0:00

Hello

0:02

and

0:05

welcome

0:07

from

0:10

the

0:12

Rookering

0:15

on

0:17

our

0:20

way.

0:22

We're

0:25

all right.

0:28

railway arms. It's just going

0:30

to be a good bus train

0:33

station. I went away to Watford

0:35

against Sheffield United, seeing the team,

0:37

but we'll discuss all that later.

0:40

Brigadier, good afternoon. Good afternoon. You're

0:42

a bit drier than you were

0:45

on the last time we heard

0:47

you on the podcast. A bit

0:49

drier and a bit warmer and

0:52

a lot less hung over. Yes,

0:54

it wasn't the greatest start to

0:56

2025. But... You're a thinking man

0:59

and you've seen, what is it that

1:01

you've, you know, we're going to go

1:03

see a game today, which we can't

1:05

quite figure out who's going to be

1:07

given the role of centre forward, who's

1:09

going to be playing left and right

1:12

back. But, and then, how you feel

1:14

at the moment though, before we head

1:16

towards this game and this new year?

1:19

So John, I did think a lot

1:21

about it on my walk back to

1:23

Shepard's Bus Station with... DCW soaking wet

1:26

and freezing and then all afternoon I

1:28

was wondering why for most of the

1:30

season I felt very uneasy watching our

1:32

team and I've watched us get

1:35

hammered away from home at Luton

1:37

and well not hammered at Leeds

1:39

but at Norwich and and then

1:41

we've had some really high moments

1:43

where we've scored lake goals and

1:45

got winners and our home form

1:47

has been good winning goals winning games

1:50

by the old goal. But I still felt

1:52

like why do I feel like when I

1:54

go to the ground? I feel this sort

1:56

of uneasiness like I don't really know Why

1:58

I felt like that anyway The penny finally

2:00

dropped when I got home. One of

2:03

the things that you hear a lot

2:05

from managers, in all leagues, whether it's

2:07

the Premier League or the National League

2:09

South, you hear managers using the word

2:11

control. And they talk a lot about

2:14

we had control of the first half,

2:16

then we lost it for about half

2:18

an hour, but we managed to regain

2:20

it and win the game. Control, they

2:22

talk about taking control of the game.

2:25

What does that mean? Basically it means

2:27

that you can dictate the tempo. you

2:29

can dictate how the opposition play and

2:31

hopefully you can control the midfield area

2:33

which will allow you to get forward

2:36

and create chances for yourself because you've

2:38

got control of the key area on

2:40

the pitch. So what I realised after

2:42

the QPR game is that I don't

2:44

think I've seen us really control a

2:47

game or even a portion of a

2:49

game. We've had some great moments in

2:51

games. We've had passages of play that

2:53

have been very exciting and have led

2:55

to goals. But what we haven't managed

2:58

to achieve is to control a game

3:00

of football. You never control a game

3:02

of football from minute one to minute

3:04

96, but to take control of a

3:06

game for 25 minutes, to dictate the

3:09

temper, to take the play, and force

3:11

the opposition to try and solve the

3:13

problems that you're creating for them. And

3:15

I haven't really seen that over the

3:17

whole season, really. Not even after the

3:20

day. We were two-nil down, we got

3:22

one back. We didn't control the game

3:24

there, didn't we? Exactly. So if you

3:26

don't control a game, and what worries

3:28

me more is it it doesn't seem

3:31

to be part of the club's philosophy

3:33

to even try to control a game.

3:35

It seems like our philosophy is to

3:37

try and get the ball into channels,

3:39

try and score goals. So the analogy

3:42

that I would use in the opposite

3:44

is Burnley. And when we play Burnley

3:46

at Earthmore, they pretty much controlled the

3:48

game for a minute once a minute

3:50

96. They got two goals. We got

3:53

one back in classic Watford, 24-25 season,

3:55

rambusuous, into the box, bouncing around, bar

3:57

sticks his foot through it, in it

3:59

goes. But they controlled the

4:02

game. They forced us into areas

4:04

perhaps we didn't want to be

4:06

in. They were able to hold

4:08

the ball at times and calm

4:10

the game down and then pick

4:12

the tempo up again. And we

4:14

don't seem to do that. And

4:16

I don't think it's because of

4:18

lack of trying. I wonder, and

4:20

it's a question really for the

4:22

listeners and for you guys, whether

4:24

really trying to control a game

4:26

of football. is part of Tom's

4:28

philosophy. Or whether it's just about

4:30

different types of things like hitting

4:33

on the counter, getting it wide,

4:35

moving it through the channels, rather

4:37

than actually trying to control that

4:39

midfield area and get on top

4:41

of teams, dominate them for long

4:43

periods and win games like that.

4:45

Because if you don't, my belief,

4:47

and I may be wrong and

4:49

I'm happy for people to tell

4:51

me that they disagree. My belief

4:53

is if you don't control the

4:55

game. the results in the lap

4:57

of the gods. Okay. Because you

4:59

allow the other teams to control

5:01

the game, they may score, we

5:04

may score a last minute winner

5:06

and win a game. Or we

5:08

may get back in a game

5:10

and then immediately concede because we

5:12

don't have the philosophy of trying

5:14

to control central areas. And that

5:16

may be to do with selection,

5:18

maybe to do with player choice

5:20

in certain positions. It may be

5:22

to do with the system. I

5:24

don't know, but I'm beginning to

5:26

think that the reason I feel

5:28

uneasy sitting watching this team is

5:30

that I don't see an attempt

5:32

to control the game. Dave, happy

5:35

new year. Do you think that's,

5:37

do you put that in, oh,

5:39

the importance of controlling a game

5:41

and having a, I don't know,

5:43

is it all in the midfield?

5:45

But yeah, is that as important

5:47

to you, is this a call?

5:49

Well, I think Colin's right in

5:51

that a lot of teams... these

5:53

days. A lot of coaches in

5:55

modern football do place a big

5:57

importance on trying to control the

5:59

game. Clearly, that comes from Guadiola

6:01

top-down. His big thing is controlling

6:03

matches and he's not too bothered,

6:06

you know, about... scoring five, six

6:08

goals, three, flowing, attacking football all

6:10

the time. He wants to control

6:12

games and if they do the

6:14

control enough games they'll win the

6:16

games. That's why some people consider

6:18

that style of football to be

6:20

a bit dull and boring. But

6:22

I think you've got to have

6:24

the right players to be able

6:26

to do and consistently. As Colin

6:28

said, there's been patches of games

6:30

here and there, where we've been

6:32

in the dominant team and where

6:34

we've worked our way into games

6:36

and we have kept possession, but

6:39

we don't really have, especially in

6:41

midfield, as we've talked about at

6:43

length, we don't have a group

6:45

of midfielders who can control matches,

6:47

you know, keep the ball and

6:49

keep it ticking over that well.

