View attachment 29547 WATFORD v BIRMINGHAM Venue: Vicarage Road Date: Tuesday, 11 February Kick-off: 19:45 GMT Team news: Watford: Park Chu-young is expected to return for Watford's home clash against Birmingham. Midfielder Samba Diakite, on loan from QPR, also sat out at the King Power Stadium due to a calf complaint but he is unlikely to return in time to face Blues. Lewis McGugan (thigh), Almen Abdi (foot) and long-term absentee Essaid Belkalem (ankle) also remain on the sidelines, with the latter returning to light training. Birmingham: Mitch Hancox returns to contention for the trip to Watford. Tom Thorpe (ankle), David Murphy, Matt Green, Neal Eardley (all knee), Akwasi Asante (hamstring) and Jonathan Spector (thigh) all remain unavailable, although the latter is closing in on his comeback. Facts: • Watford have lost only one of their last five home games in all competitions. Their only defeat at Vicarage Road since mid-December was 1-0 against Reading in the Championship on 11 January. • Birmingham have lost only one of their last eight away games. Their only defeat on the road since October was 1-0 at Brighton on 11 January. Current League Positions: 15 Watford 25 5 31 17 Birmingham 26 -2 29 Commentary of Watford v Birmingham is on BBC3CR 103.8, 92.1, 90.4 & 98.0FM tonight and online on Hornets Player via http://watfordfc.com
Thank you OFH. I was going to do a headline with no text if nothing appeared. This is a game the club must win, not should or could.
Nice one Frenchie. I'm still trying to figure out what this team and manager are capable of. I'm hoping for win, but who knows?
If we win our two games in hand, then we are only 6 or 7 points behind a playoff place with 16 games to go. Perfectly do-able. Why are some people writing off the season already?
Because we lack the consistency needed to make up those 6-7 points. Our home record - despite the statistics in the header (losing only one in last 5) - is very poor for a side with promotion aspirations. Our away record is distinctly average - we have not won on the road since early October! I remain to be convinced that we can suddenly turn things around so abruptly. But I would dearly love to be proved wrong!
We have too many "if's" for me to have any confidence in our final placing. Certainly the stats are against us - so bad that I haven't calculated them. Roughly, if we look over season so far, we'll be on 55 pts with 2 to play. Lookig only at the last 10 games, 11 points,so on basis of current form that would make us get 55 points. However, being ever optimistic, (necessary for a statistician, as the alternative is anti-depressants), we do have a decent squad and it would seem a good attitude. I was cheered up to learn that our seeming self-destruct button over the last 10 minutes of every game is in fact neutral - we have gained as much as we have lost apparently. It surprised me. So, I think the top 6 is a possibility, since we seem able to score 2 goals a game and have chances of 3 or 4. Only need to keep opposition down to 1 (starting tonight against Macheda) and bingo. It's always encouraging to remember 1999 when we won last 7 and we know what happened then! Finally, if you are feeling down about the Golden Boys, remember it could be worse, we could be Leeds.
Thanks OFH. This is the start of the good 10 match run until the end of March. Feel confident about this one 3-0.
Much appreciated OFH, like Brighton, Birmingham visit on a good run of away form and also may have changed formation in recent games with a more adventurous system that has picked up results so a tough one to call. We may need Birmingham to have an off day as did Brighton. This a game we really could do with a result from to add points to our total. Fingers crossed 2-1 to the G-boys!!!!!
An important game. A win might see us push on, get a morale-boost and perhaps worry the play-off places later in the season. A draw or a defeat will leave us looking worryingly over our shoulders. I am optimistically going for a comfortable win though - barring any strange substitutions from Beppe. Even if we go 2-0 up I hope we keep pressing.
We are 14 points behind where we were last season and actually 20 points behind on games against the same or equivalent teams. That spells mid table unless there is a dramatic change in our fortunes
Harry, maybe you should take Eric Idle's advice. I will not be thirsty cos my glass never gets half empty. I just think that maybe there is now a little more steel in midfield and Bepe's ideas are having a positive effect. That's why I think there is hope for the rest of the season and we have a chance to make up the gap.
Birmingham line-up :Randolph; Caddis, Packwood, Martin, Robinson; Huws, Adeyemi, Burke, Howard, Rusnak; Macheda.
Watford: Almunia; Angella, Cassetti, Ekstrand; Faraoni, Battocchio, Tozser, Merkel, Pudil; Deeney, Forestieri.
Ikechi Anya out with a calf problem. Fitz Hall not involved as a precaution due to Achilles tendon injury. Mathias Ranegie not in contention due to sickness.
