0:00

I'm Hello

0:24

and welcome to From the Vicky End,

0:26

outside Vicky Road, on a... well it

0:28

is a sunny day, after Watford drawing

0:30

Nillnell, at home to Plymouthard Girl. My

0:32

name is John. With me is Jason.

0:34

Hello there? Kieran. Hello, having just returned

0:36

from Sri Lanka, I'm going to say

0:39

Vanakam, which is hello in Tamil. And

0:41

Michael. You lucky people listening to this,

0:43

say from the knowledge that that game

0:45

is over. See, finished, done. Right. I

0:47

want to say it was a great

0:49

game. We'll never get that. We'll never

0:51

get that. We'll never get that. We'll

0:53

never get that. and I would walk off.

0:55

But I don't know if there were elements

0:57

to it and actually do I, I'll start

0:59

with saying I was in the pub with

1:01

my alcoholic friend Ollie Wicken because we were

1:03

in the pub for midday today but we

1:06

were in there and he was sort of

1:08

saying about how this team it's almost like

1:10

we talk about this team we do and

1:12

I know even Tom does a little bit

1:14

of this team where we're saying well we're

1:16

in the best position we thought we would

1:19

be and that's not That shouldn't be the

1:21

mental strength and it definitely isn't the mental

1:23

strength that's going to get you into the

1:25

playoffs or even when you're a home game against

1:27

Primithal Guile is it? Well we are, well

1:30

look overall that when we look back on this

1:32

season it will ultimately will be a more enjoyable

1:34

season than I think we all expected it to

1:36

be and that's fine but I actually owe

1:38

O'olly a bit of an apology because I

1:40

remember seeing him relatively early in the

1:42

season in the pub and I think we'd scrape

1:44

to one nil win against someone and I said

1:47

look you know this team is finding away the

1:49

performances I really don't quite can't quite put my

1:51

finger on them but what they are doing is

1:53

finding a way to win and he was like

1:55

well yeah but I don't know what they are

1:58

I can't really see what they're trying to achieve

2:00

it. And those words have sort of

2:02

got louder and louder in my head as

2:04

the months and games have ticked by. Certainly

2:07

the last 15-16 games or so where

2:09

we've really looked bereft of ideas, definitely obviously

2:11

bereft of quality as well. But we were

2:13

just saying before we hit record, what

2:15

could Tom have done differently? What could the

2:17

team have done differently? We're at the stage

2:20

now where it's hard to tell really isn't

2:22

it? It's... I mean it was a

2:24

dire game of football. I think yeah first

2:26

half was poor I think if someone had

2:29

come out and said that second half

2:31

was good for a nil-nil, cliche, cliche and

2:33

you'd probably have to agree with them because

2:35

we did have a bit of a

2:37

go didn't we we almost made things happen

2:39

but that's a problem almost doesn't get you

2:42

anything and it's a bit odd because...

2:44

I said to you John, didn't I, just

2:46

before the end, there's two teams there that

2:48

really, if they want to keep their

2:50

seasons going, they need to win today. We

2:53

really, probably need to win, I think Tom

2:55

said it himself, we need to win

2:57

the majority of our games if we want

2:59

to get into the playoffs. Considering we've got

3:02

West Brom away, we've got Burnley to

3:04

play still, I think there's probably a Bristol

3:06

city as well to play so we're going

3:08

well. Because then we've got those three,

3:10

three, then the others, you think you think

3:12

you think you have to win those three,

3:15

you think you have to win those

3:17

three, you have to win those three, you

3:19

have to win those three, you have to

3:21

win those, you have to win those,

3:23

you have to win those, you have to

3:26

win those. cut a drift of it now

3:28

aren't they they really did need to

3:30

win and it wasn't until the second of

3:32

we looked like we were going to and

3:34

then it was about two minutes to go

3:37

playing for that corner and they chucked

3:39

everyone up there and we were like Georgian

3:41

and Vatter and Baja were all sort of

3:43

hanging back it's like oh it's like

3:45

two minutes ago both teams and realize they

3:48

actually need to win this game is a

3:50

shame that didn't happen in the first

3:52

half we might have seen a better game

3:54

overall and not just an entertaining second half

3:57

of Neil Neil. 14 corners Watford got

3:59

and 12 of those were in the second

4:01

half. So Watford did come out with a

4:03

bit of renewed vigor, a vivid vigor

4:05

in the second half but I just think...

