please log in to view this image MANCHESTER CITY v WATFORD please log in to view this image Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: 9th March 2019 Kick Off : 1730 GMT please log in to view this image Watford face the onerous task of finding a way to halt Manchester City's title charge this weekend, but Javi Gracia is able to do so with a full complement of players to choose from. Every single member of Gracia's 26-man squad are fit and available in what is a perfectly timed clean bill of health as we approach the business end of the season, leaving the Head Coach with the full array of options if he decides to go toe to toe with the champions or rest some ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final tie with Crystal Palace next week. The availability of his whole squad leaves Gracia with the difficulty of telling eight players they will be left behind this weekend. It's not a job he enjoys, but he'd much rather that than be scratching around trying to find 18 fit blokes. How he breaks the news to those not in the matchday squad of 18 varies. “It depends on the week,” said Gracia. “When we practise set-pieces the day before, in that moment I sometimes tell the players directly that they are out of the list. In other weeks, we put the list on the dressing room and they read the list. We use different ways. It is not easy.” Meanwhile City have some injury problems. Certainly missing will be, Fernandinho (Injured), Laporte (Injured), Bravo (Injured), De Bruyne (Injured), and some doubtful, Stones (Injured), Delph (Injured) City have kept a clean sheet in their last four Premier League fixtures following a 1-0 triumph at Bournemouth and lead Liverpool by a point, with nine games left. Although only a scruffy Riyad Mahrez strike separated the sides at Vitality Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s men totally dominated that contest. The Cherries were restricted to 18 per cent of the possession, earned no corners and had zero attempts on goal, compared to City’s 23. Guardiola beamed: “We make an incredible performance, one of the best performance we ever played. “Every time we lose the ball, we had three or four guys going there to pick up and recover the ball and play.” Watford made it three wins in their last four top-flight fixtures when beating Leicester 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Jamie Vardy cancelled out Troy Deeney’s early header but Andre Gray pounced on some sloppy play by the Foxes to snatch victory in stoppage time. Gray was full of praise for manager Javi Gracia after that win, hailing the Spaniard for establishing a settled side. “He has kept the core of the team throughout most of the season,” said Gray. “We know what we are doing. We are very well structured now.” The Hornets are eighth in the table and through to the FA Cup quarter-finals, having lost just two of 12 games in all competitions since the turn of the year. However, the one major blemish is a 5-0 thrashing at Liverpool at the end of last month and their overall record against the top six is poor. please log in to view this image The referee who was in charge of Watford’s 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester City in December will also be in the middle for Saturday’s return fixture at the Etihad Stadium. Paul Tierney handed out only the one yellow card to City goalkeeper Ederson in that match as goals from Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez were enough for the champions to take the points after Abdoulaye Doucoure’s effort had threatened to launch a late Hornets comeback. Tierney has also officiated two more Watford Premier League games this season and both resulted in away wins for Javi Gracia’s men, the 2-1 triumph at Crystal Palace in January and the 3-1 success at Burnley at the start of the campaign. The Wigan-born referee has taken charge of a total of 24 games so far this season, showing 79 yellow cards and just the one red card. WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD - ENJOY THE GAME
Got to go for it, at least give it a go. Can't stand it when set up is for a 0-0 and they eventually (or quickly) break a team down. Anyways, I am happy the game is at a decent viewing time, although, it might be between cupped hands over the eyes. COYH
OH MY GOD! Well, well, well!!! That is a turn around from seasons past!!!! Or, wait, sure it isn't a big typo OFH?¿
I wonder if Gracia will rest a few players ready for next week? Mind you we probably need all the best starting line up we can get!
Why? Really? It is not like Citehhh are playing at home, are top of the league, on a title run-in, with a squad worth millions more than ours and really need a win to increase the gap over Liverpool who play on Sunday and pile more pressure on them, is it? Oh well, I guess it is only 11 v 11 if Holebas can control himself!!
Pep using one of his favourite words to describe Javi: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/s...-of-watfords-trip-to-manchester-city/?ref=rss
Because we play too open. Liverpool exploited every gap because they're good enough... Leicester weren't good enough, Manchester City are, and psychologically it's a "top six club" and we suffer! Need the bloke in the pink shirt to sort the heads out. Plus I can't help but think that these teams set out to put us "in our place" as if losing to Watford is a one way ticket to Hell... how often have we played against a new manager? Hope for the best because, on our day we're good enough to beat anyone... fear for the worst because, well, we're Watford aren't we... Wouldn't have it any other way!
I am with you Fez, my comment above was tongue in cheek! We are probably doomed, I know, but there is always hope!!
Surely atheists can be superstitious - people of faith don't need to be as they just assume their God will get them what they want. I think I follow the wrong one Anyway, I'm watching it in a curry house with a couple of mates and will doubtless get annoyed with all the Liverpool fans saying we didn't try hard enough. It's a win win as far as I'm concerned - get something and it's great - lose and city stay top for another week.
Just watched my other team,Wellington Phoenix, win away against the Central Coast Mariners 8-2. At least the weekend won't be a total footballing disaster.
Every match day I try to make sure I've done certain things like, say, the chores or outstanding job... through to colour coordinating my attire, getting dressed in a certain order.... did the same through my playing and refereeing days - for all the difference it makes, which is, of course, zero! Can't help myself, though!
Don't think any of us predicted Brighton to beat Palace away. They did, and were in their green away shirts.
Hello all. Up at 1 am this morning to get the early flight back from Innsbruck after great weeks skiing in Cortina area. Can't say I was impressed by Cortina or it's skiing though. Fortunately the Selva Ronda is just round the corner. Anyway I digress and am trying to stay awake to hopefully watch a stream, havn't found one yet though. I feel the next two league games are probably a GD damage limitation exercise. Stange line up, very defensive. Where is Hughes? Enjoy the game all, well hopefully.
This one seems to be working at present. http://firstrowsportes.net/soccer/manchester-city-watford-krk6b9782
