Danny Welbeck bicycle kick seals Watford fightback against Norwich
12 HRS AGO - Here’s a pro tip, from an extremely amateur footballer. Shouting “time” at a player in possession Expand
12 HRS AGO - Here’s a pro tip, from an extremely amateur footballer. Shouting “time” at a player in possession – a staple of the grassroots game I am gratified to report is just as prevalent at the elite level – is not, remarkably enough, going to calm him down.Screaming at a teammate they are under no pressure is not the best way of relieving said pressure. Meditative pauses for reflection are rarely provoked by having half a dozen grown men desperately howling at you from 60 yards away. Related: Chelsea hang on at Crystal Palace to maintain Champions League push Continue reading... Collapse
Chelsea 3-0 Watford: Premier League – as it happened
3 DAYS AGO - Goals from Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley gave Chelsea a very comfortable victory at Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Goals from Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley gave Chelsea a very comfortable victory at Stamford Bridge 9.53pm BST Peep peep! Chelsea move back into the top four with a solid victory over Watford. It was never really in doubt from the moment Olivier Giroud gave them the lead with a smart finish in the first half. Willian’s penalty made it 2-0 at the break, and Ross Barkley decorated the cake in injury time. 9.51pm BST Ross Barkley completes a comfortable win for Chelsea. It was a nice move on the left, involving Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and then Azpilicueta. His precise cutback found Barkley, who controlled the ball with his right foot and belted it into the net with his left. 9.50pm BST 90+1 min Four minutes of added time. 9.50pm BST 90 min At the other end, Welbeck dances away from Christensen on the byline and slides the ball towards Hughes in the six-yard box. It ricochets off Loftus-Cheek and behind for what should have been a corner, but was given as a goalkick. 9.49pm BST Collapse
Danny Ings' double for Southampton leaves Watford in deep trouble
28/06/2020 - It was not hard to spot the team fighting against relegation. While Southampton cruised to another Expand
28/06/2020 - It was not hard to spot the team fighting against relegation. While Southampton cruised to another straightforward victory on the road thanks to a finishing masterclass from Danny Ings, Watford were choked by fear and wasted another opportunity to haul themselves away from the bottom three.Southampton were good value for their second consecutive away win, secured thanks to a typically sharp double from Ings and a trademark free-kick from James Ward-Prowse. The anxiety weighed heavily on Watford, who remain a point above Bournemouth in 18th place, and defeat was not a good look given that Nigel Pearson had to drop three players following an alleged lockdown breach involving Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina reportedly attending a party hosted by Andre Gray. Related: Watford 1-3 Southampton: Premier League – live! Related: Andre Gray one of three Watford players dropped after lockdown party Continue reading... Collapse
Burnley 1-0 Watford: Premier League – as it happened
25/06/2020 - Jay Rodriguez powered home a Dwight McNeil cross as Burnley edged out relegation-threatened Expand
25/06/2020 - Jay Rodriguez powered home a Dwight McNeil cross as Burnley edged out relegation-threatened Watford Turf Moor• Rodriguez deepens Watford woe in Burnley win 8.07pm BST Righto, enjoy Paul Wilson’s match report. Bye! Related: Burnley deepen Watford woe thanks to Jay Rodriguez header 7.59pm BST Well then. The fun and games may have finished at Turf Moor but down at Stamford Bridge, they are only just getting started: Related: Chelsea v Manchester City: Premier League – live! 7.57pm BST Burnley 1-0 WatfordSouthampton 0-2 Arsenal 7.56pm BST One moment of brilliance is the difference at Turf Moor. Dwight McNeil sent a wonderful cross in for Jay Rodriguez to emphatically head home. Burnley rise to 11th. 7.54pm BST 90+5 min: ... a weary free-kick by Capoue is cleared. 7.53pm BST 90+5 min: Watford free-kick, 30 yards out. Last-chance saloon etc ... 7.52pm BST 90+3 min: Elsewhere, Arsenal have doubled their lead: Related: Southampton v Arsenal: Premier League – live! 7.52pm BST 90+3 min: Collapse
Watford 1-1 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened
20/06/2020 - Ben Chilwell and Craig Dawson exchanged stunning goals in a dramatic conclusion to an always Expand