4:07

overall it was towards the end what we

4:10

were giving the ball away in our

4:12

own half Plymouth didn't really get anywhere near

4:14

scoring did they I think the best the

4:16

best bit of football was probably that

4:18

safe from Selvik in the in the first

4:21

half really really smart save down to his

4:23

left I think it was kept out

4:25

the goal that was probably the best bit

4:27

of it but as Jason said two teams

4:29

that are desperate to win Neither team

4:32

got really got close did they and from

4:34

Watford's point of view this is a Watford

4:36

podcast not Argyll Life to come away

4:38

from either side of the International break, away

4:40

at Oxford, home against Plymouth, you've got to

4:43

be putting those down for, we all know

4:45

how football works, you don't just get

4:47

six points because those teams are down there,

4:49

but as Cuman said, we're playing teams who

4:52

are nowhere as good as us in

4:54

terms of personnel, the first half against Oxford

4:56

it was men against boys, what's clearly had

4:58

the better players again today, but Plymouth

5:00

will come away going, phew. Well not for

5:02

you, no I didn't, and Oxford won the

5:05

game really at a cancer in the

5:07

end and Plymouth have come away with a

5:09

point, no good to them, but I can't

5:11

get away from the fact that I

5:13

know you don't have the right to be

5:16

royally entertained every game, we know that as

5:18

Rockford fans it's more than that, but

5:20

if entertainment value, I mean, dare I say

5:22

it, it's boring. Can I just check? Is

5:25

our go live for a football podcast

5:27

or is it about Scottish nanny's knitting? Give

5:29

me the latter over watching that at the

5:31

end of the week. I mean again

5:33

I've said to Holly this thing where we

5:35

have to we have to find things to

5:38

talk about. But Kieran you know we

5:40

saw the starting line up, we saw I

5:42

suppose we were wondering when would bar come

5:44

into this game, what would he do?

5:46

What would he do? What would he play

5:49

because he's been out of the longest? I

5:51

didn't feel you at all with, you know,

5:53

before the game at least, with the

5:55

possibility of us being a little bit more

5:57

on the front in terms of attack. Oh,

6:00

without a doubt. I mean, Rocco hasn't

6:02

started many games recently, has he? And I

6:04

think today probably asked the question as to

6:06

why that might be, because I thought

6:08

it's especially in the first half when, as

6:11

Mike has politely put on there, put forward,

6:13

we didn't offer very much, and he

6:15

was the one outlet that I thought did

6:17

kind of produce a few things. I think

6:20

what's interesting, and I'll say Mr. Jason

6:22

on the walk out of the stadium, is

6:24

Tom has got to try and find a

6:26

way to accommodate a way to accommodate

6:28

Jack. and Vata because I think you lose

6:30

something with Jack Patadze a little bit in

6:33

the middle because his ability is dribbling

6:35

with the ball and in the middle of

6:37

the pitch where it's more congested I don't

6:39

think he can influence the game as

6:41

much as he can out wide but then

6:44

you're playing Rocco out there as well but

6:46

I thought Rocco Vata did well I

6:48

think the fact that he played well he

6:50

came off in injury time didn't he he

6:52

definitely had an influence I genuinely looked

6:54

at that line up and I did think

6:57

that we would have enough I still think,

6:59

you know, ultimately we are paying the

7:01

price of not going out and signing a

7:03

proven striker in January, whether that was on

7:06

loan, whether that was, whatever that might have

7:08

been, I just think that when you

7:10

have an individual like we're doing vacuum buy

7:12

who... Let's be honest, defenders don't really have

7:15

to pay an awful lot of attention

7:17

to him. He works hard, we know that,

7:19

but he's not a massive threat. He wasn't

7:21

a threat again today. And if you

7:23

haven't got that, then it doesn't matter how

7:25

good your wide players are. And we saw

7:28

that especially in the second half, when

7:30

we bought Quad Web bar on, which I'm

7:32

sure you will come to. My friend Richard

7:34

and I sit next to. He said,

7:36

I feel really sorry for bio, because he

7:39

is trying hard. He is trying hard. and

7:41

I think that would be huge for

7:43

him to start contributing to games where it

7:45

feels like, Michael, I can see it in

7:47

your eyes and I've heard of him

7:49

any podcast. You think he isn't doing that?

7:52

And we know, we know, we know. I

7:54

tell you what he is, he's a

7:56

player that needs a new profession. You need

7:58

a golf. He needs to start doing something

8:01

else with his... this time, look, the

8:03

tongue and cheek, it's not his fault, it's

8:05

not his fault, but as Kieran has pointed

8:07

out, he is no, and I've been

8:09

criticised with banging on about this and I'll

8:12

try and articulate why I keep going on

8:14

about it. He's nowhere near the level, he

8:16

just isn't, and that is evident, I

8:18

don't think anyone who goes to games can

8:20

argue with that. What he is, is a

8:23

representation of, of, for us to be

8:25

left with that as a striking option. It's

8:27

a disgrace. You can't, it's an affront to

8:29

the pain public to turn up and

8:31

that to be your striker, I'm afraid. And

8:34

the fact that he, like everyone has said,

8:36

he does try his best. He's best

8:38

is nowhere near it. League one, potentially League

8:40

two, maybe. Don't know, one day we'll find

8:42

out. But he is not a championship

8:44

striker. And I think what is so... disappointing

8:47

and vaguely depressing as a football club we've

8:49

ended up with that with him as

8:51

our soul striking. striking option. It could have

8:53

been different, we rolled the dice to Jefferson,

8:56

it didn't work, got Dume Bureau Youngster

8:58

who he looked alright, but he isn't good

9:00

enough and we've been short-changed in that regard.

