[themaclad]

Watford
Vicarage Road 21/1/2025 19.45 hrs

Well same journey as Saturday 20 plus miles further on the joy

https://www.watfordfc.com/

MANAGER



LAST TIME OUT





FORM GUIDE

WATFORD 7 PNE 9

IN FORM



CHAMPO STUFF



THINGS TO DO ON A TUESDAY NIGHT IN WATFORD

GO ON A VISIT TO WATFORD TOWN HALL


It will be like this but in the dark

[themaclad]

The Fitness Test

Robbie Brady was back in the matchday squad for the trip to Luton Town and he’ll be pushing to feature for the first time since December on Tuesday.

Brad Potts is getting closer to a return of his own, however this one might just come too soon.

Jayden Meghoma will be hoping to make his debut against the Hornets, having been an unused substitute on his first PNE matchday at the weekend.

The Hornets



Watford have enjoyed a good season so far under Tom Cleverley, with only goal difference separating them from the Play-Off spots.

The majority of their points have come at Vicarage Road so far this season, where they have been brilliant in the main. The Hornets started the campaign by going 13 unbeaten on home turf, with 11 of those being victories.

That record can only be bettered by three teams in the division, although they have lost their previous two outings in Hertfordshire.

The Officials

Referee: Tom Nield
Assistant Referees: Alex James and Andrew Dallison
Fourth Official: James Bell

Tom Nield will take charge of his third North End match of the season on Tuesday night.

The referee has officiated PNE’s away draw against Middlesbrough and Deepdale defeat to Bristol City already this campaign.

In total so far in the 2024/25 season, he’s shown 91 yellow cards in the 20 matches he’s refereed.The Fitness Test



MACS VIEW

Same journey as Saturday with about 50 extra miles and night time motorway closures, difficult game as well, they do well at home and seemm to have broken te away curse although did have some luck at Derby.
In my three previous visits have seen 1 goal and we scored it nd didn't win, hopefully wiill be better than the one on Saturday

[themaclad]

Watford 1 Vata Preston North End 2 Osmajic 2



Attendance: TBC.

Referee: Mr T Nield.

After trying for about 30 years, actually saw us score in the right net at Vicarage Road, saw us win as well, deservedly thanks to Fang from Montenegro. Big Os took his personal total to four against Watford, they just couldn't handle him last night.
First start for our lad from Brentford, had a classy start, one assisist and cannot remember him having been beaten by the guy he was marking. Seven wins only this season, two were Watford, can we play you everyweek?
Arrived at 5.30 which gives you plenty of time to do sod all, a couple of laps around the hospital up and down Vicarage Road, fair play to the stewards very friendly compared to some we have met this season.
A couple of changes and in the first period thought we were on top for virtually all of it, first 15 minutes only incident of note Baah when in a good position to cross the ball, collapsed with a pulled hamstring,, first of many injuries the hosts had tonight.
Took the lead a couple of minutes later Meghoma won the ball on the wing advanced into the box and Osmajic did the rest from close range, deligght in the away end.
Should really have been out of sight by half time Mads, McCann twice denied by good Watford defending. Maybe should have had a penalty apparently there is a new rule that if you try to head the ball and your opponent is trying to boot your head off then it is a free kick to your opponent. Heckingbottom was sent off at half time for objecting against that decision.
Second period Watford could only get better but didn't Osmajic played into acres of space on the left hand side, had a shot well saved by Bond, a couple of minutes later Mads delightful chipped ball to Os in his own half as were the entire Watford defence and off he went again, Cleverley went absolutely mental at the space Os had got and he had good reason to be annoyed. Osmajic surging run down the right into tthe box, and it was two.
Mads had a chance to make it three, really should have done better, then we put on our substitutres and lost our flow, header from close range well saved by Woodman, before about five minutes from time goal back, and to bbe fair pretty good goal by Vata, hangng on a bit but got it over the line, 3am arrival home evenn the milk had been delivered.

MACCA

Stuart McCall was delighted with both sides of Preston North End’s performance in the 2-1 victory over Watford.

