Interesting article in the Watford Observer: Quique Sanchez Flores says Watford are really far from what he wants from his side and believes it is easier to organise a small team than a big one. The Spaniard has wasted no time in making the Hornets hard to break down, evidenced by the fact they have the joint seventh best defence in the Premier League – better than Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton. With little over a third of the season gone, the former Real Madrid defender says the Hornets are still a considerable distance from fulfilling his vision. “We are really far from what I want from Watford,” explained Flores. “I organised Watford quickly but that isn’t the same as saying Watford are playing exactly how I want. “Sometimes it is harder to organise the big teams than it is to organise the smaller teams. It is difficult because you have different tools. “If you are strict and you want to defend and attack in certain ways it takes a long time.” He continued: “Normally when Watford win we don’t have a lot of the ball. This season the ball possession doesn’t belong to the team who has the ball. I don’t know why. Leicester City are winning every week without having the ball. “I don’t like to tell the players that today in the match we are going to run without the ball. It is boring for me. It is boring for the fans and it is bad for the atmosphere at the ground.” Flores is the latest foreign manager to taste immediate success in the Premier League, joining a club which includes Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino. “We love our profession,” said Flores when asked why this was. “And if you love this profession then there are more reasons to love it in England. "It is completely different to Spain. I repeat. Completely different. You are able to love everything in England "The way we are talking now is amazing. To come to the press conferences is good. It isn’t the best day of the week but it is good. "You respect and transmit information to each other. I want to listen to you and you want to hear from me. “You are not only interested about what is happening tomorrow (on a match day). You want to know about a lot of things. “I am not teaching things to you. I am just learning different experiences.”
The actual team is announced an hour before kick off. The club have an official Twitter account that you can access from a computer which is usually where I find it. The Beeb have this on their web site: Aston Villa defender Jores Okore is available for the first time this season after regaining fitness following knee surgery. Jack Grealish has been left out of the squad as punishment for his off-field behaviour last weekend. Gabriel Agbonlahor could miss a third straight game because of a calf injury. Watford have no new injuries but Valon Behrami remains a doubt with the knee problem that caused him to miss Saturday's defeat by Manchester United.
Hope this isn't an omen from our last visit to Villa Park when Villa hadn't won for 11 games. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6258655.stm However we are better and they are worse than those who played in that game.
I think anyone who thinks this is an easy game is fooling themselves - bookies seldom get it far wrong and Villa win, Watford win and draw are almost equal in the odds. If we win this game I think we will become a better team as I think the pressure will lift slightly.
Interesting the connections some of us have with clubs other than WFC. As a 10-year-old living in Birmingham I had enough pocket money to get into football but not enough to pay bus fares there and back. A school friend and I went to West Brom for a few years (I think it was one and six in old money to get in) and occasionally walked through Smethwick on the way to Villa Park. I suspect it was 3/4 miles each way...and of course we arrived at the ground by 1.30 or so to get a place against the wall behind a goal. Not sure many 10-year-olds now would go to such lengths! Loyalties firmly with the away side today of course after thirty odd years watching the Horns.
I know Villa are having a bad time, but I would have thought more fans would have turned up. please log in to view this image
Watford : Gomes (GK); Nyom, Britos, Cathcart, Ake; Capoue, Watson; Paredes, Deeney (c), Abdi; Ighalo. Watford subs: Arlauskis (GK), Anya, Guedioura, Ibarbo, Berghuis, Jurado, Diamanti.
Aston Villa : Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Clarke, Richardson; Gana, Sanchez; Gil, Veretout, Sinclair, Ayew. Aston Villa subs : Bunn, Okore, Bacuna, Westwood, Lescott, Traore, Gestede.
I feel Villa are going to have a change of fortune soon. Therefore I will be expecting a draw today but hoping the horns can nick a win.
The game is advertised for viewing here. http://cricfree.tv/watch/live/aston-villa-vs-watford-live-streaming
Hopefully Paredes won't have to do a lot of defending. Done ok attacking wise and Anya was off form last week. Good to see Ake back in.
