The Heady Heights of Hugo...

[sherm]

October 2009 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Watford 3-0 Wigan

Aaritalo (39) Sturridge (88) Riki (90)

Liverpool 1-2 Watford

Insua (58) : Aaritalo (73,81)

Watford 2-0 Tottenham

Saivet (13) Martin (88)

(League Cup 4th Round)

Chelsea 1-0 Watford

Drogba (8)

Man Utd 3-2 Watford

Fletcher (6) Rooney (47) Cathcart (53) : Riki (21) Sturridge (82)

[sherm]

Jess and myself had taken a four day break to the lake district, as the team didn't have a game until two weeks into November, but as always, duty called and I still managed to get some work done. While we were there, I received a phone call from BBC FiveLive. They were trying to get celebrity footballers and managers to give them their favourite European Championship moments for their website, but I was surprised to be asked. I thought about it, and in the end, I had to give them a choice of two. The first one I picked was Marco Van Basten 's hat-trick against England in 1988. It's still the best, most complete performance I've seen by a centre forward in the European Championships, in fact i8n any game, and the hat-trick was just sublime, a real thing of beauty. The second one I picked seemed to surprise the bloke on the phone, as I think he thought that because I was Scottish I wouldn't like it. But Gascoigne's goal against Scotland was awesome. Everybody said he was a spent force, but for one of the finest England midfielder's ever to come up with the goods was a sweet victory, and as a man who played in the same position I could really embrace that goal. It was even better watching in real life, as I was actually playing in that game myself. Not good at the time but what a goal. Once I had finished the call, I made my mind up to make sure I checked what other people had thought

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I had enjoyed my break away with Jess, and I looked forward to every minute I got to spend with her. She made me happy, and hopefully I made her feel the same way. I had to think about other things too though, as I prepared the side for the visit of Newcastle to Vicarage Road. This game was the complete contrast of our game against United, as neither side was able to penetrate the other's defence. Both 'keepers had very little to do, and it looked like they would settle for a 0-0 draw, but in the second minute of stoppage time, a win was secured, Jurado picking the ball up and playing a lovely one-two with Saivet before he fired home past Shay Given to give us the three points. It was a good win in the end, although whether we deserved it or not is a different matter, but the sign of a good side is winning games that you don't deserve

[sherm]

Many people tell me that I would have won a lot more than the 24 caps I did for Scotland if I had not gotten injured. There is no way that I can say whether that is right or wrong but I like to think it's true. I also like to think that people thought of me as a good player, a real tenacious player. The one thing that did get to me though was that I never really got to prove myself in the Premiership. I felt I was good enough to play in that league, and I really felt I would have proved myself at the highest level, but the fact that I never got that chance at Villa really got to me. It still eats me inside even now. That is why I want to make it as a manager in the Premiership, making myself a legend in the eyes of many, and getting rid of that seed of doubt

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Our next two games were both away, but as they were both in London and short journeys from Watford, it wasn't too bad and meant we could leave on the morning of each match. The first of these games was a trip to Upton Park to face West Ham, who had improved as a side recently, so I was preparing for a tough test. When George McCartney headed home after 18 minutes, it looked just like that would be the right theory, but it was blown out of all proportion by one man, as Finnish midfielder Mika Vayrynen stole the show with a fabulous hat-trick. His first came just two minutes after we fell behind, Mika curling home from the edge of the box. It took us three more minutes to get into the lead, as Henri Saivet broke through from the defence to collect Vayrynen's pass and fire past Robert Green. We went in at half time two goals clear, as Mika headed home Seitaridis' cross on 36 minutes, before he completed the hat-trick with a sublime free-kick less than ten minutes into the second half, sealing a terrific 4-1 win and maintaining our superb start to the season.

The second of our trips to London saw us visit Stuart Pearce's Charlton, who sat in 14th in the table and looked like they were coping well with life in the Premiership. They were not too bad a side, but I was extremely confident of another win for the team. The performance wasn't scintillating, and we weren't out of this world, but we were professional and we got the job done. Second half goals from Henri Saivet and Mohammed Shawky, his first for the club, sent us well on the way and took us (temporarily) to second in the table

[sherm]

October 2009 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Watford 1-0 Newcastle

Jurado (90)

West Ham 1-4 Watford

McCartney (18) : Vayrynen (20,36,53) Saivet (23)

Charlton 0-2 Watford

Saivet (49) Shawky (65)

[sherm]

287 career games, with 113 goals. I believe that is a good record for a midfielder, and I just wish I could have proven myself at a higher level. I feel I have proven myself as a manager, although I know that until I win another trophy with the club I will never have stepped up to that level of top class managers. The best Scottish manager ever is Sir Alex Ferguson. If I can emulate him, or even half of what hes done, then I think I can call myself a good manager. I'd managed over 100 games for Watford now, and had won more than 50%. I think that's a good record personally.

I was looking for another win with the visit of 6th placed Blackburn to Vicarage Road. They were a good side, and I had been impressed with what Mark Hughes had done for them. In this game however, they didn't play that great, they almost seemed sluggish and lethargic, and we probably should have gone in at half time ahead rather than goalless, but we did take the lead in the second half, Henri Saivet's volley putting us in front just before the hour mark. That should have been that, and we should have gone on to easily win the game, but in the end we had to settle for a point, as Matt Debyshire's cross found Lee Martin's boot and flew past Kuszczak a minute into stoppage time and gave the visitors a point they never deserved

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It was nice to spend time with Jess outside of football, as she had no interest in it. She just wants to know about me, and talk about us, and she recognises that I like to keep the football stuff away from her. I like that, and she likes it. I never thought I'd get close to another woman after Emma, but Jess has just made me feel like a new man again. Do I love her? I don't think so, but I know that I can do, given time

[sherm]

The Midlands beckoned for our net test in the league, and with Birmingham struggling at the moment I wanted the team to make the most of it and send them to another defeat. When Henri Saivet put us into a 19th minute lead, I was sure we could do that, but I have to give credit to Steve Bruce's side, they really turned it on after that, and raced into a 3-1 lead. Gary McSheffrey equalised, he reacted quickest and slammed home the rebound of Kapo's shot, while Franck Queudrue's free-kick put them 2-1 ahead just after the hour. McSheffrey's second put the game beyond doubt, but Riki did get us a second in the injury time, but the home side held on and claimed three points, which they probably did deserve actually.

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We needed to bounce back from the Birmingham defeat, and with Fulham making their way to Watford for our Premier League game I knew we could do it against them. I never expected to beat them as convincingly as we did though, as we ran out with a 6-1 win. Daniel Sturridge gave us a 37th minute lead, and despite Garry Bocaly's 40th minute equaliser we dominated the second half with five unanswered strikes. Saivet put us back in front, before Sturridge completed his hat-trick with two goals, while Riki and Mika Vayrynen sealed the win. We had looked phenomenal in the match, and we got ourselves right back on track after a draw and defeat in the previous two game, with a win with which I was delighted with.

