Match Day Thread Watford v Crystal Palace

Very disappointing. Not enough urgency, pace or willingness to take on opposing players. Hard to explain a performance like that against a pacy but hardly brilliant Palace. We know some of those players were playing way better than that early in the season. Never known the beer to taste so dull!

 

Tried the lucky Bordeaux at half time which seemed to work for a few minutes, but maybe I should have bought a better vintage.

 

I know it's a well-worn cliché but despite all the hugs etc. has Flores "lost the dressing room"? Are they disenchanted with his tactics? Is he now expendable?

 

Correct Vic. You don't have the time to play yourself in to Cup Semi Finals - the intensity was not there from the beginning, stage fright, lack of a secong gear, too many imports who do not know the intensity of a cup semi, lack of a manager who can breath fire into them at the right time, who knows ? Wish we could borrow Jürgen Klopp for the team talks together with the fire of Aidy (at his best) or SD.

 

Just spoke to my old man, my sis, and three mates who went.

All holding back tears or crying.

We deserved to lose. but gutting.

 

I do not like to make anyone a scapegoat, but I thought Ake was very poor and at fault on both goals. He has played too many matches--a young lad, first full season, played very well for most of it, but clearly "played out" for the last few games. The manager should have seen this and made a change. Ighalo has also lost his spark --earlier in the season he was making chances out of nothing, now he is making nothing out of chances. Palace were not great but made us look average. (again).

What now? Time for a bit of experimentation ? QSF does not deserve the sack, but maybe the team needs the kick-start of a managerial change.

 

"It could have been anybody's game and Watford didnt take it. Some of the players will be going home thinking: 'We should and could have won that. Watford tried to build up too much. The forward pass wasn't there. Watford didn't perform as we know they can. Why didn't they perform? You have to be in the dressing room to know that."

- Graham Taylor

"Watford will be frustrated with themselves. They will watch this game back and see they only came alive and put pressure on Palace in the last five minutes. They rarely got the ball to Ighalo and Deeney. Palace warmed up with that in mind and it didn't materialse. The centre-half should have taken Connor for the goal."

- Rio Ferdinand

"They didn't get the service to Deeney and Ighalo. The speculation around the job definitiely had an affect."

Ian Wright

 

Tough to take but we were not good enough on the day.

 

Palace the better more powerful and quicker side again..

Full backs poor and too slow in attack.

Summed up our recent performances.

Atmosphere seemed ok.

 

Six FA Cup semi-finals - we've only scored 1 in all of them.

 

He looked all over the place for the first goal but settled down as the game went - pulled off one very fortunate save when the shot almost went under his body but somehow stayed out - second goal was a free header. No complaints but very surprised Gomes was not picked.

 

Earlier is said " I hope we go out there and give it a good go....if we perform as we can and all things are equal on the decision side of things I believe we can do it, BUT there are a lot of ifs and ands in there! "

Once again we didn't show up, poor performance from too many players...I actually thought Suarez had quite a good game, though losing Capoue was a real blow.

It seems perverse to complain about this season, but today and the past four months have been pretty dire and everyone in the stands knows the reason...we don't attack with pace, when we break nobody supports the attack and this with the fact the players have had it drilled into them that they must be conservative and play square balls all the time gives the opposition time to get back behind the ball and stifle the attack. We haven't learnt this at all in the past 13 or so games - this is Flores fault and he needs to sort it if we are to have a chance next season.

Today I am gutted at losing but most of all angry that once again we were set up too defensively and let the game (save for the last 5 mins) pass us by!!!

Oh and I am having to endure all sorts from Palarse fans on the train home

 

I thought we were starting to get a grip of the game and were looking a threat but when Capoue went off that was the end of that.

 

Not as strong, didn't win anything really of second balls, no support of the front two, poor performances from most, too conservative in moving forward. I've been a fan of Nyom, but I thought he had a mare. Need to see their goals again because they seemed very free headers, or at the very least, not pressured.

That said...

Twelve months ago, if you were offered Premiership survival and an FA Cup Semi, you'd have taken it.
It's a lot easier to walk out of Wembley having lost in a Semi than the Final - I don't think we'd have beaten Utd as they are. Everton in 84 hurt, this didn't so much. I didn't see loads of kids (or adults ) in tears.
We didn't lose to a controversial penalty or a last minute winner. Or an Andy Gray.
It's not like we deserved to win and the football gods were against us.
It's not like we didn't get the chance to explode at Wembley when Deeney scored.

Take away the positives. We've got business to do over the summer and a new season in the Premiership 2016-2017. And we haven't even finished this season yet.

COYH

 

Yes, yes and yes.

 

Was always going to be who turned up on the day & Watford simply didn't.
You've had a great season although it won't feel like it .
You must be sick of playing us at Wembley, as you will agree the best team on the day won.

I wish you all well keep your chins up

The singing section didn't really work either but well done for trying

 

wrong tactics, slow and off the pace, no width, at one point we were all clumped in the middle and Palace had full run of the wings without being bothered...awful. He got it wrong today badly and yes, Ake has been playing badly for a few games now and was at fault for both goals imo. We made a bad Palace side look good today, hugely disappointing. Off to bed to see if i left my smile there this morning.

 

The issue is we play the same way regardless of the opposition..

No change in tactics and the subs are predictable at times.

I think that is the main doubt with Flores but then who is to say the next manager will just have one way of playing.

Of course in the Premier league you do get caught out more if your not at 100% and Flores himself we took 15 minutes or so to recover from the early goal..

At least Jurado got an assist at last!

 

All been said really.....

8.5 hours solo driving yesterday with hip problems...... knackered today

 

I think it's all been said above really, yesterday was pretty much the same as we have been playing for the past 4 months - what will it take to install some passion and fire in our players if a semi-final at Wembley doesn't?
I fee so sorry for the supporters that travelled so far for that game to be dished up with such a sorry performance.
I am totally footballed out and cannot wait until the end of the season - I am going to Liverpool, but you can stick Norwich away at £40.