Players must be allowed to make personal decisions over playing

The fact that six Premier league players and staff proved positive for COVID-19 symptoms last weekend has already put doubts in some players' minds if they want to go back to training. Jamie Redknapp has said on SkySports that more players will quit training like Tory Deeney and N'Golo  Kante. The integrity of any competition is therefore shattered, and it's hard to see the end of the Premier League season being anything more than a fudge solution.

Players decisions should be respected.

The players who decide not to train and play will surely find that they are not paid which will probably lead to more disputes. But if you can't do your job you don't get paid, there are millions of people that have lost their jobs in recent weeks and months over the coronavirus, so Premier League players will get little sympathy there.

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I do worry about AFCB as it already has a small squad. Many of the players have young families, including Eddie Howe. We see them every time they have their walk around at the end of the season. The players and staff have hard decisions to make over whether they really feel safe enough to go and train and even more critically go and play games in June.

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At the moment it all seems too soon and a high risk. Things may look better in a months time or we could get the start of a second wave of coronavirus. It all feels like an experiment at the moment, but whether there is really a good safety net in place is hard to see. Players are going to have to go with their gut instinct and I only hope that fans will respect the decisions of individual players who will surely have worries about pulling out. Players need more big stars to come out and say if they are unsure about training. It would take pressure off of others who may feel vulnerable, if they come out and say they don't feel comfortable about playing. The mental health staff at clubs really have their work cut out in the next few weeks.

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In other news, Jordan Ibe has done himself no favours again having his hair cut and ignoring social distancing rules, and he's off for sure on 1 July, says SkySports.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Comebacks are part of what have made AFCB great

Smashed 0-3 by Watford - the Cherries are in deep, deep trouble

Match Report

AFCB 0 v 3 Watford

12 January 2020

Attendance: 10,384

A bottom of the table clash.

Are Bournemouth one of the worst three sides in the Premier League this season? On this showing, yes, they truly are. While hardly managing a shot in the first half, Bournemouth fell behind to a goal of their own making, by gifting Sarr the ball by playing out from the back and seeing Decouré clip the ball past Mark Travers. It only got worse with Troy Deeney lashing in a second goal on 65 minute, before Pereyra made Bournemouth suffer even more with a third goal in added time. Even Eddie Howe has run out of excuses for his players' poor performances.

Bournemouth had Adam Smith and Nathan Aké back from Injury in defence and Mark Travers got a start in goal over Aaron Ramsdale, who had a hamstring problem. Billing was moved to the bench, despite scoring two goals in the FA Cup last week.

Ramsdale joins the fans in the North stand.

More images on Match Day Gallery

Match Description
It was a defending noise at the start of the game. Sarr put an early cross in AFCB 's box but Harry Wilson defended well.

Sarr then was put through but shot wide after Fraser gave the ball away. Watford's corner was cleared by Steve Cook for a second corner. Denney went down on the box but VAR said no foul.

Aké was playing at left back and Adam Smith on the right. I'm not sure why Aké can't play centre-back when Bournemouth had Rico on the bench.

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Adam Smith's shot bounced up towards Solanke but Foster got there first to smother it.

Lerma was fouled is fouled. Harry Wilson pulls a save out of Foster for a corner. Lerma wins some headers but Callum Wilson couldn't get a shot away.

Adam Smith is booked for sliding in on Sarr. Meanwhile, Harry Wilson has hurt his shoulder.

 There'sno real pattern to the game, but many tasty challenges. Francis gives the ball away and Travers saves well at the near post from Delefeuo. Really poor from Francis. Deeney heads wide from the corner.

Gosling blocks Decouré. Bournemouth are playing themselves into trouble at the back.

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Fraser puts too much on his cross. Fraser gets in behind again on 24 minutes for a corner. Aké challenges Foster in the air, but the ball doesn't drop Bournemouth's way.

Deeney wins a header but it's wide. Harry Wilson goes for a long shot and gets a corner.