20/06/2020 - Ben Chilwell and Craig Dawson exchanged stunning goals in a dramatic conclusion to an always entertaining game 2.47pm BST Anyway, that’s your lot. Jacob Steinberg was at Vicarage Road to witness a textbook late bloomer. Here’s his report. Enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM. Related: Dawson rescues point for Watford after Leicester's late Chilwell cracker 2.35pm BST Leicester remain third in the Premier League table on 54 points. A chance to put a little pressure on second-placed Manchester City was spurned; they’re six back on Pep’s reigning champions. Watford meanwhile have a precious point that keeps them out of the relegation zone. Had the match ended 0-1, they would have slipped to 18th, but as things stand they move above West Ham into 17th, a point ahead on 28. 2.32pm BST Craig Dawson, grinning like the proverbial cream-covered cat speaks. “Yeah it was obviously a great goal and an important point for us. It’s something you practice in training, and obviously it Collapse
Premier League restart preview No 18: Watford
16/06/2020 - Form before lockdown was poor, apart from beating Liverpool, and they need Ismaïla Sarr to be at Expand
16/06/2020 - Form before lockdown was poor, apart from beating Liverpool, and they need Ismaïla Sarr to be at his best to avoid relegation What was the situation like when the league was suspended on 13 March? An astonishing 3-0 thrashing of then-unbeaten Liverpool in Watford’s last home game before lockdown showed the team’s potential, though it was a first win in six troubled weeks. That run included conceding a last-minute winner at Aston Villa having been 1-0 up, conceding a last-minute winner at home to Everton having been 2-0 up and a late own-goal equaliser at Brighton, and was immediately followed by a limp defeat at Crystal Palace. Related: Watford's Andre Gray: 'It's not just about George Floyd – we are still stereotyped and judged by police here' Continue reading... Collapse
Watford's Andre Gray: It's not just about George Floyd – we are still stereotyped and judged by police here
06/06/2020 - In a searing interview, the striker – a keen student of black American history – explores the sad Expand
06/06/2020 - In a searing interview, the striker – a keen student of black American history – explores the sad normality of the tragic scenes in Minneapolis and his own experiences of living in a racist worldIt is a simple point but one that Andre Gray wants to make, lest anyone in the United Kingdom have failed to grasp it. The marches and protests that have swept the major cities in recent days have not only been about George Floyd, the unarmed black man who died at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis on the Monday before last – or, more precisely, his left knee, when it was applied with remorseless force to the side of Floyd’s neck during an arrest.This is not only about police brutality in the United States, however appalling that is, however grotesque the death toll, and it is not something that is just happening over there. This is about something on our shores and, indeed, everywhere else, deeply pernicious and to listen to Gray, the Watford striker who is preparing for a Collapse
My favourite game: Graham Taylor rolls back the years to take Watford up | Simon Mail
23/05/2020 - Victory in the 1999 First Division play-off final provided a new generation of fans a first Expand
23/05/2020 - Victory in the 1999 First Division play-off final provided a new generation of fans a first experience of Taylor’s Midas touchI never imagined as a 15-year-old it would be possible to experience the dizzying highs of Graham Taylor leading Watford back to the top table of English football. Stories of the club’s golden period – namely Taylor guiding the team to the 1984 FA Cup final and finishing First Division runners-up – were legendary.These extraordinary tales seemed incomprehensible with the club I had grown to know and love. Watching the team meander through the lower divisions was the norm and the Premier League appeared a distant dream. That was until Taylor revived the club by returning for a second remarkable reign. His Midas touch immediately rubbed off on the team with Watford winning the Division Two title in 1998. Little did I know one year later we would be celebrating back-to-back promotions and a first season in the Premier League. Continue reading... Collapse
Troy Deeney and several Watford teammates stay away from training
20/05/2020 - Players have concerns over returning amid coronavirusAidy Mariappa and two staff have tested Expand
