Watford vs WHUFC -- Sunday, May, 12th, 2019

well an offside flag helps us avoid going avgoal down after two seconds because the defense surely didn't...

morning all...

NBC continue the Fox tradition lf spreading the final games of the season across their entire platform... we're on the Golf Channel, so hopefully no one will see Watford tearing us to shreds...

Fabianski dives to save us as the defense is caught napping once again...

2 minutes gone and we could be two down...

it really is all Watford out there... a million West Ham players just frantically jabbing and stabbing at the ball.

Now Arnautovic is down and not llooking happy...

The battle for tenth (possibly 9th) place is clearly not something we're up for...

Drop clears another attack with Antonio back in defense to help him out...

now Antonio goes on a surging run right the way through to the byline and... and that's about it...
Watford have the ball back and are stroking it about across their half of the pitch...

Looks like all the good work of the previous two games has been forgotten as we revert to type and look to finish the season as poorly as we so often do...

Masuaku plays it to Antonio who is taken down in what looks like a complete not a foul by the corner so at least we win a free kick...

Lanzini's free kick ails well over and out of play...

Let's see which rabble of rowdy rebels is failing to put in a shift today...

Here they are:

1 - Fabianski
24 - Fredericks
4 - Balbuena
23 - Diop
26 - Masuaku
41 - Rice
16 - Noble
30 - Antonio
10 - Lanzini
8 - Felipe Anderson
7 - Arnautovic

Substitutes

5 - Zabaleta
11 - Snodgrass
13 - Adrián
15 - C Sánchez
17 - Hernández
19 - Wilshere
21 - Ogbonna



Oooh... there's a Lady Linesman... person out there. That's nice to see... but why is she wearing a blue top (as if the Ref) when the Watford Goalkeeper is wearing all blue??????

Holy Shit...

Captain Marvel... I mean Noble... gets the ball in midfield and then proceeds to dance through the Watford defense and slides an inch perfect pass into the back of the net...

You just can't make this stuff up...

15 minutes gone... almost completely against the run of play... I guess the outfit co-ordination of the officials and the keeper didn't throw anyone then...

The game is well and truly on....

Fredericks gets bundled over near the touchline and looks in pain... he's pulling and prodding something on the back of his leg - suspiciously exactly where he's wearing those blue tape things that baffle me as to how they could do a anything at all to help a muscle injury.

Zab is warming up...

Lanzini lines up another free kick...

Antonio rifles a shot in from outside the area but it goes wide...

Here's how the Beeb saw Noble's star turn...


GOAL - Mark Noble
Watford 0-1 West Ham
That's a delightful goal.

And completely against the run-of-play.

West Ham skipper Mark Noble celebrated turning 32 this week and he shows great composure to give his side the lead.

A neat one-two with Michail Antonio, a shimmy of the hips to deceive Christian Kabasele and then a cool sidefoot into the bottom corner.

Fredericks is down again... Zab has his short on...

Looks like Freddie's season is over... everyone's season is over... shame... he's been a bright light in a somewhat up and down campaign.

Hopefully he'll be fit and ready to go come August or whenever this thing kicks off again.

Zab takes his spot at the back.. we clear a Watford corner...


Palace are currently in the lead and as the only team who can dethrone us form 10th place... we need to keep this being in the lead thing going...

Arnie pleads with the Lady Lino for a foul but she's 'having none of it...

Rice is almost caught out embarrassingly at the back.

As usual, I wish they'd keep the end of season awards to after the final game has been played... it just adds to the feeling that no one gives a fupp about what happens out there... making it seem like it doesn't count hardly gives the players and incentive to put in a shift...

I know we're leading at the moment but this is a regular gripe of mine... you can't celebrate the season until the season is done.

But the club oft times makes some questionable decisions....

Watford's attempt at a near post corner is put out for a throw-in...

the throw-in was a better delivery than the corner...

we hoof it upfield but with only Arnie there to even attempt to chase... it comes straight back at us...

West Ham play on while a Watford player is down which is totally fair but wins us no friends...

Anderson plays a really lazy 'pass' that can't clear the defense and so Watford get the ball and the chance to treat their player...

which ultimately makes us look kinda silly.

at least score in those situations and justify the anger of the opposition fans....

