Watford (A) | 21.03.26 | KO 15:00

[TheGoldenGod]

21 hours ago, Simonb said:

1-1 and with this bunch of characterless bottlers, id be happy with a point

I get what you're saying but no point is a good point anymore. Completely lost the luxury of thinking like that! Would have to win every bastard game and even then I wouldn't trust it would be enough. It's fully over!

[Gamble92]

Watford will hopefully be tired or show signs of less fitness with them playing tonight 

[TheGoldenGod]

1 minute ago, Gamble92 said:

Watford will hopefully be tired or show signs of less fitness with them playing tonight 

Agreed....full time 2-0 Watford.

[ClaphamFox]

4 minutes ago, TheGoldenGod said:

I get what you're saying but no point is a good point anymore. Completely lost the luxury of thinking like that! Would have to win every bastard game and even then I wouldn't trust it would be enough. It's fully over!

If we won every bastard game we'd be on 62 points, which I reckon would probably be enough. In fact history suggests that 50 will be enough, which means we need to get 12 points from the 24 available. 

[Arriba Los Zorros]

0-1 Rowett smash and graaaaaab, come on!

[Clarkey123]

On 16/03/2026 at 11:49, AKCJ said:

Stolarcyzk

Ricardo Lascelles Vestergaard Thomas

Skipp James

Fatawu Mukasa Mavididi

Daka

Skipp out. Bloke tries hard but is a coward on the ball 90% of the time. 
 

Winks has to play 

[ClaphamFox]

4 minutes ago, Clarkey123 said:

Skipp out. Bloke tries hard but is a coward on the ball 90% of the time. 
 

Winks has to play 

He will, but it will likely be in addition to Skipp rather than instead of him. JJ will probably move up to replace Mukasa.

[AKCJ]

30 minutes ago, Clarkey123 said:

Skipp out. Bloke tries hard but is a coward on the ball 90% of the time. 
 

Winks has to play 

Couldn't disagree more!

[Guest]

Increasingly difficult to conjure up an arrangement of players that isn't totally repellent but please, Gary, not Ayew. There is no reason whatsoever for him to play unless Rowett's idea of players he can "trust" is players with the most experience, which I am a bit worried is the case.

 

If he really doesn't fancy Daka and we want our striker to drop deeper and focus more on bringing the wingers and midfielders into play then I'd sooner see Mukasa or even Bobby tried there. They may be completely ineffectual but I have a hard time imagining they would be actively detrimental to the team and mood in the way Ayew is. 

[RowlattsFox]

Daka has started every away game under Rowett hasn't he?

He feels he is more of a threat on the break away, and it's worked 'reasonably well' (in relative terms) and no surprise Mukasa has looked better in them games too when he doesn't have Ayew getting in the way. 

 

 

[Clarkey123]

2 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Couldn't disagree more!

Just an opinion mate, but we lose the battle in the middle of the park most games.

[AKCJ]

31 minutes ago, Clarkey123 said:

Just an opinion mate, but we lose the battle in the middle of the park most games.

Harry Winks a big reason why IMO. Opposition midfielders run rings around him.

 

Nice and tidy when on the ball when he plays 5 yard passes between the centre halves but doesn't want to put the effort in to defend. Skipp and James is the only way.

[Lambert09]

How awful is Vietes, seems odd given his pedigree that hes not been given so much as a cup run out. 

[fazzyfox]

"Well I know it's bad Del, Begovic is injured, Stolarcyzk is making errors, they don't seem to fancy Vietes.....the only other option is French"

 

"I don't care where he's from Rodders, he can't be any worse than the others"

 

 

 

[Paninistickers]

1 hour ago, Clarkey123 said:

Just an opinion mate, but we lose the battle in the middle of the park most games.

 

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

Harry Winks a big reason why IMO. Opposition midfielders run rings around him.

 

Nice and tidy when on the ball when he plays 5 yard passes between the centre halves but doesn't want to put the effort in to defend. Skipp and James is the only way.

Have I missed something in the rules of the game?  Are we under a rule that we can only play two midfielders? 

 

We've been mullered on midfield for three of the last four seasons for this wretched 2 man obsession. Whereas other teams play as many as five. And we wonder why we lose midfield?! 

 

Can't we just fcking play Winks AND Skipp AND JJ ffs? 

 

The only time we've not been destroyed in midfield in the last four seasons is us not playing this fcking double pivot. Winks and Ricky played as a two but were ably supported by two other midfielders playing miles and miles below their level in Wilf and KDH. In other words a fcking 4 man midfield 

[AKCJ]

27 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

 

Have I missed something in the rules of the game?  Are we under a rule that we can only play two midfielders? 

 

We've been mullered on midfield for three of the last four seasons for this wretched 2 man obsession. Whereas other teams play as many as five. And we wonder why we lose midfield?! 

