Match Day Thread Oxford v Watford

This Saturday is the first of nine finals!!

Watford boss Tom Cleverley says his side need to improve their game management as they prepare for "nine finals" to reach the Championship play-offs. The Hornets are four points behind the top six after a 1-0 win over Swansea City at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night. Moussa Sissoko's emphatic finish after Tom Ince pounced on Goncalo Franco's loose pass gave Watford victory, but Cleverley was critical of a second-half performance in which they almost gave up the lead.

"I don't think it's sustainable to be honest, how we're managing the games," he told BBC Three Counties Radio. "I'm quite angry with how we managed the game - the application from pretty much everyone is to the maximum of what it needs to be, and I just think we can manage the game better. We can't keep putting these games to chance because again the first-half performance was fantastic and the second-half performance, we looked like a team that's tired and making poor decisions. We need to address it as soon as possible because the first-half performances are too good to go unrewarded. We have to demand more from ourselves because to reach our goals then I am not sure if the second half performance would help us do that."

On whether Watford can still reach the play-offs this season, Cleverley added: "We just need one big push now on Saturday [at Oxford United] to get to the international break in a good position and it's going to take all of our effort. Nine finals. We'll tick them off one by one."

Team news to follow!

 

Here we go!!

 

It's the hope that kills you. I'd given up after Millwall but Swansea changed that.
I dread the thought of us getting promoted though. No, that's not quite true. I like the excitement of getting promoted. I just don't enjoy the season in the EPL.

 

Nine finals - not beyond the realms of possibility.

Back in 98/99 we drew 2 and won 7 of our last 9 to reach the playoffs.
Mind you, I'm not too sure that our current squad compares favourably with that one.

 

Squad a bit thin? “We’ll have four, maybe five, teenagers on the bench tomorrow."

 

How many of them will get a reasonable amount of game time though?
TC seems to be unhappy with the impact from subs - but I'd question whether they are normally given enough time to actually make an impact.
After all, they're not all Zunigas...

 

And even one of them is injured!

Might mean a bit of pace and energy if required at least.

 

Too late in applying for my ticket. Irritating.

 

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Jesus wept.

 

Much the same as Wednesday expect Pollock is out as wife is giving birth.

Probably the sort of team expected so not really a surprise.

Black away kit - bad news!

 

I missed that Pollock would be missing

 

Another 17 year old on the bench - Jai-Dea Moulton.

Don't recollect him being involved with the first team before...

 

Obviously was being kept quiet .

 

Me too. Couldn't his wife wait until the match was over?

 

Afternoon all, hope your ailments are not too bad or improving.

 

Ditto.....

 

I wonder how many other clubs have a three sided ground?

 

Fawa just gone down....any other streams welcomed