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Watford at home match thread


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Took the photo on Boxing Day, think it’s a Robin destroying a Hornet 🙂

So, unusually a suggestion from me, why not go and get yourself a drink of your choice to savour while giving yourself time to enjoy the three clips below, which certainly warrant a viewing.

Clip 1. Not Watford related but any excuse for a bit of nostalgia. Almost to the day back in 1977 this happened: https://youtu.be/7CckpWQkO6I

Last season it finished goalless, https://youtu.be/A8DTSQlBcH0

Clip 2. On Boxing Day we won 4-1 at Vicarage Road, highlights: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/highlights/extended-highlights-watford-1-4-bristol-city/

LM pre-match…. https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/mannings-watford-press-conference/

Guessing we will get our first look at Scott Twine in a City shirt.

They signed striker Rhys Healey following the expiry of his contract with French club Toulouse, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65960542 They also signed Reading forward Tom Ince, for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, in June.

They re-signed Brazilian midfielder Matheus Martins on a season-long loan deal. The 19-year-old made six Championship appearances for the Hornets in 2022-23 after arriving from Italian club Udinese in the January transfer window.

They added former England midfielder Jake Livermore. The 33-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving West Bromwich Albion, had been training with the Hornets and signed a one-year contract.

Also signed Danish forward Mileta Rajovic from Swedish club Kalmar for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old agreed a five-year contract at Vicarage Road and the Hornets say he will offer a "towering, physical presence" to their front line.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our 1994 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, members of the side that night will be celebrated ahead of the game. The club and Former Players’ Association will welcome the following names pitchside ahead of kick-off:

Wayne Allison
Rob Edwards
Russell Osman (Manager)
Glenn Pennyfather
Leroy Rosenior (Player/Coach)
Martin Scott
Mark Shail
Brian Tinnion
Keith Welch

Fans are asked to get to their seats early to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a memorable night for Bristol City.

Clip 3. Relive it here: https://youtu.be/WHDM5J4ABaI

Head-to-head record

Won: 38

Lost: 31

Drawn: 31

Officials

Referee: Andrew Kitchen

Assistants: James Wilson and Nigel Lugg

Fourth official: David Rock

In December sporting director Cristiano Giaretta left the club and was replaced by Gianluca Nani.

Last Sunday they beat QPR away 2-1 with two shots on target. They are fifth in the form table with three wins, two draws and one defeat from their last six league games.

IMG_4413.jpeg

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When we beat them in December they had won 2 drawn 3 of the previous 6 , so not massively different. I hope this time we can build on a good Cup result .

On a side note. That Arsenal game I was in the East End and Arsenal , as they often did , came on the East End, they rarely stayed long. I think this is the game where, as we were going up Winterstoke Road on the old 19 Bus from the Robins. We watched as the Arsenal escort walked up the road with the tail end stragglers , giving it the big un , got picked off by City lads. Very different times.

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With apologies to West Ham, this for me is the most interesting game of the season so far.

On a macro basis, we’ve got a Watford side who we schooled not more than one month ago. It’s insane on that basis to think they’ll play the same way against us tactically this time, so they need to do something different

On the equal front, LM and City are a little bit working blind here. Our general strongest suit under LM of being well prepared for opponents won’t be as available here. There’s going to need to be some quick decisions made as to how we play post seeing what Watford do, and you’d hope we have plans A/B/C all prepped dependant on their setup 

Against that, LM now has the greatest resources he’s had at any point here. McCrorie back (semi) fit, Knight assumedly over illness and the creative spark in Twine. He might just decide to go for it and play our game irrespective of what Watford do. We’ve also got the slightly different setup on Tuesday away from the prior preferred, so Watford will equally not be totally sure how we’ll set up.

Since the last Watford game, we’ve had three poor league performances and two very good FA cup ones. I don’t think Watford are naturally a side that are happy to let us have the ball so to play Preston/Birmingham style won’t be totally comfortable to them. 
 

My gut is that this could be pretty cagey first 10-15. It’s then who blinks and it’s a very interesting game tactically.

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Think team selection will be interesting.

One of the annoyances of Twine being cup tied is he misses 2 of his first 3 games after signing so I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t start.

Williams likewise is unavailable next Friday so I would expect him to stay in.

Assuming Knight is well enough to start that means 2 changes & although I’m no sports scientist I would not be shocked if McCrorie is on the line.

If so one of James & TGH would also drop out, the former seeming more likely than the latter. Especially as he would be a cert for Forest in the absence of JW.

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6 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Think team selection will be interesting.

One of the annoyances of Twine being cup tied is he misses 2 of his first 3 games after signing so I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t start.

Williams likewise is unavailable next Friday so I would expect him to stay in.