6:51

Sisoko Kayembe, even Delhi Bashiru. None

6:53

of them are those sorts of

6:55

players, loser to a degree, but

6:57

can't do it all on his

6:59

own and he's only recently come

7:01

back into the team. It seems

7:04

to me that Tom's game plan

7:06

for most of the season, and

7:08

has changed here and there, it's

7:10

not been the same every single

7:12

game, but generally it's sort of

7:14

hang on in there in games,

7:16

get to the second half where

7:18

the game opens up a bit

7:20

more, and then our players like

7:23

Jack for Tadetet, like Vata. can

7:25

take advantage of a slightly more

7:27

open game and can score goals

7:29

and can create moments and can

7:31

win us points and that has

7:33

happened quite a bit at home

7:36

and it's interesting to hear... Is

7:38

that more by, is that, in

7:40

terms of like I say a

7:42

philosophy how to win a game

7:44

of football, does that feel more

7:46

like chance, taking it by chance

7:49

rather than having a way of

7:51

a little bit of confidence in

7:53

his team? No I don't think

7:55

so. I think he's identified, you

7:58

know, these are the players. got

8:00

and this is how it's going to

8:02

work. Although that said I do think

8:04

there is there is a slight tension

8:07

between Tom's preferred system in the 3-4-2-1

8:09

and the players that we've got and

8:11

we've seen that a great example of

8:14

that head of this game today you've

8:16

got two right-footed wingbacks and one of

8:18

them's going to play on the left

8:20

and you've got natural wingers in Vata

8:23

and Bar and... Neither of them are

8:25

going to be playing as out and

8:27

out wingers today. So there is a

8:30

bit of him maybe being a bit

8:32

stubborn and saying I want to play

8:34

this way regardless of the players I've

8:37

got I'm going to make my players

8:39

play this way. Whereas I think when

8:41

we have played 4-2-3-1 at times of

8:43

season we've looked we've looked better for

8:46

it but also I think the consistent

8:48

issue is defensively beyond. be honest no

8:50

matter what system we use defensively we've

8:53

been we've been poor which is you

8:55

know undermine the efforts of the forward

8:57

players at times but it was interesting

9:00

here to hear Colin say he feels

9:02

uneasy away from home I would agree

9:04

with him but at home with the

9:06

exception of the most recent game being

9:09

Cardiff but even in that game I

9:12

don't feel uneasy. We've gone behind so

9:14

many times at home and so early

9:16

so often, which is a problem, but

9:18

I don't feel uneasy because more often

9:21

than not, we've come back into games

9:23

and we've won points from those losing

9:25

positions. So I've been quite sanguine and

9:27

quite relaxed about those situations. last time

9:29

it didn't turn around it was the

9:31

first time this season first time under

9:33

Tom cleverly where we didn't turn the

9:35

situation around at home so we'll see

9:38

whether that becomes a trend and whether

9:40

things start to regress now but for

9:42

now I'm still you know if we

9:44

concede in the first 10 minutes here

9:46

today I'll be annoyed but there will

9:48

be a part of me that thinks

9:50

it's okay we can come back into

9:53

this yeah coal yeah I agree with

9:55

so much of what David said and

9:57

actually there's been There's been so much

9:59

to enjoy this season with the emergence

10:01

of... the young players like bar and

10:03

batter who at the beginning of the

10:05

season we were told probably wouldn't figure

10:08

that much and then they've come into

10:10

the team and they've really given us

10:12

a spark. The problem with our defense

10:14

and I totally agree our defense record

10:16

is quite poor we've conceded so many

10:18

goals within the first 10 minutes that

10:20

leads we conceded two goals in the

10:23

first eight minutes partly because the goalkeeper

10:25

chapped one of them in the net.

10:27

But that's also part of my uneasiness

10:29

is the midfield protecting the defense in

10:31

the early part of the game. Do

10:33

teams now think we're playing Watford, they

10:35

concede early goals, let's get at them

10:38

straight or when it's come out, far

10:40

from a gun, try and get that

10:42

early goal because so many other teams

10:44

have done it against us? So are

10:46

we set up and again and back

10:48

to this word control? To try and

10:50

control those early 15-20 minutes and not

10:53

concede and if that means the midfield

10:55

moving back and protecting the back three

10:57

or back four and making sure that

10:59

we're solid and narrow and compact then

11:01

we won't concede and then actually in

11:03

the second half when things open up

11:05

when things open. and we see those

11:07

young players who are some of the

11:10

best players in the division I believe,

11:12

come forward and create chances for us

11:14

as they've done in almost every game,

11:16

then we give ourselves a better chance

11:18

of winning. But if we go one

11:20

behind in every game, and we have

11:22

in the last three I think, if

11:25

not more, a number at least 60%

11:27

of the last 10 games, we've gone

11:29

behind. it makes us so much more

11:31

difficult because not only have you got

11:33

to score a goal just to get

11:35

equal you then got to score a

11:37

second goal and if you've got to

11:40

score two goals every game to win

11:42

the chances are quite often you're you're

11:44

going to draw or lose because a

11:46

team who scored early has confidence they

11:48

have control of the game and there's

11:50

a good chance that as we press

11:52

they might get another one against us

11:55

and that's happened before so it seems

11:57

to me that something needs to just

11:59

be tweaked not massively he's quite right

12:01

about the players we've got and the

12:03

midfielders we have, but nevertheless, even if

12:05

they're not that type of midfielder, we

12:07

can set up at least in those

12:10

first 20 minutes to make sure that

12:12

we protect ourselves from those early goals,

12:14

which makes us look rather defensive. But

12:16

if our tactic is to be better

12:18

in the second half because we've got

12:20

young fast fit young men who can

12:22

score and threaten goals then surely the

12:25

it's imperative we get to half-time at

12:27

the very least and we're not doing

12:29

that and that's why I'm uneasy because

12:31

I don't when we go behind I

12:33

think well now the chances of us

12:35

winning have gone from 70% to 20%

12:37

yeah because you can't keep coming back

12:39

from being behind you can't keep doing

12:42

it even at home So you're on

12:44

easiness. It is the beginning of the

12:46

year and we're now in the, I

12:48

think we're quite in the running yet,

12:50

that's a bit too early to use

12:52

that as a phrase, how confident or

12:54

how far away as this transfer window

12:57

is just opening, how far away you

12:59

think we are from being a proper,

13:01

maybe confident for you, playoff push. Well

13:03

weirdly, I don't feel even despite my

13:05

uneasiness. I've seen what this team can

13:07

do. We've never really, we haven't battered

13:09

the team since MK Dons. We beat

13:12

Stoke 2-nil, but mostly we win games

13:14

by the old goal. But nevertheless, I

13:16

still feel quite confident. At the beginning

13:18

of the season, I thought that the

13:20

past was a dream. But I've seen

13:22

what Tom's done, despite everything I've just

13:24

said. I've seen what he's done. And

13:27

I do think with maybe bringing in

13:29

a couple of players to give us

13:31

just some more legs. some more bodies

13:33

for him to choose from, less reliance

13:35

on these young players. So a striker,

13:37

a midfielder, and quite possibly, I'm not

13:39

going to actually, I'm not going to

13:42

say that job. I'm not going to

13:44

say the G word. But yeah, I

13:46

don't think we're far away, but because

13:48

the teams that are looking for, let's

13:50

say, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, are quite

13:52

similar to us. Blackburn have just lost.

