Rain Out

Rain 1-0 Bristol City grounds crew.

Today's Boxing Day match with the Robins was called off after a deluge in Bristol.

A needed break for the fixture-jammed Hornets. Next match is Saturday, December 29 at Brighton & Hove Albion. The match kicks off at 11:20 St. Louis time.

Watford 2-0 Nottingham Forrest 11-4-8 37 pts

A brace of goals by Matej Vydra grabbed an addition three points for Watford at home today.

The first, from an Almen Abdi assist came at the 15th minute and prompted over-aggressive play from Forrest. A little too aggressive as it turned out as Daniel Ayala earned his second yellow and a dismissal as his sub was warming up on the touch-line.

The resulting 10-man defense let in Vydra's second goal at minute 40 before Nottingham could settle in.

Three points are welcome early in a five-match/two-week stretch here over the holidays.

The fun continues Boxing Day at Bristol City. Kick off is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Burnley 1-1 Watford 10-4-8 34 pts.

Nathaniel Chalobah salvaged a point in what should have been a clear victory for the Clarets at Turf Moor Saturday. The match marked the first clash of the squads since former Watford skipper Sean Dyche took over for Burnley.

Chalobah's strike from 20 yards out in the eleventh minute set the home squad back on its heels but briefly. An idiotic foul by Almen Abdi on Dean Marney in the 28th minute set up a Charlie Austin penalty kick that sent Manuel Almunia the wrong way and equalized the match.

The Hornets managed to hold off the reinvigorated Clarets for another hour-plus to eek out a point. The result drops them out of the play-off zone with three matches left in 2012 - two against top-half squads.

The next of these is Saturday at Vicarage Road against Nottingham Forrest. Kick off is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 1-2 Hull City 10-3-8 33 pts.

Not too much excitement here: a typical mid-season Champion clash. Troy Deeney managed to salvage Watford's pride, but little else, in added time. Still, seven game unbeaten streak is nothing to scoff at and hopefully the Hornets will regroup for next Saturday's match at Burnley.

Kickoff is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford on the Telly

February 9th's match at Vicarage Road against Crystal Palace will be broadcast on Sky Sports.

Watford Draws Man City for FA Cup

As Watford enters the 3rd round of the FA Cup, they've landed current Premier League Champions Manchester City as their opponent. The Hornets will be travelling to City Stadium the weekend of January 5th.

Point Deduction Worries for the Hornets

The Hornets and former owner Laurence Bassini face charges of misconduct from the Football League over transfer payments made in 2011. If the allegations over transfers to a finance company prove true, the club violated several league rules and faces possible monetary and points sanctions.

Sheffield Wednesday 1-4 Watford 9-3-7 30 pts

The Hornets bulldozed over cellar-dwellers Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough today in a match that was, with the exception of about one minute spread over two runs, all Watford.

A defensive error gave the Owls an early lead when Michail Antonio scored in the third minute, but they could not gain any momentum and a Fernando Forestieri goal off a Daniel Pudil throw-in served to equalize in minute 18.

Wednesday's only other chance came when Jay Bothroyd was taken down by Pudil who, though arguably deserving of a red card, was only shown a yellow. Acting captain Manuel Almunia saved Chris Lines' penalty kick to hold the draw into the second half.

Alex Geijo (pronounced Hey-Ho) nicked his first Watford goal to put the side ahead 2-1 at minute 67. The floodgates opened with a Troy Deeney goal in the 75th minute and a blistering strike from 25 yards out - a goal-of-the-year candidate - on a bouncing ball smashed by Mark Yeates gave Watford their fourth.

The Hornets finish November unbeaten and return to Vicarage Road Saturday, December 1 when they host Barnsley with a 9:00 am kickoff (St. Louis time).

Blackpool 2-2 Watford 8-3-7 27 pts

Goals from Ikechi Anya and Troy Deeney salvaged Watford's fifth consecutive undefeated match leaving Watford three points off the playoff zone.

An early counter-attack by the Hornets saw Anya pick up Matej Vydra's feed and put Watford ahead in the fourth minute of the match.

Watford continued to dominate the home squad as a Mark Yeates free kick lead to Deeney's goal from six yards out to double the lead.

Ex-Hornet loanee Kevin Phillips made it a match in minute 52 from in front of the net as the Watford defense collapsed momentarily. Blackpool continued to press a sluggish second half Hornet's squad and took advantage of five minutes of added time to equalize with an Isaiah Osbourne goal and save a point in the standings.

The Hornets look to continue their away run Tuesday, November 27 at Sheffield Wednesday. Kick-off is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Watford 2-1 Wolverhampton 8-2-7 26 pts.

Someday the Hornets will play in a match that finishes with 22 men on the pitch. This was not that day.

Christophe Berra hit the showers 25 minutes in after a hard challenge on Troy Deeney and Watford controlled the match from then on despite a game Wolves side playing 3-4-2 and equalizing the match.

A Fernando Forestieri run ended with Nathaniel Chalobah netting his own rebound in the 35th minute to put Watford ahead going into half time, but a Bakary Sako free kick from about 45 yards out caught Manuel Almunia out and tied the match.

A Deeney header from a Mark Yeates cross in the 68th minute recaptured the lead and the three points for Watford.

The squad is within two points of the playoff zone as they hit the road next Saturday, November 24 and head to Blackpool. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Leeds United 1-6(!) Watford 7-2-7 23 pts.

The Hornets took advantage of a Neil Warnock tactical error and ten minutes of added time to put some serious hurt on United and gain five goals in the goal difference column.

Matej Vydra put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute with a break-away and Watford controlled the first half to the point a Jason Pearce challenge on Almen Abdi earned him a trip to the showers. Warnock made a substitution to compensate and two more at the half, exhausting his substitution options.

This left him up a creek when midfielder Rodolph Austin broke his leg in two places on the first play of the second half and Leeds had to manage the rest of the match with nine players.

It took Abdi until the hour mark to double the lead with a 20-yard shot, but then the goal spigot opened. A Mark Yeates free kick from 25 yards out found its way into the net at minute 75, but a Joel Ekstrand foul on Luke Varney gave Leeds their only goal in the form of a Michael Tonge penalty kick.

Vydra got his second with seven minutes of regulation left and Sean Murray and Troy Deeney scored one apiece in injury time for Watford's highest score in recent memory.

Maybe we'll get to see what an eleven on eleven match looks like Saturday, November 17 as Watford hosts the Wolverhampton Wolves. Kickoff is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford nil - nil Millwall 6-2-7 20 pts.

A strong Watford side dominated a Millwall squad packed with former Hornets, creating plenty of scoring opportunities and shots on goal, but the sides ended the match the way they started it - scoreless and tied in points in the league table.