Assuming Knight is well enough to start that means 2 changes & although I’m no sports scientist I would not be shocked if McCrorie is on the line.

If so one of James & TGH would also drop out, the former seeming more likely than the latter. Especially as he would be a cert for Forest in the absence of JW.

Why is Williams unavailable against Forrest, is it a yellow card issue?

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8 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

When we beat them in December they had won 2 drawn 3 of the previous 6 , so not massively different. I hope this time we can build on a good Cup result .

On a side note. That Arsenal game I was in the East End and Arsenal , as they often did , came on the East End, they rarely stayed long. I think this is the game where, as we were going up Winterstoke Road on the old 19 Bus from the Robins. We watched as the Arsenal escort walked up the road with the tail end stragglers , giving it the big un , got picked off by City lads. Very different times.

I was at the game as a 7 year old, with my old man and two older brothers. As word reached my old man that Arsenal were congregating at the back of the East End he was off in his donkey jacket and steel toe caps to join other like minded chaps to politely request that they **** right off. They did, sharpish.

Oops, thread drift, sorry. Watford: 3-0 to City.

Edited by Sir Colby-Tit
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1 hour ago, Lew-T said:

Didn’t expect that.

Fair play, can’t fault the numbers we are bringing in.

It wasn't all that long ago when we were averaging about 13/14,000 in the same division we're in now.

Even in the year we made the Championship playoff final we only averaged barely over 16,000. 

Pretty impressive considering the lack of any success (one season aside) we've had recently.

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My team:

                      O'Leary

        Tanner   Vyner      Dickie

McCrorie    Williams   James    Pring

              Knight         Twine

                      Conway.

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8 hours ago, Super said:

image.thumb.png.9113cbd591f866d2e4bd5459ed246606.png

Am I the only one thinking this is a bit embarrassing?

It would be bad enough, but we’ve literally just beat a 6th placed team that won a European trophy last year.

some big results in our history, but if we’re celebrating an anniversary of that what does it say about the rest of our history?

 

 

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1 minute ago, MarcusX said:

Am I the only one thinking this is a bit embarrassing?

It would be bad enough, but we’ve literally just beat a 6th placed team that won a European trophy last year.

some big results in our history, but if we’re celebrating an anniversary of that what does it say about the rest of our history?

 

 

Agree

I don't have a problem in celebrating the squad but bloody hell it's absolutely pathetic creaming ourselves about the biggest club in Bristol beating the biggest club in a similar sized city 

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Can’t call tomorrow’s result even though we whipped their arses Boxing Day I think Watford are a very dangerous and erratic side , sort of team that could put 2 or 3 goals past you without playing well , if I had a spare 50p I hate to say it would be going on Watford tomorrow, just a feeling 

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7 minutes ago, redkev said:

Can’t call tomorrow’s result even though we whipped their arses Boxing Day I think Watford are a very dangerous and erratic side , sort of team that could put 2 or 3 goals past you without playing well , if I had a spare 50p I hate to say it would be going on Watford tomorrow, just a feeling 

Really hard one to call isn't it..shouldn't be on many accumulators, could be pretty much anything.

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7 minutes ago, redkev said:

Can’t call tomorrow’s result even though we whipped their arses Boxing Day I think Watford are a very dangerous and erratic side , sort of team that could put 2 or 3 goals past you without playing well , if I had a spare 50p I hate to say it would be going on Watford tomorrow, just a feeling 

Got a good away record recently so probably due a bad day ?

We have a lot of fighting spirit and team unity for this season but do someone have to rely on a bit of luck or individual magic .

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I must admit to being full of festive cheer and optimism when we scored 4 at their place.

I never thought when we would be playing the reverse fixture we wouldn’t have scored a single league goal since.

It’s one of those typical championship fixtures that’s impossible to call, so I’ll go for a closer 2-1 victory for us this time. 

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2 hours ago, MarcusX said:

Am I the only one thinking this is a bit embarrassing?

It would be bad enough, but we’ve literally just beat a 6th placed team that won a European trophy last year.

some big results in our history, but if we’re celebrating an anniversary of that what does it say about the rest of our history?

Absolutely agree. I've just seen the club have published the below too:

 

Comes across as incredibly tinpot - it really is the sort of boast you'd expect from a League 2 team. 

IMHO this kind of thing celebrates and cements a small club mentality. The sooner we can get away from this, the better.

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30 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Absolutely agree. I've just seen the club have published the below too:

 

Comes across as incredibly tinpot - it really is the sort of boast you'd expect from a League 2 team. 

IMHO this kind of thing celebrates and cements a small club mentality. The sooner we can get away from this, the better.

It is tinpot, if this was the gypsies up the road we'd be saying the gift that keeps giving and taking the piss non stop

This is pathetic!

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