13:54

It is actually the same way that

13:57

we lost the Burnley. they just got

13:59

they just couldn't get out and they

14:01

couldn't score at least we scored against

14:03

them so you know black firm, borough,

14:05

teams we've actually beaten, Sheffield United, other

14:07

teams below us. I think we're in

14:09

the mix with those teams but we

14:11

need to we need to be more

14:14

pragmatic, I believe, more pragmatic, more efficient

14:16

and we need to stop conceding early

14:18

goals because it doesn't just make it

14:20

doubly difficult, it makes it quadruply difficult

14:22

to win a game. Dave how far

14:24

do you think we are away from,

14:26

or away from Billioub? But with myself,

14:29

I think the more positive of their

14:31

FTE crew. How far do I think we

14:33

are away from a good, solid, confident playoff

14:35

push? Well, if you'd ask me this question

14:38

a week ago, maybe even less than that,

14:40

maybe I'll give you a different answer. I

14:42

don't know, I'm still, you know, perhaps I've

14:44

got a bit carried away. Some of those,

14:47

especially with that last minute goal against Portsmouth,

14:49

you know, and then we go and, you

14:51

know, then we go and lose to Cardiff,

14:54

then we go and lose to QPR and

14:56

then you, all of a sudden you reflect

14:58

on that Portsmouth game. You think, yeah, the

15:00

Portsmouth game was actually over piece with those

15:03

games. The performance wasn't great. Yeah, we squeaked

15:05

it in the last minute through a bit

15:07

of chaos just tossing it in the box

15:09

and Sisoko managed to get on the end

15:12

of it on the end of it and

15:14

vatters tickled it, tickled it. we didn't really

15:16

deserve to get the win in that game.

15:18

So there is a bit of a trend.

15:21

We are not in a good moment. You

15:23

do worry, as we talked about in the

15:25

last pod, that this is the start of

15:27

the regression, playing against one of the best

15:29

teams in the league today. But, again,

15:32

as I said on the last pod,

15:34

I don't think we should be too

15:36

downbeat just yet. We have got a

15:38

lot about us at home. We do

15:41

still have a lot of good attacking

15:43

players on the pitch. Let's see what

15:45

we can do. I think it is

15:47

difficult for us though and I saw

15:50

Tom talking about this a few weeks

15:52

ago. It was after the Portsmouth game,

15:54

which was, no, it was after the

15:56

Cardiff game, which was us having played

15:59

everyone in the division. waypoint and the

16:01

challenge was to repeat the first half

16:03

of the season in terms of points

16:06

in the second half so 37 points

16:08

can we get 37 points in the

16:10

second half of the season if you

16:13

do that most seasons you'll be in

16:15

the playoffs so that it but that

16:17

is a challenge for us because I

16:19

think the margin of error for us

16:22

is so thin we don't have a

16:24

lot in reserve we don't have a

16:26

lot of slack we have to keep

16:29

picking up points at home we have

16:31

to improve the way record and all

16:33

of a sudden now we're in a

16:36

now we're in a little spell where

16:38

we've lost three in the last four

16:40

it feels precarious yeah whereas it didn't

16:42

feel like that a few weeks ago

16:45

whatever so I think we are a

16:47

little way off I think we do

16:49

need probably try and do something I

16:52

don't know what, I don't know what

16:54

the financial situation will be or whatever,

16:56

I do need to do something in

16:58

January to try and help us out

17:01

a little bit. We do need to

17:03

look at that midfield area, we do

17:05

need, it would be lovely if we

17:08

had a competent, consistent goal scorer, which

17:10

we just don't have. But I don't

17:12

think it's beyond us. As I said

17:15

again in recent weeks, there usually is

17:17

a team. who either gets in the

17:19

playoffs or just misses out who isn't

17:21

among the sort of parachute payment brigade

17:24

as I'll call them you know if

17:26

Millwall and Luton can get around the

17:28

playoffs and there's no reason why we

17:31

can't with the squad that we've got

17:33

but it will be challenging and I

17:35

was looking actually at the the opt-up

17:38

expected and predicted tables earlier on. Which

17:40

is something we can get into probably

17:42

with Matt Furnish next time we speak

17:44

to him. In terms of the methodology,

17:47

but the expected table, so that takes

17:49

into account XG and expected assists and

17:51

expected goals for and against and all

17:54

that stuff, win 19th in that table.

17:56

predicted table so that's the end of

17:58

the season how they think it will

18:01

finish based on all the all the

18:03

data and everything that goes into that

18:05

they expect us to finish eight four

18:07

points outside the playoffs which isn't you

18:10

know which is that's just that's a

18:12

win on the draw you know that's

18:14

yeah there'll be a few games between

18:17

now and the end of the season

18:19

could go either way that could decide

18:21

our fate so I don't think we

18:24

should give up hope just yet well

18:26

we head towards vicud road we can

18:28

sit in our sights now is the

18:30

Graham Taylor Memorial game or where we

18:33

take that moment and yeah, pre-match to

18:35

remember Graham and ever he did for

18:37

the club. And we'll see how the

18:40

Glory Hornets do against Shepherd United. And

18:42

yeah, back after game, we chatted Kevin,

18:44

Jason and Mike. It's

19:01

hard to show on a podcast

19:03

what that looked like. It's hard

19:05

to show on a podcast what

19:07

that looked like. But there you

19:09

heard the sound of the beginning

19:11

of the game, a Z-cast came

19:13

on and around the ground there

19:15

were scarves held height. It was

19:17

the Graham Taylor. day Mike is

19:19

with me now. Jason is here,

19:22

so says Kieran. Mike though, that

19:24

was, as these days are, I

19:26

think it's our seventh. That's where

19:28

we've had. Always special days here,

19:30

Richard Road. Yeah, and to be

19:32

perfectly honest, it always catches me

19:34

a bit off guard and I

19:36

always find myself getting incredibly emotional.

19:38

I think when you see Graham

19:40

up on the screen, you hit

19:42

and but what gets me more

19:44

than that is potentially people talking

19:46

about him. And from outside the

19:48

Watford ecosystem, there was an incredible

19:51

clip from George Best sticking up

19:53

for Grand Taylor when they were

19:55

talking about the long ball tag.