My golfing was still becoming a nice exercise for me to relax, and with my improvement I enjoyed it too. Alan Brazil had started improving, so we were having competitive games which proved to be a lot of fun, although we didn't play for money (knowing my luck, I'd lose those games) but with both the football and my personal life going well, I was looking forward to every day that was coming my way

[sherm]

It had been nice to spend Christmas with Jess, instead of alone like I had recently, and it was even nicer to have my parents round for Christmas, for the first time in a hell of a long time we spent the day together. It was a lovely day, and Shaun even managed to get an appearance in, and all round it was a great day. With a game on Boxing day, I needed to make sure I got the requisite amount of sleep, and I was tucked up in bed by midnight while everybody else celebrated a little longer

With 2010 soon to be drawing to a conclusion, I wanted to finish on a high note in our remaining two games. They were both trips to the North, and the first saw us pay a visit to the Reebok Stadium and Bolton, a side who were really struggling down the bottom end of the Premiership, so I expected a comfortable three points to send me home with a belated Boxing day present. This looked like wishful thinking when Nicky Hunt put the visitors in front with a scruffy 6 yard shot, but as usual our fighting qualities shone through and we went in at half time in front, Jermaine Pennant's free-kick and Henri Saivet's stunning volley sending our travelling supporters into raptures. Daniel Sturridge sealed the game with a third after 77 minutes, but Havard Nordtveit soured the game four minutes from time with an idiotic tackle which earnt him a red card and a severe warning from me, but his dismissal made no difference and we held on for three points

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The 29th of the month brought another trip North, this time to Merseyside as we faced Everton, a side who had managed to find a recent run of form. It was a game I expected to be tough, but we started much the better, forcing Vincent Enyeama into three or four good saves, but we couldn't find the goal and went in half time all square. The home side played better in the second half, but we probably just shaded it and deserved at least a point, so I was at a loss to explain how we got nothing, thanks to Andy van der Meyde's 78th minute strike, whihc sent his team up to tenth and sent us to a defeat there was no way that we deserved.

[sherm]

December 2009 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Watford 1-1 Blackburn

Saivet (57) : Martin (O.G 90)

Birmingham 3-2 Watford

McSheffrey (29,70) Quedrue (61) : Saivet (19) Riki (90)

Watford 6-1 Fulham

Sturridge (37,56,71) Saivet (53) Riki (76) Vayrynen (90) : Bocaly (40)

Bolton 1-3 Watford

Hunt (18) : Pennant (39) Saivet (45) Sturridge (77)

Everton 1-0 Watford

van der Meyde (78)

[sherm]

It was nice to be able to see the New Year in with a few drinks, seeing as how the first game of the month wasn't till the 3rd. I didn't go too mad though, and still had quite a subdued night. I even managed to get up and go for an early round of golf on New Year's day, meeting Alan at the course and having a football talk of epic proportions. He basically told me that the first couple of months after the turn of the year are where teams make themselves into legends or failures, and he said if we were to keep up the position we were in at the moment, we would need to be at our best. It was sound advice from a man who had been in the game for years, and I kept in my head

The F.A Cup saw us face a side who beat us in December, as Steve Bruce's Birmingham came to Vicarage Road. This time, there was a different side, as I made 8 changes for the tie. It turned out to be a better performance than the League game, and it was two of the changes that scored, as Abdesslam Benjelloun's first half goal and a second half strike from Tomas Pekhart sent us through to the fourth round. It was nice to go through, and although cup competitions were not always good, the F.A Cup had a real spark about it and made everybody light up when it was third round time

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I hadn't managed to make any new additions to the squad, for the simple fact that I felt I didn't actually need to at this particular moment in time. I was happy with the 24 man squad I had, and was quite happy to wait until the summer to sign anybody. I think the team were pleased with this, and it sent them into our next game against Arsenal brimming with confidence. This was shattered within just three minutes, as Thomas Rosicky fird home a left footed thunderbolt to put his team ahead. This woke us up, and fittingly it was on loan Spurs striker Daniel Sturridge who levelled things up, using his pace and slotting underneath Fabianski. It didn't take long to fall back behind, Kolo Toure's thumping header sending the three time Champions in front, and that turned out to be the winning goal. We could not find the equaliser, no matter what and how hard we tried, it would not come, and we had to take defeat on the chin, although it was disappointing

[sherm]

After the dissapointment of defeat to Arsenal, I was looking for the team to pick themselves up as we travveled up to Manchester for an away game at Eastlands against Man City. Saivet picked up a slight strain before kick off, and with a few important games to come over the next few weeks I was not going to risk our star striker, so Riki's partner upfront was Mika Aaritalo. We started slowly, very slowly in fact, and we paid a heavy price for that as Emile Mpenza headed his side in front on 27 minutes. Even this didn't wake us up, and we were just as bad for the remaining 18 minutes of the half. The team felt my wrath in the dressing room at half time, and they responded brilliantly, as they dominated the second half. We had good chances, with Aaritalo, Riki, Shawky and Pekhart all missing very good chances to level the game, and once again, just as against Arsenal, we could not find the equaliser, and we succumbed to our second successive defeat

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I had been disappointed with the defeats, but the face we still sat in the top four was something I had to be proud of. I took Jess to dinner that night, and we had all the usual niceties, enjoying ourselves, having a nice meal, but it was on the way home she dropped the bombshell. She said that she felt we should get a house together, a new house, get me out of the one I'm in now and away from all the memories of Emma. I didn't give her an answer straightaway, but promised her that I would think about it. I mean, we had been together for over a year, and we were growing closer all the time, so maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to move into our own place

Jess' proposal was still weighing on my mind as we welcomed Tottenham to Vicarage Road for our tie in the 4th round of the F.A Cup. It had been put forward to 12.45 for live television coverage, and the BBC anticipated a decent game, as did both sets of supporters. After ten minutes of the match, the visiting supporters were the happiest, with Javier Saviola having given them a fourth minute lead, but we were soon back level, as Tomas Pekhart headed home McAnuff's cross on 21 minutes, but from then on in, it was quite a dull game. The best chances fell for us, although Spurs had some good chances, but neither side the breakthrough and we would be heading to White Hart Lane for the replay, a game I could have done without to be honest, but still, it meant we were still in the competition

[sherm]

Our next test saw Derby our visitors, and as they sat 17th in the table I fully expected a win, particularly after three league defeats on the bounce. I wanted the boys to start well, and they certainly did that, Jermaine Pennant volleying us in front after 84 seconds, when he capitalized on a Claude Davis mistake. We were two clear before the half hour mark, Henri Saivet beating the high line of the Derby defence and rounding Bywater before slotting calmly into the empty net. We had to wait until half an hour into the second half to seal the points, Lee Martin's 74th minute free-kick curling into the top corner, before a Kristajic own goal three minutes later put us four goals clear. That was fine and all well and good, but the thing that upset me was the fact we conceded twice in the last seven minutes so that the scoreline flattered the visitors, but three points is three points and we got back on track

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I had been invited to take part in a celebrity golf challenge, which saw pairs of celebrities take on members of the public for charity. My partner was going to be Alan Brazil, but he couldn't make it due to his radio commitments, so I asked the organisers to pick a partner for me. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call telling me I had a partner, who turned out to be former England cricketer Ian Botham. Beefy was good at golf, so I was pleased to have a legend as my partner.

My good mood at having Botham as my partner rubbed off on the team, as we travelled up to Teeside to face Roy Keane's Sunderland. This was one game I did expect a tough test in, but in the end we were not tested at all, as we ran out with a comfortable 3-0 victory. Two goals in four first half minutes from Mika Vayrynen and Jermaine Pennant sent us on our way, while Mika Aaritalo's goal ten minutes into the second half secured the points and sent us into third place in the Premiership.

[sherm]

January 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

(F.A Cup 3rd Round)

Watford 2-0 Birmingham

Benjelloun (33) Pekhart (55)

Watford 1-2 Arsenal

Sturridge (14) : Rosicky (3) Toure (20)

Man City 1-0 Watford

Mpenza (27)

(F.A Cup 4th Round)

Watford 1-1 Tottenham

Pekhart (21) : Saviola (4)

Watford 4-2 Derby

Pennant (2) Saivet (29) Martin (74) Krstajic (O.G 77) : Teale (83) Russotto (90)

Sunderland 0-3 Watford

Vayrynen (13) Pennant (17) Aaritalo (55)

[sherm]

The celebrity golf tournament was due to take place on the first Thursday of the month, but the day before we had our F.A Cup replay at White Hart Lane. Tottenham could count themselves lucky to have gained a replay, so I was determined to make sure we settled the score in this tie. It only took one goal to settle the game, and that came from our on loan midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado, as he got on the end of a lovely passing mkove and rammed the ball home past Paul Robinson to seal the game. To be fair, we should have scored more, but I was quite happy to settle for the one nil win and send us to the fifth round

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In the golf, myself and Botham did quite well together, finishing third in the end, behind Lineker and Lawrenson and the actual golfing pair of Justin Rose and Padraig Harrington. I got on well with Ian, and we had a real good chat after the game. Ian was keen on football, and having player pro himself for a little while he knew what he was talking about, and I was grateful for his praise. It was always nice to recieve praise from people who knew their stuff, so I took it on board.

