Watford FC – My Views

Bristol City are stuttering at the moment and seem to lack that drive they had a couple of years ago and with the news that both Nicky Maynard and Jamel Campbell-Ryce Were out the match certainly looked more winnable than I would have thought at the start of the season. However we had an equally crucial player out through injury and without Cleverley’s pace and match winning ability I thought we would struggle. The only other change was Danny Graham in for Ross Jenkins so it was a return to 4-4-2.

As usual we went to the chip shop before the match and discussed the disastrous current state of football – West Ham, Portsmouth and Chester City…where do you start?

The early exchanges suggested that it was going to be a tight affair and whilst Bristol City enjoyed more possession but we had the first opportunity to score in 3 minutes. Cowie took the corner and Taylor looked unmarked as he headed the ball goalwards, it looked like it was in and surely would have been had it been on target but instead it went just wide.

The first goal came on 15 minutes, Mariappa took the ball down the right and delivered a superb cross in to the box for Helguson who made the chance look easy as he scored his 8^th goal of the season. Bristol City did not react like a team with the belief to get back in to the match and still offered little and frustration settled in. The first player in to the book was Cole Skuse who committed a terrible tackle on Helguson who was visibly upset at the challenge. Saborlo was next in the book for a bad tackle on Demerit after the American had skipped past him when dribbling the ball out from defence.

From the resulting free kick Lansbury spread the ball up the pitch to Taylor who volleyed in a ferocious shot past the keeper off the far post and in to the net. The goal was all the sweeter and perfect revenge as it came straight after a couple of poor challenges from the two city midfielders.

It looked like we were going to coast to victory but with the two goal cushion we took our foot off the gas and City tried to pick themselves up as they now had nothing to lose and all to gain. With Bristol dominating it was crucial that we did everything to keep the 2.0 lead at half time. First the ball was spread to McAllister who blasted an effort towards goal, it looked like it was heading in but Mariappa blocked the shot with his head and rather than diverting the ball into his net it went wide for a corner.

The ball was pinging around the box and McAllister was the danger man as minutes later he whipped in a cross along the ground but fortunately no one was on the end to convert. We almost grabbed ourselves a third when Mariappa played the ball to Graham who crossed for Helguson but the shot went over the bar though at least it was some respite from the seemingly endless City attacks and we held on until half time

It was around half time that the bitter cold really began to kick in, as there wasn’t much else to focus on. The Bristol City players were out first and they made two changes. We started off more lively and after good link up play Lansbury went down in the box, and at the time my gut instinct was that the referee got the decision right (the cold had clearly mellowed me).

That early spell was short lived and Bristol City continued how they ended the first half and Loach pulled off a superb save from a Fontaine header. By now I was getting frustrated particulary at our tactic of bringing all 11 players back for the corner whilst still failing to mark and allowing City to dominate inside our penalty area. Even when we did clear the ball three players were lurking on the box and our inability to push out thereby putting us under even more pressure.

Both Taylor and Demerit had to stay alert and again it proved Demerit plays better when alongside a big centre half who can dominate in the air allowing him to focus on the last ditch tackles he seems to specialise in. Despite all of the Bristol City possession they failed to test Loach but with time ticking by it was clear that we needed some pace upfront to stretch their defence. Malky’s solution was to bring on Henderson. Whilst the youngster does run around and tries to get stuck in he doesn’t seem to have the technical ability and still remains a bit naïve giving away silly fouls for clumsy tackles. Despite that he did have a shot from outside the area which was well blocked.

The 2^nd half was a pretty dire affair and neither side created much of note. It wasn’t a spectacular performance but it was about time we ground out a win. The win proved to be pretty crucial as most of those below us also picked up wins so whilst we are currently in 11^th and roughly only 6 points off the play offs we are also only 6 points off the drop. As usual the Championship is as tight as ever and as we don’t play until next Tuesday will be a few places lower Saturday evening.

Next up QPR a team who will no doubt want revenge as it was our victory over them in December which has been responsible for their dip in form (and the sacking of two managers).

Waking up on Saturday I had no thought in my head that the match against Swansea would be cancelled and got in to the usual Saturday morning routine before getting the text saying the match was in doubt due to the failure of the undersoil heating. Eventually it was confirmed the game was off, and feeling a bit pathetic I honestly had no idea how I could spend the day with no alternative plans immediately available. Instead me and Chris went to the Coral, put a couple of random accumulators on, and a sneaky quid on Ebbsfleet to beat Luton before finding a pub.

It was actually a good way to spend the day (as far as wasting a day goes) – not having to worry about the Orn’s and revelling in other fans misery/joy. With half time approaching it was evident we were not going to win big money off our £1 bets but there was still one score going our way courtesy of Magno Viera Ebbsfleet’s Brazilian star. With about 15 minutes to go Luton made it 2.2 but about 5 minutes later Moses Ashikodi scored for Ebbsfleet. It was a sweet moment to see an ex Watford player score, especially when we both knew he’d have received stick for being a ’Watford reject’. Ebbsfleet held on and Chris and I won enough money to cover the time we were in the pub. Not a bad day.

Unfortunatley the results of teams down the bottom had gone against us and we had dropped to just 6 points off the drop zone and were down to 17^th by the time Tuesday night came. However there were some positives, we’d held on to Loach and finally signed a big strong defender that we had been in desperate need for since Williamson was sold to Portsmouth reserves.

My dad and I were late leaving work but we still had time to meet Chris at the chip shop and then it was on to the Hornet shop where I was finally able to pick up the Christmas present from my aunt and uncle….the ‘I was there when Lloyd scored shirt’. However the happy memories of that day were a distant memory and if I’d been told there had been a mistake and my shirt was no longer available I wouldn’t be have been too disappointed.

I just made it in to the ground in time for the minutes silence, and it was quite surreal to see how the majority stopped rushing to their seats to observe it.

The match did not start well and was pretty dire for the first 25 minutes. We were playing 4-5-1 and despite having the extra man in midfield we still didn’t seem to get close to the Sheffield United players. The formation also meant that we had what appeared no attacking threat. Helguson was failing to hold up the ball and it seemed we just couldn’t get out of our own half. It was a physical, scrappy start and it probably wasn’t helped by a pitch which had suffered from a lack of undersoil heating.

Gradually we began to impose ourselves on the game perhaps as we began to realise Sheffield United were as gifting at the back as we have been in some games this season. The first real chance was from Helguson whose header from a long throw was saved by the keeper and eventually Morgan hacked the ball clear. Next up stepped Cleverly whose free kick clipped the post, though at the time I thought the keeper had made a good save. When we did score it took me by complete surprise. It was a long ball up the pitch which both defenders left Cleverly bravely rose up to head the ball in before he was taken out by the keeper. Luckily he wasn’t too badly injured, but seeing the replay, the keeper was lucky not to get a booking.

Sheffield were maybe feeling slightly aggrieved at conceding such a sloppy goal and became even more physical, with one of their strikers leaving the foot in when Loach got to the ball first. It was cynical and worthy of the yellow card despite pleads of innocence.