Lots of effort, but few results leave Watford mid-table.

Their next shot at points comes Saturday, November 10, live at Leeds vs Leeds United. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 2-1 Leicester City 6-1-7 19 pts.

The Hornets held on through seven (!) minutes of injury time - admittedly, against but ten men - to nab three points at home against The Foxes.


A run by Almen Abdi put Watford ahead at the 14th minute and the Hornets kept control through the half. They doubled thier lead when Fernando Forestieri caught a rebound of Daniel Pudil's shot on Kasper Schmeichel at the 68 minute mark.

The two goal lead lasted only three minutes until David Nugent slipped one past Manuel Almunia. Leicester's counter fizzled once Zak Whitbread was sent off for his second yellow and Watford held through the added time, made even longer by Fitz Hall's injury.

The next match is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 6. Another home match, Watford hosts Millwall with the kickoff (now that the US has synced back up on Daylight Savings Time with the rest of the world) at 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Dyche Lands at Burnley

Sean Dyche, out on his keister this summer after the new owners moved in, has found a home at Burnley FC replacing Eddie Howe and caretaker manager Terry Pashley.

Dyche lead the Hornets to their highest finish in four years last season. He has signed to a two-and-a-half year contract. Burnley are currently mid-table in the Championship, one point ahead of Watford.

Best of luck to you Sean.

Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Watford 5-1-7 16 pts

I'm hoping to be forgiven for missing this one: my dear wife whisked me away Friday night to celebrate my 50th birthday and kept me work-, Watford-, and worry-free through Saturday morning.

It sounded like a rerun of Tuesday - but with a few extra players on: opponent goal two minutes into injury time, handball penalty shot, but rather than two points, we managed to drop only one. A well-needed point, mind, as Watford is wallowing a scant two spots above the drop zone with a third of the season down.

The next chance at those points is Saturday, November 3 when Leicester City visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Cardiff City 2-1 Watford 5-1-6 16 pts.

A nine-man Watford nearly salvaged a point against a tired Cardiff City squad. It took twenty minutes of being two men up and two minutes of added time for Cardiff to earn three points.

Tommie Hoban rebounded a Marco Cassetti shot from a yard out at the half hour mark to go ahead at the Cardiff City stadium. The score stood to the hour mark when Daniel Pudil earned a red card with violent behavior putting the Hornets a man short for the umpteenth time this season.

A point-blank shot was called a handball on Jonathan Hogg, earning a goal on the penalty kick from Peter Whittingham at minute 70. Within two minutes, Nathaniel Chalobah's petulant kicking away of the ball after an offsides earned him his second yellow and a trip to the showers.

Down two men, Watford held on as long as they could, even missing an opportunity to go ahead on Lloyd Doyley's third career goal, but in the end they could not plug all the holes.

Give them a B+ on fight, but an F on discipline - a recurring theme between cardings and poor set-piece defending. Is this the price of an itinerant squad?

We'll get to see next Saturday at Blackburn. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 1-0 Peterborough United 5-1-5 16 pts.

Watford Player was down for the match so I had to follow on the BBC text feed.

Play was fairly even in the first half, but Watford dominated the second. Still, no scoring until the last minute when Kane Ferdinand fouled Daniel Pudil in the box and Matej Vydra slotted home the penalty.

The Hornets are plopped firmly mid-table with the next match at Cardiff City Tuesday, October 23. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.

Another Month Away for Bennett

Dale Bennet's loan to AFC Wimbledon has been extended another month.

Charlton Athletic 1-2 Watford 4-1-4 13 pts.

Despite being down to ten men in the second half, Watford hung tough and pulled out a three point result against Charlton on a 25 yard Almen Abdi free kick.

Fernando Forestieri brought a bit of his European elan to the Championship, getting himself carded for encroachment on a free kick and diving by Premiership ref Mike Dean.

Before that however, Tommie Hoban managed his first first-team goal in the 29th minute, a pinballing rebound off a free kick, only to have the Addicks equalize when Ricardo Fuller split the defense five minutes later to slot one past Manuel Almunia.

Charlton pressured Watford but did not change their formation to play against ten. Fittingly enough, Abdi's loping shot came off a free-kick when the man disadvantage was at its least.

The win leaves Watford in the top half after 9 matches. Their next is Saturday, October 6 as Vicarage Road hosts Middlesbrough. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Huddersfield Town 2-3 Watford 3-1-4 10 pts

A late penalty shot by Troy Deeney, his first goal of the season, nudged the Hornets past Huddersfield in the culmination of an action-packed second half.

The Terriers, hovering at the top of the table after promotion from League One last season, took the lead in the 1st half. A challenge on Jermain Beckford by Alman Abdi resulted in a 30 yard free kick from Oliver Norwood that found its way into the goal in the 25th minute.

The score stood 1-0 through the half until loanee Fernando Forestieri place the ball in the lower right of the goal for his debut goal with Watford. The match stayed 1-1 until a flurry of activity in the last ten minutes of regulation lead by a Mark Yeates cross that found Fitz Hall to put the Hornets ahead.

That lead lasted all of a minute before Alan Lee equalized for Huddersfield and it looked like each side would walk away with a point. But Marco Cassetti picked up a foul in the box of dubious authenticity and Deeney slotted the winning goal with three minutes left.

Watford travels to their second former League One venue in four days when they visit The Valley to take on Charlton Athletic Tuesday, October 2. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.

Watford 2-2 Bristol City 2-1-4 7 pts.

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Watford can TAKE a lead they just can't KEEP a lead.

The Robins equalized twice to salvage a point in yesterday's match, leaving Watford with the consolation prize of having broken their four game losing streak.

Scoreless at the half, a flurry of activity by Marco Cassetti and Sean Murray resulted in James Wilson getting a leg on Murray's shot and earning an own goal for his troubles as the Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the 59th minute.

That lead lasted all of four minutes before Marvin Elliott drew the match. Matej Vydra answered with help from Daniel Pudil from 12 yards out in minute 72, but the defense could not hold and Steven Davies stole two points away from Watford with seven minutes left.

The match also saw the return of Troy Deeney following his incarceration and the Watford debut of Fitz Hall.

The next match is Saturday, September 29th at Huddersfield. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Jenkins to Plymouth for a Month

Midfielder Ross Jenkins is the latest of the old guard to be shipped off on loan - this one to Plymouth Argyle for a month.

Watford 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0-4 6 pts

O! Work, how I hate thee!

A meeting came up in the midst of yesterday's match. Between that and hunting around for the Seagull's broadcast when I couldn't get to the Watford FC site, I managed to catch about 5 minutes of the match.