9:02

You've got someone that can stick the

9:04

ball in the back of the net and

9:07

that is a different side. I think a

9:09

lot of the lethargy, the apathy, the

9:11

lack of cutting edge comes from that team

9:13

playing knowing that they get the ball into

9:15

the box and it might as well

9:17

be a shopping trolley in there. I'm not

9:20

thinking about anything other than being not good

9:22

enough. And for Watford Football Club, whoever is

9:24

in charge of bringing them, we know

9:26

what the financial constraints are, we know how

9:29

expensive strikers are. If it was easy as

9:31

going out and buying a number nine

9:33

with no money in the bank, everyone would

9:35

do it. It's not easy. But for us

9:37

to have that lack of options is

9:40

just a massive, it's a huge failing. But

9:42

the one option we did have today, who

9:44

did come on in the second half,

9:46

so it was 60 minutes, was quadratic. robot

9:48

and the excitement for him to run down

9:51

the wing for his warm up today

9:53

it didn't do that I love it it's

9:55

one of my favorite things about football in

9:57

matches when they run down the wing

9:59

there's a lovely little gentle tap from everybody

10:02

for any any sub who comes to warm

10:04

up there was a clap all the

10:06

way across the rookery when he did his

10:08

warm up in the first half and a

10:10

little glimpse of his song as well

10:12

and when he came on the excitement was

10:15

there and we had some moments from him

10:17

but definitely a player Jason who has

10:19

some talent but has been out for a

10:21

long time. Yeah, I think you're right, the

10:24

warm-up, that was deliberate wasn't it? He

10:26

was the first, three of them came out

10:28

together for the first warm-up and he was

10:30

about 10 yards in front of the

10:32

other two, getting the applause and then I

10:35

think I said to you, didn't I mean,

10:37

when we sort of started well in the

10:39

second half. a couple of chances or

10:41

we didn't make the most of those first

10:43

five minutes of pressure and he was out

10:46

warming up again and I think that

10:48

again that's put yeah look yeah if you

10:50

don't make things happen guys we're on top

10:52

we're not making things happen I'm here

10:54

I'm coming on one of you is going

10:57

on and I think that was deliberate and

10:59

then he came on and within what

11:01

seconds he's just done what he does besties

11:03

yeah got the ball trapped it use his

11:05

strength to use his strength to sort

11:07

of hold the defender off turned and off

11:10

he goes just just yeah just just brilliant

11:12

the only unfortunate thing was he had

11:14

that chance where he was free of the

11:16

last defender and just that touch just took

11:19

him away from gold just a bit

11:21

too heavy and again that's from not playing

11:23

football for a couple of months he does

11:25

it does a feature another day he

11:27

controls that well and uh probably, but it's

11:30

in the back of the net, all goes

11:32

down from penalty. One of those, just,

11:34

just, just took him, yeah, just, to go,

11:36

it's unfortunate, but, I thought he then, he

11:38

was a bit quiet, he was sort

11:40

out of the game for a bit, I

11:43

thought, after that, but then, sort of, yeah,

11:45

again, as we... really tried to make it

11:47

happen the last few minutes he was

11:49

back in it but yeah it's good seeing

11:52

back on the pitch. It shows what we've

11:54

been missing. So we talk about the

11:56

lack of the lack of firepower you almost

11:58

that is negated by a player like bar

12:00

who is a cut above pretty much

12:02

everything in the division because he plays football

12:05

is a simple game for the people as

12:07

we have a great man there to

12:09

our left just said the said what quadrobar

12:11

is really really good at he beats a

12:14

good ball in. and you're in with

12:16

a you're in with a chance and that

12:18

negates the lack of striking options you can

12:20

just get it in there and I

12:22

think it was sort of it was great

12:25

seeing back but also what could have been

12:27

had we had we had him in

12:29

there had we had him in the had

12:31

him in the had him in the side

12:33

drifted a little bit I think compared

12:35

to everyone else he didn't I thought he

12:38

was as good as anyone on the pitch

12:40

probably the standout player got to bear

12:42

in mind that injury his football he's this

12:44

explosive footballer you know big legs big muscles

12:47

that must have been playing and playing

12:49

on his mind I think in probably Tom's

12:51

mind as well we've got to keep him

12:53

fit so yeah good for him to get

12:55

through unscathed that's the most important thing

12:57

with the with the running because a quadro

13:00

bar in your Watford side it can for

13:02

all the negatives that I've been bagging

13:04

on about earlier on with quadro bar on

13:06

the side Watford is a can be a

13:09

fun side to watch. Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm young talent

13:11

came on didn't really do much but he

13:13

started the game and I think he played

13:15

comparatively at least a fantastic game compared

13:17

to the performance we've seen from the past

13:20

and was contributing heavily. Yeah I'm glad that

13:22

you came to me on Caleb because

13:24

I was just about to say can I

13:26

talk about him because we want to... We

13:28

want to find positives and talk about

13:30

positives on the pod, don't we? And I

13:33

thought he was definitely one of them. I

13:35

think I'm always interested to see when

13:37

players come in, how they compare. to what

13:39

we already have. Are they an upgrade? Are

13:42

they about the same level and we're

13:44

just going to see them rotated? I genuinely

13:46

thought he is an upgrade on what we've

13:48

got. I think if the rumors are

13:50

correct that he's one that we're going to

13:52

have till the end of the season and

13:55

then look to bring in again next

13:57

season, I think he could be really, you

13:59

know, really important player for us next year

14:01

if he comes back. Defensive very sound.