Blimey... Brighton are level with Man City... a goal apiece, not at 0-0....

and Cardiff are leading Man Utd... but it's a bit pointless since they got themselves relegated last weekend... although watching any Warnock team go down has a satisfying edge to it that even my love of Cardiff can't overcome.


37 minutes gone...

Leicester are still level at 0 with Chelsea, so we're holding manfully onto...

no... we've doubled the lead...

antonio picks up the one ball... twists and turns but his pass gets beaten away.... so I naturally head off to check the table positions... only to look up and see the boys celebrating...

so... antonio twists and turns... puts in his pass that gets blocked... but he then jumps on the ball again... twists and turns some more... rifles a shot that cannons off the crossbar and Lanzini nips in and heads the bay into the open goal.

I tell ya... if every player on this team had half the work ethic of Antonio we'd be challenging for top 6 not manfully holding onto tenth place.

41 minutes gone... 0-2

this could be good..

Noble lofts in a high ball and antonio is tripped right on the edge of the box...

too close for a direct free kick.. but what will we (i.e. Arnie and Anderson) do about it?



Yup... over the wall, over the goal and out of play... back to the training ground eh?

2 mins of added time...

here's how the Beeb saw the Antiono/Lanzini goal...



GOAL - Manuel Lanzini
Watford 0-2 West Ham
This is all about the strength and perseverance of Michail Antonio.

Picked out by a raking Mark Noble pass, Antonio looks second favourite in three 50/50s with Watford defenders but keeps the ball and batters a shot from distance that Ben Foster turns onto the crossbar.

Manuel Lanzini is following up though and has the simple task of nodding into an unguarded net.

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Fabianski bundles the ball away from a Watford corner to preserve our two goal lead...

be nice to sign off with a clean sheet.

Looks like we'll lose out on 9th place by goal difference if things stay the way they are... but Chelsea really do need the points... so hopefully they'll do somehting in the 2nd half...

All tea and oranges for 15 minutes...

more of the same in the 2nd half please...

and the whistle goes the 2nd half is well and truly underway...

and we make exactly the same mistake as we did in the first half but this time Watford don't eff up.

mistake from Zabaleta to gift possession to Watford and they score in less than a few seconds...

1-2


I mean... wouldn't be West Ham without at least 45 minutes of squeaky bum time... would it?

oh things just get weird...

Watford all over us...

Anderson gets the ball... plays a long ball out to Antonio who muscles forward but then gets pulled down by the Watford player... given Antonio's contribution to the game you have to think it's a goal scoring opportunity... but seriously unfair to the Watford player...

just as they put themselves back in contention...

and the Watford keeper is still earring the same color blue as the officials....

free kick to us just outside the penalty area... let's see if Anderson can't make it work like his previous attempt.

Lanzini takes the free kick... hits the wall and out for a corner.

The Watford fans are well unhappy... as would were if the pitch was reversed...

and speaking of reversals... Watford almost turned the game around...

Zabaleta caught out... Balbuena saves from an almost open goal...

claims for a Zab foul - louder cries than the foul that got the watford player sent off...


the ten men of Watford are all over us...

need a calm head, some steady nerves and a good solid foot on the ball methinks.

Here's an update from the Leicester / Chelsea game:

48 mins
Post update
Leicester 0-0 Chelsea
Leicester are showing plenty of attacking intent here.

Youri Tielemans curls a right-footed shot from outside the box wide. A decent strike from the midfielder.


47 mins
Post update
Leicester 0-0 Chelsea
Much better start in the second half for the hosts.

Jamie Vardy gets on his back and tests Cesar Azpilicueta for pace but the Chelsea man does OK, getting back to shepherd the ball to safety at the expense of a corner.

we're being a little bit smart (finally)

careful, slow build up... spreading the play, keeping the ball away from Watford... making them chase...

Arnie turns and lashes a ball just over the bar.

Watford bring on a second forward, they're going to make a game of this...

The final half hour of the season....

Can we hold on?

Will Foster be allowed to continue wearing the same colors as the officials?

Will Watford get back into this?

Will every tackle by us be greeted with howls from the Watford fans for a red card?

Will Chelsea step up and beat Leicester?

beautiful ball from anderson to Arnie... first perfect ball Anderson has played in god knows how long...

but Arnie gets easily tackled and a great goal scoring opportunity goes begging...

if we tire Watford out and score another 4 goals then we'd go 9th even if Chelsea can't beat Leicester...