So, despite the best efforts of the referees, instructed it seems to frustrate Watford's promotion bid, the Hornets are still in the running for second place with two games to go.
The odds are still stacked against them - even if the referees have been instructed to lay off - but the 4-0 thumping of Blackburn sent out a huge message. Watford haven't given up yet and, with the pressure off, they are back to their very best.
Steve Bruce will now be looking anxiously over his shoulder. The gap is down to four points and Watford have two winnable games - against Leeds, who they thumped 6-1 at Elland Road - and Leicester who have all but forgotten how to win a game.
Hull's games, however, have an uncomfortable look about them. Barnsley may be in the bottom three but they are fighting for their lives and draws away to Cardiff, Leicester and Forest show they are no pushovers - albeit Charlton put them to the sword. Nobody would be surprised if this one ended in a goalless draw, which would mean Hull might need to beat Cardiff to go up.
What a night that could be at the KC Stadium. Cardiff players may, of course, be mentally on their holidays after securing the title, but then again, with the pressure off, they may play with a new freedom. Hull players would be desperate and Cardiff players relaxed, and in that situation, you could see the Welsh side confirming their superiority.
Switch back to Vicarage Road and just imagine the atmosphere as Zola's side battles to overcome a Leeds team managed by former Reading boss Nice Guy Brian McDermott!
Of course, the final games may be a dead rubber if Watford slip up at Leicester and Hull rip Barnsley apart. But what a shame that would be. Let's keep our fingers crossed for an epic final day in the Championship!
I can only imagine if a northern club had so ruthlessly exploited the rules as Watford have to gain promotion, their would be outrage, but a southern club doing this, it must be 'ingenuity', 'imagination'
ReplyDeleteExploited the rules, how exactly?? What Watford have done is legal and is surely a lot more acceptable than spending beyond their means quite like many other clubs who haven't been penalised!
Delete*there*
DeleteNope, their. Their as possessive, not there is in a place. Education down south as well as rule bending? Cretin
DeleteHornet, no other club can loan out a foriegn team, so why should Watford be able to? without those players you would be close to the relegation zone, not the play-offs
DeleteAnd you obviously don't see the hypocrisy that if it was another club doing something like that, the fans of watford would be among the first getting on your high horse to complain
DeleteWhat a very large northern chip you have on your shoulder. The rules are the rules.Watford haven't broken any rules or found a loophole. Just get over it!
DeleteI don't understand why fans like you seem to have no issue with teams like Man City who have a bottomless pit of money and purchase whoever they want on a wage that could feed Africa? They are simply 2 different ways of a running a football team but one is sustainable, the other one isn't - wait, are you a Man City fan? ;)
DeleteHow can a club ruthlessly play by the rules!!
DeleteHe had it right the first time you tool - it's 'their' learn English or gtfo.
DeleteIt is "there" you fools. "Their" indicates ownership, as in 'Their players were all owned by the club'. The sentence should have read, "there would be outrage". Don't believe me, try putting it through grammar check on Microsoft Word. Honestly, I know Romanians who can manage the English language better than some of you lot!
DeleteThere(sic)grammar is as accurate as their interpretation of the rules. Not their fault they're poorly educated...
DeleteI wonder if they'll see the next loop hole coming, selling a player on for free. How unfair is that? Yet all this fuss has been made about Watford getting all these loan players yet no one cares about how the premier league is won. Football as a sport is dead and its time for other clubs to do whatever possible to survive. All these people complaining about Watford just sounds like jealousy to me as they have owners that can take and keep them in the prem
ReplyDeleteEr, no. I don't think they will. However, if they do then Hull may have some recourse given the fielding inelligible players (the Allums can be litigious).
ReplyDeleteHowever, Zola has done well with the resources he has. Watford are a good side.
No ineligible players have been played.
DeleteYou may not like what Watford have done within the rules as they currently stand, but it is hardly any less fair/unreasonable/call it what you will than the winners of the Premier League able to secure more in sponsorship for their training ground than the annual turnover of most clubs in the Championship.
Chris
p.s. if you take a real careful look at the Hull line-up at times this season you will see that they have done exactly the same as Watford and used multiple foreign "loans".
Chris, you should the press occasionally:
Deleteand
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/sport/football/footballnews/10080321.Bassini_and_Watford_charged_with_misconduct/
thats completely unrelated... you should read it!!!!
DeleteWell done Hammersfan. I like your new found positivity about Watford.
ReplyDeleteAs for the first comment from someone clearly living north of Watford, I am pleased to see that you conform to your stereotype of liking fried food as you seem to have one massive chip on your shoulder. This has nothing to do with southern bias and when will you accept that no rules have been broken by Watford. Get over it!
So if Watford do go up, and I hope they don't, what will they do next season? Get a load more foreign loanees in?
ReplyDeleteI really think you have lost the plot. These are loanees in name only.
DeleteWatford will sign on a permanent basis whoever they want from Udinese and Granada for zero cost to the club as has already happened with Forestierri. That hopefully will then give you something else to complain about as it is "just so unfair".
Watford can also now rely on a worldwide scouting policy to find the best young players from around the world. That must also be breaking some rule which us southerners can laugh about while you northerners cry into your warm pints of bitter.
Or perhaps sign a load of dodgy Egyptians due to your rich owner saving his money by loading you with a big pile of debt. No wonder you display such moral virtue...........after all horrible little Watford, they really should know their place :)
DeleteWho cares what you think. Watford will end up signing 80% of the players permanently who are on loan and they will strengthen further with other signings should they deservedly go up. I can guarantee you that Dull City going up will bore everyone to death. Even their own fans sounded like they were asleep against Bristol City!