14:03

I mean... I will caveat with the level

14:06

of the position that we're playing today. They're

14:08

not very good plume if I didn't think

14:10

they were great, especially second half. But

14:12

he did his job and he supported moving

14:15

forward as well. And I think we have

14:17

a combination, kind of, I've said that

14:19

sort of on previous podcast, there have been

14:21

players that if we could have combined their

14:23

attributes, we would have a really good

14:25

player and I think we've got. LaRousie who's

14:28

good going forward and isn't very good defensively

14:30

and then we've got other players who

14:32

are maybe good defensively and aren't good very

14:34

good going forward and I think he showed

14:37

a bit of both today and I

14:39

think actually that's going to be a massive

14:41

benefit and let's not forget down that left

14:43

side we had I think he's 19

14:45

and Rocco Vater is 19 20 so we

14:48

had a very young left side and actually

14:50

they were probably two of our best

14:52

players today. Yeah they were combining quite nicely

14:54

quite nicely weren't working and playing off each

14:56

other and mind, linking up their minds

14:58

as one. But yeah, they were doing that.

15:01

I thought he's got, well I've seen in

15:03

those 90 minutes, a good football in

15:05

Braney. I think it was quite smart. There

15:07

were a couple of times where you think,

15:10

oh is he going to dive in?

15:12

No, he stood up and just sort of

15:14

didn't rush into his decision and made the

15:16

right decision, held the player up and sort

15:18

of blocked the passing lane, didn't let

15:20

the player go past him. to say Chelsea's

15:23

got a good one for the future but

15:25

they'll probably sell him. If they can

15:27

turn to us on the cheap that would

15:29

be nice. I think on the plus side

15:32

I'm pretty sure we have got him

15:34

for next year as Kieran said and I

15:36

think it's nice to have that nailed down

15:38

for someone who is obviously competent and

15:40

how his career flourishes will be interesting to

15:43

see I think we're pretty sorry. It's going

15:45

to be with us next year. And

15:47

to have that position locked in where he

15:49

looks like with someone that gives us a

15:51

little bit of confidence and a little

15:53

bit of hope in front of Selvik who

15:56

kept his place over Backman returning today, I

15:58

think as everyone expected. But with Selvik

16:00

is the number one, if we can get

16:02

that backline sorted. We saw, I think, against

16:05

Oxford, how... important it is to have

16:07

that center back partnership right with Sierra after

16:09

coming in last week we are sorry against

16:11

Oxford it looks a bit wobbly he

16:13

did okay today alongside Matt Apollo they've got

16:15

a great clean sheet they did yeah so

16:18

the defenders will go home and they'll

16:20

sleep sounding tonight they'll they'll count them their

16:22

clean sheet bonus so fair place there was

16:24

cure and said the caveat is correct Plymouth

16:27

weren't weren't amazing while we're on defenders

16:29

Ryan Andrews had an absolute stinker and was

16:31

rightly hooked at that at half time. He

16:33

was just, he was just on one,

16:35

it was just, you could tell we've all

16:38

played sport or football to certain levels and

16:40

you know sometimes it's just not going

16:42

to click the football equivalent of getting out

16:44

of bed the wrong side, wasn't it? The

16:46

passes were going all over the place

16:48

and he's, he's had a... I remember when

16:51

he first came into the squad, we were

16:53

like, well, that pace is amazing. He's

16:55

going to be the next cab off the

16:57

rank. I remember saying it in terms of

17:00

us selling him for big money. I

17:02

think massive, massive question marks over Ryan Andrews

17:04

now. Probably if you compare him on the

17:06

other side to Caleb Wiley, who... It

17:08

hasn't necessarily got that blistering pace that Ryan

17:10

Andrews has, but just as Kieran and Jason

17:13

said that, that awareness, that in-game, understanding.

17:15

I thought he started the game quite slowly

17:17

in fairness, I thought he got burned a

17:19

couple of times, Caleb Wiley, but Tom

17:21

has said publicly hasn't he, that he's got

17:24

quite a long way to go to get

17:26

up to championship level. But yeah, felt

17:28

for Ryan Andrews today and right that Angakia

17:30

came on who... He looked and struggled to

17:33

grow into the game as well. There

17:35

was one in the second half late, in

17:37

the second half where it was going over

17:39

his shoulder. There was two Plymouth players bearing

17:41

down on him and he knew he

17:43

had to, his touch had to be good.

17:46

It wasn't and a better team I think

17:48

would have been in. would have capitalised

17:50

and scored and perhaps nick the points. But

17:52

I think defensively a lot is going to

17:55

depend on what Kevin's like when he

17:57

comes back. Can we keep him fit? Are

17:59

we going to struggle to get a bankrupt

18:01

back next year? Probably he's shown enough

18:03

already to show that he's going to be...