At half time I was still feeling more pessimistic than optimistic and honestly couldn’t believe that United would be as bad in the second half as they were in the first. I was wrong. The goal had clearly given our young side a lift and they came out with all guns blazing. For weeks we’d shown a lack of effort and determination but United’s defence were poor under pressure and our hunger almost paid off when the keeper cleared straight to Helguson on the edge of the box. It looked for all the world that it was a matter of when he’d score not if, but perhaps he had too much time and the keeper made a good save.

Minutes later we had another chance, the new signing Martin ’Tiny’ Taylor caused havoc in the Sheffield United box, the ball wasn’t cleared and he tried to shoot from a ridiculous angle, the ball fizzed across the goal line but no one else had gambled so no one was there to turn it in.

Still we continued to create chances and eventually gave ourselves a bit of a cushion when another defensive mix up again saw Helguson in on goal, this time he instinctively shot and it was in. Sheffield United still seemed devoid of ideas and their defence still looked shaky. Chris text me to say he didn’t want to tempt fate, but that he was always surprised at the way Blackwell could make good players look so average. It seemed a valid point but for me the next goal (if there was to be one) would be crucial. If Sheffield had nicked one to make it 2.1 the whole atmosphere would have changed.

Instead we got some luck when Cowie stepped up to take a free kick. He whipped the ball in, everyone left it and the ball clipped in the inside of the far post before nestling in the back of the net. 3.0 and we were safe especially given the fact even at 2.0 it had been us rather than Sheffield creating the more likely goal scoring chances.

Henderson went off to a standing ovation and chants. Whilst he did deserve a positive acknowledgement what he received was too much in my opinion. He was a good player for us, and had stuck with us even after he’d been treated quite badly by Boothroyd but for me he is never going to be a Watford legend in the same way someone like Mooney was. I was just glad to see him leave the pitch because I feared he;d either score or cause injury to one of our better players.

Malky reacted by bringing on Will Hoskins and Danny Graham, the latter almost scoring with a wonder goal when he turned and shot on the half volley. Even Hoskins had a go, cutting in from the right but failed to either shoot or cross and the chance was wasted. He even tried to score towards the end with an attempt that was cheered due to us being 3.0 up, but had it still been 0.0 would surely have been met with groans considering other options were available.

It was 3 much needed points, a rare clean sheet and we’ve edged our goal difference back towards 0. we aren’t going to be fixed over night but hopefully this will give us some much needed confidence especially with another tough month ahead.

We’re doing better than many expected in the league with our make-shift, wafer thin team (we barely have a squad) but  whilst the F.A Cup is meant to be a magical competition for me it felt more like an unnecessary distraction this year. We have played Chelsea quite a few times in the F.A cup in recent years; on all three occasions we have been struggling financially and our squad struggling for survival in the league. In theory this was our best chance, our  energetic team has at least three Premiership hopefuls in Lansbury, Cleverley and Loach whilst Chelsea had lost a number of players to the African Cup of Nations and Anelka was injured.

Chris knew of a cheaper-than-usual Wetherspoons pub in Holloway Road and whilst it looked an unnecessary diversion to get there, it meant we had an easy route to Earls Court later in the afternoon. We didn’t really discuss the match, there wasn’t much to say, neither of us expected an upset, instead hoping that the team would do themselves justice and keep the score looking respectable.

Eventually we made our way to the ground and seats and it was good to see a good away attendance in good voice. However whether all of the fans in the Lower Shed were Watford fans is debateable as there was at least one youngster wearing a Chelsea hat! The minutes before kick off were taken up by watching the closing stages of the Man United vs. Leeds match with the league one side leading by one goal. The Chelsea fans were very pleased by the score, ourselves not really bothered. Some fans in the away end appeared to be excited at the possibility of Leeds winning, but myself having had an unpleasant encounter with a few bitter Leeds fans after the play-off final was desperate for a Man U equaliser to wipe the smug look off the Leeds supporters faces. As the match ended I turned to Chris and said something along the lines of that’s our chance of an upset over.  It was pessimistic but based on two gut instincts – Chelsea would now make sure they were not complacent and the upset of the day had already happened.

The match started and Chris asked how long it would take before we conceded, it’s part of a running pessimistic joke we have but as Chelsea came on the attack and our players appeared incapable of closing them down and not giving them space it looked ominous as they passed the ball around the pitch. Unsurprisingly it was Scott Loach who had our first touch from a goal kick.

Chelsea had countless corners and whilst against physical sides in the Premiership they have struggled at set plays, from our seats near the front it really did look like men against our a makeshift team of boys. With just five minutes gone and our team still looking overawed by the occasion, Chelsea scored the first. We had everyone back as the corner was taken by Frank Lampard, but crucially the header was still won by Alex and Daniel Sturridge made himself space at the back to convert the chance.

Any hope that Chelsea would take their foot off the gas were dashed immediately when again they won the ball back and started to attack again. Unfortunately when we’ve gone a goal down against ruthless attacking teams we have a tendency for our confidence to become shaken, to remain shell shocked, to make mistakes and to concede again shortly after. The warning signs were ignored, lessons not learnt, it was relentless as Chelsea continued to attack.

With just 14 minutes gone the second came, and it will surely feature on a future bloopers dvd. Whilst my angle was not that good I saw Joe Cole volley a shot/cross back across goal Mariappa head the ball towards goal with Loach looking stranded, he appeared to collide with the back of Eustace and the ball had ended up in the net. Before the match I’d felt somewhat naively that because I feared the worst I would cope if we capitulated. I couldn’t. The fans in the lower shed had now gone mostly silent, the carnival atmosphere gone and all there was to focus on was Chelsea tearing us apart and it was not a pretty spectacle.

Still we couldn’t get near the ball, still Chelsea were not willing to relax. They were in that unstoppable mood when even sides more experienced than us would have struggled. Time was passing very slowly, and I’d lost count of the number of shots Chelsea had already had and the amount of corners they had had. The third came on 21 minutes. A shot from the edge of the box hit Malouda, and perhaps if the scores had still been level, Loach would have still made the save, but with the confidence gone and luck against us he appeared to dive out of the way as the ball bounced over his trailing leg and in. It was pretty demoralising to see us struggling in such a way and it started to look like the worst case scenario would become a reality – we wouldn’t do ourselves any justice, we’d be utterly humiliated and our confidence would be left in tatters.

Fortunately we finally started to offer some form of fight back but Chelsea still looked like a side who could score at any opportunity. The score however remained 3.0 and whilst the scoreline might not have been as humiliating as I feared it would be after 20 mins but it was the overall performance which had been so disappointing.

At half time the disappointing Severin was substituted, and was replaced by Ross Jenkins. With Jenkin’s introduction we started to show some energy but Danny Graham stood no chance when being marked by both Terry and Alex. Cowie also looked disappointing in midfield and tried to over complicate things and neither Cleverley or Lansbury had the space they need to attack.