19:57

And we know what Gray and

19:59

Taylor is and who he was

20:01

and what he means, but to

20:03

hear sort of other luminaries talking

20:05

about him, it really does drive

20:07

home what a special man he

20:09

really was. And yeah, I find

20:11

it incredibly emotional and find myself

20:13

having to take a minute, take

20:15

a beat and hold it all

20:18

together. And I think it's wonderful

20:20

that we take a beat, stop, remember, what

20:22

an incredible. incredible, incredible thing that he achieved.

20:24

No one listening to this podcast needs to

20:26

be told that. But we all do well

20:28

to be reminded of it. You heard it

20:30

on some of that amazing footage they showed

20:32

before the game. Up through the divisions in

20:35

five years. And then they talked about

20:37

Grand Tailor talking about what we're going to

20:39

need in that first year in the

20:41

first division and I think it's Brian Moore

20:43

or John Watson, one of the commentators

20:45

saying, have they got enough to compete at

20:48

this level? I only went and finished

20:50

second, didn't we? And just absolutely extraordinary. And

20:52

the club of hit upon something that

20:54

is incredibly simple, but incredibly effective.

20:56

Vicarage Road looks in absolute picture with

20:58

those yellow red and black scarves all

21:00

around the place. It looks, I know

21:03

they're not, but it looks like everyone's

21:05

holding one up. There's different, there's all

21:07

the different generations. It is genuinely, genuinely

21:10

wonderful and I'm so pleased that the

21:12

club have hit on that way of

21:14

remembering it. Good to see some old

21:16

faces there as well. But yeah, it's

21:19

coming out of the game feeling frustrated. It's

21:21

nice to remember Graham and remember the

21:23

bigger picture. I've said it often on

21:25

this podcast. The chances are that I

21:27

probably wouldn't be here or I wouldn't

21:29

have been a Watford supporter so long

21:32

if it wasn't for Graham Taylor. Not

21:34

because of what he achieved, because of

21:36

what he made this club into, the

21:38

foundations that he built. created that are

21:40

still so important to us today. So

21:42

just so yeah some things are bigger

21:45

than the three points or zero points

21:47

as it turns out and yeah just

21:49

credit to the club for they always

21:51

manage it in such a I think

21:53

I'm over the top it's not sort

21:56

of overly sentimental or anything like that

21:58

it's just a fitting tribute. and it's,

22:00

yeah, it gets me every time. I

22:02

don't know what Jason, the outcomes are

22:04

of the games we play, a vicarage

22:07

road on Grand Taylor Day. If we

22:09

win, we lose, but today we lost.

22:11

Colleen was saying before, yeah, the fact

22:13

that we give these goals over too

22:15

easy, I could put my hands out.

22:18

I might have jinksted it a little

22:20

bit, because I was trying to get

22:22

him to tell me how many minutes

22:24

it would have to be where it

22:26

didn't feel like we were... wasn't just

22:29

doing letting the early goal again. It

22:31

was that moment that they wouldn't school

22:33

their first goal. But we saw a

22:35

different Watford team there. We saw two

22:37

up front with Vata and with Bar,

22:40

three in midfield and five at the

22:42

back. Do you think you know why

22:44

Tom made that decision for this game?

22:46

Just because it was Sheffield United. not

22:48

a great performance against Queens Park Ranger

22:51

so we shall we say so not

22:53

surprised to see him get dropped maybe

22:55

it was yes it's okay he was

22:57

dropped and obviously we still had midfielders

22:59

on the pictures we didn't have a

23:02

striker perhaps it was to try something

23:04

different and just to try and confuse

23:06

United perhaps it was about okay perhaps

23:08

I'm the pigeon whole wilder here but

23:10

when some early on in the game

23:13

we sort of looked at them when

23:15

they were set up defensively it looked

23:17

like they were set up as a

23:19

sort of 4-4-2, so two banks of

23:21

four, two up front, sort of nice

23:24

and solid. So was the no strikers

23:26

an attempt to try and sort of

23:28

confuse them and play through the lines

23:30

and try and move them about? I'm

23:32

not sure that really worked in terms

23:34

of disrupting them defensively because I thought

23:37

which every United were very good defensively.

23:39

That's the only thing I can think

23:41

of that may be prompted those changes.

23:43

Well, I've got a decent idea because

23:45

I was at Loftus Road Unfortunately, and

23:48

I'm still still from it. I was

23:50

saying in the group before I need

23:52

another day to recover I wasn't quite

23:54

ready to watch Watford again today after

23:56

after New Year's Day. But quite frankly

23:59

he had to change something. It was

24:01

an abject performance against QPR in the

24:03

main. It was very very similar to

24:05

that game away against loot where we

24:07

just got rolled over against local rivals.

24:10

No one really covered themselves in glory

24:12

and as we spoke in the pod

24:14

afterwards the structure was lacking. They didn't

24:16

seem to be any sort of real...

24:18

There obviously is a game plan, but

24:21

there wasn't an evidence of it being

24:23

executed in any shape or form. Far

24:25

too many players, bio and Sesoko, by

24:27

far the worst offenders, didn't turn up

24:29

in that game. So you had to

24:32

try something. And I think you, as

24:34

a manager, as a head coach, you're

24:36

going to get criticised if you try

24:38

the same thing again and again and

24:40

again and again and nothing happens. He

24:43

had to shake it up after that

24:45

performance because it was dire. The one

24:47

thing that surprised me a little bit

24:49

was because on New Year's Day against

24:51

QPR bar was more central and I

24:54

think we missed some of his, well

24:56

we missed what he is which is

24:58

a winner when he's playing centrally. He

25:00

had to, he had to try, if

25:02

he was going to try something else

25:04

today, there's no one else. Jefferson is

25:07

unselectable after that performance against Cardiff. For

25:09

his own good, he can't set foot

25:11

on the football pitch at the moment.

25:13

So, who else are you going to,

25:15

Bayer was a disgrace against QPR? Who,

25:18

who are you going to, who are

25:20

you going to play? Well, Barr on

25:22

the right wing, we miss so much.

25:24

Our opposition are swarming Georgia Tech for

25:26

Tadsey, if I only get increasingly difficult

25:29

to have a big impact on the

25:31

game and to carve chances. Obviously had

25:33

a massive chance himself late on in

25:35

the game and probably should have scored.

25:37

But when you don't have bar out

25:40

wide I think we miss a big

25:42

part of our attacking threat and lo

25:44

and behold our equaliser came when we

25:46

did manage to get him down the

25:48

right. That said, I totally... why Tom

25:51

did it, having been there at QPR,

25:53

he had to change it, I think

25:55

the supporters would have been disappointed if

25:57

we'd just tried to do the same

25:59

again, because we probably would have got

26:02

the same results. It would be even

26:04

frustrated, Kieran, which I don't know, before

26:06

the game, know it, Sheffield United, knowing

26:08

they're doing quite well and how we

26:10

played recently, I don't think I'd necessarily

26:13

coming in here, of course I wanted

26:15

to have a great big win and

26:17

lots of goals and all the rest

26:19

of it. But I did find myself,

26:21

I surprised myself by feeling a little

26:23

bit frustrated at that game. And I

26:26

think if I feel frustrated, then there

26:28

must have been signs of good things.