Lerma knocks his knee but continues. Adam Smith goes down and gets a free kick. Lerma volleys it over.

Travers makes a mistake at the back giving it away to Sarr, it is crossed back for an easy tap in by Decouré. Francis gave Travers the ball right on his goal line and Steve Cook didn't exactly make himself easily available for Travers. That was careless and has gifted Watford the goal they wanted.

 Bournemouth free kick. It's cleared.

Fraser gets a corner, Adam Smith gets back to tackle Deulofeu.

A goal down at half-time.

Second half
Fraser crossed well but Foster cat he's it ahead of Gosling. Going makes a good break but can't get Solanke in. Mariappa crossed to Doucouré but the header is weak. Watford have a corner. Capoue  has a shot blocked.

Fraser gets a corner. Callum Wilson heads wide. Lerma then shoots wide.

Ake hurts his back but runs back and Deulofeu. has put the chance over.

Deeney is carded for fouling Harry Wilson. Callum brings the ball down from Fraser's cross but puts it wide.

Lerma and Gosling are subbed for Billing and Lewis Cook on 59 minutes.

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Billing bursts into the box but can't control it. Wilson and Solanke break well before Fraser's cross is held by Foster. Chalobah shoots wide for Watford from distance.

Sarr gets down the right and when his shot is blocked, Deeney lashes it in for 0-2 on 65 minutes.

Steve Cook stops Deulofeu and Deeney hits the rebound at Travers. Billing volleys wide.

Francis blocks Deulofeu and Watford have a corner. Harry Wilson is subbed for Sam Surridge.

Surridge beats a player to get in the box but has no shot. Foster punches a free kick away ahead of Steve Cook. Sarr is subbed for Pereyra on 82 minutes.

Decouré shoots and it goes out for a throw. Billing shoots wide at the other end.

Decouré is subbed for Success on 85 minutes. Delefeuo is subbed for Gray on 90 minutes. Four minutes of added time go up.

Watford grab a third despite Fraser saving a shot on the line, Prereyra scores.

Bournemouth are rooted in the bottom three.

Summary
A dismal performance by the Cherries. They couldn't keep the ball and they didn't know how to work the ball well enough to create any chances. Meanwhile, they caused their own chaos at the back by playing it out when under a high press. I wonder if the players have their own heads sometimes. They can choose when to go long and play safe and when they have time to play out from the back, but taking unnecessary risks in the team's current position is asking for trouble. As Eddie Howe said, they never recovered from the first goal.

AFCB Line up

AFCB subs: Boruc, Rico, Simpson, Surman, L Cook, Billling, Surridge

AFCB player ratings
Travers 5, A Smith 5, S Cook 5, Francis 3, Ake 5, H Wilson 4, Lerma 4 (Billing 4), Gosling 4
(L Cook 5), Fraser 7, Solanke 4, C Wilson 4.

Ref Watch: Mike Dean - 5/10

Cherry Chimes MoM: Ryan Fraser - he really kept trying.

Watford
26 Foster, 6 Mariappa, 4 Dawson, 15 Cathcart, 11 Masina 14 Chalobah, 29 Capoue
23 Sarr (Pereyra), 16 Doucouré (Quina), 7 Deulofeu (Gray), 9 Deeney

Watford Subs
1 Gomes, 18 Gray, 20 Quina, 22 Success, 24 Dele-Bashiru, 25 Holebas, 37 Pereyra

In other news, Asmir Begovic has a medical for Inter Milan.

Bournemouth and Watford go goal crazy 3-3

Match Report

AFCB v Watford

2 January 2019

Attendance: 10,261

AFCB and Watford play out a high scoring thriller.

The Cherries stopped their losing run but they did it the hard way by coming back from 0-2 down in the first 27 minutes. A mad few minutes ensued with Aké and Wilson pulling Bournemouth level, before Sema made it 3-2 and Ryan Fraser slotted in his fifth of the season to make it 3-3 on 40 minutes. Everyone got their breath at half-time but it was Ben Foster who pulled out some magnificent saves from a Wilson header and a low shot from Josh King to keep Watford in it. 