18:05

good enough for Udaniasian would have thought next

18:08

year and they're not going to let

18:10

him go. So... I've seen an interview with

18:12

him as well where he said he wants

18:14

to be at Udaniazian next season or

18:16

something quite interesting. The different things I said

18:19

when he speaks to different journalists. Yeah, but

18:21

you know the defensive side of things

18:23

is showing some signs of being vaguely... competent

18:25

which hasn't we can't can't say for what

18:28

for too often over over the years

18:30

but yeah I think if it if we're

18:32

looking for positives probably Caleb Wiley and he's

18:34

getting some championship minutes under his belt

18:36

that's probably about as good as it gets

18:38

but relevant but relevant but relevant yeah relevancy

18:41

is always important yeah they're pretty absolutely

18:43

super they've done something I mean that's a

18:45

long time since someone said to me if

18:47

you've done something new with your hair but

18:50

it looked like they've done a new

18:52

pattern perhaps enough to ask a tweet a

18:54

tweet and ask him what if he's done

18:56

anything different with the pitch, but it

18:58

looks superb. And I think that is worth

19:00

saying, regardless of how the football is, the

19:03

pitch has been absolutely superb all season

19:05

and it's something we take for granted, but

19:07

you see other championship games on Sky and

19:09

so on and so forth. definitely not

19:11

the case that went to Redding for example

19:14

the other week and that picture is not

19:16

good so yeah to have that surface

19:18

to blow and is really our scrape and

19:20

the bad pictures were in the media a

19:23

couple of weeks ago because the women's

19:25

league cup final was played at Pride Park

19:27

and it was it was absolutely shambolic Darby

19:29

County's pitch that day so if you

19:31

need an example of what the championship can

19:33

do you come here because it's been a

19:36

carpet for years doesn't it but we

19:38

leave we're not a terrible place but a

19:40

happy place but not a happy place either.

19:42

Yeah this week we've had a lot

19:44

of a bit of nostalgia in the what's

19:47

up group chatting away about 80 booths. firstly

19:49

that he was he announced this week

19:51

that he's had a Parkinson's diagnosis for a

19:53

couple of years and today the 20th anniversary

19:56

of him being named Watford Manager they got

19:58

us thinking back the 0506 season came

20:00

out of nowhere had a couple of tough

20:02

years financially specifically when we had Ray Lewington

20:04

as manager but he came in I

20:06

think change might, didn't they? And it came

20:09

out and over. They did, and you and

20:11

Kieran have both said it independently, but

20:13

so you said both said that season was

20:15

fun, and it was, it was incredibly refreshing

20:18

and incredibly fun. First and foremost, obviously,

20:20

what we need to do is extend our

20:22

best wishes to AD and his family and

20:24

loved ones. It's a really tough thing

20:26

that he's facing up to. He's doing it

20:28

with exactly the way that you'd expect Lady

20:31

Boothroy to do it with, you know,

20:33

you know, to make the announcement. I think

20:35

it's three years ago he got the diagnosis

20:37

and has waited until he wanted to

20:39

share the news and he has and obviously

20:42

it's desperately sad to hear it but if

20:44

anyone can tackle something like this we

20:46

know it's Adie Boothroy and he's relatively unconventional

20:48

in some ways but he never shirks a

20:51

challenge and we hope that they sort

20:53

of yeah he deals with this one as

20:55

best he can so yeah first and foremost

20:57

our thoughts with with Adie and his

20:59

family we hope. that the next coming years

21:01

are as manageable as possible but yeah that

21:04

year at that first well the promotion

21:06

season is the one where really that we

21:08

that we remember isn't it and it was

21:10

it was just such fantastic fun and the

21:13

thing I really liked about it looking

21:15

back on it was it it felt like

21:17

what for doing something a little bit different

21:19

with him no one expected him to

21:21

be the head coach if you had a

21:23

bet before him getting named as Watford headcoach

21:26

then I'd be very very surprised and

21:28

so that came out of left field a

21:30

little bit as did AD really and his

21:32

sort of his techniques and his he

21:34

was very bullish wasn't he was very open

21:37

in in the media and it just felt

21:39

it just felt fresh and it felt

21:41

exciting and it felt like well this is

21:43

Watford as he said John before that we

21:46

were and at that stage as well

21:48

financially we we weren't a wash with cash

21:50

sounds familiar. and we're going to have to

21:52

do things slightly differently to have any

21:54

sort of success and as it turned out

21:56

AIDI was the man to do that and

21:59

the one that always sticks in my

22:01

mind apart from the fight with them fits

22:03

all on the timeline in the second half

22:05

of the second leg of the playoffs

22:07

was in the build-up to the playoffs I

22:10

think we were playing Ipswich at home and

22:12

he just said I think he came

22:14

on the mic, didn't he? And said, can

22:16

everyone stay behind and everyone stay in the

22:18

ground? And everyone did, because he had asked

22:21

us, waited for the Ipswich fans to

22:23

clear out, so it was only Watford fans

22:25

left, and then basically announced that he wanted

22:27

the penalty shootout. So he split the

22:29

squad up into two and asked the Watford

22:32

fans that were left in the stadium. There

22:34

must have been 14, 15,000. He just

22:36

going past, we'll ask him, what the hell

22:38

he thinks he's, he's doing. He's a striker

22:41

in it. and he asked that the

22:43

victory there must have been still 1213,000 left

22:45

in the in the ground after the game

22:47

you've got to choose team A, team

22:49

B and really get behind them in the

22:51

penalty shootout because he wanted them to experience

22:54

what it might be like in if

22:56

it went to penalties in the in the

22:58

playoffs and I think that's summed up really

23:00

his sort of thinking yeah yeah he

23:02

was. Southgate spent months trying to sort this

23:05

out with England for it he was doing

23:07

this 20 years ago yeah and I

23:09

think that was just a real I don't

23:11

know, it sticks in my memory as just,

23:13

other man isn't like, oh no, that's

23:15

a bit silly, I'm not going to do

23:18

it, it sounds a bit, you know, it's

23:20

a bit naph, but you know, he

23:22

was, he was forward thinking, he was probably

23:24

ahead of his, ahead of his time, but

23:27

that season was just tremendous. Kier had mentioned

23:29

it and I don't, no one expected

23:31

Watford to do what they did that season,

23:33

and that made it all the more delicious

23:36

for us as, as, as Watford fans,

23:38

isn't, isn't isn't it? Absolutely, I mean Mike

23:40

signed it out really nicely. I've said just

23:42

before we came on that I'll never

23:44

forget the line, I think it was when

23:46

Ashley Young scored the free kick away at

23:49

Palace in that first leg of the

23:51

playoffs, the line afterwards, the surprise side of

23:53

the season. And we were, because much like

23:55

we have been in a few seasons

23:57

in the championship, we were tipped for relegation

24:00

that year because we just survived the previous

24:02

season when he came into a place

24:04

array. But I was quite lucky because my

24:06

first ever career job I was working as

24:08

a journalist for my news publications that

24:11

I think is still pop-through people's door free

24:13

of charge, but it meant that I had

24:15

the opportunity to go to London, Colneague.