26:30

Did you, didn't there was enough, are

26:32

there being silly to feel that sort

26:34

of frustration from some positivity? No, no,

26:37

not at all. I think the frustration

26:39

comes from the fact that we've actually,

26:41

we have created some stuff. I think

26:43

we were better in the second half

26:45

when we actually went back to the

26:48

sort of... Center forward with the two

26:50

lads out wide. I think I could

26:52

totally agree with Mike He had to

26:54

he had to do something You can't

26:56

just keep playing the same person now

26:59

in the same formation and hope that

27:01

something will happen. So he's fair play

27:03

to him He's changed it up today.

27:05

I don't think Vatter and bar as

27:07

a front to necessarily work but I'm

27:10

glad that he tried it because at

27:12

least we know that they can do

27:14

something in that in that formation but

27:16

they are much more valuable to us

27:18

out wide vatter in the second half

27:21

as well had some chances didn't he

27:23

had the one where he had some

27:25

crap and some crap on Graham Taylor

27:27

Day I mean he would not have

27:29

had that at all would he? I

27:32

think I think the frustration John mainly

27:34

comes from and and you call in

27:36

a phrase that Jason often uses you

27:38

can afford to draw you're away games

27:40

if you're winning your home games and

27:43

at the moment we're losing away and

27:45

the fortress that we had at home

27:47

we've now lost our last two fixtures

27:49

here and that and that is now

27:51

a bit of a worry because we

27:53

are not picking up anything away from

27:56

home but we were picking up points

27:58

here. I've just looked at the table

28:00

I think what's really telling is that

28:02

we've dropped down to ninth, you have

28:04

to go down to I think 13

28:07

for 14th for the next club who

28:09

is in a minus goal difference. We

28:11

are conceding far too many, we're conceding

28:13

too early and at the moment we

28:15

have scored goals this season but we've

28:18

seen six against Sheffield Wednesday and there's

28:20

been other games where we've scored a

28:22

few, we're not scoring enough. to be

28:24

competitive in games like this and that's

28:26

why we're losing by the old goal

28:29

because we're conceding too many and not

28:31

scoring enough. John I think you're right

28:33

to feel frustrated not to get something

28:35

out of that. Certainly as the second

28:37

half went I'll be honest my mood

28:40

in that second half after they scored

28:42

the second was I was absolutely I

28:44

was apoplectic actually having been there at

28:46

QPR and seen their first goal. be

28:48

scored after we switched off after the

28:51

award of a free kick. Then to

28:53

drag ourselves back into the game at

28:55

one all, at the start of the

28:57

second half, I think it was like

28:59

55 minutes, they get a free kick.

29:02

And we absolutely fail to get ourselves

29:04

ready to take it. And we give

29:06

them the opportunity, yes it's a good

29:08

strike. Kayembe is absolutely snoozing, exactly like

29:10

the bar was on New Year's Day.

29:12

Fine, okay, it happens in football, we

29:15

all switch off, we've all done it,

29:17

but for it to have happened on

29:19

New Year's Day, for them to get

29:21

their asses handed to them by KIPR,

29:23

that's one of the big things. Tom's

29:26

spoken about it in the week, we

29:28

need to switch on, and what do

29:30

they do? At the key time, they

29:32

switch off, and we are in virtually

29:34

every game this season. We haven't, I

29:37

know Colin spoke before the game about

29:39

how we haven't dominated games, that's what

29:41

the championship is really. They are very,

29:43

very tight games in the main, certainly

29:45

between the sort of, if we take

29:48

out the best teams and the worst

29:50

teams, those sort of 18 teams playing

29:52

each other, it's going to be decided

29:54

by moments or individual bits of skill

29:56

and we have just gifted it to

29:59

them. And what I really, and I

30:01

don't necessarily agree with Kuna, we're not

30:03

competitive, because I think we could have

30:05

got a point there, and no one

30:07

could have argued that we deserved it,

30:10

I think, on the second half performance.

30:12

I think we built up a header's team

30:14

in the second half. But what this

30:16

team is evidently not doing, and what

30:18

really concerns and annoys me, is

30:20

they're not learning. And Tom must be

30:23

doing his absolute nut. that you set

30:25

plans and you change it and

30:27

you work in training and you

30:29

give instructions and you do something

30:31

as basic as not being ready

30:34

when they take a free kick.

30:36

It is completely and utterly unacceptable

30:38

especially when you know that these

30:40

games are in the margins. One

30:42

moment is going to change these

30:44

game and we could have gone

30:47

on to win it, who knows

30:49

what would have happened. So it's

30:51

just intensely, intensely frustrating. That worries

30:53

me that we've got players who

30:55

obviously aren't listening and aren't able to

30:57

execute despite having clear instructions during the

31:00

week and it's difficult when you know

31:02

we've lost four in five now and

31:04

I think we all probably knew this

31:06

little patch was going to come. Incidentally

31:08

last time when we beat full of

31:11

five million the promotion season I think

31:13

we'd lost four or a row then

31:15

as well. So watch out Marco we're

31:17

coming for you. But what you're starting

31:20

to see is those little cracks I

31:22

think in the team. where players aren't

31:24

quite, when the when the push

31:26

comes to self, players aren't

31:29

able to execute or worse, aren't

31:31

willing. And what we saw on

31:33

against QPR was far too many

31:36

who weren't willing. Now I hope

31:38

Dan Backman's fine. It looked like

31:40

a bad injury at the end

31:43

there. We'll act more wait and

31:45

see. But he's one who was

31:47

comfortable against QPR. There's too many

31:50

players with other stuff going on

31:52

in the periphery. So there's too

31:54

many players who focus on the

31:57

periphery. You should be focusing on

31:59

the 90 minutes. and then you can

32:01

say what you want and do

32:03

what you want but too many

32:05

aren't doing what they should be

32:07

doing and the fact that they're

32:09

not learning and they're not executing

32:11

is is a concern for me.

32:13

Defensively, that midfield I suppose Jason,

32:15

you know in round back, yeah

32:17

Colin's desired control again he's the

32:19

man who might be able to

32:21

do that but that he was

32:23

in a clear midfield three with

32:26

Kian Bay and with with Georgie.

32:28

Do you think he's that important to

32:30

this set up, this, it working? I

32:32

think it makes difference and I think

32:34

we saw another good effort from him

32:36

today. Again, I'm going to do what

32:39

I do when I spoke before and

32:41

I'm going to speak a bit about

32:43

Shifred United as well. I think we

32:45

were up against a very very good

32:47

midfield today. In particular, Gestavahama, Tom Davis,

32:49

both all over the pitch. I think

32:51

Davis up against Shaq Fatah's, it was

32:53

a very interesting battle. out on top

32:55

quite a lot. Most times where the

32:57

ball, it looks like it's a 50-50

32:59

and George, he comes away from it.