Shaun had also managed to take one of the girsl from his speed dating adventure out for a few dates. He seemed to like her, and I was pleased that he was finally getting himself settled down. When I met up with him for a drink that night, he couldn't stop talking about her. In the end, I had to tell him to shut up because I was sick of hearing about her. I couldn't hide my happiness for him though. He was my best mate, and I wanted to see him settled down with a nice girl and getting married eventually

[sherm]

Portsmouth made the visit to Vicarage Road to provide us with our next test in the Premiership, and although they had some quality players and a chairman with money behind him, I was confident in the team. The start to the game was frantic, and pace was the issue without any shadow of a doubt, so when the fastes player on the pitch, Daniel Sturrdige put us in front after nine minutes, we had the advantage. We managed to go in at half time two in front too, as Henri Saivet capitalised on a mistake by Glen Johnson and slotted the ball home underneath David James. We dominated the match in the second half too, and should have scored more goals, but the only goal in the half came from Keita on the hour mark. Before that though, his team were put at a serious disadvantage, when centre back Ponce was sent off for a second yellow card offence. We held on though, and went on our way to a 2-1 victory over what was a half decent Premiership side

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I was preparing the side for our fifth round F.A Cup tie, but before that there was a bit of bad news in my personal life. I had recieved the divorce papers from Emma's lawyers. I had been expecting it, but it still came as a kick in the teeth. It really knocked me back, and it dampened my spirits as I prepared for the next game. That game saw Blackburn make the trip South for our fifth round F.A Cup tie. I think the team must have sensed something in my mood, as they were awful throughout the 90 minutes and fully deserved to lose the match. The question that needed asking was how we only lost by the one goal. That goal was scored by Matt Derbyshire in the 74th minute, but the visitors should have been well clear by that point. I was disappointed that we couldn't take our place in the quarter finals of the competition, but it did at least leave us to concentrate on securing a finish in the League that would secure European football, something I felt was very possible for the team to achieve

[sherm]

Shaun and his now girlfriend Chelsea accompanied Jess as we travelled down to Birmingham for our next League match against Aston Villa. It was to prove to be a difficult game, despite our star man Henri Saivet giving us a twelfth minute lead with a sublime volley from the edge of the box. We maybe should have gone in at half time further ahead, with both Saivet and Riki missing good chances, and we paid for this five minutes into the second half, as Villa's defensive midfielder Jean Il Makoun hit a stunning 30 yarder to equalise the game and rescue the point for his time. Not that both sides didn't have chances though, as Riki, Aaritalo and DeMerit missed for us, while Young and Carew missed for the home side. Former Rangers man Brahim Hemdani got himself dismissed in the final minute of the match, a rash, unnecessary tackle on the touchline earning him a straight red, but we held on for the point, which was a result I would have happily taken before the match

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I hadn't seen Shaun that much recently, just a few meetings in the pub for a few drinks, and this was due to the fact he was spending a lot of time with Chelsea. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm happy he's settled and that, but I would still like to see him from time to time, he is my best mate after all. My divorce had been finalised, all the papers signed, and I was a single man again (although not technically) but it meant I was free. I had also decided to surprise Jess, and had put a deposit down on the house she had wanted, which we would move into over the summer. I was delighted to be getting my life back on track with Jess, and this meant that with my personal life on track I could concentrate on the on-field aspects

The next match to do this in saw Chelsea the visitors to Vicarage Road, another tough game. Not only did it prove to be a tough game, but it was a dull game, in which neither side could manage to find the breakthrough. Both 'keepers were tested, and both made good saves, but the strikers could not find the goal. Saivet and Aaritalo had our best chances, while Drogba and Lampard had the best for the visitors, before Goran Pandev missed an absolute sitter just four minutes from time, but we clung on again and secured another good point

[sherm]

February 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

(F.A Cup 4th Round Replay)

Tottenham 0-1 Watford

Jurado (40)

Watford 2-1 Portsmouth

Sturridge (9) Saivet (42) : Keita (60)

(F.A Cup 5th Round)

Watford 0-1 Blackburn

Derbyshire (74)

Aston Villa 1-1 Watford

Makoun (50) : Saivet (12)

Watford 0-0 Chelsea

[sherm]

As we entered the final stages of the season, we occupied one of the four Champions League spot, sitting in third place. It was a position of dizzy heights, especially since it was only our third ever season in the Premiership, and the issue of over-achievement had to be looked at. The fans were delighted, and were quite happy to take it as it was at this particualr moment, but I had plenty of other things to think about for the next season as we entered March. Our first opponents of the month saw us with yet another trip to the North (they seemed endless) to face struggling Wigan. They were a side that were not very good, so I fully expected three points. The team didn't disappoint, and when Jay DeMerit's header put us ahead after three minutes, it was plain sailing after that. We went in at the interval 2-0 up, although it could quite easily have been 5 or 6, as Saivet, Riki, Pennant and Lee Martin all missed chances, but it was Franch striker Saivet who doubled the lead, collecting Pennant's pass and slotting underneath Chris Kirkland. The game was eventually sealed just over twenty minutes into the second half, Riki breaking free and rounding Kirkland before coolly slotting into the unguarded goal. Even Pennant's red card couldn't put the dampeners on a confortable victory, and we claimed all three points in an easy win

We had started to keep a few more clean sheets this season, and having Kuszczak in goal had been an absolute blessing. Joe Hart had proved a good signing, but Tomasz had that touch of class about him. In terms of class, I knew that if we got into the Champions League then we would be able to attract some real top quality players to the club, which would boost shirt sales, boost our chances on the pitch and maybe even send us to a title challenge. I had been happy with the rest of the signings I had made, they had fitted in necely, and I was confident we could reach our full potential.

Liverpool were the next opponents we faced, and just like against Chelsea, it was a dull game. Kuszczak and Reina were both forced into making saves, and they were saves that kept both of their sides in the game, but it maybe can be argued that either side should have scored. Aaritalo continued his recent trend of missing chancesm while Mika Vayrynen hit the post with a 25 yarder. Our Finnish midfielder repated that feat in the second half, his free kick bouncing back off the bar, and both sides were happy enough to settle for a goalless draw and a placid point

[sherm]

I had a couple of rounds of golf with Alan before my next match, and even arranged a round with Beefy after that. He was in London covering the cricket, and I arranged to meet him after our nect game to have a few drives. That next game saw us visit the nation's capital to face Martin Jol's Tottenham. There were serious rumours of unrest flying around, and the mutterings of discontent were growing louder around White Hart Lane. They sat 12th, and many fans felt it should be top 4, and I was determined to put another nail in their coffin. It took just one goal to do this, and ironically it came from a Spurs player, Jermaine Pennant's right wing cross being turned into his own net by striker Kevin Doyle. This was enough to give us the win, but we should have had many more. The chances came and went, and although I was dissapointed that we didn't score more, I was happy to settle for the 1-0 win and another 3 points

