**Official Match Thread - The Hornets v City**

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

First topic message reminder :

Slade has come out of a quiet week so far as City is concerned with a confident Q&A session with the media.  Nevertheless, I do feel that his constantly referring back to the home record is a bit Malkyesque, in that the attacking performances have not been great and we are still conceding goals and possession.  However, it is points on the board that are the most important at the moment and ensuring we have something to play for come January.

On that basis, I don't see much departure from what has gone before at Watford, but I would like to see the following team given a chance.  Terry Phillips at WO has put this side forward and it looks like a safe way of changing things around, without losing attacking potential.

Slade has talked about partnerships, so hopefully Brayford/Noone & Fabio/Pilkington can start to create some havoc with pace and skill out wide.  This side does have the potential to play 4 - 5 - 1 effectively.

Marshall

Brayford  Morrison  Turner  Fabio

Noone  Gunnarsson  Adeyemi  Whitts  Pilkington

Jones

With the likes of Le Fondre, Macheda, Ravel, Daelhi, Connolly, Ralls still available for the bench, it looks like a good awayday squad to me.  

Watford are coming off three straight defeats, but defensively there is little to choose between them and City (21 & 22 goals conceded).  However, they have scored 31 goals to our 23 and are 3 points above us in the table.  A 5 - 0 win for City today would see us go above them..........  

They still have some cracking attacking talent - Vydra, Forestieri & Deeney have 15 goals between them and the threat of Anya out wide may persuade to Slade to stick with Connolly rather than Fabio.  Personally, I'd rather have Brayford playing on his better side and let Watford worry about the threat that Fabio would bring down their right.

Not an easy game at all this and if City play as they did against Brum and in the second half against Reading, then they are going to get stuffed.

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

Bloody nightmare, computer crashes, then power cut, then the battery went phutt.....what's the score?

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

.....good news is that I finally got a stream

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

70:30 possession, but hanging in there, it seems

[RhysGlobal Superstar]

Depends on how you want to spin today's game so far.

On the one hand, very much second best today. On the other, a solid away defensive performance.

[Cleve van LeefCaptain of Country]

Depends on how you want to spin today's game so far.

On the one hand, very much second best today. On the other, a solid away defensive performance.

3 points, but what a crock of s**t

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

Depends on how you want to spin today's game so far.

On the one hand, very much second best today. On the other, a solid away defensive performance.

3 points, but what a crock of s**t

The stats don't look favourable but maybe that's the stroke of luck we need to turn our away form around.

[SteWellsTeam Captain]

Don't look favourable?!? We were battered!

Possession - 71% v 29%
Shots - 22 v 11

Still, a win's a win. I suppose.

[RhysGlobal Superstar]

Don't look favourable?!? We were battered!

Possession - 71% v 29%
Shots - 22 v 11

Still, a win's a win. I suppose.

What the stats don't tell you though is that it would not be an exaggeration to say that at least of their efforts were speculative long shots or really soft efforts straight at Marshall. He never really had a save to make today.

Another way of putting it was that our defence kept them comfortably at bay and forced Watford for the most part to shoot from a long way out.

Our defense did not look troubled really at all tonight.

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

Don't look favourable?!? We were battered!

Possession - 71% v 29%
Shots - 22 v 11

Still, a win's a win. I suppose.

What the stats don't tell you though is that it would not be an exaggeration to say that at least of their efforts were speculative long shots or really soft efforts straight at Marshall.  He never really had a save to make today.  

Another way of putting it was that our defence kept them comfortably at bay and forced Watford for the most part to shoot from a long way out.

Our defense did not look troubled really at all tonight.

That's the way I saw it as well Rhys......well, what I saw of it!

Results elsewhere also gone in our favour and the table has bunched right up.

Also a mention for Rudy, who got the equalizer for Blackburn 5 mins into stoppage time. I think that's 11 for the season...

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

Yep, 11 for the season, plus a lump on the head......ouch!

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

Ouch

Finally caught up on the highlights from yesterday's game - what a strange goal that was!

[CyncoedslumdogNational Legend]

Alf is in the Echo today enthusing about how Kenwyne is superb to play next to. They certainly look more of a classic partnership and could give us the spark we need (despite all the moaning we are now in promotion form) but I wonder what Macheda thinks of those comments.

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

Alf is in the Echo today enthusing about how Kenwyne is superb to play next to. They certainly look more of a classic  partnership and could give us the spark we need (despite all the moaning we are now in promotion form) but I wonder what Macheda thinks of those comments.

Macheda seems to run hot and cold and no question Jones has been in excellent form all season. At this level, he seems to be thriving and Alf has a good record in this division too. Chuck Mason back into the mix in January and we have some tidy looking alternatives up front. Not bad having Macheda as a bench option is it?

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

Chuck Mason? When did we sign him?

[TDAGlobal Superstar]

I think Macheda has displayed a good attitude since he has been at the club and I don't think he will be bothered.

Form comes & goes, but I think he was expecting to pair up with Guerra as a striking alternative. Jones & Le Fondre have always seemed a logical partnership, but I would like to see the other two given a chance, as well.

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