Bournemouth dropped Diego Rico, Jordan Ibe and Andre Surman from the starting 11, while Jefferson Lerma, Ryan Fraser and Dan Gosling made the line up. There was a minor fire around the east stand that delayed kick-off by minutes at Dean Court. Bournemouth would play 4-4-2 with Junior Stanislas as a right-back.

Bournemouth attack up the right before getting caught offside. Begovic is happy to make a clearance, before Stanislas makes a block. Brooks takes up possession from King and tries a curler but it's just over the top left corner of the goal on three minutes.

Daniels stretches his legs for the first time with Fraser but can't get the return ball. Doucouré makes his presents felt in the box but Aké clears okay. Lerma plays a ball in for Wilson but he can't get a good connection on the shot.

Steve Cook gets a good header in. Fraser has space it's pulled back but Lerma can't keep it down and slices it over on 11 minutes. Pereyra puts in a good cross but it only finds Daniels.

Watford have a corner off of Steve Cook on 13 minutes. Aké clears. Decouré plays in Sema, he pulls the ball back from the right and Deeney heads Watford ahead 0-1 on 14 minutes!

Stanislas and Brooks lose the ball and are lucky Watford run it our of play. Sema gets the run on Daniels and Pererya shoots over.

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Capoue crosses form the left and Pererya volleys well wide. Brooks makes a cross, Wilson back to Fraser and the shot is low but right into Fosters' middle! We've had 22 minutes. Gosling and Daniels make some sloppy passes.

Stanislas loses the ball high up the field but Aké covers well. King goes for a shot but is blocked before Daniels floats a ball in that Foster catches.

Gosling give the ball to Deulofeu and Aké and Steve Cook block but Deeney is free to side-foot the ball past Daniels and Begovic and it's 0-2 on 27 minutes. A terrible goal to concede.

Yellow card to Deucouré on Fraser for a high challenge. King almost gets through but Cathcart gets back to clear. Watford come forward, Deeney wins the header and Doucouré hits a shot just over. Deeney fouls Fraser and Deeney is booked.

Fraser puts the free kick in and Steve Cook puts a header back across and Gosling heads it to the keeper's left, it's saved but Aké knocks the rebound in with his head on 34 minutes 1-2.

Steve Cook lands badly after a challenge with Deeney. Deeney made a back for Cook to fall over. Should have been a second yellow card. Bournemouth have a free kick after Brooks is fouled by Doucouré.

Fraser takes the kick and Wilson heads the ball in for 2-2! 37 minutes gone and Bournemouth are all square.

Watford have taken the lead again. Lerma and Daniels miss a header. It's fallen to Sema and his volley is past Begovic's left hand and it's 2-3.

Stanislas comes forward and  crosses from the right, King jumps over the ball and Fraser makes it 3-3 on 40 minutes! What a half!

Wilson on to Brooks, but he's scuffed the cross. Four minutes to half-time. Gosling to Stanislas header by King just wide of the post. Stanislas comes forward now.

Foster is out to block Wilson getting on to a ball over the top. Fraser now slips just at the crucial moment. Bournemouth have to do some defending. Three minutes of added time are being played.

It's still end to end. King keeps hold of the ball and  Watford have it back. Its half-time 3-3.

AFCB's subs

Second half
Brooks is up ended. No free kick. King has won a free kick off Cathcart. Bournemouth hold it up in Watford's half. Lerma has a go from distance, but Foster sees it coming.

Capoue has been booked for catching Gosling from behind. Daniels has a free kick now after a foul from Sema. Brooks finds Stanislas and Wilson has a shot blocked for a corner. Holevas should have been booked for a foul on Brooks, but Bournemouth have a corner and Cook head wide.

Deulofeu almost embarrasses Aké. Lerma strides forward, Fraser and Lerma heads but the keeper is there. Brooks has a free kick. Doucouré is lucky to still be on the pitch.