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The round of golf with Ian was enjoyable, and we were becoming great friends. He was a legend in his sport, and if I wanted to become one in mine I didn't feel that there was anybody better to talk to than a legend. I invited Ian to our next natch, but he was due to be in Birmingham at the time, so he didn't accompany me. Jess did though, and she took her place alongside the chairman in the executive box for the visit of Man Utd to Vicarage Road. In terms of the importance of the result, this was quite possibly our best performance of the season. Come the half time whistle, we had raced into a three goal lead, as a brace in the opening ten minutes from Henri Saivet and Vayrynen's strike right on half time sent us into raptures. The visitors did improve in the second half, but they could only manage the one goal, Carlos Tevez heading home 9 minutes from time, but I was delightd with the way we had played and the result was as pelasing as any since I had been in charge, and it kept us in third place in the table

[sherm]

March 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Wigan 0-3 Watford

DeMerit (3) Saivet (43) Riki (67)

Watford 0-0 Liverpool

Tottenham 0-1 Watford

Doyle (O.G 7)

Watford 3-1 Man Utd

Saivet (1,10) Vayrynen (45)

[sherm]

The Premiership table was a lovely thing to look at, and as I picked up the morning papers I was still pinching myself. Watford, my club, sat in third place in the table after 31 games. I wondered what the odds would have been when I took charge less than three years ago. I might have even had a flutter had I known. I was just delighted to be in the position we were in, and I didn't want the team to blow this massive opportunity that we had. Champions Leagyue football was seven games, and 630 minutes away. This was something I drummed into the team, and I told them they had a chance to make history

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

PL W D L GD PTS

1. Arsenal 32 18 9 5 +29 63

2. Chelsea 31 18 9 4 +26 63

3. WATFORD 31 17 8 6 +29 59

4. Man Utd 30 16 9 5 +16 57

5. Man City 31 15 9 7 +11 54

6. Sunderland 31 14 7 10 +16 49

7. Wigan 31 15 3 13 -6 48

8. Blackburn 31 12 11 8 +7 47

</pre>

A trip to Tyneside beckoned, and we prepared to face another underachieving side in the Premiership, as Sam Allardyce's Newcastle played host to us. It looked like we might be on course for a win, as Henri Saivet put us in front after just 34 seconds. This stunned the home side into action, and they soon equalised, Jeremy Menez curling home from the edge of the area. The Frenchman put them in front after 25 minutes, before Michael Owen's goal right on half time sent then in two goals clear. Johan Elmander was on the pitch just 24 seconds before he put the home side 4-1 in front. This made us pick up our game, but it was too little too late, and when Henri Saivet scored his second of the game three minutes from time it meant nothing, and we succumbed to a 4-2 defeat

[sherm]

The Monday morning training session saw me give the lads another pep talk, telling them that they couldn't afford to throw this chance away. My assistant Keith Burkinshaw also brought to my attention that it was my 1000th day in charge at Watford. I hadn't been aware of this, and it made me think of the old saying 'doesn't time fly when you're having fun'. Time had certainly flew, and it did not feel like a 1000 days I had been a football manager. Still, it was something that I couldn't let distract me, and I focused on preparing the team. The visit of West Ham was one I knew we were capable of winning, and once again we took an early lead. Saivet's 21st goal of the season put us in front, but Lee Bowyer and the most over-rated striker in England Dean Ashton sent the visitors into a half time lead. Mika Aaritalo's first goal for two months seven minutes into the second half was more than enough to give us a point, but we should have taken more. I knew we should have, and it started to occur to me that the team had never been in this situation before, and may even choke

---

I was sure we had the ability to finish in the top four, and with the visit of Charlton we needed to pick up a win and get back on course to finish where we were. It was a solitary goal that won the game, but we had a total of 23 shots, of which 19 were on target, so I was asking myself the question as to how we only scored once. That goal came from Jose Manuel Jurado after just two minutes, and Jurado himself will admite he should have had a hat-trick. Henri Saivet missed some good chances too, and although we picked up three points we should have scored more goals

I had put my golf on hold for the time being, as I wanted to be able to concentrate on the football side of things. I had drummed into the team constantly that this could be the biggest season in the history of the club, as we could be entering the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. The team were probably sick of hearing it now, but it was something I drilled into them day after day, and just wanted them to get the message. This club deserved to be playing European football, and I was absolutely determined to be the man to bring it to them

[sherm]

With just four games left, it was getting tense, and we needed three points to guarantee a top 6 finish. This wasn't what I wanted though, I wanted a top four finish. I knew we had the players, and the way we had played and the results we had picked up had seen us deserve it. I had also started the search for possible transfer targets to sign in the Summer Transfer window. I wanted top quality players, who had European experience and had played in the top divisions in the World. I had sent the scouts out for their searches, and I had my eye out for a few possible targets myself

The trip to Blackburn would prove to be a frustrating one, and left me tearing my hair out on the way back to Watford. Steven Reid and Morten Gamst Pedersen had scored the three goals for the home side, but when Henri Saivet equalised Reid's opener we dominated the match. That was the most frustrating thing in the match. We had more chances, more shots on target, more possession, and more corners, yet still ended up on the end of a 3-1 defeat. Two counter attack goals in the second half from Pedersen and Reid sent us to defeat, and meant we had to win our next game, and one of the others to finish in the top four

---

That next game was, luckily, at home, and saw us face Steve Bruce's Birmingham. After the Blackburn game, we needed a win, and once 69 minutes had passed it looked like being another annoying game. The visitors had clearly come for a point, and put ten men behind the ball at every opportunity, but we were rescued by our star man again, as a hat-trick from Saivet in the last twenty minutes won us the game. His first was a left footed volley, before his headed second two minutes later, and his third saw him round the 'keeper and slide into the open goal for his 25th goal of the season and guaranteeing us European football for next season

[sherm]

April 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Newcastle 4-2 Watford

Menez (3,25) Owen (45) Elmander (46) : Saivet (1,87)

Watford 2-2 West Ham

Saivet (9) Aaritalo (52) : Bowyer (11) Ashton (25)

Watford 1-0 Charlton

Jurado (2)

Blackburn 3-1 Watford

Reid (25,86) Pedersen (53) : Saivet (39)

Watford 3-0 Birmingham

Saivet (70,72,89)

[sherm]

This was it now. Everything we had worked for over the previous 8 months came down to our final two games of the season. All we had to do was avoid defeat in both of them, or win one of them, and we would be playing Champions League football the next season. The first one of these saw us make the trip to the capital to face Fulham. They sat 19th in the League, and were really struggling, and if they didn't win then they would be relegated. When Riki put us in front after just 7 minutes, their fans seemed almost resigned to defeat, and even an equaliser from Garry Bocaly wasn't enough to help them, and the 1-1 draw sent them tumbling into the Championship.

All that was left for us to do was to get a positive result in our final game, which saw Bolton visit Vicarage Road.. It was a dull game, and both sides were intent on not losing, and in the end we scraped a win, Mika Aaritalo's 66th minute goal ehough to secure us a third placed finish, our highest ever in the Premiership, and securing us Champions League football for the first time in our history. I was delighted with the team, and as we paraded on our lap of honour, the 20,000 plus fans stood up and gave us a much deserved standing ovation for our efforts that season

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

PL W D L GD PTS

1. Chelsea 38 22 10 6 +29 76

2. Man Utd 38 22 10 6 +23 76

3. WATFORD 38 20 10 8 +30 70

4. Arsenal 38 20 10 8 +29 70

5. Man City 38 19 10 9 +15 67

6. Blackburn 38 16 12 10 +11 60

7. Aston Villa 38 13 17 8 +6 56

8. Wigan 38 17 4 17 -12 55

</pre>

[sherm]

May 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Fulham 1-1 Watford

Bocaly (51) Riki (7)

Watford 1-0 Bolton

Aaritalo (66)

Watford qualify for UEFA Champions League

[sherm]

After three season at the helm, I thought it was about time to write a squad review. This way, we could assess the current crop of players, and see which positions would need strengthening in the summer.

