I think it was a tactical thing. Mariappa is tiny for a centre back, Bennett isn't much taller and is a lot less experienced, so having Dicko for set pieces makes sense. In any case, Dyche was probably looking to guard against burnout by resting Hodson for one or two games this month, particularly as he's a regular international. He probably wouldn't have wanted to do it against West Ham, but that's the way things go sometimes. And Doyley up front I suppose.
You're right, he is tiny, but he can win headers...he must have springs in his knees. I'm still not sure about Bennett, despite him having a good game on Wednesday by all accounts. Hodson has the occasional mare, but he's been far more impressive this season than last.
For his height and for a centre back, Mapps is as good a jumper as you'll ever see in football. But we were playing against strikers managed by a man who doesn't know what grass is.
Charlie. It is Watford. The names we have for towns are generally old and not used anymore as we use the local names. The list I put in the other thread are all easy to get at from the sea with a bit of a walk in some examples or historic towns of importance like Cambridge Cantabury and Oxford. I will carry on looking for an old name for Watford as it is an old town there should be something on a map somewhere.
Doubt you'll find anything AK - it's been known as Watford for well over 1000 years, going back to Saxon times. The name is thought buy some to derive from a ford in the River Colne joined by a track to the old Roman road Watling Street - but its origins are lost in the mists of time.
It looks like this will be another quiet thread then this week (well as quiet as it can be with me about).
Pre match burger king for little Miss Hornette, surrounded by Derby fans...thankfully they seem friendly so far
It was worth asking. It's not unusual for foreign languages to use a place's local name, even where the place uses letters or diacritics that don't exist in the other language. Nor is it unusual to use a third language's word, or randomly turn it into a native word for no obvious reason. For instance we have Mönchengladbach, Cologne and Turin.
Today's team: Kuszczak; Doyley, Mariappa, Nosworthy, Dickinson; Murray, Eustace, Hogg, Kacaniklic; Garner, Deeney Subs: Loach (GK), Taylor, Buaben, Iwelumo, Trotta
#watfordfc start XI v Derby: Kuszczak; Doyley, Mariappa, Nosworthy, Dickinson; Murray, Eustace, Hogg, Kacaniklic; Garner, Deeney. 2 changes #watfordfc subs v Derby: Loach (GK), Taylor, Buaben, Iwelumo, Trotta. Changes: Nosworthy for Bennett (concussion), Garner for Iwelumo.
Derby start XI v #watfordfc: Fielding; Green, Barker (c), Shackell, Buxton; Bryson, B Davies, Carroll, Hendrick; S Davies, Robinson.1 change Derby subs v #watfordfc: Legzdins (GK), Tyson, Bailey, Ball, Naylor. Buxton for Roberts the only Rams' change.
Coventry earned a much needed point against Birmingham in the early KO. It finished 1-1. A goal for each team in the space of 2 mins, Mcsheffrey for Cov on 61 and King for Brum on 72.