33:02

He's done it time and time again

33:04

this season. Less successful today. Still some

33:06

good runs from him, but there were

33:08

times where you think, oh, he's going

33:10

to get it, he's going to get

33:12

it, he's going to get it out

33:14

of control and he's going to go

33:16

and Davis has come from nowhere and

33:18

won the ball and he's sort of

33:20

then moving away from it or recycling.

33:22

It was a big ass with that

33:25

midfield today. But they still showed moments

33:27

of quality, like we were saying, and

33:29

when we talked about the frustration, we

33:31

did compete, and that's because there was

33:33

competition in midfield, and we did look

33:35

good again. And yeah, I don't have

33:37

any concerns, I think, with boaster, with

33:39

loser. Okay, maybe his tantrum. Yeah, it

33:41

was a little bit... Maybe that's a

33:43

concern. Another silly yellow card pushing Davis

33:45

in front of the referee and then

33:47

protesting his innocence. Don't be silly. You

33:50

pushed him right in front of the

33:52

referee. It's a yellow card. Maybe that's

33:54

a little... concern and maybe there'll be

33:56

a point this season when he's suspended

33:58

because he takes it too far and

34:00

he gets a red. Georgie yet still,

34:02

he had it tough today but still

34:04

showed some great moments, still look like

34:06

he could make something happen or at

34:08

least set the wheels in motion for

34:10

Bahra Rovata. Kiambei not quite the level

34:13

he was at the start of the

34:15

season but I thought again was decent

34:17

enough today against a very sort of

34:19

tough midfield. So midfield wise not worried

34:21

today not worried we saw a bonner

34:23

back in the starting 11 Kieran he

34:25

got an hour clearly it was a

34:27

planned hour and then he sort of

34:29

came off still coming back from it

34:31

but fascinating the minute he was let's

34:33

say ready to play I don't think

34:36

he's been on the bench before was

34:38

he been on the bench against QPR

34:40

he's on the bench he's a little

34:42

bit he's straight in into the starting

34:44

team and into the starting team and

34:46

I don't know Is it just me

34:48

being mental and thinking that, oh, experienced

34:50

player, we must be better defensively? We

34:52

word, because he was on the pitch

34:54

and we let both those goals in.

34:56

But I don't know, does it add

34:59

anything for you, like, or make it

35:01

feel like there's, I guess, a build,

35:03

I suppose, so we can start thing

35:05

a little bit more in control of

35:07

our, or not learning as many goals

35:09

in. Well, I suppose the one thing

35:11

you've got to look at is... who

35:13

he's replaced and it was Ryan Porteous

35:15

wasn't it and I know that I

35:17

think we can all agree that Ryan

35:19

has his form is not been great

35:21

of late I think I'm not sure

35:24

if it was a QPR podcast or

35:26

a recent podcast that you guys said

35:28

that he spent much of his time

35:30

on the floor so I'm not surprised

35:32

that Bonner came in I agree with

35:34

you you know when he's in his

35:36

mid-thirties and he's essentially been thrown straight

35:38

back in no appearance as a sub

35:40

and no minutes before today I think

35:42

before Obama got injured or we certainly

35:44

missed him in the last couple of

35:47

months. I think he was a kind

35:49

of calming presence. I think we spoke

35:51

about him in a game where he

35:53

really did command the back line and

35:55

was a real kind of asset in

35:57

terms of those players around him as

35:59

well. having that experience. So I don't

36:01

think he did badly today. I mean

36:03

ultimately is what you know those two

36:05

goals have come the first one especially

36:07

has come very early through the middle

36:10

when he was playing that center of

36:12

those three wasn't he so he has

36:14

to be you know culpable along with

36:16

with the other two but I wasn't

36:18

disappointed to see him there. I think

36:21

give him a little bit of time

36:23

obviously played an hour as you so

36:25

I'm sure that was planned but I

36:27

don't think there was ever any chance

36:29

in him playing 90. But hopefully when

36:32

he gets back up to speed properly,

36:34

we will start to see the difference

36:36

that he makes because we have, as

36:38

I said earlier, we have been conceding

36:40

too many. Unfortunately, we've conceded two more

36:42

today, but we have conceded two against

36:45

the team that are fighting for promotion.

36:47

So I think we did okay today,

36:49

and I think he did okay today,

36:51

but as a unit, there are still

36:53

some concerns. Massive concerns, I'd say. did

36:56

show his quality and that's his experience.

36:58

He's obviously hasn't got the pace that

37:00

he once had. None of us had.

37:02

I knew you could say that. How

37:04

can we say that one? Yeah. But

37:07

what he has shown is that he's

37:09

got that mouse, he gets the right

37:11

side, makes it very difficult for the

37:13

strike to get past. Today... when they

37:15

finally did score they'd already had success

37:17

with that ball twice which is a

37:19

simple diagonal ball through into the into

37:22

the box and what the Watford were

37:24

undone incredibly easy and that's not nothing

37:26

to do with pace or it's about

37:28

being organized it's about being alert and

37:30

it's about being able to adapt to

37:32

what's happening in front of you and

37:34

it happened twice then it having a

37:36

third time and they scored. And

37:39

it happens far too often,

37:41

far too many times, far

37:43

too early in football matches

37:45

involving Watford. We were weak

37:47

defensively from balls coming into

37:50

the box against QPR on

37:52

New Year's Day. We looked

37:54

culpable to balls being played

37:56

to feet and through their

37:59

diagonally and... balls but you should

38:01

be able to you should be able

38:03

to switch on to those so especially

38:05

after the second so we are we

38:07

are struggling defensively now what I would

38:09

say is Batman didn't have a whole

38:11

heap to do after after half time

38:13

really and that's why I'm so cross

38:15

about the about a gifting than that

38:17

that winner because it was just completely

38:19

unnecessary and Watford were in the game

38:21

they did grow into it but they've

38:23

had the issue again of the slow

38:25

start and they've had the issue again

38:27

of switching off and it's just I

38:29

know I'm repeating myself I get it

38:31

but come on they've got it in

38:33

this division you've got to be better

38:35

than that and we could have been

38:37

walking away with a point who knows

38:39

and I think talking about the substitution

38:41

I think it was it was telling

38:43

because our bono came off and of

38:45

course Bayo came on adjacent I think

38:47

mentioned it earlier he was the he

38:49

was the striker up top and bar

38:51

and Vatta went out wide probably no

38:53

surprise that's when Watford's looked much much

38:55

better and much more competitive and it

38:57

was it was a much better proper

38:59

game after after that substitution happened as

39:01

Kieran I think alluded to there no

39:03

that's no slight on on a bono

39:05

whatsoever coming straight back into the team

39:07

and it was a change of a

39:09

formation in shape and it made sense

39:11

and it and it worked to it

39:13

to a degree for Watford but just

39:15

far too static I guess if you

39:17

like. See you're out to the question

39:19

marks over his, over his pace really

39:21

just looks slow and cumbersome doesn't he?