Probably just as well as they discourage crying at work.

The Hornets went down for the fourth straight match, again on a set-piece - this time a penalty kick from Craig Mackail-Smith. For those of you that want the gory details, the BBC Sport link is above.

The next match is . . . today!? What!? A closed door friendly with QPR. I can't recall mid-season friendlies before, but Lord knows we have enough players. Zola hopes to stretch the legs of "One Size" Fitz Hall (I'll never get tired of that) and perhaps recently-sprung Troy Deeney.

The next match that counts is Saturday, September 22 when Bristol City visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Loan-outs

With a packed side, Watford's making some moves to relieve payroll and get the lads some competitive playing time:

Joe Garner - Carlisle United - 1 month
Matty Whichelow - Accrington Stanley - through December 18
Piero Mingoia - Accrington Stanley - 1 month

Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Watford 2-0-3 6 pts.

Doyley scores! Doyley scores! Doyley scores!

Lloyd Doyley nabbed his second goal in ten years and 339 appearances. Twitter had to shut down from the sheer volume of tweets from Watford fans. (Maybe not).

Meanwhile . . .

The same problem that plagued the Hornets in the Derby Co. match, inability to defend set pieces, struck again today as Notlob picked up an early goal from a corner and a late first-half goal from a free-kick.

The recent Premier League squad dominated the first half, but looked shaken in the second as Watford controlled play - resulting in Lloyd Doyley's second career goal. The Wanderers were able to maintain, however, and the Hornet's poor defending has cost them a second match in a row.

The next match is Tuesday, September 18 as Watford welcomes Gus Poyet's table-topping Brighton & Hove Albion to Vicarage Road.

Quiet Week

I was in Vegas for most of last week. Fortunately it was Internationals Week, unfortunately the only match I saw was Ireland and Kazakhstan, (Kyrgyzstan? - who knows?).

Surprisingly, given the squad now has 39 professionals on it, there were no moves while I was gone. The two major Watford-related stories were:

The release of Troy Deeney - served 11 weeks of a ten-month sentence for a bar fight earlier this year. The club confirmed earlier they would be retaining his services.

Sean Dyche to the England U-21 squad - The former Watford skipper, unceremoniously released at the start of the season by the new owners despite the highest finish in three years, has landed as part of the back-office personnel for the England National program.

And if you are keeping tabs on past managers:

Malky Mackay - Cardiff City (Championship)
Brendan Rodgers - Liverpool (Premier)
Aidy Boothroyd - Northampton Town (League Two)

Derby Co. 5-1 Watford 2-0-2 6 pts.

And reality rears its ugly head.

The inability to defend against set pieces and a collapse of morale after the third goal, tagged the Hornets with one of their worse routs in recent memory Saturday.

Blame was laid in a number of laps, the demoralizing departure of Martin Taylor for Sheffield Wednesday, the steady shuffling of new players into and out of the line-up perhaps, but it was just plain old-fashioned poor defending against set-pieces that left Watford staggering as Derby took complete control of the match.

Matej Vydra found his third goal in four matches for the only bright spot of the day.

It's time to settle into a starting line-up, train as a squad and gel into a winning team. There will be plenty of opportunity to train (minus a few internationals) as the next match is not until Saturday, September 15 at Bolton. Kickoff is 9:00 an St. Louis time.

An Englishman, a Brazilian, a Swede, and an Argentine Walk Into a Footbal Club . . . Four More New Hornets

Four more new faces on the roster today leading one crank to opine if the squad will outnumber the fans by the end of day.

Here we go . . .

Nathaniel Chalbah - Reserve defender from Chelsea who, at age 17, has rode the pine on the first team and played on England's U-19 squad. On loan through December.

Neuton (just what we were lacking, a single-named Brazilian) - 22-yo midfielder on loan from Udinese.

Joel Ekstrand - 23-yo Swedish defender with 1 cap on loan from Udinese.

Fernando Forestieri - 22-yo Argentine striker on loan from (wait for it) Udinese (to be fair, he was on loan to Empoli right before this). An U-21 player for Italy.

Squad Moves

These come fast & furious these days and I'm at least a week behind - so let's go:

Cristian Battocchio - Argentinean midfielder, 20 years old, on loan from Udinese, veteran of Italy's U-20 squad, buds with one Lionel Messi

Jean-Alain Fanchone - French defender, 23, on loan from Udinese, France U-19 squad

Geoffrey Mujangi Bia - Belgian/Congolese winger, on loan from Standard Liege for the season. Two caps. Debuted in the Bradford City match.

And for names you already know:

Sean Murray has been signed through 2017.

Adam Thompson is on loan for a month to the Wycombe Wanderers.

LC: Watford 1-2 Bradford City

A last minute goal by Garry Thompson pushed Bradford City into Round Three of the Capital One (League) Cup.

Three new faces (Steve Leo Beleck, Ikechi Anya, & Geoffrey Mujangi Bia) up front in a 4-3-3 battered a patient Bradford defence for most of the match and an Anya goal in the 70th minute put the Hornets in the lead, but the Bantams fought back.

Kyel Reid rifled a shot past keeper Jonathan Bond to even up the score with eight minutes left and it looked like the squads would each face their second extra time match of Cup play, but Thompson's late goal left Watford without time to recover.

The next match is Saturday, September 1 at Derby County. Kickoff is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 2-0 Birmingham City 2-0-1 6 pts.

On the road this weekend, but got up early to hightail it to my sisters only to discover Dish did not carry Sky Sports. I got to watch the tail-end of the Udinese match however.

For the BBC Sport report on the match check here:

Newcomers Almen Abdi & Matej Vydra set the pace for the match; a foul on Vydra by Steven Caldwell gave Abdi the first goal four minutes in on a penalty shot.

Vydra added a goal of his own from inside the penalty area in the 17th minute to secure the three points. Jonathan Hogg earned the assist on that one.

The next match is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 28 as Bradford visits Vicarage Road for Round Two of the League Cup. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

A Tale of Two 27s

No. 27, Gavin Massey is on his way to Colchester United where he spent a couple months on loan last season - this time on permanent transfer for an undisclosed sum.

Veteran defender Marco Cassetti will be taking over the academy lad's number 27 on loan from (wait for it) Udinese. The 35-year old has spent the bulk of his career at AS Roma and has five caps for the Italian senior squad.

Watford 0-1 Ipswich Town 1-0-1 3 pts.

A last minute goal by the Michael Chopra (why is this guy not playing in the Premier League?) gave the Tractor Boys a win to break a streak of 15 matches without a win at Vicarage Road.

Ipswich dominated a match that saw the return of Scott Loach to Vicarage Road, the debut of Daniel Pudil, and the demotion of Lloyd Doyley and Carl Dickinson to the bench.

