Watford’s home fortress crumbles as defences dropped
It has to happen eventually. It was inevitable. However, when Watford’s 17-game undefeated streak came to an end against Cardiff yesterday, it was the sheer weak, listless manner in which so many months of hard work fell apart that made it such a brutally frustrating afternoon.
The Hornets’ first defeat at Vicarage Road under Tom Cleverley would have been disappointing, especially if it came at the end of a great game against a superior team.
But to offer such little resistance, inventiveness, and energy against a Cardiff side that last won an away league game on April 10 was like ripping open a wound and slathering it with fish and chip-sized amounts of salt and vinegar.
Former Hornets first-team coach and Under-21 manager Omer Riza must have been as astonished as he was happy with how easy it was to reclaim three points across the Severn Bridge.
In truth, the Bluebirds could have had a more straightforward victory, as Dan Bachmann’s excellent second-half save prevented them from going 3-1 ahead.
Tom Cleverley remarked after the game about aiming to make this a game in which the Hornets stormed to a decisive victory, which had been the only evident missing piece during the Hornets’ 296-day, 17-game winning streak.
The Hornets annihilated MK Dons in the Carabao Cup, but given the divisional disparity, that was probably expected.
The 3-0 league victory over Stoke was dominant and well-deserved, with the margin reflecting the superiority.
Other achievements, on the other hand, have frequently been the result of hard effort, labor, and, on a few occasions, luck.
Yes, you make your own luck in sport, but Cleverley’s words about wanting a resounding victory reflected what we had all noticed: Watford had transformed Vicarage Road into a plywood fortress rather than a brick one.
On Boxing Day, there were warning flags against Portsmouth.
Putting aside Pompey manager John Mousinho’s animosity and their fans’ seemingly never-ending tears, the Hornets only recently won that game.
Of course, there is no column in the league table for ‘almost lost’ or ‘almost won’, but the tendency of recent home wins has been for the Hornets to just about do enough,
Like a horse that has prevailed in a succession of picture finishes, or a fighter who has won his past few fights on split points decisions, there was a nagging fear that things would not go our way again.
What didn’t help was surrendering a goal in just 60 seconds.
There have been some awkward, shady starts to games this season, but yesterday was especially terrible.
Cleverley is correct in pointing out that teams are punishing Watford at the first opportunity of late, but if that first opportunity comes as early and as generously as it did for the Bluebirds, they are almost obligated to take it.
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