20/05/2020 - Players have concerns over returning amid coronavirusAidy Mariappa and two staff have tested positiveTroy Deeney was one of several Watford players who chose not to take part in small-group training on Wednesday, the day after three members of the club’s playing and coaching staff, including the centre-back Aidy Mariappa, were found to have tested positive for Covid-19.Four groups of players, each of no more than five, trained at the club’s Hertfordshire base on Wednesday. Excluding Mariappa, who is isolating for seven days and will be retested before returning to training, Gerard Deulofeu, who moved into his physiotherapist’s house in Spain before that country imposed its lockdown in an effort to accelerate his recovery from a serious knee injury, and those on loan when league football was paused the club has 26 senior professionals, including three goalkeepers. Related: Uefa's Aleksander Ceferin: 'Football with fans will come back very soon' | Sebastián Fest Continue reading... Collapse
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Watford 2-1 Norwich: Premier League – as it happened
12 HRS AGO - Watford got the win they so desperately needed against rock-bottom and almost-done-for Norwich Expand
12 HRS AGO - Watford got the win they so desperately needed against rock-bottom and almost-done-for Norwich thanks to Danny Welbeck’s splendid overhead 8.21pm BST Right then, I’ll be off. It was a game that showed, more than anything, why these sides are both struggling to stay in this division. I still wouldn’t be surprised if neither does, but the win at least gives Watford a healthy chance of survival. Here are those all-important remaining fixtures again. Bye! 8.05pm BST Norwich are 10 points and a whole load of goal difference from safety, and their race is basically run. There was encouragement to be had here, and they’d have had a point as well if Idah had converted that late chance, but that won’t really help them. Watford are suddenly on 31 points and might conceivably survive with 34. They still haven’t played at all well since the restart, but another drab, slightly fortunate victory over Newcastle on Saturday would lighten the mood considerably. I really think that Deeney is causing Collapse
Watford's Andre Gray apologises for breaching lockdown rules
29/06/2020 - Forward vows to do what it takes ‘to make it right’Chalobah and Quina joined him for ‘football Expand
29/06/2020 - Forward vows to do what it takes ‘to make it right’Chalobah and Quina joined him for ‘football tournament’The Watford forward Andre Gray has apologised after a breach of lockdown rules led to him being dropped at the weekend.Gray and his teammates Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina were omitted for the Premier League defeat against Southampton on Sunday after reports that he held a birthday party at his home. Related: Andre Gray one of three Watford players dropped after lockdown party Continue reading... Collapse
Andre Gray one of three Watford players dropped after hosting lockdown party
28/06/2020 - Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah also miss Saints matchClub: players omitted from squad for Expand
28/06/2020 - Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah also miss Saints matchClub: players omitted from squad for health and safety reasonsAndre Gray is one of three players to be left out of the Watford squad for the team’s vital match against Southampton on Sunday after the striker reportedly hosted a party in contravention of government lockdown rules. Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah were the other two players reported to be in attendance.A news item on Watford’s official website says that all three “have all been omitted from the squad to ensure the health and safety of all players, staff and officials at today’s game”, a fact confirmed by Nigel Pearson before the match. TEAM NEWS Andre Gray, Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina have all been omitted from the squad by Nigel Pearson to ensure the health & safety of all players, staff and officials at today’s game.#WATSOU pic.twitter.com/OfDqbM9yeN Related: Watford v Southampton: Premier League – live! Continue reading... Collapse
Burnley deepen Watford woe thanks to Jay Rodriguez header
25/06/2020 - Jay Rodriguez’s 50th goal for Burnley was not only one of his best, it took his club past the Expand
25/06/2020 - Jay Rodriguez’s 50th goal for Burnley was not only one of his best, it took his club past the 40-point barrier and left Watford worrying about their precarious position above the relegation places. Nigel Pearson’s side looked good for at least a point here, particularly in a second half when they had Burnley on the back foot for long periods, but they were undone by a goal of genuine quality in a match that mostly lacked it. Announcements, banners and perimeter advertising around the ground all combined to affirm that black lives do indeed matter in this part of the world, despite the events of the previous week. The players all took the now traditional knee at the start, mercifully uninterrupted by distasteful fly-pasts on a balmy and cloudless evening in east Lancashire, though had supporters been present at the game there may well have been some sort of terrace protest against the Burnley board. Related: Burnley 1-0 Watford: Premier League – live! Continue reading... Collapse