DeleteNah, we'll sign Samba for £12million and pay him ridiculous wages - because that would be better for football, wouldn't it?
DeleteWatford loaned players because their takeover happened late on.
DeleteThey'll sign plenty of players in the summer, once the manager has time to look at them
Yes. And you're just jealous that your club didn't think of it first. Get over it!
DeleteWhat Watford has done may be legal but it shouldn't be. I just hope they lose to Leicester on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteIt should be illegal and I hope Leicester beat them on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteiwnge winge wing from all about Watford
ReplyDeletelet get facts right
NO RULES HAVE BEEN BROEKN
NO LOOPHOLE HAS BEEN EXPLOITED
WHAT ABOUT HULL YES YOU ANNONYMOUS WITH SO MAY EYPTIANS IN TEH SIDE HOW MNAY ,OANESS HAVE YOU GOT
IS IT FAIR THAT SOME RUSSIAN OLIGARCH CHUCK 750M AT CHELASEA
AND SOME ARABS CHUCK THEIR OIL FIELD PROFITS AT MAN CITY
HOW MUCH ARE HULL IN DEBT £25-3-M SHOULD BE ALOOWED UNFAIR EXPLOITING LOPOHOLES ECT YEAH I DOINT THINK IT RIGHT THAT CLUBS SHOULD BE SO MUCH IN DEBT
BUT
LIFES A BITCH MATE SO GET ON WITH LIFT
Hull aren`t in any debt actually.
DeleteIf Watford beat us to second place - fair fucks to them.
They haven`t broken any actual rules and most clubs would have done what they have done in their position.
Hull City only have two foreign loans - and have paid circa 500k to do it.
Good luck Watford, but I hope that luck is in the Play Offs.
Yes, but better ones.
ReplyDeleteWatford will not go up this year guaranteed, so were will all your loan players be nxt year as they won't wanna play championship football again nxt year you'll be a middle of the table team at best. Come on you Hull premiership football nxt year for sure UTT
ReplyDeleteHow exactly do you guarantee that Watford will not go up? This needs to be investigated if you can make that sort of guarantee.
DeleteDo you have some northern mates with piles of cash who can fix results? Is that how Hull have done so well playing the most boring football and scraping 1-0 wins all season. Is it because you can buy the opposition? Now who is breaking rules if you can GUARANTEE Watford will not be promoted.
How exactly can you guarantee Watford will not go up? Surely if you can guarantee an outcome that needs some investigation.
DeleteIs that how Hull have managed to reach second playing the most dull football ever seen in the English leagues. I assume that you can GUARANTEE that Hull will win 1-0 as they have done for almost the whole season. If that is the case then who is breaking the rules, Watford or some dodgy Chairman of a small northern outpost who seems to get more than his fair share of 1-0 wins GUARANTEED.
Blimey.
DeleteHave you watched every Hull City game or just a few on Sky lately?
Check out praise given by other managers in this league, including Zola.
People just sound like idiots making out they understand how a team plays just because they've seen a few games on Sky recently.
We've ground out results when we have needed to, hence why Hull City are four points clear of Watford in the table. Hull City play a number of different ways, to suit the situation in hand.
I've already said if Watford finish second - fair fucks to them they'll deserve it. But it sounds like a lot of the Watford fans on this blog are going to throw their toys out of the pram big time when Hull City do go up.
Have a bit of grace fellas.
By the way calling Hull 'Dull' is about as funny and original as writing something like Manure, Wet Spam or Chelski. Twats.
Yep thats right, all the loanees will go back. Do people really think that the pozzo familly are a pack of idiots. Are they really not going to provide us with further players, be it on loan or permanantly. I really dont give a flying £@$@ how man city, chelsea, qpr, cardiff or even hull city run their football clubs. Why are people so bothered about how we run ours.
DeleteNo, they would do what Granada successfully did and keep their 'forrin loanys!!' whilst adding a number of new players of their own.
ReplyDeleteAnti Watford poster are you the nob head Ian holloway ?
ReplyDeleteprick
ReplyDeleteSorry to piss on your chips, but Hull are not in debt, thanks anyway..
ReplyDeleteIs this conversation, on this blog, really still happening?....
ReplyDeletedo i have something wrong here, dont 1-0 wins get as many points as 4 -0 wins. wonder why theres a 4 point gap then in Dulls favour.
ReplyDeleteYou may be singing a different tune if Watford go up on goal difference!
DeleteUnfortunately hull and cardiff effectively started the season 6 weeks before watford due to the influx of foreign loans
DeleteWhoever goes up will probably come straight back down after a really poor season. Something to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteIt's about supporting your team regardless mate.
DeleteI've seen Hull City in every division. I've seen Hull City bottom of Division 4 adrift. Whatever the division, my support is unconditional.
Everyone wants success, but you have to handle the bad times too.
West Ham, for instance, mid table in the Prem is success year in year out. Does that discourage anyone from supporting them? If they made the Champions League would their fans think, oh well, we're going to get knocked out in the group stage so fuck it it's pointless?
I don`t know who you support mate but it sounds like you're a bit of no-nothing 'Lawro' licking Premier League fan
I guarantee if hull go up (via the play offs) they will last three seasons in the prem! Autumn, winter and spring!!
ReplyDelete