Tomasz Kuszczak

I signed Tomasz as my first choice 'keeper from Man Utd, and he certainly repayed all that money I had paid for him. He saved us about 15 points all season, and without him I doubt we would have finished third. Excellent signing and terrific pro

Joe Hart

Since signing on loan way back in 2007, Joe has been superb. He was so good in our first season back in the Premiership, and he still has time to develop. I believe he will become a future England 'keeper, and I'm delighted to have him in the ranks

Brahim Hemdani

I signed Brahim from Rangers, and I felt his experience in both Europe and the SPL would be crucial, and it was. He proved to be an excellent buy and in his 30 odd games he was consistently good

Lloyd Doyley

He went about his business quietly, and in the last three season has played over 100 games. Hardly missed a game in the time I've been here, and has been a key cog in the team

Justin Hoyte

Proved to be a useful back-up for the right backs, and his ability will see him jump up ahead of Doyley. I can see what it was that Arsene Wenger rated so highly, and I was pleased Justin was here with us now

Hermann Hreirdarsson

Despite his advancing years, he proved a useful acquisition, his knowledge of the game proving vital to the team. Signed for a nominal fee, it was money well spent, but he won't see much more playing time in the next season

Jay DeMerit

Our American centre-back, and club captain has been influential in the centre of defence. He has played over 200 games for the club in his career, and with 50 plus international caps he would be a vital asset for the team in the future seasons

Danny Shittu

The other member of our successful centre back pairing, and another man with over 100 games for the club. The big Nigerian is an intimidating figure, and I am sure he will be a good player for more years to come in the middle with DeMerit

Havard Nordtveit

The on loan man from Arsenal is a hell of a player, and is rated highly at Highbury. That will not dissuade me from trying to purchase Havard on a permanent basis, his ability is unquestionable and his future is bright

David

Another ageing member of the squad, but he played so far beyond my expectations that he played 27 games for the side. He was consistent and has earnt himself an extension to his contract, although he won't get as much time on the pitch as he did this season

Giourkas Seitaridis

The one man in the back line that has real quality about his play. He is a European Championship winner, and a Greek international with 87 caps to his name. Still on the right side of 30, and still with plenty more to offer to the side in forthcoming years

[sherm]

Al Bangura

Not played too much over the last couple of seasons, but has not whined or complained. Still a good player, and his talents are useful, so he will have a future at the club if he applies himself well

Mohammed Shawky

Mo is a great player, and as a defensive midfielder he does his job without any fuss. His age is going for him too, and he has much playing time ahead of him. I am delighted that he opted to join us, and I am dleighted he will be here for another three season at least

Jobi McAnuff

Another excellent player among our plethora of midfielders, and he doesn't play too much, but when he does he certainly does the business

Jermaine Pennant

Pennant is, and always has been, a quality player, and I was delighted to take him off Liverpool's hands last year. Jermaine has a reputation of being a trouble causer, but he has been nothing but good for us

Mika Aaritalo

The Finnish international is a quality player, and his ability to play on the wing or upfront is something that I am happy to have at my disposal

Lee Martin

People were unsure why I signed Lee, but he is a quality player and I knew he was capable of playing at this level. For £750,000 it was a bargain of a signing

Jose Manuel Jurado

Jose came on loan for Atletico Madrid, and I am trying to sign permanently. He has undoubted quality and I am sure he would sign for us permanently

Mika Vayrynen

Mika oozes quality, and he is a quality player who is international class. For £2million pounds it was a bargain signing, and he has proved to be clas. Scored goals and made goals, and I'm delighted to have him here

Henri Saivet

World Class. That's the only word I can use to describe Henri. The Frenchman scored 25 league goals, and for a 19 year old that is brilliant. I paid £7.5million but I paid it for a good reason. He is sheer class

Riki

The Spaniard has played beyond all my expectations, and I am more than happy with how he has performed. Has scored some vital goals for the team, and he has been a terrific signing for the team

Tomas Pekhart

The former Spurs man is a top notch young player, and I am sure he will be a good asset for the team. He can improve, and will improve, so I'm glad he will do that here

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel came on loan and performed admirably, scoring ten time in 21 games. I will try to get him on loan again, but if the Spurs management is worth their salt then he will get some playing time for them next season

[sherm]

The end of season awards proved to be quite a success for us, with Henri Saivet winning young player of the year (quite comfortably too) while I finished third in manager of the year. The team of the year contained three of our players, as Seitaridis, Kuszczak and Saivet all earnt their spots. My plan for the summer was simple. Move into the new house with Jess, and practice the golf. On the footballing side of things, I planned to sit down and watch the World Cup, while scouting players to sign for the new season. I wanted to sign players who had played in Europe before and would give us that edge in the Champions League, something which I was immensely looking forward to, despite the fact we could be humiliated.

It took us three days to get everything into the house properly, and luckily I had managed to time it so as to be able to sit down and watch the opening game of the competition, which saw holders Italy face Ghana. I think the Rossineri were expecting an easy game, but I was surprised as to how the Ghana players acquitted themselves. They were led by the driving force of Chelsea's Michael Essien, and could count themselves highly unfortunate to lose to Alberto Gilardino's goal

The same day, France beat Sweden in another tight game, Thierry Henry's 50th goal for his country sending the 2006 runners up to an opening victory. My work had started soon after the Italy win though, as I had quickly wrapped up a deal to sign young striker Rhys Murphy from Chelsea on a 5 year deal. I had been notified of him last season, when he had bagged 34 goals for Chelsea's reserves, and I felt he would prove to be a vital asset. He had raw pace, power, and could finish the ball from almost anywhere, so for a fee of £2.9 million I felt confident that we had gotten a good player

[sherm]

The second transfer I secured was one that the fans thought was a really mouth watering prospect to all the fans who had witnessed our rise in the previous season. Boca Juniors defensive midfielder Ever Banega had made his mark with th Argentinian national team, and I was convinced he was the man for us. I made a total of three bids for Ever and my final bid of £9.25 million was the one that Boca found acceptable. Ever wanted to test himself at the highest level, and as we were playing in the Champions League he had no hesitation in signing, and he would join on the opening of the transfer window as the club record signing.

---

The undoubted game of the World Cup so far saw Germany take on Brazil. It was a hell of a game, which saw chances galore created, but in the end the Germans were good enough to see off the five time World Cup winners 2-1. Klose and Schweinsteiger got the goals, while Kaka scored for the South Americans. The next game that I manged to watch saw France put 5 goals past a helpless Morocco. I couldn't help but sit and watch the match and think that Henri Saivet was good enough to be in that France team. Still, I was happy that he was playing for us, and if he didn't have to go away for international duty then it was better for us.

We managed to add one more player to the ranks too, as I added a third 'keeper to the ranks by completing the £1.4 million transfer of Mallorca's 'keeper Miguel Angel Moya. He would provide some excellent cover for Kuszczak and would be a good competitor for Joe Hart. I was pleased with how the squad was progressing, and with how the transfers were shaping up. There was one in particular that I had my eye on, a player who has played in the best leagues in the world, and if I could bring him to the club then I think that we could progress even further than we had already

[sherm]

I had watched England secure their progression through to the next round of the World Cup at the expense of Nigeria, a game in which Michael Owen scored his 54th England goal as they ran out 1-0 winners. The day before though, I had watched a highly polished Czech Republic side dismantle a top class Portugal side without breaking into a sweat. They came away with a 3-0 win, in which they had controlled the game with ease and composure, and I was mightily impressed with their performance.