Watford break but Deeney is offside. Stanislas makes a short back pass but Begovic gets there. Doucouré is subbed for Cleverly on 57 minutes. King fouls Capoue.

Deeney wins a free kick off of Steve Cook. Deeney wins the header but Begovic catches.  Gosling is card for a foul on Cleverley. Deeney heads the ball wide. Capoue gets a way with a flying arm at Gosling.

Cleverley fouls Gosling. A chance to get the ball in the box. Fraser puts it in and Wilson heads well but Foster saves it with a high left-hand reaction save. The corner goes to Brooks and Aké heads wide, 65 minutes gone.

Brooks plays Fraser in but he hist his pass against a defender. Stanislas long to King, but he takes it down with his arm - handball. 

Watford get some possession. Steve Cook wins a header from Sema's cross, and Deeney is on the floor.

Sema is subbed and Will Hughes comes on after 71 minutes. Brooks does some great work square to Lerma, beats his man but spoons the shot.

Watford have a corner. Begovic catches. Stanislas and Brooks on the break but Pererya gets a foot n.

Bournemouth keep the pressure on Stanislas plays in King ad King hits Foster's legs! Brooks and Stanislas and Gosling's shot is saved low to the left post.

Another break with King but he is tackled. King wins the ball well. Steve Cook makes a tremendous tackle on Pererya having been played in by Deeney. Wilson is subbed for Ibe and Fraser is replaced by Fraser on 82 minutes.

Shot just wide by  Delefeuo. Mouseet to King who goes through and Foster saves with his legs from a narrow angle. Stanislas gets a touch on the ball back to Begovic.

There's a push on Aké and his header is ruled out. Lerma has a shot that Foster saves. Stanislas gets a corner, three minutes to go. There will be another corner. It's a Watford break and Daniels has to cover. 

Watford sub Deulofeu for Success on 90 minutes. Three minutes of added time go up. Cleverley hits Akee's hand but it's no penalty. 

Mousset gives a free kick away. It is some 35 yards out but Watford will try and get something on goal. Steve Cook heads it out and there's the final whistle.

Summary
Eddie Howe will love moments of this game and put his head in his hands for other moments. The Cherries continue to concede poor goals but they have found their shooting boots themselves and probably feel that they should have won this match. To come back from 0-2 down though has to be pleasing and a point at any stage is not a bad point in this league. But for the saves of Ben Foster, Bournemouth would have won the game. There was some calamities in some of the Watford goals, but at least Bournemouth looked more composed in the second half.

AFCB line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Mings, Rico, Surman, Ibe, Mousset, Defoe.

Referee Watch: David Coote - 2/10. Lots of players should have been carded and Deeney and Doucouré must be amazed that they were not given their marching orders.

Cherry Chimes Man of the Match: Nathan Aké

AFCB Ratings: Begovic 5, Stanislas 7, S Cook 6, Aké 8, Daniels 6, Brooks 6, Lerma 7, Gosling 6, Fraser 7, King 5, Wilson 7

Watford
Foster, Femenía, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Doucouré (Cleverley 56), Capoue, Sema (Hughes 71), Pereyra, Deulofeu (Success 90), Deeney

Watford Subs
Gomes, Britos, Cleverley, Success, Masina, Hughes, Quina

Bournemouth have to peak if they are to beat Watford

While some may believe that Watford have gone off the boil, following their 2-0 away defeat against Arsenal, I don't share that view. At Vicarage Road they remain a difficult proposition having only lost there once this season to Man Utd. Their form of late has been checked slightly, but this is a confident team that was very unlucky to lose to Arsenal last week when they were dominating the number of chances.

Watford have been string at home.

Watford may find it hard to score on the road, but they are doing very well at home. What has affected them is not being able to name a same starting 11 in games. The balance of the team may just have been altered with players like Janmaat now missing and Prodl, Miguel Britos and Gerard Deulofeu have been out in recent weeks.