Our best chance of the game came when Jay Demerit headed Cowie’s corner into the hands of Hilario. We were 3.0 down but it would have still been worth celebrating, if only because it would have made the scoreline look more respectable. The chance wasn’t taken and Chelsea went up the other end and punished us again. Lampard, a player who is well known to like a shot from distance was left in acres of space, if not the freedom of London. He had time to control the ball, look up at the goal, get the perfect body shape before firing a shot into the top corner. 4.0, the goal had come exactly one hour after the 3^rd.

Again we capitulated and minutes later Chelsea made it 5.0, I couldn’t see what happened but Sturridge got it. 5.0 for me was boarding on humiliation and as the confidence had dipped I did start to fear that things would get even worse.

They didn’t with that Chelsea were done, but still their fans remained silent though I guess sadly their fans would have expected nothing less than a convincing victory. By now our fans with nothing to lose had started to get behind the team again and when John Harley came on as sub and he almost got a consolation when played through on goal. His shot was pushed onto to the post, Terry didn’t put the ball in his own net and Henderson another sub couldn’t put the ball over the line.

The final whistle went and that was it, another massive learning experience and to be honest we’d have been stuffed if we’d played like that against most teams. It was a poor performance, but Chelsea were deadly and efficient, in truth there was little our players could probably have done and they need to pick themselves up for the match against Sheffield United.

On Boxing day it has usually been tradition for us to go to the football if we are at home and then on to my cousins. This year it was to be different as my dad and Step chose to spend the Christmas weekend in France. As the alarm went off, I calculated I could afford a bit more of a lie in at this point blindly naïve to the problem that would soon dawn on me. I checked the train times and all seemed fine, until I noticed that the trains listed were for Sunday…and a few minutes later it was confirmed that there were no trains. For some reason I’d been convinced that despite it being Boxing Day trains would run to a Sunday service especially because the bank holiday was technically on the Monday, businesses were open and most importantly the football was on!

I phoned Chris but unfortunately he’d already left to go in with his dad and my mum wasn‘t available and because of the lie in I’d treated myself to I was running out of time and options. My last hope was to see if Jonny could be convinced to attend the game, but with the website giving the impression that tickets were sold out that option remained in the balance. Fortunately there were tickets and with the promise of a pint he kindly came over to Berkhamsted (from Apsley).

Nottingham Forest looked the more dangerous of the two sides in a first half which was pretty uninspiring. During the first half all that really happened was the anger towards Andy D’Urso steadily increased as he fell for the Forest players play acting. After the game Davies tried to claim we were a physical side and clearly D’Urso agreed however anyone who has seen us play (without a previous bias) will acknowledge our players are not strong and physical (though they are tenacious). The only exception is Helguson and when he went in slightly late for tackle the Forest player made sure D’Urso knew about it. So did the Forest goalkeeper Lee Camp who came charging half way up the pitch just to try and provoke a response in a blatant attempt to force a red card. Shortly after this a kid in the front row of the Rous did what most us wanted to do and chased the full back down the touchline as he went to take a corner and gave ’some stick’ earning a round a applause for his actions. Somehow a kid doing it made it more innocent.

In the opening exchanges of the second half Forest were still creating more chances without really looking like scoring, however it was mid way through the second half that the match really started to come to life. Cleverly had looked quiet throughout but perhaps as the Forest defence tired he saw more of the ball and started to take on the full back first cutting in to fire in a shot just passed the far post.

After his antics in the first half Lee Camp had made himself a villain (it is pantomime season) and after receiving some stick gestured towards the Rookery. It had got to the stage where whoever scored first would probably win and that just heightened the tension and ‘banter’ though for me I became more edgy because it feels like we rarely have the last laugh. However, when Cowie shot from just outside the box in a similar position to Cleverly I thought it was in as did Jonny who leapt up but unfortunately with the keeper beaten the ball clipped the post.

The game was now becoming stretched and Forest almost scored, the build up hadn’t looked overly dangerous but from a good cross Blackstock had a header which had Loach scrambling across the goal mouth and diving to produce a superb save.

Danny Graham was making runs and getting in positions but was looking sluggish when the ball arrived in the box and he no longer seems to seize the initiative when the ball when it comes towards him. Somehow with an almost open goal he couldn’t squeeze the ball home. Unfortunately this is rather ominous as he will soon have a lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders and  eventually he was withdrawn and Henderson was introduced.

As the time ticked away my heart was in my throat when a Forest player appeared to be caught in a sandwich in the box and dramatically fell over. Anywhere else on the pitch it might have been a free kick but D’Urso made his first decent decision for us and rejected the claim. Personally I wasn’t sure at the time and as I haven’t seen a replay I can’t comment further except to say it wasn’t clear cut.

We had one final chance with both Lansbury and Cleverly in the box. There was a scramble in the box, and a shot from Lansbury was blocked before Cleverly had a go from close range, the keeper was beaten before Shorey made a superb save on the line. It clearly had struck his arm but neither D’Urso or the linesman gave it. Having not given Forest a penalty earlier on it appeared D’Urso had simply bottled it.

A draw now felt like a defeat and whilst I’d have taken 31 points at the half way stage it was still disappointing that recent performances and results had created an element of frustration.

On the bank holiday Monday we were facing Bristol City who earlier in the season had been unstoppable at home and whilst I didn’t go I did listen to the match on 3 counties. We seemed to be doing ok, and whilst the commentary might be on the pro-Watford side it appeared we would be the most likely to get the first goal.

Soon we did, and it was Helguson who got and I let out a cheer before I realised that the goal had been ruled for offside. No replays of the incident were shown on the football league show, but it was still yet another decision which had gone against us. Minutes later we were punished and Bristol City scored what sounded an excellent goal and there wasn’t much of the first half left.

Soon we got it back to 1.1, Cleverly levelling with a decent strike from outside the box and with that it seemed we would go in level at half time and I was happy enough with that and things seemed to get better when the commentators mentioned that the Bristol City fans sounded agitated and that the confidence of the players appeared to have dropped.

But yet again we had some bad luck, City were awarded a free kick and Neil Price assured everyone that it was ‘too far out for them to score’. The ball was struck, there was a loud cheer and we were 2.1 down. Then the half time whistle went. I felt gutted.

Neil Price was doing his usual routine of saying ‘there are goals in this’ but from experience I know that normally means the score will stay as it is and we will go on to lose. We carried on having half chances but couldn’t convert them and Price laid the blame at the feet of Graham. Ironically it was he who almost equalised when a mis-kick fell to him, apparently he did well to control before firing a shot from 40 yards which like against Derby dropped the wrong side of the post.

Next an apparent mix up in the Bristol City box saw a defender and the goal keeper colide in the air, Helguson was left with an open goal but it was ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper. Whether this was the correct decision I don’t know, but it does seem that we just don’t get key decisions in our favour.

