[themaclad]

PRESTON NORTH END V WATFORD

DEEPDALE 15.00 HRS 16/12/2023

https://www.watfordfc.com/

MANAGER

Valérien Alexandre Ismaël (born 28 September 1975) is a French professional football coach and a former professional player who is currently manager of EFL Championship club Watford.

During his playing career, Ismaël played for Racing Strasbourg, Crystal Palace, RC Lens, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, and Hannover 96. As a player, he won the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue twice, the Bundesliga twice, as well as the DFB-Pokal on two occasions. Following his retirement, he moved into management, first as a reserve coach for a number of clubs before moving into senior management at 1. FC Nürnberg, then with VfL Wolfsburg before a notable spell with LASK of the Austrian Bundesliga and spells with Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion of the English Championship.

LAST TIME HE MANAGED AGAINST US HE WAS POTTED THE NEXT DAY

LAST TIME OUT





FORM GUIDE

PNE 7 WATFORD 9

BIT OF PREVIOUS



Last seasons games produced zero goals have not seen Watford at Deepdale in a league game since 2011

NEWBIES



IN FORM



Wonder if Tom Ince regrets his decision not to play for England, he will get his usual warm welcome

https://wfcforums.com/index.php

https://www.not606.com/forums/watford.57/

[themaclad]

Who’s Available?


Manager Ryan Lowe confirmed on Thursday morning that striker Milutin Osmajić would get two days of training in before the weekend, after recovering from injury and a bout of tonsilitis.

Calvin Ramsay is also due to be back involved after missing two games himself through illness.

Long-term absentee Emil Riis may feature in Tuesday’s Central League Cup tie against Burnley and will be assessed from that point to see when a return to league action might be on the cards.

Opposition Focus


Watford sit 12th in the Championship ahead of their visit to Lancashire and they’ve made themselves a hard side to beat in recent weeks, having lost just twice in their previous 11 fixtures.

Under Valérien Ismaël, who took Barnsley to the Play-Offs in the 2020/21 season, the Hornets will be looking to push for promotion back to the top flight in just their second campaign back in the Championship.

24-year-old Mileta Rajović – formerly of Emil Riis’ ex-employers Randers – has been the man scoring the goals for Watford so far this term, while there’s plenty of familiar and experienced faces in the visitors' ranks, including Jake Livermore, Tom Ince and Ben Hamer.

A Recent Clash


North End secured a fifth successive Championship clean sheet after drawing 0-0 at home to Watford last August.



Match Officials

Referee: Sunny Singh Gill
Assistant Referees: Mark Stevens and Jonathan Hunt
Fourth Official: David Webb

Sunny Singh Gill will referee PNE for the first time on Saturday afternoon, marking the fourth Championship match of his career.

So far this term, he’s shown 91 yellow cards and three reds in 22 games.

MACS VIEW

Last home game before Chrimbo let's hope we are not handing out early presents. Watford under Valerien not sure what to expect from them, have some good players, mind you the owners have the pick of a couple of clubs to get their players from, parachute payments run out at the end of the season, will they be in the shake up for the play offs or will Val be on the dole.
A couple of tight games last season suspect the same on Saturday

[themaclad]

Preston North End 1 Keane Watford 5(FIVE) Bayo 2 Martens, Kayembe, Kone

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Whatmough (Holmes, 59), Lindsay; Potts (Hughes, 58), McCann, Whiteman (Brady, 59), Browne, Millar; Osmajić, Keane (Evans, 59). Subs not used: Cornell, Frøkjær, Ledson, Woodburn, Best.

Watford line-up: Hamer; Dele-Bashiru (Porteous, 67), Sierralta, Hoedt, Lewis; Livermore; Martins (Pollock, 67), Kayembe, Koné (Chakvetadze, 83), Sema (Rajović, 68); Bayo (Healey, 80). Subs not used: Bachmann, Ince, Asprilla, Andrews.

Attendance: 14,389 (898 Watford fans).

Referee: Mr S Singh Gill.

When you are 5 -1 down and the sadist with the board holds up that you have to endure another 6 minutes of this massacre then you know it's not your day.
Having been in te game after a highly enjoyable first have, the second half collapse was unacceptable. Credit were credit is due Watford's finishing was first class in the secnd period unlike their efforts in the first.
Early chance for Watford in the first period fired over the bat, then enter Hamer in the Wtford keeper denied Potts twice and Keane however his save from Storey's header was outstandin. Mind you it wasn't all one way Hoedt missed a header at the back post then Bayo took the ball round Woodman but was denied by Whatmough with a great goal line block, he also made another goal saving challenge from another dangerous attack.
Took the lead just before the half hour, Miller who rang them ragged until mysteriously being switched to the right wing in the second period advanced into the area crossed and Keane back flick the ball home. Lead lasted until nearly half time, Hoedt cross into box, Bayo easily scored.
And now for the collapse

We line up with seven men on the centre line to the right of the kick off and another just 10 yards back, only one man covering the left hand side of the pitch, ball back to Woodman pumped into the area were there are seven white sides, immediately lose the ball and off goes Martins easily scores. Could almost have been level immediately, gowever Potts' effort is blocked. Seven minutes later Kayembe buries one in from outside the box, maybe Woodman should have done better.
Four substitutions no change in shape, a case of if it ain't working don't change. Miller now wasted on the right wing completely fades from the game.
Another rocket from outside the box by Bayo makes it 4-1 then Kone receives a pass inside the box after wandering past what remains of our defence to finish to make it 5-1 Mass evacuation by the home support. They could have had more but again were in debt to Hamer at the end when he makes another great save from a Brady free kick at the end

Another masterclass in ineptitude by Mr Fantastic.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"First half I thought we were fantastic, we continued where we left off against Huddersfield - on the front foot, scored a good goal and possibly should have scored a couple more.

"At half-time we're thinking 'Can we get back on the front foot and do the right things?' which didn't materialise.

"From our kick-off we don't challenge, and one ball through the middle of us kills us off. We don't deal with it, 2-1, and it knocked the stuffing out of us.

"I haven't watched (the goals) back yet purposely. I'll watch them on Monday with the group and we'll analyse it. Against a good team like Watford you have to keep them at bay and we gifted them opportunities.

"A couple were from the edge of the box and we've been solid at getting blocks on them. Today that wasn't the case."

Watford manager Valerien Ismael told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"I'm very pleased with the performance, with the attitude. It was a very strong away game.

"We spoke after the Southampton and Ipswich games about how we have to become ruthless and waken our killer instinct and at the beginning of the game we had two big chances to score, especially with Bayo, but we didn't.

"But after we conceded the goal the players stayed calm and came back into the game and (at half-time) we said 'okay guys, we are on the right way now, we have to become really ruthless when we get the chance'.

"The first shot goes in, and it makes us completely different. This is what we missed in the previous game, because we were always close.

"We rotated a bit today to give us some freshness and it worked well."

[St Charles Owl]

Is Lowe coming under any pressure after your recent form?

[themaclad]

The vast majority want him gone SCO including me, never really taken to him but as long as he got results I could tolerate him 3 wins in 15, three home defeats on the trot with Leeds and Wednesday due next at home

The football is dull as well

[themaclad]