It's the defensive qualities of Javi Garcia's side that has impressed me. They don't make it easy for teams to score and Ben Foster is rejuvenated having joined the Hornets in the summer. Holebas and Cathcart might not excite fans, but they get the job done and will make life difficult for Wilson and King. Decoure and Will Hughes have been a main part of the midfield, but Pereyra has the player that has been getting goals by his clever positioning and sharp shooting.

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Up front, Troy Deeney continues to use his power to make space and keep Watford high up the pitch and we have seen some good sub appearances form Andre Gray. Getting a draw against Watford would be a good result with the way the Hornets have started the season and it may be that Howe will try and make the team compact and hard to beat, while he tries to get the Bournemouth players to take some of the heat out of the game at Watford. But attack could well be the best way to unsettle Watford, even though it has a high risk factor.

These games are usually tight. It will be a high-tempo game and Bournemouth will need to test Foster with some direct shots if they are going to upset the Hornets this weekend.

AFCB possible line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Rico, Mings, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, Defoe. 

AFCBTV game preview

Rival Lines: 'Contain and then destroy' - the Watford plan?

Rival Lines

Match Preview: Watford v AFCB

Podcast Interview: From the Rookery End
Twitter: @Watfordpodcast

Watford have become a team that Bournemouth have found good rivals in recent season ever since the Championship days. But meetings in the most have been close and with Watford's start to this season Jason at From the Rookery End has every right to be confident of the Hornet's chances as they line up against the Cherries this weekend.


CC: Why do you think Javi Gracia has taken to the Premier League so well?

FTRE:  I think there's still a way to go before we can truly judge where Javi sits amongst those that have led Watford in the Premier League. There have been ups, downs and points of improvement since he joined in early 2018. His home record is incredible and on a par with the top six teams. His away record was less than impressive for the back end of last season and we didn't score outside of Vicarage Road, under him at all, until our first away game this season. But unlike the other head coaches, who have ruled under the Pozzos in the top flight, he has had the advantage of a full pre-season, with players he'd had the chance to look at and with the opportunity to put things into place exactly as he wanted them. So far, this seems to be bearing fruit for the Hornets.

CC: Are you at all fearful of Watford doing their regular season trick of getting points on the board before having a poor second half of the season?

FTRE:  Given the fast start, that has already been in the back of the minds of some Watford fans and being predicted on the social media timelines of rival supporters! What we have benefited from so far, touch wood, is a very settled team with minimal disruption to the starting 11 through injuries or suspensions. Our treatment list has rivalled that of the hospital next door to the stadium in recent seasons. So maybe if things can improve on that front, the "typical Watford" limp to the summer break might become a slow trot or jog for a change!!

CC: Do you think Andre Gray is going to have a much stronger impact this season and that he can score goals in this team?

FTRE:  He can and he has done so far, with three to his name already this season. He is one player who is definitely more suited to the change in formation that Gracia has implemented. Now playing alongside Troy Deeney, opposition defenders have some thinking to do. With Troy dropping short to receive and hold up the ball and Gray using his pace to try and stretch the defence, gaps are created for the likes of Roberto Pereyra to exploit. With Will Hughes, Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure all comfortable going forwards and our full backs equally encouraged to do so, Andre will then find space of his own to take advantage of.

CC: Daryl Janmaat's injury has coincided with a slight slowdown in Watford's results, is he an underrated player?

FTRE:  I don't think many Watford fans expected neither Daryl, nor his left sided compatriot Jose Holebas to be the starting full backs this season. Kiko Femenia delighted the stands with his performances in the right back slot, ahead of his own injury troubles last season. His pace causing opposing players defensive worries, as well as making it difficult for the wingers he was up against to get away from him. But with Kiko preferred in a more advanced role, albeit from the bench this season, Janmaat has had the chance to show off his qualities again. Javi's desire for his full backs to attack has suited Daryl, particularly as he likes to make runs outside to in and pop up unexpectedly in the penalty area. Occasionally there are question marks over his defending, but if he can put his frequent injury troubles behind him and get a good run in the team, then we hope he can iron those problems out and establish himself as first choice once more.