I couldn’t believe we were heading for defeat in a game we’d dominated for in large spells and even Neil Price had given up, though perhaps this should actually have given me a bit of optimism. We kept pushing forward and I don’t know quite how it happened but from close range Eustace bundled the ball in off his knee.

It was only a draw but it stopped us losing for a 5^th consecutive away match which would have been a truly horrendous record. The fact the goal came so late in the game also showed the players hadn’t given up and in a way the draw felt like a victory. If someone had said we’d get two draws over Christmas I’d have taken that, especially as performances in both games were good so hopefully that can give the players a bit of confidence again.

It’s also a new decade and in the past 10 years there have been a lot of ups and downs and I’m sure over that time on a number of occasions we’ve questioned why we put ourselves through it. I know as the minutes ebbed away against Bristol City I was starting to but then that equaliser symbolised why we do. It’s that hope things will change and that rush of adrenaline when the ball hit’s the net which make you forget all the moments of negativity. Here’s to the next 2010!

After the Derby match all thoughts were on Tuesday night the clubs AGM. Perhaps somewhat naively I believed that all of the clubs major shareholders would (finally) put their differences aside for the good of the club and find the money we required to continue. I honestly believed that the power struggle which began over 2 and half years ago when the Russo’s were kicked off the board would finally be resolved. On Monday night an article in one of the national papers (I believe it was the Express) suggested this had been achieved, unfortunately the more reliable Watford Observer suggested the opposite and nothing had been agreed.

On Tuesday 15th December as 6.30pm edged nearer my emotions were similar to those I have before a friendly against lower league opposition – similar to Pre Match Tension and I was very interested to know what the outcome would be but just assumed everything would be ok.

I logged on and immediately the illusion was shattered as news emerged the ’Whole’ board had resigned. This did not sound good, but I wondered, perhaps more hoped, that this was in order for a new board to be elected. Despite this being reported on the Watford Observer strong rumours implied that there was a crucial inaccuracy in the report…

…It was not the whole board, but just the Russo’s and their other Valley Green Salad representative who had resigned. That was not good news because the debts in the name of a company, rather than any individuals, had been re-arranged so that they were secured against the stadium (only three weeks before described as our main asset) and more worryingly these debts could be called at any time. A statement confirmed that by resigning from the board Valley Green Salads would indeed be calling in the loans and that put the threat of administration as critical.

It was a sucker punch, the joy of Lloyd Doyley’s goal just 8 days before was now a long and distant memory and I seriously began to consider what I would do if the worst happened and we ceased to exist. I remember having that very conversation during my Uni days with Richie (the Everton fan). We both concluded that we did not have a clue.

Watford has been my club for 19 seasons and during that time whilst change might be occurring everywhere else in my life they have always been a  consistent (even if performances have been slightly inconsistent!) They have been a source of some of my happiest moments, wrecked a number of weekends, they have been a possible subject of conversation when meeting new people, allowed me to forge a good relationship/understanding with my dad and it might sound a bit pathetic, but they are part of my identity. Everyone who knows me know I am a ‘Orn. We are not a club with big attendances and I don’t think any of our supporters can be described as a glory hunters and I imagine we all have a number of personal reasons why the club means so much to us.

On Wednesday I had an appointment at the hospital to check whether my nerve was trapped within the fracture in my arm thereby delaying the recovery to the injury I sustained 13 weeks ago previously. Due to not being at work, I allowed my thoughts to be about our destiny, listening to the latest news reports, and reading the latest reports. Any chance of a quick resolution became increasingly less likely when it was confirmed that our shares were to be suspended. Time was something we did not appear to have and Administration was therefore very much the word that was written on the wall.

Graham Simpson was silent about the goings on, and the high stake Poker match was between the Russo’s and Lord Ashcroft. Many believed the threat to call in the loans was a ploy to force the hand of the other shareholders into announcing their intentions and hindsight it is rather unbelievable that our minority shareholders were being forced the bank roll and run the club (though this was partly their own decision as Graham Simpson was effectively forced to resign). There were rumours of two rescue packages in place, one from the Russo’s seeking to buy the club and one from Fordwat the problem was both sides would have to agree.

According to Sky statements were ‘imminent’ but there was no further news and when the statement was finally released it just said there would be no further comment. It was not clear if this was good or bad, but I started to allow myself to believe that if talks were on going the sides might be able to reach an agreement. Ironically, that Wednesday our local rivals all attempted to take the limelight away from us. Firstly M.K Dons were listed as one of the towns/cities that would be hosting a match at the World Cup in 2018 if the England bid is successful. Next there was some news that lifted the gloom even if it had no real benefit to the club as Reading finally sacked Brendon Rodgers. Finally, and slightly predictably QPR sacked Jim Magilton. I believe it was also on the Wednesday that we were (un)officially listed on Ebay and I wish I’d done a print screen.

On Thursday there was finally some good news as details of a rescue package put together by Fordwat (Ashcroft’s company) were released. Financial experts giving radio interviews all urged the Russo’s to accept agreeing that it was a good deal and Julian Winter confirmed that the Club’s Board had made the decision to accept his rescue package as it held more benefit to the club. I allowed a slight sigh of relief. If Jimmy and Co. really did have the club’s interests at heart surely they would accept, because whilst they would still be putting money in at no extra personal benefit, so were the other shareholders.

Just as I was beginning to relax, a bombshell was dropped when Sky announced the rescue package had been rejected by Valley Green Salads who were going to go through with their threat and call in the administrators. Almost immediately Graham Taylor, only just confirmed as a interim Chairman went public and his shaky and emotional voice suggested that our situation was pretty dire and there were no crumbs of comfort. God ended any hope that Elton would be able to give us the money and he couldn’t even confirm that talks were on going instead informing Sky that was not possible to contact our ex Chairman. Sky ended the call by saying they would do all they could to get Jimmy Russo on the line.

Soon he was, claiming that he had not become a ‘bad man’ overnight and that the deal had been rejected because financially it was not acceptable mainly because he‘d had to bankroll the club as a minority shareholder for the past year. To most it was clear that the AGM had been the powder keg which had finally resulted in the power struggle causing the club to implode. When Jimmy explained that the new deal wouldn’t guarantee a seat on the new Board I think his motives were clearer, why put money in yet more money if it resulted in no greater control. Just to complicate matters Jimmy claimed he didn’t want to send the club in to administration and that the club had not been in contact with him. It was a deadlock and with no alternative administration appeared inevitable. We could only hope that the snow would stop them entering Watford…

Friday started with the confirmation that if the administrators were called first thing then we would have until Tuesday 22nd December to raise the cash before we would officially file for administration immediately losing 10 priceless points. God spoke again, claiming that Jimmy had become ‘a bad man’ when he’d decided to resign from the board and to call in his loans without giving any warning of his intentions. He also re-iterated that it was a sad day that we might be forced into administration even though a package was in place and broke the revelation that none of the shareholders would be on the new board. There was some good news, the administrators had not yet been called…

In my opinion, Graham Taylor is a man who has the club at heart and his thoughts and emotions were similar to most of us…the supporters. We, the supporters just wanted the issue to be resolved, and until it was both camps were equally guilty of using the club as a toy in a game of tug of war. Who ever ‘saved’ the club from this immediate threat of administration would be accepted by most and in contrast whoever blocked any attempt at a resolution would continue to lose popularity.

