Zola praise for players' 'work and application' (From Watford Observer)

Yeah the players have been first class this season and have been competitive in virtually every game!
The loan signings have been sensational and Zola has answered his critics with Fitz Hall and Almunia!
If you would of said to me a year ago that we would have new owners with world wide club experience, a top manager, a crop of class players and that we would play some explosive football at times I would of laughed in your face!
But wow what a year! what a great end to 2012 and hopefully this is the start of something truly amaizing!

It does make me wonder where we would have been if we hadn't had a crop of dire refs at the beginning of the season and a bout of unfit players, still it's a far better position than oblivion under the last cowboy, well I think that's the correct "C" word.

JohnnyHornet wrote:
It does make me wonder where we would have been if we hadn't had a crop of dire refs at the beginning of the season and a bout of unfit players, still it's a far better position than oblivion under the last cowboy, well I think that's the correct "C" word.

Agree. The quality was there from day one but refs and injuries and Taylor leaving the night before Derby hindered early progress. Should be a good second half to the season.

I'm not sure I agree that the quality was there from the beginning - the games against Ipswich and Derby were pretty bad weren't they? But we have definitely jelled as a team after a slow start, just as we did last year. The difference being this year that we have some of the best players in the division.
If we beat Brighton away I will start believing we can go up automatically! Reckon we might put 4 or 5 past Bristol City. Loving it.
Also would love to see a midfield 3 of Eustace, Chalobah and Abdi.

JohnnyHornet wrote:
It does make me wonder where we would have been if we hadn't had a crop of dire refs at the beginning of the season and a bout of unfit players, still it's a far better position than oblivion under the last cowboy, well I think that's the correct "C" word.

Imagine where we would be without the Pozzo's - last years squad with this years injuries! Doesn't bear thinking about!

Also, just a thought:
Promoted in 99 only to go straight down; SEVEN years later we are promoted again in 2006 only to go straight down. SEVEN years after 2006 =....... 2013!!!!! It's written in the stars, and maybe it's 3rd time lucky to stay up once we're promoted!

Nicely poised for the second half of the season. It will now be interesting to see if GZ decides to bring in any new faces in the areas he feels we do not have the quality-(despite the size of squad).
Naturally there will be a number of faces leaving, and thank you to them for their contribution; but now we are days away from 2013 with a team who have been gradually improving. I believe we now have a great chance of at least the play-offs!

Stoney77 wrote:
I'm not sure I agree that the quality was there from the beginning - the games against Ipswich and Derby were pretty bad weren't they? But we have definitely jelled as a team after a slow start, just as we did last year. The difference being this year that we have some of the best players in the division.
If we beat Brighton away I will start believing we can go up automatically! Reckon we might put 4 or 5 past Bristol City. Loving it.
Also would love to see a midfield 3 of Eustace, Chalobah and Abdi.

Stoney, against Brum in August - QUALITY!

We had a slow couple of months at the beginning of the of the season , despite two good league wins in August ,all the players were coming to terms with difficulties of one sort or another, the new guys with settling in to an alien envoiroment ,fitness and injury problems.The originals , a new playing style , new team mates and big worries about their places in the side.

So to give the rest of the teams basically a two month start we've done unbelievably well to be in the play off zone.

Looking back the cameo performances in the first halves of both the Brighton and Middlesboro games gave us the indication of the potential of the side, although we lost both games , I left the ground strangely upbeat, you could sense good things to come.

From all the worries some fans had( not me or LD I might add) about the loss of identity of our club, has turned around 180 and we now can indentify with our new heroes , great players like Almen Abdi , the best midfielder to play for us, Mattej Vydra , the best finisher & of course the incomparable Fernando , the biggest character , let alone the most skillfull and a lovely guy to boot !

In January we re signing , Abdi, Vydra, Forrestieri, Pudil and Ekstrand .
I hope we also sign Neuton and Battocchio too.

As a lifelong Watford fan I'd like to thank all the players, Gianfranco for the wonderful football,the Pozzos for saving us and realising our dreams,and finally forNani and Duxbury for making it all happen!!

To everybody , Merry Christmas

Onward and upward.

Lol ... I know the perfect Christmas prezzie for GFZ


a calculator xD

Travelling Hornet wrote:
We had a slow couple of months at the beginning of the of the season , despite two good league wins in August ,all the players were coming to terms with difficulties of one sort or another, the new guys with settling in to an alien envoiroment ,fitness and injury problems.The originals , a new playing style , new team mates and big worries about their places in the side.

So to give the rest of the teams basically a two month start we've done unbelievably well to be in the play off zone.

Looking back the cameo performances in the first halves of both the Brighton and Middlesboro games gave us the indication of the potential of the side, although we lost both games , I left the ground strangely upbeat, you could sense good things to come.

From all the worries some fans had( not me or LD I might add) about the loss of identity of our club, has turned around 180 and we now can indentify with our new heroes , great players like Almen Abdi , the best midfielder to play for us, Mattej Vydra , the best finisher & of course the incomparable Fernando , the biggest character , let alone the most skillfull and a lovely guy to boot !