Watford gets a second chance for their first home win Saturday, August 25 against Birmingham City. It's a late kickoff for TV - 11:20 am St. Louis time.

Crystal Palace 2-3 Watford 1-0-0 3 pts.

The Watford Yank's house is in the midst of renovation and, to make a long story short, I only caught the last ten minutes or so but what a ten minute run!

The Hornets had come from behind once already to even the score in the first half with a Martin Taylor goal from close in, but the second of a brace from Owen Garvin at 29 minutes gave Palace a 2-1 lead they carried deep into the second half.

Crystal Palace's tactic of playing back to preserve the lead and absorb Watford pressure backfired on them in the 88th minute when loanee Almen Abdi found the next from outside the box.

The score tied with five minutes of added time, Matej Vydra gave Gianfranco Zola his first Watford win as manager and kicked off the 2012-13 season with three points.

The next match is tomorrow, Tuesday August 21st, when Ipswich Town pays a visit to Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.

Bradford City Second Round Draw

Bradford City will visit Vicarage Road the week of August 27 for the second round of the League Cup.

Bradford City and Watford both won 1-0 matches in extra time last Saturday to move into round 2 - the League Two side defeating Notts County.

Watford Academy Downgraded to Category 3

Watford confirmed yesterday with the Observer that they were planning to downgrade their academy status under the EPPP from Category 1 to Category 3.

The immediate effect is that Watford will no longer field an U-21 squad.

Long a source of pride (and players) for Watford and their fans, it is unclear what the long-term impact on the club will be of a downgrade of the academy.

One estimate is a savings of £2 million per year for the club, but the fear is Premier League squads will be able to poach young players for as little as £3,000. The ace up the sleeve for Watford may be its ties to Udinese & Granada as transfers out of the Football League are not subject to the EPPP. Those clubs would be able to loan the academy lads back to the Hornets.

Time will tell if the academy's productivity is maintain in the future.

League Cup: Watford 1-0 a.e.t. Wycombe Wanderers

Chris Iwelumo scored the winning goal from close in in added time Saturday to give Watford a win in the first round of the newly rebranded Capital One Cup.

Watford played sluggishly and was in serious danger of have their cup run cut short by penalty kicks until Iwelumo, on for Joe Garner six minutes into the extra time, found the net in the 109th minute to put the Hornets ahead for good.

Despite all the loan activity, it was a fairly familiar squad starting the cup tie with the only new faces being keeper Manuel Almunia, midfielder Almen Abdi, and striker Matej Vydra.

Vydra, in particular, showed a presence on the field that was a welcome addition to the Watford lineup.

League action begins Saturday, August 18 with a trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Hornets Down Gillingham 3-0

Matej Vydra scored a brace and Connor Smith picked up the third goal in Watford's final friendly in front of Saturday's season opener.

Another Udinese/Granada Striker Joins Watford

30-year old striker Alex Geijo joined stable-mates Pudil, Vydra, Abdi, & Beleck on loan to the Hornets for the season. The Swiss-born Spaniard joined Udinese in 2010 and was almost immediately loaned out to Granada.

With the addition of Watford to the Pozzo empire, Geijo looks to spend the next year of his career in Hertfordshire.

LDX Disappointing

The Lloyd Doyley testimonial honoring 10 years with Watford, dubbed LDX, proved disappointing for fans yesterday and not just the result, a 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

What was touted as a chance for the Vicarage Road crowd to see the new squad for the first time (all other pre-season friendlies have been away matches, some closed), proved to be the same-old, same-old for the most part with only two new faces on the recently re-laid pitch.

Midfielder Daniel Pudil lasted all of five minutes before pulling up with a hamstring, leaving new keeper Manuel Almunia the only newcomer in the match.

Watford held through the first half, but a Jermain Defoe header proved the only score of the night.

The final pre-season friendly is tomorrow at Gillingham. Kickoff is 1:45. Season starts on Saturday!

Barnet Friendly Ends 8-0 to the Good for Hornets

Watford tromped League Two side Barnet 8-0 in a closed friendly at London Colney (Hertfordshire) Wednesday.

A different squad played each half with Hogg, Garner, Nosworthy, Abdi, Yeates, and Murray (2) scoring in the first half and Chris Iwelumo finding the goal in the second.

Two Signings, Two More Loans, and a Departure (Sort Of)

As expected, Watford has signed former Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia. In addition that have picked up QPR defender, 31-year old "One Size" Fitz Hall. Both are signed through the end of this season.

Watford has also picked up two more strikers on loan from the Pozzo stable: from Granada by way of Cadiz, Ikechi Anya and Cameroonian Steve Leo Beleck from Udinese via AEK Athens.

Saying goodbye is David Mirfin, acquired from Scunthorpe United a year ago, loaned to Scunny for most of the year, and returned to them this summer.

Watford Downs Cork City

The Hornets notched their first pre-season win yesterday with a pairs of goals from Joe Garner & Piero Mingoia against Cork City. Jonathan Bond kept a clean sheet for Watford.

Two Non-League Matches, Two Draws

Pre-season friendlies have started with two non-league away matches last week that each ended in 1-1 draws. Tuesday saw a draw against Boreham Wood and Saturday saw Wealdstone come from behind to even up a Mark Yeates goal.

Gianfranco Zola is trying out line-ups and formations to see what gels in anticipation of the August 18th league opener against Crystal Palace.

Unhappy Egg

It's not just managers and keepers being escorted out of Vicarage Road under new management. Newly signed sponsor The Happy Egg Company is on the way out according to the Watford Observer. Signed just a week before the Pozzo purchase, the sponsor did not appeared on the kits for Tuesday's pre-season match.

Loach Update

Update on the Loach deal: It is expected his transfer will bring less than £200,000. Loach only cost the club £50,000 when he arrived from Lincoln City in April 2006 as a 16-year old. £150,000 profit and 163 appearances. Not too bad.

Another Udinese Loanee

Swiss midfielder Almen Abdi has joined the Hornets on loan from Udinese (it's hard not to say "parent club Udinese"). Abdi has had 42 appearances with Udinese in two seasons and sports six caps for Switzerland.

Loach to Ipswich

Longtime Watford keeper Scott Loach is on his way to Ispwich Town for an undisclosed amount. The Hornets have their eye on Manuel Alumnia, recently released from Arsenal.

Mariappa Off To Reading

Pending a physical, Adrian Mariappa is on his way to the Premier League with last season's Championship League champions Reading.

The star defender and academy product will join the Royals for a reported £2 million transfer fee plus add-ons.

Adrian made 216 senior appearance during his time with Watford as well as earning four caps with Jamaica, home of his maternal grandparents.