24:17

I didn't go every week or every other

24:19

week, but I used to go quite regularly,

24:22

and it meant I had the opportunity

24:24

to sit down with AD occasionally and listen

24:26

to him. And the thing that really stood

24:28

out for me was he was just

24:30

uber-confident. You know, he just, to the point

24:33

of where it bordered on arrogance, and I

24:35

think he knew that, but you know,

24:37

he was 34 years old when he came

24:39

in when he came in. and I think

24:41

he had this self-belief that you don't necessarily

24:44

see with managers like that. And he

24:46

had this conference sometimes to his detriment because

24:48

as we saw over time he signed some

24:50

players that he thought he could potentially

24:52

turn around you were maybe having a bad

24:55

time and he wasn't able to do that.

24:57

But he did do that with some,

24:59

but not all of them. Certainly did it

25:01

at the start. Certainly at the start. And

25:04

what I was going to try and

25:06

do, I was going to try and be

25:08

down with the kids and Mike will know

25:10

more about this than I will. But

25:12

obviously KSI has his misfits boxing, doesn't he?

25:14

And it felt like at the start of

25:17

his tenure, we did have a few

25:19

misfits or players that were maybe a little

25:21

bit of a stagnation in their career. and

25:23

he managed to retrieve, I mean Marlon

25:25

King came in, we know about the problems

25:28

that he had beforehand. Clark Carlisle had some

25:30

well-documented issues, didn't he, before he came

25:32

in, thought he was really good for us.

25:34

Malkey Mackay was a really shrewd sign and

25:36

that we brought in. You know, there

25:38

were, there were some really good players that

25:41

he just managed to mesh together. There were

25:43

no massive soup, and Marlon King was,

25:45

I think we have to meant, he was

25:47

unbelievable, he was unbelievable, I remember Ben Foster

25:50

came in on loan that season, didn't he?

25:52

And it was big hooves up to

25:54

Darius Henderson and Marlon King, but they just

25:56

worked so long. We don't see it now,

25:59

do we? We don't see many 4-4-2s.

26:01

Henderson and King. They worked unbelievably well together.

26:03

Unbelievable. And it was, it was so much

26:05

fun. I remember a way at Cardiff

26:07

was the first game on Sky that season

26:09

and we beat them 3-1. And we were

26:12

absolutely brilliant. Paul Devlin, Paul Devlin, Paul

26:14

Devlin, played Devlin, played devil, played on, played,

26:16

played, played, played, played, played, played, played, played,

26:18

played, played, played, and played, and played,

26:20

and played, and played, and played, and played,

26:23

and played, and played, and played, and played,

26:25

and played, and played, and played, and

26:27

played, and played, and played, and played, and

26:29

played, and played, and played, and played, and

26:31

played, We're pretty decent. And you know

26:33

I think the opening game in the season

26:36

we'd lost at home to Preston. But that

26:38

Cardiff game was like actually you know

26:40

there's something about this side and we just

26:42

went on an unbelievable run that year. It

26:45

was so much fun and obviously one

26:47

of the few player finals that was played

26:49

at the Millennium Stadium as well. Funny you

26:51

mention the Preston game so I remember

26:53

distinctly we lost that to one at home.

26:56

and guys, I was sitting in the same

26:58

seat and guys sitting near us, sort of

27:00

behind us of it, I think, booing

27:02

at the final whistle. And genuinely, both were

27:04

out, get Gibbs in. So I think there

27:07

wasn't Gibbs in his coach and then

27:09

we got rid of him. And yeah, they

27:11

were like, yeah, it's rubbish, get Gibbs in

27:13

to managing. Just thinking, wow, one game,

27:15

surely, surely, it's not going to be that

27:18

bad. Then I think we had to do

27:20

you know pot so it was not

27:22

the end of that point. Yeah, we were

27:24

okay. We didn't think I think I think

27:26

our next game is funny enough away.

27:28

And I seem to remember it's going three

27:31

one down, some of that two down, three

27:33

one down, three one down. I think

27:35

we got it back to three all. And

27:37

then you sort of started to get that

27:40

belief and then like you said it

27:42

was the Cardiff game on Sky where we,

27:44

yeah, the famous one where. furlong lob foster

27:46

hit the bar and we went up

27:48

the other engine school. I was literally celebrating.