Next up was Jimmy who told Sky that he had tried to hold a meeting, even showing a letter he had sent but that no meeting had taken place. It seemed a meeting would solve a lot of the problems but with the clock ticking and snow falling the relevant parties that were probably located in different parts of the country (if not the world) meant that this was an unlikely course of action, even though I envisaged Graham Taylor literally trying to move Heaven and Earth to make it happen.

I’d pretty much resigned myself to administration when I suddenly got a text at 6.15pm which said Watford will avoid administration because ex chairman Jimmy Russo has accepted a deal by Lord Michael Ashcroft whereby his loan would be paid back. I wasn’t sure if it was true believing it was some sick windup to raise my hopes and phoned Chris. My phone then froze as he tried to ring back but by 7.15pm it seemed to be confirmed as truth.

We probably aren’t financially safe yet, and there will be those that are nervous by having a silent majority shareholder, but in a way that could work to our benefit if he allows those who understand the club to run it. Ashcroft’s website suggests he sees us as a community project and with the money he’s now put in it doesn’t seem likely he’s after much of a return. True he isn’t a fan, but let’s not kid ourselves the Russo’s were originally Chelsea fans. There are those that claim we have merely delayed the inevitable, but I’d respond by saying at least it has been delayed and might buy us time to resolve long term financial problems. Administration would have been a complete disaster especially in the way it was almost brought about.

On Saturday we had a match that I’d not given any thought to but I did hope that we might have rallied round to get a result. However with a young  (but energetic and willing) team and an inexperienced manager and backroom staff (even if they are able to get the most out of people) there was always a risk that events had crippled moral. Peterborough have been struggling but picking up plenty of draws since Darren Ferguson was sacked and seemed to be doing well at home. I was at the World Darts Championship so not really aware of the score but it summed up our week when I saw we’d lost. The early goal conceded reinforced my feelings that confidence had been shaken, but reports suggest we played well and at least we created chances unlike against Derby.

It’s been a horrible week and with Nottingham Forest up next followed by an away trip to Bristol City it doesn’t get any easier on the pitch. We need to pick up some points as soon as possible because whilst we haven’t had 10 points deducted we have now lost 3 matches that many would have expected us to get at least a draw.

Our home form had been ever improving and Derby were yet to win on their travels and after the fantastic result against QPR on Monday which included an equalising goal by a certain Lloyd Doyley a neutral with little knowledge of the Championship may have had this one down as a dead cert home win. It was certainly a more winnable game than most but when I was asked at work late on Friday whether I thought we’d win I merely answered that Derby are no better than us, but no worse either. It’s typical of the Championship that form is (mostly) temporary and on their day any team will beat another especially if their opposition is having an off day.

As it was the final match before Christmas, the tradition is now to meet up with my aunt and uncle for a meal in Watford after the match and my uncle comes along to the game whilst my step mum and aunt finish (I’ve not even started) Christmas shopping. We met in the Moon under Water and discussed the various talking points in the World of football before making our way to the ground. The ‘I was there when Lloyd scored’ T-shirts had already sold out and hopefully the novelty present will if ever so slightly have made some profit…especially if it encouraged people to buy something else.

I had expected the atmosphere to be rocking following the events on Monday but I was completely wrong. The Derby fans seemed to be taking it all much more seriously than us, at the pub they’d been in good voice and the same was at the Vic. Maybe we just expected to turn up and watch our players put in another awe-inspiring performance, but I suppose in hindsight we should have realised better. It seems ultimately and unfortunately that our young side requires the occasional valuable lesson.

It was clear quite early on that Derby had few skill players but had plenty of grit and that they would attempt to use that to bully us into making silly mistakes  and as a result we couldn’t get a passing game started. Whilst we prefer a passing style we also like to pressure teams and although we also harried Derby’s players into making mistakes we fell in to Derby’s trap and rather than playing to our strengths resorted to long balls which their defence dealt with with ease.

The pressure we put on Derby almost paid off when we forced the keeper into clearing the ball straight at Graham. With the goal open he shot from around 40 yards out, but from the kick the ball seemed to be heading wide, at the last minute it seemed to curl towards goal and everyone held their breathe wanting to cheer to urge the ball in. It didn’t and everyone took their seats. A goal at that stage would have almost certainly changed the match and as Derby were showing a lack of attacking intent we may well have gone on to win comfortably.

Instead the match became dull and forgetable, our next real chance didn’t come until the stroke of half time when Helguson had our first shot on target however even this was ruled out as a miss because the referee gave a goal kick instead.

At half time came my uncle got us some hot drinks and I suppose fortunately there was never any risk of us spilling them as the 2^nd half began. The match dragged on and still we hadn’t got anywhere close to our usual style of play, and even more unbelievably we had more yellow cards than Derby despite them committing more fouls!! This was partly no doubt due to our frustration at Derby’s style of play but mainly because the referee didn’t seem to notice that Derby’s fouls were actually rather cynical.

Half way through the second someone behind me noted that if Derby go a goal up they’ll make it even harder to break them down. With Demerit back in for Cathcart our defence was looking more solid but the longer the game stayed 0.0 there was always a chance that Derby would nick a goal.

With about 15 minutes remaining, Mariappa appeared to match Derby with a cynical challenge of his own as Derby counter attacked. It was a free kick in a good position and I suddenly had an ominous feeling eventually the ball was whipped in and the Derby fans cheered as Mariappa was beaten. My heart sank, unbelievable.

I had a mini rant about how disappointing we’d been and how we hadn’t created any real chances and with there was a bit of head tennis which eventually saw Eustace free in the box. He tried to lob the ball in from close range but missed and those events summed up our performance. We were finally showing some energy but it was too late, Eustace had one final effort as he tried to poke the ball in when sitting on the floor but again the ball went wide. With four minutes to go Derby were managing the game well and had the match in the bag.

Ultimately Derby came to get a result and they got it. Hopefully our players will recover in time for Saturday when we travel to Peterborough. It’s another one of the more winnable games but whilst the Posh might be bottom it appears from reports that they have had some decent performances in recent weeks and that the new manager is starting to stamp his authority on the team. With our once promising away record starting to look pretty poor, the result against Derby was a reminder that we can’t just rely on our home record if we want to stay clear from trouble. We also need to learn how to win or at least draw the ugly matches

As I post this the AGM is going on and for most the results of that will be more important than the match on Saturday…

With news that both Helguson and Lansbury were out, along with Ross Jenkins’ continued absence saying we were down to the bare bones was the ultimate understatement. Not just that our paper thin squad had only played all the way up in Newcastle just 2 days before. In contrast QPRs bench alone looked something to fear though they had suffered a rather horrific 5.1 home defeat to Middlesbrough, though as form in the league means nothing it was difficult to ascertain what impact that result would have.