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CC: Troy Deeney seems to be back to his best. How would you rate him against previous Watford captains?

FTRE:  There was talk of Troy leaving this summer. In fact there's always talk of Troy leaving in the majority of transfer windows. And we always say the same thing. It would take at least two players to replace him. The striker and the leader. He's done this job for a while now. So he's not just the captain, but (avoiding calling him Mr. Watford) he is that consistent element, part of the club, our club, his club, that he is the obvious, natural and correct choice to lead this team. It's difficult to rate him against other Watford captains as the culture at the club is very different to the time before he became captain, as is the role of the captain in the media, both social and mainstream. And I'm sure you've noticed Troy doesn't mind the odd media appearance! However, when the time does come for Troy to depart from the Vic, I'm sure he'll be spoken about alongside legends of Watford past.

CC: Roberto Peryera has also been amongst the goals. Why has he been so effective in the way Garcia has set up the team?

FTRE:  Bobby P is back playing in his favourite position, on the left and cutting back on to his right foot. Last season he picked up an injury in the first game of the season. Richarlison came on to replace him and made that position his own. Even when exhausted towards the end of the season, he was still ahead of Pereyra when it came to the team sheet. Roberto was deployed in other positions behind the lone striker, but never to the same effect.

CC: Watford were well in the game against Arsenal when it slipped away in the last 10 minutes. But do you believe Watford can go to top six grounds and get results more often now?

FTRE:  What was in evidence against Arsenal probably more so than in our other recent games against top sides is that we are making ourselves as hard to beat as we possibly can, but not holding back in creating chances by doing so. Fitness seems to be key to this and the team works incredibly hard to make up for where we can't match the opposition for skill. If we do want to go to the grounds of the big six and win, then we need to take our chances. Something that we didn't do against Arsenal. But that performance showed that it is an achievable aim.

CC: Three established Premier League teams were relegated last season, so do you feel Watford are in a much stronger position to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle these days than when they first came up?

FTRE:  Absolutely. We've gone through many changes, player wise and head coaches. Perhaps there are some areas where we have tinkered and perhaps not advanced as much in terms of the ability of the players as when we first arrived in the top flight. But this summer has been more about topping up the squad. The core has remained the same and grown together, and over the seasons we have been able to add real quality with the likes of Pereyra and Gerard Deulofeou. As well as adding some exciting prospects such as Will Hughes and Nathaniel Chalobah. But we cannot be complacent and think the job is done just because of our playing squad. They still need to work hard for those results!!

CC: Beating Spurs in the league was probably Watford's highlight of the season so far. What do you think inspired the comeback and belief that day?

FTRE:  It felt very similar to the Arsenal game from the previous season, famous now for Deeney's "cojones" comment post match. I feel the only reason we had to come from behind was because we were too cautious early on. Perhaps that was part of the game plan, contain then destroy. But it must have been hard to explain from a Spurs point of view. Three big centre backs on the pitch and they allowed themselves to be bullied out of the game by a determined Watford side. The belief wasn't just on the pitch. As the side grew in confidence so did the crowd and the whole thing just seemed to snowball towards a fitting crescendo.

CC: Is Ben Foster a big reason for the goals against being so low?

FTRE:  He's part of the reason, but not the only one. The consistent centre back pairing of Craig Cathcart and the ever improving (and king of Watford Twitter!) Christian Kabasele have impressed in this fledgling season. There's still work to be done. Only one clean sheet so far won't have been good for the defensive bonus pot I'm sure, but the signs are promising. As for Ben, we knew what we were getting as he'd spent the early stages of his career with us on loan during the Aidy Boothroyd era over ten years ago. His outstanding contribution so far this season was an impressive display at home to Palace, when some key first half saves kept the game goalless at half time, from where the Hornets took a 2 goal lead on the way to a 2-1 victory.