In January we re signing , Abdi, Vydra, Forrestieri, Pudil and Ekstrand .
I hope we also sign Neuton and Battocchio too.

As a lifelong Watford fan I'd like to thank all the players, Gianfranco for the wonderful football,the Pozzos for saving us and realising our dreams,and finally forNani and Duxbury for making it all happen!!

To everybody , Merry Christmas

Onward and upward.

Spot on!!!!

Really hope we sign Geijo - he has not started much and is still getting used to the pace of the game and getting over his long term injury,but I have seen him play for Granada and he is an awsome talent and will be our top goalscorer once given a run.
Merry Christmas everyone,

Remember as well there were language problems with the new guys! I wonder how we will get on when Nathaniel chalobah goes back to Chelsea in January! I don't think they will let him stay on as the big clubs don't want the players putting down roots in a town. Hopefully Eustace can come in firing, if not maybe get another Abdi type player from udinese!
I have seen many games at the Vic, from early on even though we were not winning the class was there to be seen.
It really p's me off to constantly hear other clubs moan about the transfers though, I suppose its ok to have big oil money thrown at a club whilst its not ok to own more than one club and share the resources!
To sum up, what a crazy year it has been!
Loving it though!

mattymashup wrote:
Remember as well there were language problems with the new guys! I wonder how we will get on when Nathaniel chalobah goes back to Chelsea in January! I don't think they will let him stay on as the big clubs don't want the players putting down roots in a town. Hopefully Eustace can come in firing, if not maybe get another Abdi type player from udinese!
I have seen many games at the Vic, from early on even though we were not winning the class was there to be seen.
It really p's me off to constantly hear other clubs moan about the transfers though, I suppose its ok to have big oil money thrown at a club whilst its not ok to own more than one club and share the resources!
To sum up, what a crazy year it has been!
Loving it though!

Your wrong. Chabolah will be to end of season. This is not rumour, it's fact.
But we are no longer dependent on any one player so if he gets injured there will be someone to step up.

lutondown wrote:

mattymashup wrote:
Remember as well there were language problems with the new guys! I wonder how we will get on when Nathaniel chalobah goes back to Chelsea in January! I don't think they will let him stay on as the big clubs don't want the players putting down roots in a town. Hopefully Eustace can come in firing, if not maybe get another Abdi type player from udinese!
I have seen many games at the Vic, from early on even though we were not winning the class was there to be seen.
It really p's me off to constantly hear other clubs moan about the transfers though, I suppose its ok to have big oil money thrown at a club whilst its not ok to own more than one club and share the resources!
To sum up, what a crazy year it has been!
Loving it though!

Your wrong. Chabolah will be to end of season. This is not rumour, it's fact.
But we are no longer dependent on any one player so if he gets injured there will be someone to step up.

I've heard this too LD from a very reliable source, Chabolah will be with us until at least the end of the season....man and a dog, shhhh!!

Think we will hit Bristol City for 6 tomorrow, according to my Christmas cracker.

D.unstable wrote:

lutondown wrote:

mattymashup wrote:
Remember as well there were language problems with the new guys! I wonder how we will get on when Nathaniel chalobah goes back to Chelsea in January! I don't think they will let him stay on as the big clubs don't want the players putting down roots in a town. Hopefully Eustace can come in firing, if not maybe get another Abdi type player from udinese!
I have seen many games at the Vic, from early on even though we were not winning the class was there to be seen.
It really p's me off to constantly hear other clubs moan about the transfers though, I suppose its ok to have big oil money thrown at a club whilst its not ok to own more than one club and share the resources!
To sum up, what a crazy year it has been!
Loving it though!

Your wrong. Chabolah will be to end of season. This is not rumour, it's fact.
But we are no longer dependent on any one player so if he gets injured there will be someone to step up.

I've heard this too LD from a very reliable source, Chabolah will be with us until at least the end of the season....man and a dog, shhhh!!

Think we will hit Bristol City for 6 tomorrow, according to my Christmas cracker.

We must share same source! Lol

lutondown wrote:

D.unstable wrote:

lutondown wrote:

mattymashup wrote:
Remember as well there were language problems with the new guys! I wonder how we will get on when Nathaniel chalobah goes back to Chelsea in January! I don't think they will let him stay on as the big clubs don't want the players putting down roots in a town. Hopefully Eustace can come in firing, if not maybe get another Abdi type player from udinese!
I have seen many games at the Vic, from early on even though we were not winning the class was there to be seen.
It really p's me off to constantly hear other clubs moan about the transfers though, I suppose its ok to have big oil money thrown at a club whilst its not ok to own more than one club and share the resources!
To sum up, what a crazy year it has been!
Loving it though!

Your wrong. Chabolah will be to end of season. This is not rumour, it's fact.
But we are no longer dependent on any one player so if he gets injured there will be someone to step up.

I've heard this too LD from a very reliable source, Chabolah will be with us until at least the end of the season....man and a dog, shhhh!!

Think we will hit Bristol City for 6 tomorrow, according to my Christmas cracker.

We must share same source! Lol

Code name Cranberry