Best of luck to a fine Hornet.

McGinn Signs Contract Extension

Midfielder Stephen McGinn, sidelined for the last year with an ACL injury has signed through the 2012-2013 season with a one-year club option.

And Loanees Start Rolling In . . .

According to Chovanec Sport and the Watford Observer, two Czechs from our sister clubs have arrived on loan for the next season.

From Granada, seasoned midfielder Daniel Pudil. The 26-year old has 22 caps for the Czech national squad.

From Udinese, a young striker with 38 national youth squad appearances, Matej Vydra.

Welcome to Watford lads.

A Message From the New Owners

Sounds encouraging if they follow through.

http://www.watfordfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~2830998,00.html

Four Former Hornets on Team GB Olympic Squad

With the London Olympics around the corner, four former Hornets find themselves on the joint England/Wales Great Brittan squad.

Three of the lot are former loanees: Tom Cleverley, from Manchester United; Jack Cork, loaned from Chelsea but now with Southampton, and Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur.

Marvin Sordell, picked up by Bolton in January's transfer window is the Academy's sole product.

All have been on England's U-21 squad.

Pozzo Takeover Complete - Changes Ahead for Watford

The takeover of Watford by the Pozzo family, owners of Serie A side Udinese since 1986 and La Liga side Granada since 2009, has been completed, signaling significant changes for the Hertfordshire side.

First on the list is the impending appointment of former Chelsea/Italy national striker/attacking mid-fielder, Gianfranco Zola to replace Sean Dyche as manager.

Despite Dyche's success with limited resources, the new owners have thier own notion of how the club should be run and are in town today to share thier vision with the staff. Best of luck to Sean.

Pundits who are familiar with Udinese point to thier treatment of Granada as an example of the Pozzo's business model. The club rose from the third tier to La Liga after the Pozzo takeover three seasons ago and did so mostly on the backs of Udinese loanees (six of the starting eleven were on loan fron Udinese). The Pozzo model is one similar to South American clubs: find young promising talent, cycle them though their academy, gain them exposure, and sell them for a profit.

With Watford, as with Granada, the deal opens a new venue for exposure of Udinese players, potentially driving up their value for Premier League buyers. Additionally, Watford's stellar track record of producing senior team Football League players (50 and counting) opens a new vein of talent for Udinese to mine.

The downside is Watford's identity and tradition of home-grown talent is likely to come away diluted by the new order. On the upside, we are likely to see new talent, better football, and, if Granada is any indication, a serious shot at promotion.

Interesting times ahead.

The New Kit

Deeney Sentenced to Ten Months

Watford striker Troy Deeney has been sentenced to ten months in jail for his part in a Birmingham brawl and beating in February. Deeney, signed to a twelve month contract extension in March, has scored 13 goals in 79 appearances since joining Watford in 2010. The club has refused to comment directly except to state they are aware of the sentence, but are expected to in the next few days.

New Sponsor - All It's Cracked Up To Be?

The club has announced the new sponsor for the upcoming 2012 - 2013 will be Hertfordshire-based producers of free-range eggs, The Happy Egg Company. I am not making this up. (One wonders how much of a 'free-range' an egg can enjoy, not having a good deal of range inside the hen to start with. Similarly, how happy can they be when they're just going to be eaten anyhow? But I digress. Just see how happy they are in this photo - are those feet on my eggs?)



I can't wait for the jersey unveiling. Shall we put a comb on Harry?

Kuszczak to Albion

Keeper Tomasz Kuszcazak, who appeared in 14 matches for Watford on loan from Manchester United, has signed for Brighton & Hove Albion on free transfer rebuffing the Hornet's interest in retaining him.

First Fixtures

Watford will open the new season Saturday, August 11 in League Cup action as the host Wycombe Wanderers at Vicarage Road.

The first league match will be the next Saturday, August 18 at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace.

Watford on the Block Again

After a mere 15 months, Laurence Bassini is looking to sell the Hornets. In an interview with the Watford Observer, Bassini confirmed he was in talks with the Pozzo family, owners of Serie A side Udinese.

Asking price is an estimated £20 million, a figure that would clear the bonds and leave Bassini whole.

When pressed for his reason for selling, Bassini said, "I have been here 14 months and I do not see my daughter at the weekends. I like to do everything with her and she doesn’t like football so that is a massive reason."

Happy Father's Day Laurence.

Taylor to be Honored with Stand

Retiring Chairman and the Hornet's most successful manager, Graham Taylor, will have the yet-to-be-built east stand at Vicarage Road named in his honor according to owner Laurence Bassini.

Rodgers to Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers, former Hornets manager, has been appointed manager of Liverpool F.C.. Rodgers, who left Watford after part of one season (08-09) with a 13-7-12 record in his first managerial role, replaces Reds legend Kenny Daglish at Anfield.

Rodgers' move follows a disappointing stint at Reading and a successful tour at Swansea City that saw the Welsh club win the playoffs to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Reading Bid for Mariappa

Not too surprising; Reading has put in the first bid for Adrian Mariappa in the off season, a £2 million pound offer.

Taylor Resigns as Non-Executive Chairman

Graham Taylor, Watford's most successful manager and front office mainstay, has stepped down as non-executive chairman.

Taylor, who took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First (pre-Premier League) in just four years in the Elton John era, was appointed to the Board in January 2009 where he steered the club through a rocky change in ownership. Owner Laurence Bassini will take over as interim chairman.

Good luck and many thanks Graham.

Martin Taylor Signs for Another Year

Martin Taylor has contracted through the 2012-13 season. The 6'4" defender has made 87 appearances and scored 9 goals since joining the squad as a free acquisition from Birmingham City mid-season 2010.

Cleaning House - Five Released

Watford chose not to renew or option five players from the senior squad last week:

Rene Gilmartin - Goalkeeper, 24, acquired from Walsall at the end of 2010 - mostly used in cup ties - on loan to Towns Yeovil & Crawley this last season.

Tom James - Defender, acquired from Stratford Town last summer.

Chez Isaac - Midfielder. Yeah, me neither.

Michael Bryan - Winger, 22, an Academy product (via QPR). Twelve appearances & zero goals for the Hornets. Capped twice for Northern Ireland.

Josh Walker - Midfielder, 23, acquired for Middlesbrough at the start of the 2010-11 season. On loan to Scunthorpe United since January, where he will be transferring at the opening of the window. No fee involved.

Watford 2-1 Middlesbrough 16-16-14 64 pts.

I drug my sorry self out of bed for the final match of the season yesterday in time to sit down for the 6:30 am kickoff. Middlesbrough was fighting for a playoff spot, but the Hornets denied them the slot.

