.. as I was out, so, having not even seen the goals yet, I’ll not comment on the controversial decisions that left us 4-3 losers except to say that I tend to agree that these things even themselves out over the course of a season – we were the beneficiaries of a poor decision on Saturday in my opinion. Instead, I’ll just make some general observations about where last night’s heartbreaking loss leaves us;
1. Time was we would wait until November before going off the rails after a promising start, but one point out of a possible nine in October suggests we are having our ropey spell earlier than normal – all we can hope is that next month is not as bad as it usually is.
2. Our away form is becoming a problem – although draws never get you climbing the table since the change to three points for a win, one win and three draws from our first four games on our travels was a good way to start but now that those draws have been followed by a couple of defeats, we are getting to the stage where we have become over reliant on our home results.
One of the plus points from last night was that, after barely getting one of his free kicks on target this season, Peter Whittingham showed his expected quality from dead ball situations to pull us level at 2-2 (despite having to wear our awful third kit!)
3. We have let in six goals in two matches since Malky Mackay voluntarily chose to break up a central defensive partnership that had conceded only ten in ten matches – I’m not blaming Ben Turner for this because I didn’t think he did too badly on Saturday and I can’t give an opinion on how he played last night, but I’d say Anthony Gerrard has every right to feel pretty peeved right now.
4. It sounds like we had yet another non contact injury to an important player last night (Rudy Gestede). Now, I cannot remember Watford being a club that suffered from a spate of injuries over the past two seasons, so it might just be a coincidence, but we have had far, far more than our fair share of such injuries so far this season. Malky Mackay has been in charge long enough now for some valid comparisons with Dave Jones to be made and I cannot remember a time when so many players were missing matches through non contact injuries under our former manager.
Paul Taylor makes a silly face for the cameras after his late, late winner. What is it about London Road?Even when we don't lose, we get humiliated!
5. Having lost one of only two out and out strikers that you have available for selection, the other one cannot be making too much of a contribution if he is substituted himself with twenty five minutes to go – thereby leaving you with one forward (a young striker cum midfield player who is still awaiting his first goal for the club). I’ve heard or read nothing so far to indicate that Earnie was injured, so I can only assume that, once again, he didn’t cut the mustard for us.
6. Another goal from as assist by Andrew Taylor who may not get forward as much as Kevin McNaughton does, but he seems to be much more effective at it when he does.
7. Although we’ll probably drop into the bottom half of the table tonight after Leicester play, I still think that we are only two or three players short of being a top six team. Trouble is though that I daresay supporters of all of the sides around us (and a fair few well below us) are saying much the same thing – we are now more than a quarter of the way through the season and we need to start winning soon (a few less bloody injuries wouldn’t go amiss either!).