Two players who had been on loan with us last season had done particularly well, and I had tried to make big efforts to bring them to the club on a permanent basis. One of these players was Atletico Madrid's attacking midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado. He had been excellent for us the previous season, chipping in with some vital goals and assists, and he was useful back-up to Mika Vayrynen, so for £2.5 million I was more than content to bring him to Vicarage Road. The second of these players was one that really excited me, as I felt he was a great prospect for the future, and a future captain of his country. Havard Nordtveit was rated highly at the Emirates, but he didn't see himself having a future at the club, and he felt that joining us would be a better career move for him. I was pleased he would be joining us, and for less than £3 million it was a hell of a bargain

---

Jess loved the new house, as did I, and we were as much a couple now as we had ever been. I loved her to bits, and without her in my life I don't know what I would do. The fact we had our own place meant we were getting closer, and I knew that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to be married again, and I certainly didn't know if Jess wanted to. There was only one way to find out, so I made it my next task to ask her in a discreet manner

As I was planning the perfect way to bring it up in conversation, I settled down to watch England meet USA in their second round game in the World Cup. Our own Jay DeMerit played at the back for the USA, and earnt himself man of the match for a stunning performance in a game in which the American's surprisingly came out on top, with a gutsy 1-0 win thanks to Freddy Adu's goal, and the England players made their way home from the tournament

[sherm]

The biggest signing of our history so far was completed in the next 48 hours, as Real Madrid's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder agreed terms on a £9.75 million transfer, another club record. The simplest thing to say is that Sneijder is quality. A man with plenty of international caps, Champions League winners medals, Spanish Primers Division medals and just a class act on the pitch. This world class player would be plying his trade at Watford for at least three seasons, and the fans were ecstatic. Shirt sales were boosted, and I was praised for my foresight in bringing such a player to the club. I just wanted the team to progress, so I was more than happy to make Wesley the club record signing

A second signing was completed 24 hours later, as Chelsea's left back Slobodan Rajkovic joined us on a season long loan. He was another highly rated young player, and the Champions wanted him to get some first team action, and a player with his talents would certainly get that off me. Slobodan fitted in perfectly with the team, and all the new signings were starting to fit in well. With our first pre-season game not far away, all that mattered now was to get the fitness of the players up and get them playing and gelling together

That opening pre-season game saw us visit Hungary to face second division side Kosanica, a team that I knew nothing about. They were apparently not very good, and when we finished the game as 4-0 winners that appeared to be an accurate assessment. Mika Aaritalo scored a brace, while Rhys Murphy rounded off his impressive performance with a goal. The other goal for us came from Riki, and the boys looked good together. Straight after the match, I was on the phone with Frank Rijkaard and finalised a deal for their young left back Alex, a player who I felt would be a star in years to come and someone whos talents I was more than willing to pay £85,000 for

[sherm]

I completed what would turn out to be the final signing of the Transfer window, as Yoann Gouffran joined on a season long loan. The Franchman was a good player, and I was sure he would prove to be a good addition to the squad. The team we had looked like it was more than good enough to compete for the title, but I was worried about how we would fair in the Champions League. We were entering the competition in the 3rd qualifying round, and with some tough teams in that phase we would do well to qualify for the Group stages

---

Our final three pre-season games saw us collect two wins and a draw, and in the three games we scored nine times without reply. The fitness of the players was gradually getting better and I was confident that when it came to the opening day we would be able to start the season off on the right foot, and with three points. I had also been greeted by the news of who our opponents would be in the third round qualifiers for the Champions League...Sporting Lisbon. This did not give me confidence, and I was expecting two very tough games against the former European Champions. We also had a tough start to the Premiership, with two former Champions in the first four games, but I had full faith in my squad and knew we could get off to a great start in the season

I had mentioned the idea of marriage to Jess, basically asking her if she wanted to get married again. Her response had been that she would do if the time was right, but she wouldn't want me to if I didn't feel right about it. I had left it at that, but I knew she was the woman I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, and made up my mind to propose to her when I found the perfect time. She is an incredible, wonderful and amazing woman and I just can't wait to be with her for the rest of my lifetime

[pr1celess]

this is an amazing story sherm. i'm enjoying hearing about playin golf with botham and the boys and the relationship with jess as much as the football! this is a great story, and well done for getting to the champions league. I'm still playing FM07 as Millwall struggling against relegation to the championship! KUTGW!

[sherm]

Priceless - Thanks for that high praise, it really encourages me to keep going. I used to write about football wholly, but I thought I'd add a few twists and turns. Glad to have you along

---

Our first Premiership game was one I wanted to do well in, get a good start to the season. This looked easier said than done, as Man Utd were the team who took the trip to Vicarage Road. I knew we were capable of winning the game, and when last seasons top scorer Henri Saivet put us into a 7th minute lead, we should have pushed on from there. We did go in at half time in front, but that lasted until 27 seconds of the second half had passed, as Carlos Tevez levelled his side up. Four minutes later, we were behind, Rooney converting Ronaldo's cross via DeMerit's foot. This woke us up, and we pressed after this, creating four good chances, but it wasn't till the 80th minute that we drew level, Aaritalo picking up the pass from Saivet and sliding underneath Carson to give us a point that we deserved

---

The team didn't have a lot of time to rest up, as we had just two days before the first leg of our Champions League qualifier. Sporting Lisbon would be a tough test, and I was 100% focused on getting the boys as focused as they needed to be for the game. Looking at their squad though, I knew we had a chance. In the home leg, we needed to take advantage and get a clear lead. We started well, and for the second game we took an early lead, Riki firing across the goal and in off the far post. We doubled this advantage five minutes into the second half, Wesley Sneijders first goal for the club, with a 30 yarder curling into the top corner, a peach of a goal to open your account with. It looked like we had almost secured our path through when Mika Vayrynen scored our third after 75 minutes, but Kikin Fonseca's 89th minute goal could come back to haunt us. Hopefully not, but a clean sheet would have been nice

[sherm]

Before our next home game, I managed to get a round of golf in with Ian, and he was keen to discuss our chances for the season. He seemed sure that we could push for the title, and although I felt we could challenge, I was still dubious that we could win it. Ian had become a good friend of late, and it was nice to have a sportsman as a friend who knew what it was like to be at the top of his game. Ian was a legend, and I was always willing to listen to somebody as experienced as him

Our quest in the League saw us have a third home game on the trot, this time Lancashire side Wigan made the visit. They were a side who were not very good, and I fully expected the three points. Rhys Murphy felt obliged to agree, as he volleyed us into a 14th minute lead. Paul Scharner drew his side level on 20 minutes, but the game was secured with second half strikes from Mika Vayrynen, who fired home the ball from 25 yards, before our other Mika scored a superb individual goal, beating three men before rounding the 'keeper and slotting into the open goal. It was a good performance from the side, and I had been pleased to see youngster Rhys Murphy bagging a goal on his debut, and he had looked impressive throughout the match.

We had been handed a tough start to the season, although I had to admit that if we were going to have a push for the title we needed to beat the top teams, such as the Chelsea's, or the Arsenal's or the Man Utd's, and I had drummed it into the side. I was delighted with the way the players had gelled together, and I was sure that we could improve on our fourth place finish the previous season. I also had the undeniable support of the board, which was a nice thing to know, and when I had asked them for anything they had been superb. They were currently in the process of expanding the stadium to 30,000 seats, a size that was still too small. We were a big club, so we needed to operate like a big club

[sherm]

Our first away game of the League season couldn't have been much tougher, as we travelled to North London to face Arsenal. They had been underachieveing in recent times, but the talent that they had in the ranks left many people drooling at the mouth. A measure of this was the fact that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, a world class striker, could not get a game and sat warming the bench constantly, which was scary really. The scary thing in the game though, was how dominating we were. The home side were terrible, and without a late penalty they wouldn't have gotten anything from the game. It was goalless at half time, despite our 8 chances, but we did take the lead in the 68th minute, star man Henri Saivet netting from Sneijder's cross. It looked like we would get the points, but DeMerit's mistimed tackle in the box led to Hleb's equaliser and both sides gaining a point

