Tiny Danns-er. Watford at Home

[danardif1]

4 Conceded AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bit different this time to be fair...

[Beefheart]

I fecking hate football.

[Vertigo]

Brilliant game. Should never have lost it. SO many chances wasted. Shitty 4th to concede. UGH.

[danardif1]

Ah well... that's football. Can't say we played badly but little mistakes and being a bit vulnerable to counter attacks cost us.

[danardif1]

It was one of those games that even when Deeney scored the 4th I didn't feel that was it over...

[DJBlu]

Why did he swap Janko and Vela at half time?

4-4-2 was working. Stubborn arse.

Oh and Neil Danns. Learn to pass.

[Bijou Bob]

Their 4th was down to awful defending. Ream and Bannan were ball watching and Danny was just strolling back.

For me, we got the second half tactics wrong. Inviting a team like Watford on to you is asking for trouble. Our width caused them problems all through the first half and we stopped using it. Why keep Janko on if you're not looking for width?

[Gary the Enfield]

Commentator on Final Score said it was one of the best games he's ever seen.

[DJBlu]

Commentator on Final Score said it was one of the best games he's ever seen.

Wasn't a Bolton fan.

[Bruce Rioja]

Not had chance to read any comments, chaps, and am straight off out. My observations are that it was suicidal to play a slow back line that high up the field against fast attackers (see their first goal for evidence) also, I can see why NL swapped Vela and Jonny Jenko as their lad was pissing past Vela for pace, but it was a disaster - Watford's goals 2 to 4 all came from that side. Furthermore, Jenko looked to be sulking and CBA.
No team that scores three goals and has three cleared off the line from 17 shots should be coming away with nothing. A hell of a lot of work to do on that defence, Mr Lennon.
Oh, and too many players caught in possession when the easy ball was there to be played, Danns, Clough and Vela all especially guilty of this, so work to do there an' all, Ginger.

[enrdentw]

What an incredible game of football.

Gutted with the result.

For me, Zach Clough was the best player on the park. Two well taken goals, could have had another one or two and played a big role in the other. He created two or three clear goal scoring opportunities and a constant threat every time he got the ball running at the Watford defence. He was probably the most fouled player on the pitch and it's no coincidence that second balls often end up at his feet and he often finds himself in that pocket of space between defence and midfield. His vision, passing, dribbling and work rate is incredible, I love watching him give instructions to other players, there is a leader in there too! I won't be surprised if he gets a call up to the Under 21's.

The big moments today were the two great chances missed at 2-1 up - I knew that would come back to haunt us and it did. Watford looked a good side, especially in the first 20 or so mins, they knocked the ball around really well. Our midfield let us down today and unfortunately I'm picking out Danns who didn't give the back four the protection they needed and was poor when in possession. The defence backed off too much when they came at us and we simply weren't tight enough when defending in the final third, I haven't seen the replay but for their headed goal it seemed like there wasn't anyone within two or three yards of him. Ultimately we missed our leader Mills at the back.

Le Fondre will score goals and him, Clough and Feeney linked up well. Bannan and Danns were overrun and nowhere to be seen in the second half. Watford took their chances and we didn't, that was the story of the second half and the game in general. Special mention to Lonergan who was superb despite conceding four.

I can't wait for next campaign, I hope we keep Lennon happy and the board give him the support he needs in the pre-season.

[Harry Genshaw]

Disappointed to lose and to concede 4 again but Rome wasn't built in a day. The only sides to have beaten us at home under Lennon have had to work damned hard to do it!

[Peter Thompson]

Why did he swap Janko and Vela at half time?

4-4-2 was working. Stubborn arse.

Oh and Neil Danns. Learn to pass.

Agree with this....but what an excellent & entertaining game of football, we should have been out of sight 2nd half had Le Fondre taken one of his 3 easy chances on the break, but they also missed a load -Lonergan made some excellent saves. I thought going forward we were very good, Zach Clough MOM for me again - what a talent, but defensively although Watford's movement was good - the centre backs & Ream just don't read the game and are too static and ball watch.

I would also like to know why in the last 15 mins Feeney played RB, with Vela ahead of him - very strange. Some decent performances from Clough, Bannan, Le Fondre (apart from missing a boatload of chances) and Ream 1st half, I thought that the game was too open for us IMO, but Watford were the best side that I've seen at the Macron under NL.

The team got clapped off at the end by many.....

Last point from me - Danns & Vela were absolutely shocking today, between them they must have given the ball away at least 10-15 times, Danns especially was unbelievably bad

[danardif1]

Yeah Danns and Vela have been a little bit disappointing the last few games... I think Danns is missing Pratley alongside him as he does play better when he's got less of the running to do, and Vela is trying a bit too hard to spread his game across the pitch and leaves himself out of position sometimes as well as playing some sloppy passes.