CC: How do you expect Watford to line up against Bournemouth?

FTRE:  More of the same. We've kept with the 442 line up and only one enforced change due to Janmaat's injury all season. I don't see any reason why Javi would look to change that at this stage, particularly as the Arsenal performance was a positive one, despite the result.

CC: A massive thanks to Jason for sharing so much information on Watford FC. I think I have learned a season's worth of facts about the club and yet we are only seven games into the season! The new manager and the mix of old and a few new recruits has certainly worked well for the Hornets and even if Harry the Hornet isn't there to taunt us Bournemouth fans this weekend, we know that Watford have some very capable players who will make this one of the hardest games of this season for the Cherries. To read more of Jason's thoughts, do pop in on the From the Rookery End podcast.

Rival Lines: Chalobah or Aké - who got the better deal?

Rival Lines
Match Preview

Watford v AFCB

Podcast/blogger Interview: From the Rookery End
Twitter: @watfordpodcast

I was pleased to get back in contact with Watford's From the Rookery End lads who were keen to put me straight on a few things about Watford this week. I was unsure if they wanted Troy Deeney to stay, if Marco Silva was the best manager they've had in recent years and whether they were just glad to be playing at home after their recent results in away games. 

CC: Do you think Marco Silva was a good fit for Watford before the Everton approach?

FTRE: He certainly felt right at the time, although anyone would have felt right after the Walter Mazzarri tenure. We needed rejuvenating and the way Silva picked up Hull during their ultimately failed attempt to stay in the Premier League earned him many admirers. We moved fast in the summer to appoint him and that seemed necessary to fight off any competition for his services.

CC: What do you make of Javi Gracia - more than a stop gap manager?

FTRE: After the arrogance of Silva, the early impression of Gracia is that he is much more humble and grateful for being given the chance to manage in the Premier League. And whilst we understand the Pozzo model and are comfortable with it, I'm sure there are many Watford fans who would like to see a Head Coach who can settle into the role, make steady progress and play reasonably entertaining football - we don't ask for much!!!

CC: What's happened to Watford's away form in 2018?

FTRE: It's pretty fair to say it's dropped off a cliff. In fact the poor run started in December, by which time the Silva-Everton shenanigans were in full swing. It included throwing 3 points away at Palace in the dying embers of the game. And whilst Javi has markedly improved the home form, improving away performances has been much tougher. In his defence, having to go to the Emirates and Anfield as part of those travels would be tricky for any manager.

CC: Did you expect André Gray to get more starts at Watford this season?

FTRE: I've been a broken record regards Andre Gray on the From The Rookery End podcast this season. I expected Andre to feature heavily away from home, where defences would be playing a higher line, leaving space behind for him to exploit with his pace. It hasn't quite worked that way and the seemingly bizarre approach of Silva resting strikers immediately after they have found some form\hit the target hasn't helped him. Since Javi's arrival and the beast that is Stefano Okaka getting more game time, Andre's involvement has been minimal.

CC: Do you feel that Watford have under achieved this season after the start the team had?

FTRE: Just like the Cherries, Watford are currently sitting nicely in mid-table and that, at present, is a decent improvement on last season's 17th place. However, with the start we had and the points we've thrown away against the likes of Palace, Everton and Swansea, it's hard not to think about what might have been. Thoughts of having potentially chucked away a shot at a Europa League spot is still niggling at the back of the mind.

CC: Do you think Troy Deeney will still be at Watford next season? 

FTRE: If you'd asked me that question a few months ago I'd have doubted if he'd even be here now. Rumours were abound, as they have been for many transfer windows with our club captain and a move to WBA was high on the agenda. But that never materialised and once again Troy has shown his importance to the club with match winning goals against Everton, and of course, West Brom. You have to wonder at what point will clubs be distracted from chasing Deeney given their lack of success in prising him away from Vicarage Road. So maybe we'll seen him here for a few more seasons yet.

CC: Are there any young players at Watford who could be breaking through to the first team soon?