39:23

And the same thing is they're making

39:25

Matipolic who has had, it's got to

39:27

be if it wasn't for George or

39:29

Chatford Taddi up there for play of

39:31

the season. They're making him look bad

39:33

because he's having you know he's having

39:35

so much work to do so... A

39:37

lot of changes though, isn't it Mike?

39:39

If you think about over the course

39:41

of the season, we've seen the back

39:43

three, we've seen the back four, we've

39:45

seen that back free personnel change, we

39:47

saw Jeremy and Gacchier at left wing

39:50

back today, we haven't seen that, I

39:52

don't think all season. I wonder how

39:54

unsettling that. I'm not in any way

39:56

trying to make excuses for them because

39:58

we know that they're struggling and we

40:00

know that it's poor at the moment.

40:02

But I do wonder how unsettling that

40:04

is for them because they don't know

40:06

from one game to the next. What

40:08

formation we're going to be playing at

40:10

the back and who's going to be

40:12

playing within that defense? I agree. I

40:14

made the point. I said that after

40:16

QPR and I think I'd love to

40:18

see we could maybe we'll go away

40:20

and work it out if a team

40:22

in the division has had as many

40:24

different starting 11. not very frequent in

40:26

as far as I can tell and

40:28

obviously there's reasons for that and we

40:30

know man you could probably put that

40:32

into a computer to figure that out

40:34

for us. Yeah and they put up

40:36

the furnace the up to bat signal

40:38

yeah but yeah I think that is

40:40

I think that is a telling point

40:42

and we do feel like we do

40:44

feel unsettles. and we look on set

40:46

up and I think it's a really

40:48

good point here because it does feed

40:50

into that slow start and it does

40:52

feed into sort of getting carved open

40:54

early and then if you look at

40:56

the games we tend to get ourselves

40:58

back into them card if we've lost

41:00

but we've got ourselves back into the

41:02

game switch stuff let them QPR we

41:04

were playing terribly but got it back

41:06

to two one damned us up for

41:08

30 seconds and then they go and

41:10

they blow it again Hold ourselves back

41:12

into it against as Jason said an

41:14

excellent chef of tonight So I all

41:16

be it sort of quite a few

41:18

players this afternoon and then and then

41:20

switch off and given the given the

41:22

goals So We go grow into games

41:24

and we do make ourselves competitive. We

41:26

do make ourselves hard to beat but

41:28

then we we're just, we're still, Christmas

41:30

is gone lance. We need to stop

41:32

gift wrapping points and goals for the

41:34

opposition. The, um, it's about goals, his

41:36

first goal. Yeah, I actually looked this

41:38

up, but went on the old Google,

41:40

they use it. 1,576 days since his

41:42

debut, Jeremy and Gakia got to his

41:44

first goal for the, for the, for

41:46

the Hornets. Therefore he's due to score

41:48

his next goal, the 29th of April,

41:50

2029. Thank you, Google. I've been wanting

41:52

him to school golf for ages. Mike's

41:54

already mentioned it came almost from the

41:56

fact that him playing out wide but

41:58

with bar wider. was helped with the

42:00

making of it. But it's great for

42:02

him. I suppose in that, what we haven't

42:05

talked about him since he's come back

42:07

from his injury, that strapping he has.

42:09

He's definitely going for the title. Best

42:11

bandage use of the season. Mighty Pollock,

42:13

that's what I would say about that,

42:15

I think. Another great solemn performance with

42:17

him and lovely that he got that

42:19

goal. Yeah, yeah, so having the sliding

42:22

and left background and right back back

42:24

in your right. I think it was

42:26

another good performance from him. and him

42:28

being that position probably comes about from

42:30

that starting line up, that starting formation,

42:32

with not having a striker in the

42:34

box. So if you've got bar and

42:36

vata both looking to run wide, they're

42:38

the front too, you need other people

42:40

in the box to get on the

42:42

end of their crosses or the wingbacks

42:45

crosses. And we have seen it when

42:47

we've used wingbacks this season, we have

42:49

seen when the ball goes down one

42:51

flank, we've seen the wingback pop up,

42:53

festive popped up, didn't he, earlier in

42:55

the season? probably not surprising to

42:57

see him in there but great to

42:59

see him get a goal because the

43:01

performances we've seen from him when he's

43:03

come back sort of deserves that almost

43:05

it deserves that goal so yeah great

43:07

to see him score it's just another

43:09

good performance from him today and it's

43:11

you people are sort of asking the

43:14

questions around why why are other sort of defenders

43:16

not starting and it probably is because it's

43:18

hard to get him out of the team

43:20

with what we've seen from him since he's

43:23

come back and you just got to hope

43:25

that the injury is okay, that it's always

43:27

that worry when you're seeing that much

43:29

strapping on someone. We have got a

43:31

bit of a track record for maybe

43:33

bringing players back too soon or trying

43:35

to play them when they are injured

43:37

and you just got to hope that

43:39

we're not doing that with Engagae and

43:41

we do manage him properly. And

43:44

good from Andrews as well, we

43:46

move on Michael to Fulham in

43:48

the FA Cup and a weight

43:50

rip on a... Thursday. You are

43:52

our ticket pin and you shared

43:54

a lovely photograph of all our

43:56

tickets found out. There'll be a

43:58

horrorine with us. at the game on

44:01

Thursday. Yeah, no refunds now. I've never lost

44:03

far enough. No one's getting their money back,

44:05

so it's tough. Yeah, I mean, look, in

44:07

some ways I think it probably feels, it'd

44:09

be great to get back on the horse

44:11

and get a league win sooner rather than

44:14

later, but it just does feel a bit

44:16

messy at the moment. It does feel like

44:18

we've gone, we're going through a tough time,

44:20

but perhaps having, what day is it now,

44:22

a couple of days without having to worry

44:25

about the league. We don't really have to

44:27

worry about the league. We're not going to

44:29

get relegated, are we? We can't. What do

44:31

we need? What's the worst thing to say?