 

Can't we just fcking play Winks AND Skipp AND JJ ffs? 

 

The only time we've not been destroyed in midfield in the last four seasons is us not playing this fcking double pivot. Winks and Ricky played as a two but were ably supported by two other midfielders playing miles and miles below their level in Wilf and KDH. In other words a fcking 4 man midfield 

Because Skipp has proven that he's ineffective as an 8 and James is probably the best box-to-box midfielder in the league.

 

Winks can only play as the base of a 3 man midfield (with a fullback that inverts and joins him). He takes away from Skipp and James and doesn't add anywhere near enough to make up for it.

 

We should play a 3 man midfield and it should be Skipp, James and Mukasa (Ramsey when fit).

[Paninistickers]

8 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Because Skipp has proven that he's ineffective as an 8 and James is probably the best box-to-box midfielder in the league.

 

Winks can only play as the base of a 3 man midfield (with a fullback that inverts and joins him). He takes away from Skipp and James and doesn't add anywhere near enough to make up for it.

 

We should play a 3 man midfield and it should be Skipp, James and Mukasa (Ramsey when fit).

So, you're saying we can't play 

 

442 

433

4321

451

4312

 

You're with all these managers that persist with 4231 despite  several billion tonnes weight of evidence suggesting it's not been working too well.

 

A three man central midfield means skipp covers winks deficiencies. Winks covers Skipp's. And it frees up JJ to maraude forward  rather than have to continually watch out for his partner..

 

Then pop Ramsey/mukasa to pull the strings up top ...leaving  Daka and one of the wingers to run themselves sick up top for 60 mins before being replaced. 

 

Or even go with a false 9. 

 

So many options other than the shit show that is 4231

 

 

 

 

[Richmondfox]

6 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

If we won every bastard game we'd be on 62 points, which I reckon would probably be enough. In fact history suggests that 50 will be enough, which means we need to get 12 points from the 24 available. 

This team will only start playing once relegation is confirmed. 

[AKCJ]

2 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

So, you're saying we can't play 

 

442 

433

4321

451

4312

 

You're with all these managers that persist with 4231 despite  several billion tonnes weight of evidence suggesting it's not been working too well.

 

A three man central midfield means skipp covers winks deficiencies. Winks covers Skipp's. And it frees up JJ to maraude forward  rather than have to continually watch out for his partner..

 

Then pop Ramsey/mukasa to pull the strings up top ...leaving  Daka and one of the wingers to run themselves sick up top for 60 mins before being replaced. 

 

Or even go with a false 9. 

 

So many options other than the shit show that is 4231

 

 

 

 

4-4-2 with Ayew and Daka? Surely you're joking!

 

4-3-3  - No for the reasons i've mentioned.

 

4-3-2-1 - I assume this is with two 10s as opposed to two wingers? If so, no.

 

4-5-1 - Pretty much exactly the same as a 4-2-3-1.

 

4-3-1-2 - Why wouldn't we play with Fatawu and why would we play both Ayew and Daka?

 

 

 

The way the club has been built (purely to copy Man City) means we can only effectively play a 4-2-3-1.  It's all Rudkin's doing.

[TeamRocket]

6 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

Watford will hopefully be tired or show signs of less fitness with them playing tonight 

Last that time somone said that about Nottingham Forest and well we got relegated. 

[Paninistickers]

1 minute ago, AKCJ said:

4-4-2 with Ayew and Daka? Surely you're joking!

 

4-3-3  - No for the reasons i've mentioned.

 

4-3-2-1 - I assume this is with two 10s as opposed to two wingers? If so, no.

 

4-5-1 - Pretty much exactly the same as a 4-2-3-1.

 

4-3-1-2 - Why wouldn't we play with Fatawu and why would we play both Ayew and Daka?

 

 

 

The way the club has been built (purely to copy Man City) means we can only effectively play a 4-2-3-1.  It's all Rudkin's doing.

Why not Daka and Stephy up top? A proper coach would have them running a back four ragged and us pumping the ball into channels. 

 

[murphy]

1 hour ago, Lambert09 said:

How awful is Vietes, seems odd given his pedigree that hes not been given so much as a cup run out. 

Pedigree?  What pedigree is that?

 

Mostly played for Betis B.  A handful of first team appearances making his debut in a 5-0 loss twice, for two clubs. 

 

He was a free transfer signed to be third choice for a reason. 

[AKCJ]

9 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Why not Daka and Stephy up top? A proper coach would have them running a back four ragged and us pumping the ball into channels. 

 

Because Mavididi isn't a striker.

[Stadt]

Have we played Choudhury in midfield at all this season? Played there for a 90+ point Sheff United side.

 

Choudhury at the base with Skipp and James ahead feels much more defensively balanced than anything we’ve put out.

[Simonb]

10 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Because Mavididi isn't a striker.

Tbf neither is Daka