According to my ITK, Fonte is sulking because we've told him we won't sell him. United are interested and he would want to go. Hopefully it will be a Schneiderlin situation where he'll sort himself out and get on with it but of course with Fonte he doesn't have the same number of years ahead of him. My take from the game: Predictable 1-1 start - Watford haven't lost opening game for 10 years. After poor start and a few of the usual negatives (Yoshida trying to throw game, Cedrics carelessness, Romeu's blunders) there were some real positives to take that have already been covered - Holjberg, Redmond, Tadic, Virgil, Pied. All the Euro players below par and knackered. Definite red - was also right in line and denied a definite goal scoring chance. They should have got another card under the new rules as 2 players approached the ref. Only 4 mins of injury time scandalous - 6 subs, tons of time wasting. Glad we've got our Man U away banker coming up to get some points on the board.
Sorry Tom. As we predicted in the Farmhouse - difference of opinion. I was right in line with Shane when he was pulled back. He'd have taken 4 or 5 more paces and buried it at the speed he was going. No way the other defender was going to get over to cover. Defender knew he was off- he was already complaining to his team mates about lack of cover. And there should have been a booking for more than 2 players approaching the ref. Thought he was poor today - tackle on Shane in first half was a scissor and should have been a yellow. Pluses - Hojbjerg looks great and has so much passion. VVD was so frustrated and started moving forward in the 2nd half. Fraser had nothing to do apart from the goal. And, of course, meeting the "crew" at the Farmhouse - great to meet Fran (sorry about the knee in the back my dear), Helen and Steve, plus the old faces from last season. Minuses - Romeu, Cedric, JWP, Long, diamond formations, Watford's negativity ...... Oh and having seen Troy Deeney, I think there's a good chance for Fats in the Watford team!
I was in line with Long in the Chapel and had a better view of the Watford player. He would have got there if Long had cut towards goal IMO.
From left: Helen, Fat's Dad, Tom, greensaint, davecg69, Fran, Chilco. Fats taking photo....Beddy had just left.
We did OK today, but I hope we learn from today, we were too narrow & Watford blunted the diamonwith the 3-5-2. Tadic & Long were wasted centrally. Toshiba & especially van Dyke were the best performers today!
Feeling positive after the second half, although not a big fan of the diamond. I've said it a thousand times in the PL you need 2 DM's. Romeu was generally good although got breezed through a couple of times. Hojoyerberg was excellent and pied looked an improvement on Cedric (not hard). Redmond clicked in the 2nd half and will get us goals. Yoshi was yoshida, solid but almost cost us the game with that backpass. Can see us losing the midfield battle with the triangle though.
Strange match today, could've been ahead in the first couple of mins then played some lacklustre stuff. Sending off deserved even if technically arguable, shouted 'shoot' more times in the second half than I can ever remember. My imagination maybe but Cedric seems to have shrunk, though them big Watford chaps made it look worse I suspect. Nice to meet a few Not606ers, Gentlemen and Ladies all.
So did most of us Tom. Definitely a red. I've spoken to lots of Watford fans this evening and everyone of them agreed. The covering defender would not have caught Shane ... Clever play from Watson as he knew what he was doing and saved them a point. Watford fans also told me that twice he cost them points last drains by NOT doing that. They were pleased he did it.
Shane was running clear and the Watford player brought him down deliberately....he was under no illusion that Shane had to be stopped. Red card all day long. You can't guess what Shane might have done and then guess the defender would stop him. The fact was that our Duracell bunny was clear and was brought down with no other defender that close to him.
Tom if you were in the Chapel, you couldn't have seen the angle the player was at, unless you have special vision that can see things from two different directions. And....IF Long had cut toward goal. He was beyond the last defender when fouled. You'd think a referee would know that