With the help of billionaire owners QPR have definitely re-established their position in the Championship and with more frequent transport links from Hertfordshire to Shepherds Bush they are our main football league rivals and on a personal level most of us probably work or go to school/university with QPR fans. It certainly adds a bit of spice to the fixture.

Work is as busy as ever and as a result it wasn’t until 4.59 that Pre Match Tension hit. Maybe it was because it was a Monday but to be honest I’d almost forgotten we were playing our rivals. Even in the stadium there wasn’t much of a buzz about the place, but considering the news about our apparent worsening financial position and two defeats in a row maybe it should not be a surprise that people felt under-whelmed.

We dominated in possession but unfortunately Ellington failed to seize his chance offering little upfront and in truth we didn’t really create anything much of note. In fact, Hodson and Doyley were probably our best attacking players which didn’t appear to bode well if we wanted to score first. Hodson in particular continually darted forward often finding himself in acres of space but without Helguson there was no one to convert the tasty looking crosses.

At the other end, QPR hadn’t created anything but the defence although not really tested seemed to be dealing with everything adequately enough. The lads at the back were attempting to get an atmosphere going but for a local derby the ground remained depressingly quiet and things soon got more depressing when the deadlock was finally broken. Agyemang moved his body fooling Cathcart in the process and whilst Doyley tried to close down he was also turned and Agyemang fired in a low shot from the edge of the box which beat Loach and nestled in the bottom corner. The QPR fans rejoiced but the striker did anything but and he hardly looked interested as his team mates ran over to congratulate him on a good goal.

Looking at our bench we had no experience that could be used to change the game and quite simply with the lack of penetration we had shown before going 1.0 down I felt we needed a Monday night miracle if we were going to equalise. And then a miracle happened.

7^th December 2009 became a date which will now forever be looked upon with fondness from Watford fans across the globe. The match was on Sky, so it was more than the fans sitting in Vicarage Road who witnessed the event and therefore there is no doubt that it really did happen. As soon as Cowie hit the ball back in to the mix a yellow shirt had somehow gained the freedom of the QPR penalty box. I let out a yelp as I realised who it was and as he connected with a diving header Lloyd Doyley sent the crowd in to delirium. As Lloyd ran off to celebrate in a dazed excitable state his face was shown on the big screen and with that those who hadn’t already realised the significance of the goal did so. With every passing second the celebrations grew, even now it sends a shiver up my spine when I recall what happened. Where were you when Lloyd Doyley scored?!!!

Previously my memory of Lloyd and QPR was when he completely lost the plot and picked up the ball on the half way line for reasons known only to him, in a single moment which summed up just why we’d lost so heavily that depressing day. With his first goal Lloyd may finally have  put all those demons behind him, all those moans and cries from the crowd and he fully deserves the praise coming his way because for almost a year he has been consistently solid.

Not only had Lloyd scored he’d done so at a time when the crowd were flat, the teams performance was flat and as the first half whistle was imminent. With Doyley’s goal the home crowd finally came to life and as the team went off they also looked a lot more confident. At half time there was even better news as Demerit made his long awaited return replacing Cathcart and he added a bit of experience to the back.

At the start of the second half Ellington almost scored. I still wonder whether if his header had gone in I’d have woken up to the horrible realisation that Doyley’s goal hadn’t really happened. QPR didn’t take the warning and after some superb build up play Cowie was played in and made it 2.1. It was a great strike and nothing less than we deserved and had it not been for Cerny we could have had more. The QPR keeper did brilliantly first to save from Harley and then with the aid of a defender to stop Graham squeezing the ball over the line.

It was a really good match to watch and with knowledge that Lloyd’s first goal was possibly going to set us on the road to victory the excitement grew. However we couldn’t finish the game off and as a result there was always a danger that we’d be punished. After Hodson was fouled I feared he’d be forced off and that a change to the backline would make things even more unstable. Thankfully QPR were wasteful and whilst they were throwing men forward they created few chances that suggested they deserved an equaliser though the nerves did grow when Loach made a good save to stop a long range effort and the ball was eventually cleared to the only spot where a QPR player was standing. The discontent of the QPR fans was rising as they turned on Jim Magilton and yet despite what appeared a bench oozing with talent no one who came off it was able to make any kind impact.

Four minutes of injury time were announced and it seemed we just couldn’t get hold of the ball. Then (and I still haven’t quite worked out how) all of a sudden we were counter attacking, Tom Cleverly with support either side and without a QPR defender in sight charged from the half way line. Some players might have bottled it or made the wrong decision but the Manchester United loanee has clear quality and slid the ball in to the net. Victory was safe and we were able to celebrate the fact Lloyd’s goal meant something truly special. Imagine how galling it would have been if we’d gone on to lose despite his first goal? Even my mate Marc who has no interest in football text me to say what a result, I later learnt he’d watched the game at the pub and to my knowledge that means the first Watford goal he saw was scored by LLOYD DOYELEY!!

The second half of the season is likely to be tough if the general press are correct about our financial position. We all know what the worst case scenario is, and if we are hit with a points deduction along with the sales of the few senior players we still have then it’s clear we need to get as many points as possible in the immediate future.

But for now it feels like one moment of magic has made everything feel alright.

After the disastrous result against West Brom we finished on a high before the international break with the convincing 2.0 win over Preston. It’s always difficult to know what affect the gap will have but with our small squad it is likely to be a benefit that they have a little break. It is also a good opportunity for the youngsters involved with their respective nations as they get a chance to meet up with other coaches who may help to further develop their games which can only be a benefit to the club. The only downside is a risk of injuries in games which some fans would class as less important; fortunately on this occasion we came through it unscathed.

Due to nerve damage to my arm I’m still not really drinking, but on Friday evening a few of us went over to Bedford for a 25^th birthday and so it was on Saturday morning I woke up deep in our rivals territory. Unusually I didn’t have the pre match tension in fact it wasn’t really until 11.45 during a Wetherspoons breakfast that I became conscious that time was ticking by and I still had to get back to Berko before leaving for the match.

The plan was to leave Bedford at 12.15 but departure didn’t take place until 12.45. Working backwards I knew it was going to be tight, realistically I knew the last train I could get was 2.00. Things went from bad to worse when we got caught in traffic and as we approached Hemel we had to make a quick stop. As a result I was dropped off at Hemel station  and left my stuff in the car. It was when I got on the train and went to make a call that I immediately realised in the rush I’d managed to leave my phone in the back of the car. Typical.

It was at this moment I realised I had absolutely no idea of any other number that would be of use – seriously how many numbers do you remember or have written down and on you?? Even after borrowing my dad’s phone I still didn’t have the numbers to contact any of my mates to check if they had found the phone or to contact Chris to say “meeting up after the match” would prove more troublesome than usual. To cut a long story short I watched the first 18 minutes on the screen in the Rookery as I tried to make various calls.