Boro played the sloppy pitch the better of the two with Scott Loach, back in goal for the final match, a one-man defense for most of the first half.

Chris Iwelumo broke the match open in the 69th minute, crushing Boro's chances of a playoff run as they needed as out-and-out win. Marvin Emnes drew the match even with five minutes of regulation but Troy Deeney put it away three minutes later to secure Watford a tie for 11th place in the table.

All-in-all, a surprisingly high finish for the Hornets on the season. Euro 2012 will have to carry us through the off-season. When I get schedule information, I will post it here.

Well Done You 'Orns!!

Peterborough United 2-2 Watford 15-16-14 61 pts

Duty called and I was unable to listen to the match. The BBC has the coverage here.

Watford has equaled last year's point total with a match to go. With the season crawling to a close, all eyes will be on the money-go-round this summer to see who gets bought (seems unlikely), who gets sold (Mariappa? Murray?), and who is manager at the start of the season. Stay tuned.

The final match is this Saturday at Vicarage Road against Middlesbrough. Kickoff is the charming hour of 6:30 am St. Louis time. See ya there!

Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Watford 15-15-14 60 pts

Watford managed to hack up a two-point hairball while still denying B&HA a chance at the playoffs.

A 25-yard free kick in minute six by Sean Murray that wrong-footed the Seagulls' keeper and a Troy Deeney penalty kick at half time saw the Hornets into the locker room with a comfortable 2-0 lead.

A little too comfortable as they spent the better part of the second half crowded into their own end running out the clock. Alas, a team needs quality, not quantity of defense and a give-away to Inigo Calderon who rebounded his own blocked shot drew Brighton within one after just nine minutes in the second half.

The equalizer came from ex-Hornet Will Buckley who left-footed the shot in with just twelve minutes left.

Despite dust-ups and the do-or-die (spoiler alert: they died) nature of the match for B&HA, both squads managed to end with eleven players still on the field.

The penultimate match of the season is this Saturday, April 21 at Peterborough United. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 1-1 Hull City 15-14-14 59 pts

Troy Deeney (John Eustace assist) equalized an early Tiger goal in minute 12 to salvage a point for Watford.

Adrian Mariappa, booked twice early in the second half, left the Hornets down a man, but an aggressive 4-3-2 formation held and Watford grabbed their 59th point of the soon-to-close season.

The next match is tomorrow at Brighton & Hove Albion, a squad fighting poor form in an attempt to reach the playoff zone. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Cardiff City 1-1 Watford 15-13-14 58 pts.

A late goal from Nyron Nosworthy salvaged a point in the standings against ex-Hornet skipper Malky MacKay and his Cardiff City Bluebirds.

A goal in added time at the end of the first half had Watford playing from behind for the next 37 minutes, but the squad played hard, attacking football that culminated in Nosworthy's equalizer in the 83rd minute.

The single point over the holiday fixtures leave the Hornets well-ensconced mid-table for the season with four matches left.

The next of these is Saturday, April 14 at Vicarage Road. Watford hosts Hull City. Kickoff is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 0-2 Blackpool 15-12-14 57 pts

A lovely Good Friday off with the dog and an internet connection to Watford Player eased the pain of a mediocre showing and poor result from the Hornets today.

Stephen Dobbie, goal elf, scored a brace for Blackpool, the last on a penalty by Tomasz Kuszczak after a controversially on-side run. It didn't matter. Watford mounted no serious challenge to the goal.

The loss leaves them at six points off playoffs with five matches left; pretty long odds. The next match comes Monday (apparently still a holiday in the UK) at Cardiff City. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Leeds United 0-2 Watford 15-12-13 57 pts

A pair of goals from Chris Iwelumo bookended a well-needed Watford away win to put the Hornets within 6 points of the playoff zone with 6 matches left.

I was occupied winning an area Toastmasters speech contest and did not catch the match, but some organization called the "BBC" scrabbled together a summary of some sort which I've attached the link to above.

The next match sees Blackpool at Vicarage Road on Good Friday. This, like the two matches that follow, will be against teams ahead of us in the standings and thus crucial to any playoff hopes. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Personnel Moves

A busy week for the Watford front office:

Alex Kacaniklic was recalled to Fulham this week.

Sean Murray was signed to a three-year contract through 2015.

Troy Deeney's option was exercised, keeping him under contract through 2013.

Watford 2-1 Ipswich Town 14-12-13 54 pts

Sean Murray & Troy Deeney each scored to give Watford a come-from-behind win over the Tractor Boys today.

A Carl Dickenson brain-fart let Ipswich take the lead in minute 18 on a Jay Emmanuel-Thomas goal from 4 yards out.

Ipswich stalled until Murray and Deeney combined on an attack that gave Murray the goal from 18 yards in the 70th minute. Ipswich tried to recover, but momentum was on Watford's side and Deeney scored a goal of his own - a looper over the keeper and into the net - with just 6 minutes left in regulation time.

The win leaves the Hornets seven points off the playoff zone with seven matches left in the season. The next is Saturday, March 31 at Leeds United. Kick is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Bristol City 0-2 Watford 13-12-13 51 pts.

Two ugly goals carried Watford over the 50 point mark at Ashton Gate today.

The first, keeper David James' mishandled punch of a loopy ball, glanced off his hand and scooted into the net in the 15th minute.

The second, a Sean Murray rebound toe poke lying on the ground after his shot was blocked by James, dribbled over the line four minutes later to provide the only goals and silenced the downtrodden Robins fans.

The win renders Watford, if not mathematically, practically immune to the drop zone. The next match is Saturday, March 24 at Vicarage Road against Ipswich Town. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Derby County 1-2 Watford 12-11-13 47 pts

Alex Kacaniklic provided a pair of assists in quick succession to put Watford up 2-0 in the first 15 minutes of the match.

The first, a Sean Murray goal from 12 yards out, quited the home crowd, while the second, a deflection from Troy Deeney, positively stunned Rams fans early in the match.

Ben Davies salvaged Derby's pride in the 30th minute, but the rest of the match went scoreless. The three points puts the Hornets 10 points shy of the playoffs (but with a very crowded field) and a fairly safe 17 points clear of relegation.

The next match is Saturday, March 17 when Vicarage Road hosts Coventry City. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time thanks to the mismatch in Daylight Savings Time changeovers.

Bennett OK

Despite being stretchered off the pitch in yesterday's West Ham match and spending the night in the hospital, Dale Bennett was diagnosed with a simple concussion - no serious head or neck injury.