27:51

I was literally celebrating. I'm sure I've told

27:53

a story before. We did be chiffnited

27:55

for one away as well. I think I've

27:57

said this before, but we were there and

27:59

my other half Nicola was there and

28:01

when actually on school we were then going

28:04

nuts celebrating, she's like... This is getting a

28:06

bit silly now. Why are we getting

28:08

a bit carried away? I was like, no,

28:10

you didn't realize we just scored. She'd miss

28:13

the go. Take me a little bit. Most

28:15

fun seasons I've had is a lot

28:17

for fair. I remember us winning away at

28:19

Darby. I think it was on Easter Monday

28:21

as well. And it just, as Kieran

28:23

said, it wasn't, we started by taps, we

28:26

were a bit of a novelty act to

28:28

start with. But as the season went on,

28:30

we actually, we actually, we developed a real swagger,

28:32

we developed a real swagger, a real swagger, a

28:35

real swagger, core as well. I think that came

28:37

from him. Yeah. As I said he had this

28:39

unbelievable self-believe and I think when you have someone

28:41

like that leading the team the players are only

28:44

going to feed off that right? And I think

28:46

yeah the palace semi-final then sort of sun that

28:48

up the first leg was just just amazing. The

28:50

first half we were up against it and about

28:52

Andy Johnson in the team now so he was

28:55

causing championship clubs a lot of trouble that season

28:57

and then we came out in the second half

28:59

we just torn apart. hit them for

29:01

six and that there's two quick

29:03

goals when they're early on and

29:05

then Matthew Springs sort of finishing

29:07

it off. I remember I was

29:09

in a seat next to the

29:11

aisle, one of the aisles, so

29:13

every time we scored, I was

29:15

off and bouncing around him. It

29:18

was just brilliant, just such fun.

29:20

You talk about football being moments

29:22

and that eclipsed even the playoff

29:24

final for me. I think Watford

29:26

were comfortable in the playoff final,

29:28

I think, really against Leeds, but

29:30

that palace game where we just... dismantled

29:32

who were the favorites for the playoffs

29:34

by a long way to the extent

29:36

that as you walk out of Salher's

29:38

Park you're seeing discarded flyers for the

29:40

Eagle Express to Cardiff for the so

29:42

convinced were they that they were going

29:45

to make it and that I just

29:47

remember the noise in the away end

29:49

that afternoon I think it was an

29:51

early kickoff it might be and it

29:53

would just the roof came off and

29:55

just everyone came out a little bit

29:57

dazed and delirious but it's just one

29:59

of those magnificent... magnificent Watford days that

30:01

we that we've had over the over

30:03

the years and the final as well

30:06

you talk about the final ended quite

30:08

famously a lot of the Watford players

30:10

have talked about how they felt leaves

30:12

were beaten in the tunnel and I

30:14

think Andy had taken Watford to the

30:16

cart to the Millennium Stadium either at

30:18

the day before. or at least certainly

30:20

in advance so they could get out

30:22

get onto the pitch he'd arrange for

30:24

them to go and do that walk

30:26

round so they're not coming out and

30:28

getting overawed by the the occasion so

30:31

that attention to detail and that willingness

30:33

to go the extra extra extra yard

30:35

I think and it paid dividends obviously

30:37

it didn't end the way we would

30:39

have wanted it with the following season

30:41

was difficult and then the first season

30:43

after we got relegated from the Premier

30:45

League the wheels came off and I

30:47

think he He made some mistakes given

30:49

his time again. He wouldn't do it.

30:51

I think there was some bad calls

30:53

around Gavin Marl and some bad signings.

30:56

Kier was talking about the Andreas Henderson

30:58

and Jordan King who came in as

31:00

both rough diamonds that he was able

31:02

to shape. He had this pursuit of

31:04

Collins John who he thought he was

31:06

going to be able to meld into

31:08

another striker. told Gavin Marley wasn't going

31:10

to be neat, so there was stuff

31:12

that he got wrong, but I think

31:14

that comes with what Kiran was talking

31:16

about, confidence in himself and utter belief

31:18

in what he was doing and you

31:20

live or die by that and the

31:23

wheels came off, but when we mention

31:25

A.D. Breathroy, you think of that season,

31:27

it was innovative, it was exciting, it

31:29

was unexpected. It was bloody brilliant. Cheers,

31:31

Eddie. Absolutely. Hope everything goes well in

31:33

the next couple of years for you.

31:35

But next year, we'll get to see

31:37

this again, Michael. They're going to sell

31:39

a season ticket for next year. Gossip

31:41

is 5% extra. But that is still

31:43

a lot less than my friend. I've

31:45

worked with a Tottenham fan. He told

31:48

me how much he pays. How much

31:50

do you reckon he pays for him

31:52

and his son to get a Tottenham?

31:54

fifteen hundred quid eighty 200 quid. Wow.

