Article: Match thread: Watford F.C. v Cardiff City F.C. 6th April 2013.

Well after the Hull game it was a game we could not afford to lose so a draw isn't a disaster. May need Cardiff to do us a favour now though.

 

Well that gets the award for the quietest match thread ever!

 

After a slow start from us we probably had the better chances but in reality defences were on top as Cardiff closed us down and our crossing was poor.

Vydra looked like he had a knock and had a fitness test before the game - FF was better when he came on.

Briggs was disappointing and certainly our defence was very solid tonight against a strong side.

 

Glad you could see it GG.

A draw was probably a fair result with the two sides cancelling each other out. To be honest if I were already in the PL I don't think I would be getting too worried about either side coming up.

I had Hornet Player sound and the live stream muted. The Cardiff fans seemed very quiet after all the noise they created on here beforehand.

15,500 in the ground so still a couple of thousand short of capacity. Vicarage Road end still half empty despite the efforts to get it filled. I don't really know if the fact that it was on TV had any impact on that.

 

With this draw it's only Millwall, Middlesbrough, Bolton and Leicester from outside the play-off teams who can catch us, and in Millwall's case we have to lose all our games and they have to win everything.

 

We really have to lose lose lose now not to make the playoffs....

However best to win win win and get automatic!!

 

Bit of a 'looking over your shoulder pessimistic' type of view that, Brag. I prefer to be optimistic and think that we have four games left against teams currently in a form slump - Leeds, Leicester, Peterborough and Blackburn, and a hard-to-predict-one against Millwall. Hull have to face three teams currently experiencing a form revival in Barnsley, Ipswich and Wolves, an easy fixture against Bristol - and Cardiff......

I like them odds.

 

I think on paper I would bet on us......

but.............................

 

Right then, we know what we have to do now... disappointing but not a disasterous result. I do not like the idea of relying on a Cardiff victory in the last match and, somehow, we need to get at least level on points with Hull going into the last game and if we don't match Hull's result in the last game then we will not have deserved to go up. Stating the blinking obvious I know

 

Reading some pessimistic comments on here, some of you almost giving up on automatic promotion already and looking behind us instead!

Yes it was disappointing not to have come away with 3 points but that 1 point could be a very important point come the end of the season. That one point made sure we are only 3 points off Hull and we have the advantage of having a way superior goal difference.

Lets see what happens on Saturday, a win for us and a loss for Hull and we are back in the autos.

Make no bones about it, this one's going to the wire and it could be our goal difference that becomes our extra point that takes us up automatically.

Lets keep believing! COYH!!!

 

Spot on BucksHornet

 

Disagree about Briggs on the whole, I thought he put in a decent shift with the exception of his crossing which was someway below what we have come to expect. Indeed I felt the whole team were below par before Fessi's introduction.

 

I rather liked the following description taken from a report.

These sides are a perfect microcosm of the unpredictability of Championship football: the home side free-scoring and dynamic in a 3-5-2 formation and their opponents stoic and uncompromising — a psychology their manager has labelled “monotonous consistency.”

 

I like the way fans of premiership teams are already saying that if we go up we'll come straight back down. Clowns.

 

Normally come away from a 0-0 draw disappointed but I thought that was an interesting game, if not a thrilling one. We seemed nervous at the start, playing very deep and struggled to hold on to possession for 20 minutes or so. The pendulum began to shift towards the end of the first half when a bit of sustained pressure lifted confidence and sent us in at half time in a better frame of mind. For me the key thing in the second half was the much improved pressing of Cardiff players with the ball. Suddenly our midfield began to win the ball and find space. In a game without many outstanding performances I thought Cassetti was excellent, particularly since he hasn't player much in central defence this season. He reads the game so well and doesn't often give the ball away under pressure. Doyley, Ekstrand and Almunia gave the defence a solid look and there weren't the usual lapses of concentration. Vydra, whether or not through injury, does seem to hae lost his energy at the moment and Forestieri looked more likely to score when he came on. Abdi was his usual self, calm, alert and able to distribute the ball from tight situations. Anya made some good runs down the right in the second half and Briggs found a bit more space on the left but neither reaaly delivers dangerous enough crosses when they get the chance.

If it was disappointing not to win, the movement and the body language, especially in the second half, suggests this is a team that still has plenty enough self-belief to get results anywhere. So let's hope it starts with Posh...

 

I thought that when he came on Hogg made a big difference to the mid-field. Up to that point we looked a bit lightweight there and his passing was better than CB who didn't appear to have recovered from his great display against Hull.

Onwards to Posh now, a team that usually give it a go, which could make for a more open game.

 

Agreed Frenchie...hence my point about more pressing. Hogg led by example that respect. CB had an off day...out of the game to begin with and then too many misplaced passes when he did have the ball. I'm sure he'll be back...

 

Well I never a 0-0, time to start winning again. COYH !!

5 games to go !!!

 

Obviously nothing's taken for granted is this mad division, BUT, thinking about our remaining fixtures, I can at least see us not losing again. Draws at Leicester and Milwall and wins against Posh, Blackburn and Leeds. 11 points isn't too bad for Hull to try and match...

 

Very good summary Theo - particularly regarding the quality of Cassetti and the below par performance of CB. I alsothought that Hogg made a big difference with the bonus that his performance shut up the idiot who sits next me - his normal " don't give it to Hogg, he's rubbish" soon died down.