The first time I looked up I saw the ball hit the back of the net from a Watford shot but there was only a half hearted cheer and whilst logic told me it had been ruled out I couldn’t confirm we weren’t winning until I saw Sky Sports on the other screen. One reason for the uncertainty was that an advert was shown rather than a replay and lasted too long so it missed the restart. I’d not really been paying attention but it looked like we’d started off with the usual energy and that we should have had a penalty. Eventually the phone was located and I looked up at the screen in horror just in time to see a Scunthorpe striker bearing down on goal, fortunately Loach saved well.

I looked up one final time and we were back on the attack. I looked away again as I made the short journey across the concourse towards my seat, it was during these seconds that there was a roar of noise and the lads at the back began hitting the back of the stand. 1.0 and I’d completely missed it. Whilst I made my way up the stairs towards my seat everyone was still cheering and I was at a loss how I should feel, I settled on pleased we’d scored, gutted I’d missed it.

I took my seat and we were soon on the attack again, it felt like I’d only just sat down when I was on my feet again, this time celebrating Helguson’s second goal of the match after a superb cross by Graham. As I’d missed the first goal I made sure I gave the second a proper celebration.

As the half wore on the players began to sit back and Scunthorpe had more possession but the defence remained solid as did the midfield pairing of Lansbury and Eustace. We continued to create chances of our own culminating in a Lloyd Doyley effort which went the wrong side of the post however for a few seconds everyone (well myself at least) was holding their breath but alas the score remained 2.0 at half time.

The second half began and I still felt we needed another goal to kill the game off especially as Scunthorpe had shown more urgency towards the end of the first half. Amazingly we got it. The ball ricocheted around before Lansbury stole the ball off a Scunthorpe defender and he found Graham with a pass across the box. The striker had been going through a recent drought despite the effort he’d continued to show and his ability to create chances and to cause headaches for opposition defences. This time he made no mistake, he took a touch to steady himself and placed the ball with power just to the side of the keeper who had no chance. 3.0 so soon after the restart meant it really was likely to be game over, and it‘s not often we can utter those words.

Whilst we now showed less urgency going forward we could still have scored more especially after Ellington came on for Helguson. The Duke has never come close to hitting the form he had with Wigan but he must have thought he’d score when he hit a powerful shot inside the box. Instead a defender appeared to block the shot with his hand but no penalty was given. The referee bottled every major decision and when Graham was through on goal it looked all the world like a free kick would follow along with a red card. Nothing was given and just to compound the frustration the referee shortly awarded a free kick to Scunthorpe!

Ellington had one final chance when he skilfully turned the defender but as the goal keeper advanced and whilst under pressure he couldn’t find the target. Without seeing a replay it’s hard to know how close it was or how bad a miss it was. As we were comfortably winning I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, it probably wasn’t easy and it’s possible he was going for the spectacular. Despite the miss it is definitely fair to say that he looks more motivated and more of a team player these days especially as he went over to congratulate Danny Graham when the latter got substituted to another standing ovation.

So another 3 points at home making it 3 in a row which is pretty impressive considering the Cardiff game had left us with one of the worst home records in the league. For me it’s still about survival but only because I don’t want to put this energetic and determined group under extra unnecessary pressure. One of the crucial things so far is we have continued to support the youngsters even when we’ve been thrashed – if expectations rise discontent may follow. So let’s just keep our feet on the ground so we can actually enjoy watching this group because they certainly put players like McAnuff (to name just one recent underachiever – plenty to pick from) to shame.

Next up is a trip to Selhurst Park which is never an easy ground to visit even if Palace do seem to have a few off-field problems. We also have plenty of history with Mr Warnock so it could be another game which will teach our youngsters some more valuable lessons.

In the last blog I predicted our inexperienced youngsters would unfortunately come unstuck against a more experienced clinical attacking team as they did against Cardiff. West Brom was a game very much on my mind when I wrote that but even I did not expect the heavy defeat they suffered. 5.0. It really  was a Halloween Horror show, or at least the score made it sound so, in reality it could perhaps have been different on another day. I wanted to know how and why we appeared to have capitulated and watched the football league show on interactive the following day. Steve Claridge had sympathetic words, basically saying what I believed deep down they’re a young side who have been on a good run and they just needed to get it out of the system on Monday. It sounded so simple, forget the bad results remember the free flowing link up play which yielded so many chances against Sheffield Wednesday,

A week after the match against West Brom we were facing Preston, a side who a month ago looked like they would again be challenging for promotion, achieving the play-off spot which appears to have been reserved for them in recent years. However there was a reason to feel quite optimism; Heider Helguson also finally returned to the starting line up after more than a month out,. It’s remarkable to think that we’ve won and scored as many as we have considering Graham has been a lone striker and credit must go to him and the midfield in particular. To have two strikers, both with such determination was something I was excited to see in action.

After I wrote about Helguson’s performance against us in our Premiership match against Fulham I remember I commented that for me his name would forever taste like sugar mixed with salt, I was disappointed that after years of being our talisman, he celebrated for them in the same way he had once celebrated for us. I didn’t begrudge him, for starters it showed just what a passionate player he is, but to me it just didn’t feel right. His re-signing had been a rumour for a couple of years, but when it finally happened I was pleased, to me he’s a decent replacement for Rasiak – tall (certainly an amazing leap) and strong though I did question whether he still had his hunger and drive. After his cameo role against Leicester my dad had informed me he did.

My arm is now much stronger than it was against Sheffield Wednesday, and with the aid of my claw looking splint I can again clap and I no longer psychologically felt I had to be so protective. We had shown our intentions to attack early on, and when Cathcart almost scored from a free header I leapt up like everyone else.

Finally the goal came, Cowie crossed and Helguson headed towards goal. Before it even hit the net I’d already decided in my mind that once it nestled in the far corner I would give my right arm a stretch by punching the air. It was more painful than I had expected but worth it. The header was perfectly aimed and left the experienced Lonergan With no chance. Even better, Preston’s decision to switch ends prior to kick off meant it was at the Rookery end

We continued to create chances and Eustace could have scored when one on one however the keeper made a good save and Helguson slipped as he tried to make contact with the rebound. We were putting Preston under pressure all over the pitch and forcing both the defence and goalkeeper into errors taking advantage of what appeared a slippery pitch. Helguson appeared to be harshly booked for a foul on the keeper shortly after Graham had been appeared to have been fouled in the box when challenging with the defender.

Despite our attacking intent, no second goal came, and whilst Preston still hadn’t had a sniff with the giant lump Parkin upfront there was always a risk especially as our defence isn’t the most stable and in particular hate playing against tall, strong, experienced opposition.

We finally got a cushion towards the end of the half. Whilst Lonergan miskicked on a few occasions, it seemed clear the only way he would be beaten was to again leave him with no chance. It fell to Lansbury to power into the box after good link up play with Helguson, the striker made himself space which in turn allowed Cleverly to create space at the back post. The ball came in and Cleverly fired in from close range. It really was a superb team goal.