It was non-stop': the club staff who looked after footballers in lockdown
19/06/2020 - There were no Premier League games for 100 days, but the club’s player care managers were busier Expand
19/06/2020 - There were no Premier League games for 100 days, but the club’s player care managers were busier than ever By Richard Foster for the Guardian Sport NetworkPremier League games stopped for 100 days, but some staff were busier than ever. Player care managers – the staff at Premier League clubs who provide support to players and their families off the pitch – suddenly had some very different challenges. “We don’t just sign footballers, we sign footballers’ families,” says Charlotte Renshaw, the player care manager at Everton.“There is a stigma about the player care role, but I see myself more as a facilitator, particularly for the younger foreign players who may have never set foot in England before. My aim is to give them a sense of independence as quickly as possible.” Renshaw is often the first member of staff a foreign player meets when he arrives at the club and her role is not just about the player. “We want them to be part of the Everton family.” Related: 'I dance to Joe Wicks Collapse
Premier League fans preview the restart, part 2: Man City to Wolves
14/06/2020 - Fans have their say on the run-in, the lockdown, and what they missed most – and least – about Expand
14/06/2020 - Fans have their say on the run-in, the lockdown, and what they missed most – and least – about football• Part 1: Arsenal to LiverpoolThis is the first time we’ve had a fully fit squad this season, with Laporte and Leroy back. And the various changes should suit City: Pep’s cerebral and intensely detailed brand of football should be easier to implement given the lack of emotion in the fixtures, and the ability to make five subs. That helps the bigger clubs. Continue reading... Collapse
Slavisa Jokanovic: 'Euro 92 was taken away from us. We were better than Denmark
29/05/2020 - The former Fulham manager on the day 28 years ago that Yugoslavia were thrown out of the Euros and Expand
29/05/2020 - The former Fulham manager on the day 28 years ago that Yugoslavia were thrown out of the Euros and why he still wants to keep going“They’re sad memories,” Slavisa Jokanovic says. “The current generation of players won’t play this summer but they’ll get the chance next year; we had the Euros taken away from us and never got it back.”This Saturday was supposed to be the Champions League final, the club season then giving way to the European Championship. Instead, the 552 footballers who should have been joining national teams across the continent have been left in limbo, denied perhaps the best days of their lives. For most, at least it’s not for long; for those 20 men, it was forever. Related: Fulham’s Slavisa Jokanovic: ‘I cannot stomp in like an elephant and break everything’ Related: The Joy of Six: European Championship memories Continue reading... Collapse
Two more Watford players isolate while UK quarantine rules may hit Uefa plans
22/05/2020 - Players came into contact with someone who has Covid-19English teams still in Europe wait for Expand
22/05/2020 - Players came into contact with someone who has Covid-19English teams still in Europe wait for clarity on travel rulesTwo more Watford players have been forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who has coronavirus, it emerged on Friday, as the Premier League extended its testing regime and fresh doubt was thrown on to the future of English teams in European competitions.The Watford manager, Nigel Pearson, revealed the development on a day when it emerged the league had increased the tests at each club from 40 to 50 and four teams – Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Wolves – were left wondering what form their Champions League or Europa League participation could take after the government imposed a 14-day quarantine on people entering the UK. Related: Championship clubs wait on results of first batch of Covid-19 tests Continue reading... Collapse
Nigel Pearson worried about fatality if Premier League resumes
16/05/2020 - Watford manager’s reservations over ‘Project Restart’Norwich’s Grant Hanley also expresses doubts Expand
