves to keep the gloves for now and I never, ever thought I would say that.

JRC 6 - Playing well lately but not his best game. He caused trouble for our goal and tried hard against pace but made some clumsy errors in possession.

Carter 9 - Solid as a rock, maybe the best performance I've seen from him. A classy last ditch clearance by him when a Watford player was in on goal.

Wharton 6 - I'm just not so convinced with Wharton this season and he's very clumsy with the ball too often for my liking.

Pickering 6 - No clangers but not much more.

Morton 4 - Anonymous.

Travis 8 - Hard working, made some great challenges, ran box to box and led by example. Back to form thankfully as we need some steel in the middle. I want to see him and A Wharton have a run together as soon as possible.

Dack 8 - As has been the case for the last couple of months, excellent closing down and he made some classy touches. Great composure for the goal and unlucky to have another chalked off for offside. I wouldn't have taken him off as he is out only goal threat right now. Deserves a new contract.

Thomas 7 - looked a threat but no end product today. Well worth a place in the team though, he offers a different outlet and threat.

Dolan 8 - Excellent closing down and hassling, some tidy touches and passes. I'm a fan and feel he deserves a place in the team, think he has earned it after today.

Brereton 1 - Did less than nowt. Shame.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Feed the Yak

[Polky]

Happy with the point, as I thought we’d get battered today. The lads battled well, we all know that we lack the quality in the final third.

We had a few chances to hit them on the counter in the last 5-10 minutes but we looked happy with the draw.

I thought JRC dealt with Sarr very well and Carter was brilliant all game.
 

[Andy]

2 hours ago, rigger said:

So if we  manage to get a draw at West Brom, we will have gained three points in the last three games. We would have had three points with a win at home against Wigan, leaving us two free hits.

 

And if we win at WBA, it'll be 5 points from the 3 games - which the vast majority of us would have been happy with.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Great goal from Dack, that demanded a really cool head. Who knows what he could have done but for those two serious injuries.

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, Andy said:

And if we win at WBA, it'll be 5 points from the 3 games - which the vast majority of us would have been happy with.

Where would you think we have the better chance of winning ? Wigan at home or West Brom away. The point is we would have already got  an acceptable return of points for the three games, if we had beaten Wigan at home .

[RoversTilliDie]

A much improved performance from Monday nights rubbish served up, a useful point keeps us tucked in behind the top 6.