West Ham 1-1 Watford 11-11-13

Another shake-up in the starting XI lead to a draw for the Hornets at Upton Park. Dale Bennett replaced the ill Nyron Nosworthy, Carl Dickenson stepped in for Lee Hodson, Alex Kacaniklic served in midfield for Prince Buaben, and Chris Iwelumo joined Troy Deeney up front as Joe Garner took a rest.

Sean Murray broke the seal on the match with a 20 yard shot that found the bottom right corner and silenced the home fans.

Murray's goal came ten minutes after a collision between John Eustace and Bennett that left Eusatce bleeding and Bennett being stretchered off (prognosis not yet available). Martin Taylor came on for Bennett, but the injury led to nine nerve-wracking minutes of added time after Ricardo Vaz Te equalized in the 87th minute.

Watford held against the 2nd place Hammers to earn a very respectable point away.

The next match is Saturday, March 10 at Derby County. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 3-2 Burnley 11-10-13 43 pts.

Excitement. Excitement. Excitement.

It looked like it was going to be 'another one of those' and, as far as the defense was concerned, it was.

Sean Dyche shook things up with four changes to the lineup from the 0-3 Southampton loss (not including keeper Tomasz Kuszczak, on emergency loan from Man. U. after Rene Gilmartin went on emergency loan to Crawley Town - how does that work? - who started last Saturday), but Burnley scored the 8th and 9th unanswered goals in three matches and lead 2-0 in the 51st minute.

The first goal developed from a mental mistake from Adrian Mariappa when he headed the ball back to Kuszczak only to have Jay Rodriguez anticipated the pass and slot the ball in.

The second was an own goal from Nyron Nosworthy, but he made amends four minutes later, heading the Hornet's first goal in ages into the net.

Watford caught fire, especially Joe Garner who figured in two assists in four minutes, setting up Alex Kacaniklic in minute 72 and having his blocked shot rebound by Troy Deeney for the go-ahead goal in the comeback.

Watford are 15 and 12 points off the drop zone and playoffs respectively.

The next match is mid-week (Wednesday) at West Ham United. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Watford 0-3 Southampton 10-10-13 40 pts

I was on the road for this one last Saturday, but Ugh! Seven unanswered goals in two matches. The BBC scoreline is on the link above. That's all I gotta say on that.

Redemption time starts tomorrow. The Hornets host Burnley who they drew away in the first match of the season. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Crystal Palace 4-0 Watford 10-10-12 40 pts.

I'm a little tardy on this one, but who wants to comment on a 4-0 loss?

The major problem was lack of marking in the box on set plays which led to at least three of the goals. Which brings me to my rant about managers:

I find it absurd to rag on, heckle, and fire managers who do not win when they are given players that are too small, too young, too slow - in short not as talented as the opposition. The fact is, half of the teams are better than the other half and a new coach will not change that.

That said, executing the fundamentals (or failing to) does fall within the manager's purview. If Dyche does not drill and drill and drill his players on set pieces this week, he will deserve any criticism that comes his way (I think he will, by the way). This is where coaching can make a difference. Another performance - not result, performance - like Saturday and Dyche will have begun to spend down whatever credits he has in the fan bank.

The next match is Saturday, February 25 as Vicarage Road hosts Southampton. Kickoff is 9:00 an St. Louis time.

Personel Updates

Gavin Massey has been recalled from Colchester early as Troy Deeney & Sean Murray are doubtful for tomorrow's match at Selhurst Park and keeper Rene Gilmartin has been sent on emergency loan to Crawley Town for a month, leaving Jonathan Bond to back up Scott Loach.

Watford 3-2 Leicster City 10-10-11 40 pts.

A rip-roaring match that see-sawed back & forth amid dodgy officiating ended with Watford gathering in three more points in the standings.

Adrian Mariappa took the lead for Watford in the 6th minute as he flicked on a Sean Murray free kick, but the lead lasted a mere four minutes before David Nugent placed the ball in the far corner through heavy traffic for the first of two goals.

His second came at the 18 minute mark, but the Hornets scrambled back to equalize in the 34th minute when another Sean Murray free kick glanced off the wall and slipped past Kasper Schmeichel.

It looked like the match would end a draw until Craig Forsyth landed the go-ahead in the net with 10 minutes left.

The match drug on with five, count 'em, five minutes of added time and a match full of shoddy refereeing (missed free kicks, wrongly awarded free kicks, etc.) culminated with the sending off of Lloyd Doyley (who was nowhere near the tackle, Mariappa was) and an 11 on 9 created when Carl Dickenson barely had two feet on the pitch as a substitute.

The three points put Watford 15 points above relegation and 11 below the playoffs. The next match is Saturday, February 11 at Crystal Palace (currently with 40 points as well). Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Watford 9-10-11 37 pts.

Sean Murray fought hard in the first half to impress upon Sean Dyche why he should continue to have a place in the Hornet's starting XI.

Following a goal in minute 19 by Garath McCleary that put the home squad ahead and a brief set-back on the squad's heels, Murray sought opportunity after opportunity to equalize, finally earning the assist to Troy Deeney's header deep into the first half.

The pace slacked for the Hornets in the second half, with Forest finding at least two clear scoring opportunities, but luck (and the crossbar) prevailed and Watford came away from a road trip with another point, an even dozen north of relegation and the same trailing the playoff zone.

The next match is Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14 at Vicarage Road hosting Leicester City. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Harry Keough R.I.P. 1927 - 2012

The first live soccer match I ever attended, I sat next to short, stocky, grey-haired gent filled with enthusiasm about the upcoming match with the Brazil U18 squad.

As I sat there, I noticed people of all ages approaching, saying a few words, even asking for autographs. It was then I noticed the fellow was wearing a lanyard that said 'National Soccer Hall of Fame'.

It was Harry.

After this experience, akin to sitting next to Lou Brock at your first baseball game, I learned a little more about Harry.

For instance, his role as a member of the 1950 World Cup 'Miracle Match' squad, a group of amateurs that defeated the mighty England XI, his inclusion in the 1952 & 1956 Olympic teams, and the driving force behind SLU soccer, which he lead to five National Championships as their coach.

I continued to see Harry around town, especially at SLU matches, most memorably when he was named to SLU's Half-Century Team in 2009. He was a St. Louis fixture.

In an era when U.S. footballers were not professionals, Harry epitomized the proud amateur tradition, especially here in Saint Louis where he will be sorely missed.

Rest in Peace, Harry.

Watford 2-1 Barnsley 9-9-11 36 pts.

A pair of goals from John Eustace inched Watford a couple of notches up the league table Saturday in the Hornet's second win in two Sordell-less games.

A Sean Murray free kick was blocked, but Eustace found the ball in the air and landed a bicycle kick past Luke Steele to put the Hornets ahead 33 minutes in.