16/05/2020 - Watford manager’s reservations over ‘Project Restart’Norwich’s Grant Hanley also expresses doubts The Watford manager Nigel Pearson has raised concerns about a coronavirus-related death in the Premier League and urged caution before a decision is made about whether to resume the season.Clubs could be back in some form of training next week following a Premier League meeting on Monday, when medical protocols will be discussed and voted on, while the campaign could be up and running again by mid-June. Pearson has some reservations about “Project Restart” and called for a more pragmatic approach with the country still very much in the grip of a pandemic. Related: Troy Deeney voices fears over football's return: 'I won't put my family at risk' Continue reading... Collapse
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Olivier Giroud puts Chelsea on path to comfortable win over Watford
3 DAYS AGO - At a chilly, damp, echoey Stamford Bridge Chelsea had too much guile and craft for an eager but Expand
3 DAYS AGO - At a chilly, damp, echoey Stamford Bridge Chelsea had too much guile and craft for an eager but limited Watford team.Goals from Olivier Giroud and Willian towards the end of the first half were enough to overwhelm opponents who spent much of the opening 80 minutes crouched behind a dogged defensive guard. Related: Chelsea 3-0 Watford: Premier League – as it happened Related: Bukayo Saka hooks home to cast new hope for Arsenal at Wolves Continue reading... Collapse
Watford 1-3 Southampton: Premier League – as it happened
28/06/2020 - Two goals from Danny Ings and a great free-kick from James Ward-Prowse plunged Watford deep into Expand
28/06/2020 - Two goals from Danny Ings and a great free-kick from James Ward-Prowse plunged Watford deep into relegation trouble 6.46pm BST Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report from Vicarage Road Related: Danny Ings' double for Southampton leaves Watford in deep trouble 6.42pm BST Danny Ings speaks.It was a physical battle. We really fought well for the second balls . It was nice, I love cutting in from the left. It was little bit of a gift, aimed it to the far corner and it went in. It was important we came here and did something. Our centre-halves were unbelievable in the air. [Golden boot] To be honest, no, I just want to play each game and score goals for the team. My focus is just on trying to score some more. 6.28pm BST Watford deep in trouble by the looks of this. 6.25pm BST Watford are deep in trouble and lucky that everyone else around them is also playing like a drain. Southampton were excellent in all areas and two-goal Danny Ings was deadly. A superb free-kick from James Ward-Prowse Collapse
Troy Deeney urges social media firms and government to tackle racism
28/06/2020 - Watford captain says George Floyd killing has been a catalyst#PlayersTogether initiative raffling Expand
28/06/2020 - Watford captain says George Floyd killing has been a catalyst#PlayersTogether initiative raffling Black Lives Matter shirtsTroy Deeney has called on social media companies and the government to do more to eradicate racism after the #PlayersTogether initiative launched a raffle of Black Lives Matter shirts worn by Premier League footballers.Watford’s captain, who is proud that #PlayersTogether is raising funds for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Foundation with the Shirts for Change raffle, believes that it remains too easy to abuse people anonymously on social media websites and argued that more needs to be done to tackle racist attitudes following the killing of George Floyd by police in the United States. Related: Sheffield United v Arsenal: FA Cup quarter-final – live! Continue reading... Collapse
Dawson rescues point for Watford after Leicester's late Chilwell cracker
20/06/2020 - If the way Watford clambered back to their feet after Ben Chilwell’s heavyweight blow is how they Expand
20/06/2020 - If the way Watford clambered back to their feet after Ben Chilwell’s heavyweight blow is how they mean to go on, Nigel Pearson can be confident his team will fight until the end. They refused to give in after falling behind to a cracking goal from Chilwell in the 90th minute and rescued a point just when all looked lost, Craig Dawson summing up their defiance when he fastened on to a flick from Christian Kabasele and volleyed past Kasper Schmeichel in the Leicester goal.It could be a priceless strike from the centre-back. Watford had battled hard to contain superior opponents and they could have folded after conceding. Yet they played with heart all afternoon and were given a boost in their scrap against relegation when Leicester left Dawson unmarked in stoppage time, leaving Brendan Rodgers frustrated after his talented side wasted a chance to go 10 points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United with eight games left. Related: Watford 1-1 Leicester City: Premier League – as it Collapse