[Peter Thompson]

Not had chance to read any comments, chaps, and am straight off out. My observations are that it was suicidal to play a slow back line that high up the field against fast attackers (see their first goal for evidence) also, I can see why NL swapped Vela and Jonny Jenko as their lad was pissing past Vela for pace, but it was a disaster - Watford's goals 2 to 4 all came from that side. Furthermore, Jenko looked to be sulking and CBA.
No team that scores three goals and has three cleared off the line from 17 shots should be coming away with nothing. A hell of a lot of work to do on that defence, Mr Lennon.
Oh, and too many players caught in possession when the easy ball was there to be played, Danns, Clough and Vela all especially guilty of this, so work to do there an' all, Ginger.

Agree with Bruce's points especially players constantly getting caught in possession - putting us under a lot of un necessary pressure - Clough got caught a couple of times but he will with his attacking style taking men on all the time - but Danns was abysmal (not even a 2 out of 10) & I'd love to know WTF was up with Vela because he had an awful game

[danardif1]

Not had chance to read any comments, chaps, and am straight off out. My observations are that it was suicidal to play a slow back line that high up the field against fast attackers (see their first goal for evidence) also, I can see why NL swapped Vela and Jonny Jenko as their lad was pissing past Vela for pace, but it was a disaster - Watford's goals 2 to 4 all came from that side. Furthermore, Jenko looked to be sulking and CBA.
No team that scores three goals and has three cleared off the line from 17 shots should be coming away with nothing. A hell of a lot of work to do on that defence, Mr Lennon.
Oh, and too many players caught in possession when the easy ball was there to be played, Danns, Clough and Vela all especially guilty of this, so work to do there an' all, Ginger.

Agree with Bruce's points especially players constantly getting caught in possession - putting us under a lot of un necessary pressure - Clough got caught a couple of times but he will with his attacking style taking men on all the time - but Danns was abysmal (not even a 2 out of 10) & I'd love to know WTF was up with Vela because he had an awful game

I think Vela and Clough can be cut a bit of slack because of their inexperience. It's easy to forget with all the positives they've brought to the team that they have less than 25 games between them.

[TANGODANCER]

Saw the whole game thanks to a cracking stream from DJBlu. You can only call it as you see it, but for me their M.O.T.M by a mile was Paredes. Worked his tripes off front to back, was full of running and pulled off some amazing reaction leg-outs that stopped attacks in their tracks.Always willing to take the ball and run and he did both intelligently all game. Without a doubt they're a very decent side, but we were very unfortunate to come away with nothing. Missed chances that were, in part down to a very good display by Gomez, cost us again. Well chuffed with the way it's all shaping, but got the feeling Janko lost some of his enthusiasm later on. He seemed far happier to knock it inside than take the full back on. Things to work on sure, but the energy and fight is very much in evidence now. Bannan, I like a lot in his desire to be available for the ball. We didn't gain any points, but then we didn't lose any. Great pity, because we sure deserved something from that. Feeney and Clough were immense and Alf is proving a fit up front. Not sure either Heskey or Craig Davies were that much missed today.

[officer_dibble]

Fuming that we lost that - deffo starting to look behind us now with a few teams picking up points.

Bannan/Danns as a centre mid axis was weak i thought, get well soon Darren! Vela aint a right back, and maybe McNaughton in and moving Vela inside would be a way to go.

No way should we have lost that - get that defence sorted. Some really poor goals conceded caused by retreating, shit marking and poor covering from midfield. Saidy Janko, class first half, shit second.

Clough frustrating! He's got bags of talent but his decision making cost us at times today - but he's a hell of a talent and he's going to be a top drawer player!

Feeney was fecking excellent too as well - in several positions!

Mills will walk back into the side next week.

Craig Davies might as well, ALF made some great runs, proper centre forward runs, but heisn't physical enough to lead the line.

[danardif1]

Paredes ran the show in the away game as well (although we were absolute shite that time), I think he's much better than this division, but I could say that for a fair few of Watford's players.

[Peter Thompson]

I think Vela and Clough can be cut a bit of slack because of their inexperience. It's easy to forget with all the positives they've brought to the team that they have less than 25 games between them.

Clough doesn't need to be cut any slack - he was excellent again today, we have a hell of a talent here he glides past players and is a very clever player, he scored two and played the pass out wide for our 2nd.

We can't keep conceding all these goals - NL was a bit kamikaze today though, they had 4 strikers on in the last 20 mins or so and he should have tried to tighten it up, great game to watch but it did expose our very evident defensive frailties, compounded by the totally inept Danns playing for the opposition for 90 mins