31:56

E-line I next year, adult and child,

31:58

is less than his son's ticket at

32:00

Tottenham. Yeah, I think, look, the prices

32:02

haven't gone up for six years. They've

32:04

gone up 5% so if you sit

32:06

in the rookery I think it's 20

32:08

quid. I think the season tickets have

32:10

represented excellent value what for a significant

32:13

amount of time. I think 5% increase,

32:15

certainly in the context of other... comparing

32:17

against Tottenham isn't quite comparing apples. I

32:19

mean we're going to win the same

32:21

amount of trophies this season but I

32:23

think it's it's fine it's 18 pounds

32:25

25 I think like that per home

32:27

game which I think is it's fine

32:29

obviously against some people would argue that

32:31

well they're putting the price up when

32:33

they're when the quality is diminishing and

32:35

look you've got I think you just

32:37

got to be realistic about the cost

32:40

of everything is is going up and

32:42

that's not that doesn't mean that a

32:44

football club then has to absorb it

32:46

because we've got less money all the

32:48

all the bills that what for the

32:50

having to pay are going up we

32:52

know that it's getting harder and harder

32:54

for the club to pay them with

32:56

the financial situation they're in so I

32:58

think I expected a rise I think

33:00

5% I'm lucky that an extra 20

33:02

quid isn't going to it doesn't impact

33:05

on me I know that for other

33:07

people any rise of any description is

33:09

difficult I do get that and and

33:11

sympathise but I think bigger picture is

33:13

I think 5% is fine, hopefully people

33:15

do commit to that season ticket because

33:17

that is important money for Watford. That's

33:19

money that they either see at the

33:21

start of the season or regularly with

33:23

that direct debit and fair play to

33:25

Watford for carrying on doing that interest-free

33:27

direct debit. I don't mind saying I

33:30

take advantage of that. The fact that

33:32

it's interest free is unheard of I

33:34

think in what is a pretty cut-thro

33:36

world when it comes to ticketing and

33:38

entertainment for you to be able to

33:40

spread that cost over 12 months. is

33:42

really good. So it's gone up, everyone

33:44

could have done without it, but in

33:46

terms of the context, I think it's

33:48

fine and hopefully lots of Watford fancy

33:50

fit too. To sign up again, the

33:52

crowds are definitely down. There is a

33:54

lot of people not turning up for

33:57

Watford matches at the moment and that's

33:59

down to a lot of things. I

34:01

think this Sky TV deal has had

34:03

a more profound impact than I suspect

34:05

many people would have thought. Another 1230

34:07

today, the ground looked desperately thin. I

34:09

know my fiancé's dad, he works Saturdays,

34:11

he can't get here for a 1230.

34:13

fair play to hear me message me

34:15

said he rocks up for the last

34:17

half an hour the second half but

34:19

he can't he can't make the 12th

34:22

30s no imagine you know if you're

34:24

a parent with a lot of kids

34:26

do Saturday morning sports they can't they

34:28

can't get it for a midday half

34:30

past 12 I found it hard today

34:32

because I had to Nikki had to

34:34

go and pick up e-life and football

34:36

training so I could win the pub

34:38

really early with him I'll get to

34:40

the pub as early as early as

34:42

an early as I'll get to the

34:44

pub as early as early as early

34:46

as early as an early as an

34:49

early as a the league would argue

34:51

that they needed the money, the EFL

34:53

needed the money from Sky, but I

34:55

think there is a big price going

34:57

to be paid for that and it'll

34:59

be interesting to see how crowds are

35:01

affected across the board next year. But

35:03

hopefully, hopefully there are some good things

35:05

about Watford at the moment. There's the

35:07

ownership issues rumble on, the finance issues

35:09

rumble on, the lack of a striker

35:11

issue rumbles on. We're definitely going to

35:14

lose some of our key assets in

35:16

the summer you'd expect loser to go.

35:18

bar will go in the future but

35:20

hopefully he'll be here next season people

35:22

like Vata will be here next season

35:24

will Tom stay hopefully yes he will

35:26

there's still the sort of kernels of

35:28

hope that next year would be do

35:30

we get some fun out of it

35:32

which is which is more than a

35:34

lot of football sports do so we

35:36

don't need to get we don't need

35:39

to get too down about it just

35:41

yet but yeah that is what it

35:43

is what it's the crowd is worrying

35:45

and it just does speak of a

35:47

bit of a wider malaise and Yeah,

35:49

I think it's about football across the

35:51

whole, but there's something that... Yeah, I

35:53

don't know how we tackle it. One

35:55

for another day, I think, John. Well,

35:57

there was one extra in there today.

35:59

Hanson Holmes over from Canada. A long

36:01

time, this is a long time follower

36:03

in a chatter tour on the old

36:06

Twitter. No, he's not on it anymore.

36:08

So we're in the pub. He was

36:10

with me and Ollie in the pub

36:12

at 11 o'clock this morning. Great to

36:14

see him. He came over and watched

36:16

on television all the time. You can't

36:18

see the little things that go on.

36:20

You can't see the wider play and

36:22

all that sort of stuff. So he

36:24

was so looking forward to seeing the

36:26

game today. Thank you very much Michael.

36:28

Before we go, you know, DCW does

36:31

a visit Harlan Dix on for a

36:33

couple days. Yeah. For the last month,

36:35

he's been walking on his trainers with

36:37

the heel, with his feet on top

36:39

of the heel of his trainers. He's

36:41

got a lovely pair of Sambers, I

36:43

think they are. And his feet over

36:45

the crushing the back of his train.

36:47

It drives me up the wall. Georgia!

36:49

They're 80 to 100 pounds, those trainers.

36:51

And you're just walking with you. Oh,

36:53

come on, man. I'm not sure where

36:56

that fits in the game scheme of

36:58

things. What was I supposed to say?

37:00

Bye, cheers, thanks for listening. Thank you,

37:02

Kieran. Thanks, Job. Thank you, Jason. Thank

37:04

you. Don't you're listening, do follow us,

37:06

and keep telling your friends that we're

37:08

here to chat about water food in

37:10

a fun, hopefully not over the top

37:12

way. Come on yours!