44:33

We're going to be promoted or is it

44:36

we're going to be relegated? Anyway, you know

44:38

what I'm saying? It's almost we've got nothing

44:40

to lose at full. I mean, it's a

44:42

difficult one for Tom. We've mentioned, given, given,

44:44

sort of the way that we've... Shopped a

44:47

change with the team and that has largely

44:49

I think been down to fitness and managing

44:51

players workloads and that sort of stuff and

44:53

trying to hit on that right formation. Will

44:55

he wanting to be resting people at that

44:58

full him? We're not going to win the

45:00

FA Cup unfortunately. The thing is though, I

45:02

think there's about 4,000 Watford fans going who

45:04

want to make an night of it. They

45:06

want to have fun, they want to see

45:09

Watford have a go. So it's a bit

45:11

of a balancing effort for Tom. You can,

45:13

fun and will certainly rest players. So potentially

45:15

there is a chance to go for it

45:17

in that regard. But we've spoken today about

45:20

if Bio is not going to start, then

45:22

who's going to start up front. It has

45:24

to be bar and vata. We haven't got

45:26

anyone really to roll the dice with. Apart

45:28

maybe if it's sort of Jefferson... Yeah, good,

45:30

why not? Get to go. But again, it's...

45:33

I mean, if he's going to stay obviously...

45:35

there will undoubtedly be conversations being had but

45:37

Bournemouth can't loan him out to another English

45:39

club because he's played for two English clubs

45:41

this season so do Bournemouth wanting back from

45:44

a reputation protection point of view because they

45:46

can say they we'd do a deal and

45:48

they'd say they brought him back because he's

45:50

not getting enough minutes but it's hard really

45:52

to see what sort of how much of

45:55

a dice roll Tom can can can make

45:57

on Thursday perhaps someone like Dwama might get

45:59

a I get a looking who hasn't hasn't

46:01

so far but the other thing is you

46:03

don't want to go and lose six deal

46:06

no so we were saying the same when

46:08

we played Man City in the Carabark and

46:10

we actually gave a good account of ourselves

46:12

yes we were on the back foot for

46:14

most of most of that game but you

46:17

look at the score for most of that

46:19

game but you look at the score line

46:21

but you look at the score line Yeah,

46:23

and actually, it was a little bit of

46:25

a moment towards the end of that game.

46:28

Well, we thought we might get a leveler

46:30

and take it to Pennis. Not in any

46:32

way saying, it's a similar situation, but I

46:34

have no doubt that Fulham, who are going

46:36

well, will probably rest some players as well.

46:38

We know that Premier League clubs in the

46:41

early rounds of the FA Cup don't take

46:43

it seriously until they get to the latter

46:45

stages. So, look, there's no pressure on us

46:47

for that game. We're not expectinging us for

46:49

that. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

46:52

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

46:54

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

46:56

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

46:58

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

47:00

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

47:03

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

47:05

anything. We're not expecting anything. We're not expecting

47:07

anything. and there's no reason why there is

47:09

the one competition where you can kind of

47:11

go, do you know what, we can cause

47:14

an upset. Yeah, that's a, yeah. I mean,

47:16

no, give me the draw. Just bring in

47:18

the door for the next round. It would

47:20

be nice, wouldn't it? We'll go, we'll go

47:22

and enjoy it. As we said, that's Kieran

47:25

says, the Afro Cup is still an absolutely

47:27

tremendous tournament and the badges on the first

47:29

day. Now it's quite, almost quite unique red

47:31

day. It's today's the new Friday, but it's

47:33

not Saturday 3 p.m. Yeah, I'll try and

47:36

tell my boss that when I don't turn

47:38

off on Friday morning. So hopefully we can,

47:40

we'll go and enjoy ourselves as we'll go

47:42

and enjoy ourselves as we often enjoy ourselves

47:44

as we often say. football is about, being

47:47

a football sport is about what you make

47:49

of it and what you put into it,

47:51

as you mentioned, there's loads of us going.

47:53

We'll have a good old giggle and we're

47:55

a bit down and I'm definitely aggravated about

47:57

some of the performances and there are some

48:00

concerning elements of the Watford performances. But all

48:02

of our games have been close. The majority.

48:04

They've all hinged on little moments here and

48:06

there. You could argue, you know, we haven't

48:08

mentioned the penalty. We haven't seen it back

48:11

yet. It looked like an... I saw it

48:13

in the Elton Don. It looked like a

48:15

stonewall penalty to me. His arms out stretched.

48:17

It smashed him sort of on the wrist

48:19

halfway between the elbow and the hand. It

48:22

looks all for all the world like a

48:24

penalty. But then again, Portsmouth at home a

48:26

couple of weeks ago, that was outside the

48:28

box, so shouldn't have been a penalty. So

48:30

Binner swings in round amounts at the moment

48:33

and we did know that this sort of,

48:35

that the bubble would burst eventually, we couldn't

48:37

carry on somehow finding a way of just

48:39

feeling more... More compact more robust less error

48:41

strewn and then if we can if we

48:44

can do that the chances are the results

48:46

will still probably be similar You're gonna win

48:48

something you're gonna draw some you're gonna lose

48:50

some you're gonna lose some because of the

48:52

nature of our of our squad But it

48:55

are nice to feel that we're not giving

48:57

it away We're gonna get some bad luck.

48:59

We're gonna make mistakes. We're gonna have some

49:01

great moments, but we can be better and

49:03

that is what is intensely intensely today, I

49:05

think Watford were good for a point, and

49:08

that, like you said at the start John,

49:10

I think that is worth saying, it's frustrating

49:12

that you haven't got something out of a

49:14

team that is more than likely going to

49:16

get promoted back to the Premier League, and

49:19

that is a good thing. Cut out the

49:21

nonsense, lads, you've got to cut it out,

49:23

because the other thing, longer term, must be

49:25

doing Tom's heading, and the other thing I've

49:27

just throw in, is an interview with Chris

49:30

Wilder, and he talked about, about the interference

49:32

from above. about who plays and you should

49:34

be doing this you're sure that that won't

49:36

have changed because the people here haven't changed

49:38

so if Tom's got players who aren't listening

49:41

and he's got interference from above it starts

49:43

to get quite annoying quite quickly if you're

49:45

in that in if you're in that position

49:47

so it's not take our eye for this

49:49

sort of macro picture as to what's happening

49:52

at Watford. There's still those cracks that have

49:54

been papered over so far with some really

49:56

enjoyable, really enjoyable days out. But we've seen

49:58

this story before about this time of year.

50:00

and it's we've seen a lot of players

50:03

decide that they actually they're not that bothers

50:05

about about sort of rolling their sleeves

50:07

up and getting their shoulders to the

50:09

to the wheel they really need to

50:11

so we'll be watching watching with interest

50:13

hopefully Tom can get the best out

50:15

of them hopefully we can roll on

50:17

and 20, 25 gets better quickly. Thank

50:19

you, Kieran. Thanks, John. Thank you, Jason.

50:21

Thank you. And thank you, Michael. You

50:23

got it. Come on. We're back. We'll

50:25

do a, we'll do a, an away

50:27

day, rambling, maybe, as we like to

50:29

see them out, as we head off

50:31

to Craven Cottage on Thursday evening. And

50:33

see what happens in the FA Cup. Come

50:36

on, you all zah!