philipl

Watford need to bounce back from two rubbish home results if they are to keep top 6 dreams alive,

Another 3 points go begging. Mowbray JDT and Eustace would have stolen a win last night- Swansea were there for the beating. Goals 1 and 3 needed a proper left back on the field and we had two on the bench. All 3 goals would have been prevented by a decent centre half providing leadership and he plays for Wrexham now but George Pratt would have done better but he too was sitting on the bench. Powel did well, Jorgenson is lightweight currently but got himself where it mattered for our equaliser. Despite the Pasha Gestede demolition job, I think we have the squad to stay up but seriously doubt VI's managerial ability to use them to save us from relegation and pray the treatment room are doing their stuff properly.

Replacing Hyam with McLoughlin was probably the decision which has relegated us,

I had forgotten the transfer window is still open. I guess it is like an open window for throwing ourselves out of...

Into must win territory because the Swans are a team we need to be below us after the 46th game. Alebiosu as unused sub for Nigeria last night so he comes straight into the side for me. More controversially I would start Forshaw in place of Baradji and I saw enough of Jorgensen to be starting him too. Pratt for either McLoughlin or Cashin but that won't happen. Definitely keep Atcheson in the side.

Catastrophic Cashin debut. Long felt McLoughlin's level as a Hull reject was a correct assessment of his capabilities. With George Pratt in the side instead of Cashin we are not 2 down inside 10 minutes. Crap selection. The biggest problem is VI is simply not coaching us on how to play when in possession. There is no guile, no movement, no nothing. These players are much weaker than the team which the loons dismantled but they are better than what they are showing. Of course we are ravaged by absences but this is getting dangerously bad.

Don't know who had the bigger stinker, us or the ref. Joergensen has potential if we ever work out how to pass more than one ball to him in a half.

The two wing backs or whatever they are terrifying me. Otherwise as good a line up and bench as possible in the circumstances with 8 unavailable.

The news of Guehi and Glaser's departure from Palace plus Mateta being available for sale surely means Adam is on his way either in this window or next.

People often think Blackburn is a difficult place to settle in. Try a town of 42,000 which is a 16 hour car journey from Oslo and further north than practically all of Alaska.. It is far enough inside the Arctic Circle that at this time of the year, the only "daylight" is caused by refraction by the Earth's atmosphere for an hour or so each day. When he signed it was probably brilliant sunshine at midnight and warm enough to venture out in a light sweater.

So we have loaned a midget centre half from Brighton (echoes of JPvH in our dreams), successfully tempted a winger cum forward from 32nd place in the Champions League, Gueye is teaching Shanghai how to trap a ball and Mercer is a hero. Have I missed anything?

Papa switched sports to being a horse?

We usually put on a strong but losing display at Portman Road. One of my favourite games of all time was a 4-3 defeat in the League Cup in the days when full strength sides were put out. Ipswich were 2nd in the First Division and we were languishing in the second. Garner tore Butcher and Osman to pieces (the England first choice central defence partnership) and after leading 2-0 then 3-2 late goals from John Wark and Paul Mariner squeaked Ipswich through. I expect after having two good performances against Ipswich already this season, we will again give them a good game. Would be nice to go 1 up and get 3 points this time.

Loans are likely to be signed after the deadline... oops!

Thankfully we are not going to find out...