The Watford captain sent visiting Barnsley fans scuttling to the parking lots when his second of the match found the net in minute 69 but the Tykes refused to give up and the young substitute Scott Gilbourne kept Scott Loach from a clean sheet in the 86th minute.

Watford played through five agonizing minutes of added time to nab three more points, their 36 placing them 12 off the drop zone (and 13 away from the playoffs).

The next match is Saturday, February 11 at Nottingham Forest. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Sordell to Bolton

Bolton outbid Cardiff City to earn the favors of Marvin Sordell. The number is undisclosed but seems to be in the neighborhood of £3.0 million certain and up to £4.0 million if the Wanderers stay up and/or sell Marvin on to another club.

A fair price and best of luck to Mr. 'Score-dell'.

Millwall 0-2 Watford 8-9-11 33 pts.

On a day when our star striker departs, two step up to take his place and the new boy, Alex Kacaniklic, makes an immediate and impressive impact in his debut first team appearance.

It was the Hornet's game from the start, but stayed scoreless until the 35th minute when Troy Deeney found the lower right corner of the net (Kacaniklic asst.).

The Swedish winger got his second assist when his shot off a snappy feed from Lloyd Doyley was blocked and Joe Garner followed on from 4 yards out at the hour mark.

The Lions' best chance came at the end of regulation time when a penalty by Scott Loach left him needing to block a penalty kick from former Hornet Darius Henderson. Success on that front and three minutes of added time meant a clean sheet for Loach.

A late goal from Blackpool against Coventry City leaves Watford 9 points clear of the drop zone if that result holds.

The next match is Saturday, February 4 at Vicarage Road against Barnsley. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Transfer Rumors

Watford is up 1-0 at the New Den at the half, but the bigger news is who's in the line-up and who's not on this last day of the January transfer window.


Adrian Mariappa, subject of interest from Wigan Athletic, started today after reportedly turning down the latest offer. Marvin Sordell, however, was not in the line-up, apparently at the request of owner Laurence Bassini. The rumored reason is a £3 mil offer from Cardiff City for the academy-produced striker. Stay tuned.

Roster Moves

Defender Dale Bennett, on loan to Brentford, has returned to the fold and Swedish winger Alex Kacaniklic has joined the Hornets on loan from Fulham.

The 20-year old has seen no first-team experience and the southwest London squad has loaned him out for the remainder of the season to get some with Watford. Kacaniklic should be available for tomorrow's trip to Millwall.

FA Cup: Watford 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

As young as you know this club is on paper, seeing them up against Tottenham they looked like boys versus men.

This was my first look at the squad on TV in probably two years. Tottenham came to play. Sure, Gareth Bale is out with a thigh injury and Brad Friedel rode the pine for this match, but the Hornet squad was tasked with facing down Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric, Jermain Defoe, and Emmanuel Adebayor (with Aaron Lennon as a sub for good measure).

All said, they did a respectable job of it. Possession favored them in the first half but Scott Loach reacted slow to a 25-yard shot from van der Vaart in the last minutes of the first half and Watford found themselves down at the half.

Momentum was slow to build in the second half with the Spurs dominating possession, but Watford recovered with two excellent chances, the first a Joe Garner shot that hit the post, the second a flurry and a terrific save by Carlo Cudicini.

All in all, the Hornets had 12 shots on goal to Tottenham's 4 but none fell and the Spurs advance to Round 5.

The next match is league action Tuesday, January 31 at Millwall. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time (THAT revolution will NOT be televised).

Tottenham Tie on Fox Soccer Plus

Tomorrow's Round 4 FA Cup tie will be televised on Fox Soccer Plus (Everton v Fulham with be on Fox Soccer). I'm planning on visiting Barrister's for the match (with cameos from Mr. Mojo & Andrew). The Amsterdam has confirmed they will be showing the match as well.

Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

GO 'Orns!!

Birmingham City 3-0 Watford 7-9-11 30 pts.

Watford faced their second loss in a row Saturday and tread water in the lower-mid table after a 3-0 loss at Birmingham. Curtis Davis headed in a pair and Chris Burke caught a rebound to seal the deal for the Blues.

The loss leaves the Hornets in 18th place, just 6 points clear of relegation.

The squad takes a break from league play as they host Tottenham Hotspur in Round 4 Proper of the FA Cup Friday. Tottenham currently sit 3rd in the Premier League standings, but it remains to be seen what squad they will bring to the tie as they face Wigan in league play next Tuesday. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Loan Moves

Gavin Massey, on loan to Yeovil Town earlier this season, has been lent to Colchester for a month to get a bit more playing time.

On the other hand, keeper Rene Gilmartin is back from his loan spell at Yeovil Town.

Bassini Q&A

The new owner answers questions submitted to him by the fans.

Not a whole lot of detail here. The focus seems to be on the stadium rather than the club, but he's making all the right noises.

Watford 1-2 Reading

An ugly loss and lackluster play from Watford leaves them with zero points at home for their troubles in today's late-starting match.

Despite a sluggish start, the Hornets found themselves up a goal after a Troy Deeney cross was muffed by defender Shaun Cumming and ended up as an own goal in the 29th minute. That goal seemed to knock the wind out of Reading, but still they managed to equalize three minutes from the half off a Jimmy Kebe header.

Watford played better, but still not well, in the second half, managing to hold on to the point until late sub Adam Le Fondre took advantage of confusion between Carl Dickinson & Scott Loach and found himself undefended, scoring the go-ahead in the 86th minute.

The next match is at Birmingham next Saturday, January 21. Back to a regular start time of 9:00 am St. Louis time.

FA Cup Round 3: Watford 4-2 Bradford City

A pair of goals from Craig Forsyth and one each from Troy Deeney and Marvin Sordell propelled the Hornets past Bradford City and into the 4th round proper of the FA Cup where they will host Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spurs, currently in third place in the Premier League, will travel to Vicarage Road Saturday, January 28. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time. No word yet on whether this will be televised.

The next fixture on the Watford calendar is televised, at least in the U.K., at Reading this coming Saturday, January 14. The TV schedule means the kickoff is pushed back to 11:20 am St. Louis time. If I can find a web feed, I'll post it here.

Catching Up

As happens about every five years, I was off in Hawai'i for my wedding anniversary and missed a few matches (one started at 2:00 am Hilo time). To get up-to-date we have:

Boxing Day

Watford 1-1 Cardiff City

New Year's Eve

Watford 4-1 Doncaster Rovers

January 2nd

Portsmouth 2-0 Watford

The Hornets record is 7-9-9 for 30 points, in 18th place and 6 points clear of relegation.

The next match is tomorrow, the first of the FA Cup ties for this campaign, at home against League Two side Bradford City. Kickoff is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.