FTRE: Before the Pozzo era, Watford bringing players through their academy was a necessity as transfer funds were limited. These days, with a combination of the money available and the need to have Premier League ready players in the squad, there has been less focus on the academy. A vast injury list saw a few young graduates make first team appearances in the Premier League last season. Of those, left back Brandon Mason showed signs of promise. However, we are unlikely to see any youngsters challenging the current first team squad at present.

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CC: Who do you think has the better deal - Bournemouth with Nathan Akee or Watford with Nathaniel Chalobah?

FTRE: Watford, but of course I'm going to say that! £5m (reportedly) is a lot less than Bournemouth paid for Ake and with the start to the season that Chalobah had, it looked like the Hornets had got themselves a bargain. However, the serious injury he suffered is a setback and there is a risk of course that he doesn't find that form again. I honestly feel Nathaniel would have had a great chance of making England's World Cup squad had he stayed fit and carried on the season is the same vein as he started. And it says a lot that as part of his rehabilitation, he has been training with the Three Lions during the international break. As for Nathan, well he is a player we know well of course and I completely understand the much bigger fee paid for him. He had two years of Premier League experience under his belt, impressed at both clubs and was so important to Bournemouth during his time at the club. All those factors raise the price tag of a player. From the outside looking in, I don't think Ake has let his high value affect him.

CC: Watford's top scorer is midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré on seven goals, so is there a particular striker you'd like to see come to Watford to boost the goal scoring next season?

FTRE: Finding a ready made Premier League goalscorer is a very difficult task and when you do, you're having to part with large sums of cash. So for clubs like Watford and Bournemouth it means taking a gamble. If we do sign a goalscorer in the summer, then in true Pozzo style, I'd expect it to be a bit left field and someone we may not know much about. This season, we've had goals from all over the pitch and had 15 different goalscorers in the Premier League. So we haven't suffered as much as you'd expect from just looking at how many goals our top marksman has.

CC: How do you expect Watford to line up against Bournemouth?

FTRE: Gracia has been fairly consistent at home. Expect him to start with a 4231 formation, but if the game is tight with Watford looking to make something happen then he'll likely switch to a 442 at some point in the second half to push on.

CC: What's you score prediction for this Watford v AFCB?

FTRE: We've been pretty well matched in recent Vicarage Road fixtures and I can't see that changing. A 1-1 draw.

CC: Which three clubs do you expect to go down to the Championship and who do you think will come up through the play-offs?

FTRE: West Brom are doomed. Stoke, whilst making themselves hard to beat have struggled to turn draws into wins when they've needed them most. West Ham must be worried with the state their club is in, however I have a nagging feeling that they'll get away with it and Huddersfield's less experienced squad will battle valiantly but drop into the bottom three. Going up in the play-offs? With Villa suddenly losing form and Derby looking a bit wobbly, I think our old mucker Slav and his Fulham boys will be victorious at Wembley!

CC: Well it's good to hear that From the Rookery End are relatively pleased with how this season has turned out. I tend to agree that a score draw is a safe bet for this game although Watford have only lost one of their last five home games which should really make them favourites I'd suggest. Some Bournemouth fans will probably be more than a bit glad that the club shelled out all that cash for Aké as he has been sensational, but it's good to hear that Watford are starting to get good value in some of their signings like Chalobah. If it is Fulham that come up I'll be among the first to buy tickets for the away game as you can't beat Craven Cottage for a good time. I am also looking forward to visiting Vicarage Road again and hopefully we can knock Harry the Hornet off his game!


Internet safety
In other news, IT Support Business (Itsb) recently held a Connect With Care session  run by AFC Bournemouth at St Katharine's CE (VA) Primary School in Bournemouth as part of Safer Internet Day 2018. Andrew Surman of AFC Bournemouth did a fantastic job of educating the children on internet safety. You can read more about it on the AFCB website. Itsb became an official partner of AFCB in 2017 - click here to visit their website and find out more.

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