I was surprised that we were able to keep the tempo up in the second half and that we continued to make Preston look so ordinary. The second half passed surprisingly quickly and whilst Parkin continued  to make a nuisance of himself there was only one real effort which Loach saved superbly however by that point it was about preserving our clean sheet than any real worry we would throw it away. The crowd got to applaud Helguson leaving the pitch unaided when he was eventually replaced by Ellington who tried a long range effort and showed pace to beat the full back to deliver a good cross. Unfortunately he’d replaced the player capable of converting it.

Graham also had his moment for the crowd to acknowledge his contribution even if he had again failed to score. Henderson came on and showed energy if little else but the job had been done and the decision to bring on Harley for Cleverly showed as much.

Just as I had after the Sheffield Wednesday match I came away feeling refreshed at seeing such a promising display. It’s unfortunate that the money troubles still won’t go away and news that we have to sell in January is ominous though expected. Who exactly do we have left to sell except the expensive flops it appears no one else wants?! If we could shift those players maybe, just maybe we could push on as a club. However for now I’m going to make the most of these good performances.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a Watford match on a Friday night. This one will remain in my memory for a number of years because it was my first match since returning from Europe in late September, my first match since Blackpool in August.

Having broken my arm just 7 days before the Reading match I knew it would be foolhardy to attend, especially as the extent of the injury meant I couldn’t move my right hand (due to a radial nerve palsy) and I had a Velcro box attached to a sling which meant I had to wear an xxl t-shirt over the device. I was easily convinced not to attend by my dad (who wanted my ticket). Instead, as at Uni, I sat listening to Watford World and had the pleasure of listening to Price and Co. A point away from home wasn’t bad and at least ensured a home victory still evaded Rodgers. Next up was Coventry at home again I opted out. With a number of key players out it was always going to be tough and things didn’t bode well when we went a goal down. Our young team fought back and eventually deservedly took the lead, but we can’t defend and failed to capitalise on good attacking play. The second half dragged on and eventually the killer goal(s) came. I was signed off work and therefore it took longer than usual to recover from the defeat and with matches against Cardiff, Middlesbrough and West Brom ahead I’d written October off for personal and footballing reasons.

We were thrashed by Cardiff and I was glad for the international break. When we returned we were still without Helguson and Demerit but the youngsters seemed unaffected by two disappointing results. I didn’t listen to Middlesbrough but was pleasantly surprised when we scored and ecstatically surprised when I discovered we’d hung on to keep a clean sheet. Then Ipswich away, a team still without a win but a few decent draws which suggested they were on the verge of turning the corner…the day had started off fairly positively my sling was finally removed, a glimmer of life was detected in the nerve and I was declared fit to return to work on light duties. I felt optimistic of a draw and when Ipswich went1.0 up quite early I remained confident. As time dragged on my confidence waned and eventually after more than 90 minutes I phoned my mum to moan about my lack of progress and Watford. Once I’d finished I saw I had two messages – 1.1, Ellington the scorer (saviour?).

And so to Friday. After two good away results we were once more at home, We had to capitalise on those and put the two poor home defeats behind us – we needed a win (though that always seems to be the case…)

We started off with the clear intention of attacking and superb link up play eventually saw Cowie cross for Graham who unfortunately couldn’t connect. I ignored the fact I was meant to be recovering and jumped up like everyone else around me. When Ross Jenkins went off fairly early I initially feared it was Cleverly who I knew was battling for fitness. Eustace came on, a player who has never performed quite as hoped considering their high regard Stoke fans had for him.

Sometimes it can be unsettling to be forced in to an early change but maybe on this occasion it worked to our advantage, maybe we needed an old header head in the centre. Either way we took the lead from a corner, when Mariappa fired in from close range and it felt good to be punching the air even if it was with my left arm.

Minutes later we went 2.0 up when Lansbury picked up the ball from Cleverly and after a lovely bit of skill fired in a shot. Clapping still doesn’t feel comfortable or produce any noise but I was giving it a go nonetheless. That should have been game over but we lack height at the back and when we aren’t attacking we look vulnerable. It was also telling about how young the side was that Mariappa was the captain and with Tudgay upfront he would have to organise the defence, making sure they didn’t switch off. As the half came to an end Wednesday had founded energy and we’d lost ours but it looked like we’d held on. The nerves were at breaking point (mine already were!!)  when it appeared the ball had gone out for a goal kick, it wasn’t given and the ball was cleared for a throw in. The ball came over, Tudgay was unmarked and Wednesday had a goal back. Right on half time, the happy mood which had been ebbing away evaporated but we were still leading. I sent a text to Chris suggesting it might be a blessing – Dyche and Malky could now lay in to them for conceding such a sloppy goal and for sitting back (if we’d been winning it might have created a false sense of security). It was an interesting thought, who in their right mind would want to face those two in a bad mood?

The next goal would be crucial and the tension was mounting. Fortunately we rebuilt the two goal cushion when the impressive Lansbury rather than hitting a pointless cross into the box neatly found Harley. Harley hit a beautiful curling shot into the far corner and the Rookery erupted into a cheer and possibly breathed a sigh of relief. Some felt the next goal was crucial but I finally felt relaxed. The icing on the cake was the 4^th goal, Cleverly skipped past a number of challenges and (I guess the only word I can use to describe it is…) cleverly picked out Lansbury who slotted home from close range. whilst Lansbury and Cleverly were celebrating I commented that whilst they appear to be enjoying being in the same side at present how will they feel when they return to their parent clubs and face each other in the F.A cup final…

Danny Graham had again worked tirelessly and for a lone striker his movement is exceptional. He’s always looking to receive the ball and basically does the work of two players. Had he scored he’d have been my man of the match but unfortunately his goal drought continues.

It was a fantastic result and a superb refreshing performance and I was buzzing at the end. For the past two years we’d seen mercenaries who were meant to be capable of promotion strut around the pitch without an ounce of real effort. What the current side lacks in experience they more than make up for with countless energy. I read a quote after the ‘Boro game from Danny Graham in which he said “We’re just a young team who enjoy playing football together.” I dismissed it as the usual sound bite but after Friday I believe it, they really did. Not only that I believe the enthusiasm of the youngsters can’t help but have slightly infected the older heads and rejuvenated both Harley and Eustace (Ellington as well?) who being senior players have to set an example and show leadership, also perhaps crucially their joint weakness a lack of pace, is now less exposed with the likes of Cleverly and Lansbury. They will come unstuck again as they did against Coventry (naivety/lack of squad depth) and Cardiff (different class on the day), we are bound to with such an inexperienced side and we may well be in an inflated league position but I wont criticise any of them if they show the effort and guts they did on Friday. I felt proud, and it didn’t seem to matter I hadn’t been able to ‘take it easy’ as I’d stupidly planned.