---

I had made my mind up to propose to Jess a fair while back, but I just hadn't had the opportunity ro do it. I had promised to take her to dinner two days before the Sporting Lisbon game, so made my mind up to do it then. Before that though, we had the final game of August to worry about, which saw us travel to the South Coast to face Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth. Former Arsenal man Carlos Vela gave the home side the lead, but we were the better side after that and bagged three unanswered goals. The first came ten minutes from half time, Murphy heading home Saivet's deflected cross. The Frenchman turned from provider to scorer in the second half, as he bagged a brace to send us to a 3-1 victory and end the month on a high note

[sherm]

August 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Watford 2-2 Man Utd

Saivet (7) Aaritalo (80) : Tevez (46) Rooney (50)

(UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1st Leg)

Watford 3-1 Sporting

Riki (15) Sneijder (50) Vayrynen (75) : Fonseca (89)

Watford 3-1 Wigan

Murphy (14) Vayrynen (47) Aaritalo (90) : Scharner (20)

Arsenal 1-1 Watford

Hleb (pen 88) : Saivet (68)

Portsmouth 1-3 Watford

Vela (12) : Murphy (35) Saivet (69,81)

[sherm]

As I sat in the restaurant, Jess powdering her face, I began to get nervous. I hadn't ever done anything like this before, and though we had been together for a while, and I knew it was the right thing to do, I was still worried that she might say no. She came back a couple of minutes later, and I made up my mind to just get on with it. She sat down, so I moved across and got down on one knee

"Hugo, what are you doing?"

"Jess, in the last two years, you have made me more happy than I ever thought I could be. I didn't think I would ever fall in love again, but with you, I have.."

"Are you serious?"

"You mean everything to me, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. Jess, will you marry me?"

"Oh Hugo. Yes, yes of course I will. I'd love to be your wife"

I was so happy, I don't think I could have been any happier. If I was, I think I'd be dangerous. Jess had agreed to be my wife, and I was dleighted with how the football side of things was going, so I couldn't wait for each passing day to come

---

I hadn't told anyone yet, I wanted to wait until the right time, but the team had sensed something was going on with me and kept pestering me. I promised to tell them after the match, so imagine the flight to Portugal and how it went? I was confident of the game, and I knew that although they were a good side we were that much better, and held a 2 goal advantage

The away game at Sporting Lisbon was one we had to avoid defeat in, and we were going through to the group stages of the Champions League. We didn't go too adventurous to start with, as we got a feel for the game, but in the 34th minute we all but secured the game, as we cancelled out the away goal that Sporting had scored when Henri Saivet curled the ball home after a lovely interchange between him and Pennant. Six minutes later, we definately secured the game, Sneijder's free-kick flying into the top corner. The icing on the cake was put on in the 73rd minute, Jermiane Pennant converting Wesley's cross and sending us through into the group phase

[sherm]

Another difficult game on the road was up next, as we faced the Champions on their stomping ground. Surprisingly, Chelsea had not strengthened much over the summer, and had paid for this with nothing more than a mediocre start. I was happy with how we had started, and a win against the Champions would send us 2nd, so I told the side to go and gove it their best. I had just sat my backside on the seat when we went behind, the most unlikely scorer sending them in front, as Wayne Bridge thundered home from 30 yards. We were two nehind at half time, Ezequiel Garay's header having secured them a comfortable lead, but in the second half we were absolutely superb. Once Rhys Murphy scored our first in the 53rd minute, we were dominat, with Lee Martin, Murphy again and Henri Saivet sending us into a 4-2 lead. Bridge fired another 30 yarder into the goal in the 9oth minute, but we hung on for the win, a brilliant win as it happened.

The games were not getting any easier, as our first ever group game in the Champions League saw French Champions Lyon make the trip to Vicarage Road. I got the feeling that they weren't impressed with our compact ground, but the size of the pitch, and how close the fans actually were to the pitch worked in our favour, as Lyon seemed intimidated by it. They were also intimidated by the start we made, as Henri Saivet scored a brace in the opening twenty minutes to fire us into a lead. The French side did get back into it through a penalty from Fred just before half time, but Wesley Sneijder's third successive goal in European football adavanced our lead again. There was just time for one more goal, and that came from Sidney Govou just before the hour mark, but it wasn't the springboard for his side and we claimed three points on a fantastic European night for the club

[sherm]

I had told Shaun that I had got engaged to his sister, and he was delighted with that fact. We went out for a drink to celebrate, the first time that we had been to the pub together for a while. The reason for this was that Shaun had found himself settling down with his lady, so I hadn't had much chance to spend time with him. I wanted to meet him him because I wanted him to be my best man at the wedding. That would just top the day off with the perfection it deserved, and he had no problem accepting my offer

---

Newcastle were our next opponents, and they were a side that had caused us problems in recent times, so I was wary of the talent they had. It proved to be the same story again, as Ismael Aissati put them in front after 26 minutes. Our French striker Saivet volleyed us level five minutes later, and from then we should have done better, having a string of chances, all of which were stopped by Given. The winning goal came from David Edgar eleven minutes from time, as he rose highest of the players in the box and secured the points for his team

The final game of the month saw a League Cup visit from Leeds. We fell behind to an Elliott goal, but we were the better side, and when substitute Rhys Murphy sent the game to extra time, there was only going to be one winner, and Rhys finished the game on the half time interval in extra time with a stunning strike which flew hard and fast into the top corner and sent us progressing through to the 4th round of the competition with ease

[sherm]

September 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

(UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifiying Round 2nd Leg)

Sporting 0-3 Watford

Saivet (34) Sneijder (40) Pennant (73)

Chelsea 3-4 Watford

Bridge (2,90) Garay (37) : Murohy (53,73) Martin (58) Saivet (78)

(UEFA Champions League)

Watford 3-2 Lyon

Saivet (1,18) Sneijder (53) : Fred (pen 42) Govou (59)

Watford 1-2 Newcastle

Saivet (31) : Aissati (26) Edgar (79)

(League Cup 3rd Round)

Watford 2-1 Leeds

Murphy (79,105) : Elliott (15)

[Spav]

Consistently top quality, sherm.

Playing-wise, 3rd place was excellent last season and the start to the new year promises even more.

[sherm]

Thanks a lot Spav. You're constant support has really encouraged me to keep writing on this

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The next test we faced was another that looked like it would be tough on paper, as we travelled to Merseyside to face Everton. It turned out be the strangest game of football I had seen in a long time, as all six goals came in a 40 minute period in the second half. The first half had seen several chances made, but the only ones of note saw Saivet force Howard into a save, while Tim Cahill hit the post with a header. The opening goal in the second half came from substitute Riki, who picked up the ball and ran 20 yards before firing home with his left foot. The home side equalised on 75 minutes, Lescott heading home Arteta's cross, but a crazy last ten mintes saw us secure the points, as we scored four times. Riki put us back in front, before a brace of headers from captain Jay DeMerit secured it, before Henri Saivet fired home from a 30 yard free-kick to send us to a brilliant 5-1 win against what was a very good team

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We had another away game in the midweek fixtures, as we travelled to Italy to face Roma in the Champions League. With plenty of players who were world class, there was a dnager that we could be completely outclassed and embarassed, but as it was we performed admirably. The only goal of the game came on the half hour, as Francesco Totti used his abundance of skills to weave his way through and slide past Kuszczak, but in the second half there was no doubt about who was the better side, as we created four or five top notch chances. The best of the lot fell to Sneijder, who rattled the bar with a 12 yard thunderbolt, and even Saivet missed a couple of good chances, but I was delighted with how the team had performed and we were unfortunate in defeat, but I let the lads know just how proud I was of them

[sherm]

Due to our European commitments, we didn't have a league game until the sunday, so I relaxed on the Saturday with a round with Ian and Alan. This time, we had a cheeky punt, with the winner walking away with the money, and it looked like I would be the winner as we strolled to the 18th, but I had a mare and Botham won. It was only firndly, and banter was always going on between the three of us, but I always enjoyed the golf as it helped me to relax, get away from the stress of the football and my life

Normal service was resumed the next day, as Birmingham made their way to Vicarage Road. It was clear from the first whistle that they were happy enough to settle for the point, as they constantly had 7,8,9 or ten men behind the ball when we were on the attack, and no matter what we were trying it just wouldn't work. Henri Saivet forced the 'keeper into three good svaes, while Vayrynen and Sneijder both had free-kicks tipped over. DeMerit had a header cleared off the line, and Ever Banega should have had a penalty in the 78th minute, but it wasn't to be and inevitably the game finished 0-0, a result the visitors were delighted with.