Everton among clubs chasing 'Monster' South Korea defender Kim Min-jae
18/06/2020 - Beijing Guoan player in line to join Premier League clubWatford and Southampton among other Expand
18/06/2020 - Beijing Guoan player in line to join Premier League clubWatford and Southampton among other interested teamsKim Min-jae, the South Korea centre-half and one of the rising stars of football in Asia, is primed to move to the Premier League, with Everton having registered a firm interest and other clubs watching his situation. The 23-year-old, nicknamed “the Monster” because of his 6ft 3in frame and ability to dominate physically, is valued at £13.5m by Beijing Guoan, who are prepared to sell.A host of clubs in mainland Europe want Kim, including RB Leipzig, Lazio, Porto and PSV Eindhoven, but his idea is to come to England. Watford have tried to sign him in the past and remain interested and Southampton are among the others to have inquired. Related: Aston Villa v Sheffield United: Premier League restart – live! Continue reading... Collapse
Watford's Ben Foster says anxious players could thrive without fans
13/06/2020 - Keeper believes empty grounds will make games unpredictable‘Not having the crowd there will Expand
13/06/2020 - Keeper believes empty grounds will make games unpredictable‘Not having the crowd there will benefit some people’Watford’s goalkeeper Ben Foster has said the resumption of football behind closed doors could allow players who struggle with anxiety in front of large crowds to thrive, making matches more unpredictable than ever.“It’s going to be so topsy-turvy,” he said. “I know for a fact that there are players that do feel massive pressure when they know they have 30-, 40-, 50,000 people watching them. I’ve seen it all through my career. You see a footballer on a Monday or Tuesday and then it’s all free and easy, they’re nice and chatty, but then once you get later on in the week, once you get to Thursday and Friday, especially a Saturday, you see the pressure, you can just see it getting into their head and getting into their body and just see that they just want to go into their own world. You can see that pressure really does play on them a lot. And not having the crowd there will, Collapse
Tom Cleverley calls on Watford players to display ‘no excuses mentality’
23/05/2020 - • Midfielder says teammates must focus on restarting season• Latest coronavirus tests expected to Expand
23/05/2020 - • Midfielder says teammates must focus on restarting season• Latest coronavirus tests expected to show just two positivesWatford’s Tom Cleverley has attempted to dispel the air of negativity around the club by insisting he would relish the opportunity of deciding survival or relegation on the pitch. Cleverley was speaking before the Premier League received early indications of just two positives at two clubs from 996 players and staff in the latest coronavirus testing.“The odds are that the season is going to go ahead,” the midfielder said. “We are going to prepare for that and we have to back ourselves. We need to adopt a no-excuses mentality and show we have no problems about continuing and proving that we do deserve to be in this league.” Continue reading... Collapse
Deeney's decision to stay away justified by Watford's positive tests
20/05/2020 - The striker does not want to return to small-group training believing the risk from coronavirus is Expand
20/05/2020 - The striker does not want to return to small-group training believing the risk from coronavirus is too highThis week Troy Deeney explained why he would not be returning to small-group training. He was concerned, he said, that black people are four times more likely to die from Covid-19 in the UK than the national average, and he needed to protect his five-month-old son, who has had breathing difficulties. “It only takes one person to get infected within the group, and I don’t want to be bringing that home,” he said.His concerns were understandable, but at the time he seemed to be being perhaps a little overcautious. The number of excess deaths among BAME communities has not been fully explained, but people from ethnic minorities are overrepresented in many high-risk groups, such as those employed in critical industries including health, transport and essential retail businesses, those living in areas of high depravation and in overcrowded homes, and those with certain relevant Collapse
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