PNE created a whole host of opportunities at Vicarage Road, and two of those were finished off by Milutin Osmajić to put the Lilywhites in a comfortable position.

North End also limited their hosts to very little at the other end, albeit they did get on the scoresheet through Rocco Vata in the 90th minute.



Macca said: “I’m delighted obviously. We trained this morning and we had a good word with the lads. We thought it was a place that we could come and get three points.

“Watford have moments in games because they've got two or three really top class players. As soon as the boys walked out tonight, it’s chalk and cheese from the Luton game. We knew that was going to be a battle, but with the surface here, it's like the opening day of the season, you know, the surface is a carpet. We encouraged the lads to get it down and play it.

“I think the biggest disappointment coming out of half-time was we were only a goal ahead because we had some really big chances, with balls across the box and one-on-ones with the ‘keeper, so that was the disappointing aspect at half-time.

“But then the second half we came out and we knew we were going to have to defend well, which we did, but we were always dangerous on the counter and obviously Milly gets a second.

“We should have added in the second half with the counters that we had to get a few more goals but we can't get greedy.”

North End were pressing their hosts right from the very start, pushing high at every opportunity when the Hornets were looking to play out from the back.


It was by doing that that debutant Jayden Meghoma won the ball in the final third before crossing for Osmajić to cushion a volley home.

Stuart said: “You can only do that high press if teams are playing out and obviously when you come away from home, you expect some of the teams like Watford to play.

“We knew Saturday was going to be a bit more of a battle and we were delighted with the defensive side of our game at Luton, but obviously we needed to do more going forward and creating opportunities and we did that tonight.

“That's a natural plus. Downside, we let Vata come in on his right foot. We’ve always got to be critical and look for things we can do better. He hits a rocket and give us a nervy last seven minutes.

“I think we had five big chances, a massive xG, far better. Overall, we defended really strongly, passed the ball first half really well, got into good areas. Even the final ball was decent, but their ‘keeper’s made one or two good saves, so all in all a really pleasing performance naturally.”

TOM

Tom Cleverley admitted that not enough of his players have an “elite mindset” after this evening’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Preston North End.

Milutin Osmajić scored both goals for the visitors on a night when Watford also saw Kwadwo Baah, Festy Ebosele and Imrân Louza go off with injuries.

While the players are still to be assessed, Cleverley reported that Baah’s injury looked to be “significant”.

Tonight’s performance was particularly disappointing as it came just three days after a highly-positive 2-0 win at Derby County.

“It’s what we are unfortunately at the minute, a very inconsistent football team,” Cleverley said.

“I’ll continue to work as hard as I can, but the players need to have the [right] attitude.

“Being a top footballer is a lifestyle, it’s a mindset. How you live your life, how you train, how you recover…

“These boys have someone like Moussa [Sissoko] to see it first-hand. Do all of them learn from him? I would say not yet.

“Not everyone is born with that tunnel vision mindset of ‘no distractions’ and ‘nothing must stand in your way to get to where you want to be’.

“You try and teach people that. Even the way you do the warm-up on a Monday morning in training, or when you do what you might think is the most pointless passing drill.


“The way you do your gym work, the way you do your recovery session.

“These things may seem pointless but it’s the detail, the care, the hard work...

“Ultimately, how you live your life all week leads up to that 90-minute performance. We don’t have enough who have got that elite mindset.

“Some of these lads have talent like you wouldn’t believe. Are they going to reach their full potential? That is my challenge.”

Cleverley knows that consistency will be key going forward after his side could not back-up their performance at Pride Park, with the Hornets still just a point outside the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.

“We were nowhere near it,” he added. “They ran harder, they ran faster, they won every first contact, every second contact.

“We’re throwing the games into the hands of the gods, we’re always giving ourselves mountains to climb.

“We’ve got a great record when we go ahead so that should be a good incentive to go ahead. But we don’t look like a team who’s willing to take that step at the moment.

“There is absolutely no future in going from a nine out of 10 on a Saturday to two out of 10 on Tuesday.”