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We had over a week to wait for our next game, as our supposed game with Sunderland was re-arranged for December, so we didn't have a test until we travelled up to Manchester to face Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City. They had done well the last few years, but this season so far they had failed to adapt, and sat in a disappointing mid-table position. This led me to believe we could pick up three points, and this is exactly what we did, although we did have to wait until the second half to seal the points. Once Henri Saivet opened the scoring just after the hour, it was game over for the blue half of Manchester, and further goals from Rhys Murphy and Mika Vayrynen sent us to a convincing 3-0 win, which kept us 2nd in the table

[sherm]

Another European game was next up, as Porto made the trip to our place. With one win and one defeat, we really needed a win to keep ourselves on track to qualify. As it turned out, it was probably our worst performance of the season, and as soon as Barbosa put his side in front after 6 minutes, we just didn't get into the game at all. No matter what we tried, the experience of the Porto defenders stopped us in our track, and we just could not find our way through to the Porto goal. I expressed my disappointment at the way they had played and wanted them to pick up their performance or face in danger of going out of the competition

We were back to domestic action to end the month, and the visit of Tottenham saw me sit in the dugout for the 150th time as Watford manager. I don#t know if the team knew this or not, but they were absolutely superb, as we secured our biggest victory under my charge. Henri Saivet scored a brace in the opening 7 minutes, but an eleven minute hat-trick from former Spurs man Tomas Pekhart secured the match, but Havard Nordtveit added a 6th just after half time. It seems a strange score, but the visitors didn't help themselves when their two centre halves, Onuoha and Dawson, got them selves sent off after 3 and 6 minutes respectively, and we just took advantage of the situation and ran away with a fabulous victory

[sherm]

October 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

Everton 1-5 Watford

Lescott (75) : DeMerit (50,80) Riki (82,90) Saivet (90)

(UEFA Champions League)

Roma 1-0 Watford

Totti (30)

Watford 0-0 Birmingham

Man City 0-3 Watford

Saivet (63) Murphy (66) Vayrynen (84)

(UEFA Champions League)

Watford 0-1 Porto

Barbosa (6)

Watford 6-0 Tottenham

Saivet (1,7) Pekhart (9,10,20) Nordtveit (48)

[sherm]

After sitting down with Jess, the date for the wedding had been set. June 23rd, 2011. I couldn't wait to be married to Jess. She was an incredibly amazing person, and I knew that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She had been so supportive of me, and had just been brilliant since I met her. I love her, I really do, and although I never thought I'd get married again, I know she is the woman I should be marrying

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It must be over 20 years since I watched m first ever football game, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Ibrox, February 1985. It was a bitterly cold day, a typical Scottish winter. Rangers were playing my beloved Aberdeen. I went with my dad that day, and walking up to the ground holding his hand was just amazing. We arrived at the stadium minutes before kick-off and I could hear the crowd rumbling into action, getting louder and louder as we approached the doorway into the stadium. As we took our seats, I knew it was the life for me to live. Football was everything, and I just wanted to be a part of it for the rest of my life. It didn't matter to me that Aberdeen lost 3-1, although as I got older results meant more, but I loved the atmosphere, and the way the crowd got the players going. Brilliant

The League Cup saw us make a visit to the JJB and Wigan, and a game I expected us to win and progress through to the next round. I opted for my usual plan of resting many first team players, with a total of 7 changes for the game, but it made no difference and we ran out as winners. It was a solitary goal that won the game, as Rhys Murphy picked up the pass and curled it into the bottom corner in the first half. To be fair, we could have had several more goals in the match, but I didn't really mind the fact we only won with the one goal, and we advanced through to our first quarter final in the League Cup

[sherm]

We stayed and trained in Lancashire for the next three days, as our next game, which was in the Premiership, was away at Bolton, just up the road from the JJB. They were a struggling side, who had narrowly avoided relegation last season, so I expected another win from my players. I still didn't have a full set of players out, as we had a massive European game coming up, but I knew that we had the capabilities of to pick up the points. The game was secured after ten minutes, as goals from Henri Saivet and Rhys Murphy sent us flying into a two goal lead, before a second half brace from Wesley Sneijder secured the points. They were two absolute stunners too, both from 30 yards and both finding the top corner to send us on our way.

Our away games continued, as we travelled to Portugal to face Porto. It was a game we desperately needed to win to keep alive our hopes, but I knew it would not be easy at all. The boys were superb though, and Henri Saivet continued his record of scoring as he bagged a first half brace with two typical finishes, as he placed the ball both times. We went in with a 2-0 lead, but the Frenchman turned from scorer to provider in the second half as he slid the ball across the box with ten minutes to go and substitute Riki popped up at the far post and slotted into the empty goal to seal the win. We gave away a silly penalty in stoppage time, but it made no difference and we moved up to third in the group

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The board had finalised their plans to expand the stadium, and once it was finished Vicarage Road would hold 30,000 people. Until then though, a temporary stand would have to be erected to hold the fans who would be evicting the North stand to allow for the building work. I had suggested the work to the board as I felt we needed to have a big club structure if we were going to be one. The board's monthly report had arrived as usual, and they had expressed their delight at the way things were going. I had this season and next season on my contract, and in that time I wanted to bring Watford to the top of the Premier League. I kenw we could do it, and so did the players

[sherm]

West Ham provided our next test, and again we were brilliant, finding the net four times for the second time that month. We did find ourselves behind though, as Martin Petrov fired the ball across Kuszczak and into the far corner. Henri Saivet again did the business, as he equalised three minutes later, before a goal right on half time, and one four minutes into the second period sent us into a 3-1 lead and completed Henri's hat-trick. Arturo Lupoli got his team right back into the game, but with two minutes left in the match we sealed it, as substitute Pekhart headed home Vayrynen's cross and won us the game with a 4-2 victory

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I had been impressed with Saivet's form so far this season. He had hit 25 league goals the previous season, but so far he had been scoring with constant ease and compusure, finding the back of the net 19 times this season, and he had been phenomenal, more than repaying his £7.5 million transfer fee. He was one of the first names on the team sheet for any game, and it was no different on our visit to Middlesbrough. Despit Mido's fourth minute goal putting the home side in front, Saivet scored his 20th goal of the season to level things up, but two goals in a minute settled the match. Johnson headed home to put the home side ahead again, but within 60 seconds Mika Vayrynen had levelled it up and secured the point for us, keeping us in the top two of the table

[sherm]

November 2010 Summary

(Premiership unless stated)

(League Cup 4th Round)

Wigan 0-1 Watford

Murphy (32)

Bolton 0-4 Watford

Saivet (1) Murphy (10) Sneijder (70,87)

(UEFA Champions League)

Porto 1-3 Watford

Maurales (pen 90) : Saivet (9,33) Riki (80)

Watford 4-2 West Ham

Saivet (26,45,49) Pekhart (88) : Petrov (23) Lupoli (62)

Middlesbrough 2-2 Watford

Mido (4) Johnson (40) : Saivet (27) Vayrynen (41)