MATCH THREAD: “ CARDIFF CITY v WATFORD “ MATCH THREAD

CARDIFF CITY v WATFORD
Friday 22nd February 2019, 7.45pm
Premier League
Cardiff City Stadium


Cardiff City: Etheridge, Morrison, Manga, Bamba, Paterson, Bacuna, Ralls, Bennett, Arter, Murphy, Niasse

Subs: Smithies, Zohore, Reid, Gunnarsson, Cunnigham, Mendez-Laing, Hoilett

It’s pay on the night for both sets of fans


Despite Neil Warnock suggesting otherwise, Sean Morrison comes back in to captain the side, while Josh Murphy and Leandro Bacuna also start.

Aron Gunnarsson, Bobby Reid and Lee Peltier are the players to make way.

Meanwhile, Watford have made two alterations to their side for tonight.

Ken Sema and Jose Holebas are the players drop out to be replaced by Roberto Pereyra and Adam Masina.




Gunnarsson / Zohore both fit to play


NEIL WARNOCK:

Few niggles injury-wise

Team news?

"We’ve got two or three niggles. We’re optimistic one or two might be doing full training, but we’re not far from a full squad at the moment."


Neil Warnock:

Victor Camarsa

"If he's fit, he's playing, so it's difficult to know at the moment."

"It's so much easier when you've got someone like Sol Bamba who says 'I'm fit gaffer' - even when he's not."

Bamba has been playing through a thigh problem, while Cardiff will hope on-loan Real Betis playmaker Camarasa can shake off his calf problem to feature against Watford on Friday night.



WATFORD:

For the Hornets, star midfield man Roberto Pereyra and forward Isaac Success are expected to return from injuries.

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Why is the match on Friday?

The match is on Friday on police request. This is because Wales play England in Cardiff in the Six Nations rugby on Saturday.

Cardiff City’s match is NOT on TV.

About Watford

Watford Football Club is a professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, that plays in the Premier League, the highest level in the English football league system. Founded in 1898 by the amalgamation of West Herts and Watford St. Mary's. After finishing the 1914–15 season as Southern League champions under the management of Harry Kent, Watford joined the Football League in 1920. The club played at several grounds in its early history, before moving to a permanent location at Vicarage Road in 1922, where it remains. Watford spent most of the following half century in the lower divisions of The Football League, changing colours and crest on multiple occasions.

England manager Graham Taylor's tenure at the club saw Watford scale new heights. Between Taylor's appointment in 1977 and departure in 1987, Watford rose from the Fourth Division to the First Division. The team finished second in the First Division in the 1982–83 season, competed in the UEFA Cup in 1983–84, and also reached the 1984 FA Cup Final. Watford experienced a decade of decline between 1987 and 1997, before Taylor returned as full-time manager, leading the team to successive promotions from the renamed Second Division to the Premier League for one season in 1999–2000. The club experienced a further one season stint in the top division of English football during the 2006–07 season, under Aidy Boothroyd's management; eight years in the Championship followed. Watford secured promotion in 2014–15, and have competed in the Premier League since the 2015–16 season finishing 13th, 17th and 14th respectively.

Watford is owned by the Pozzo family, which also owns Udinese Calcio in Italy and previously Granada CF in Spain. Sir Elton John, who owned Watford during both of Graham Taylor's successful periods as manager, served alongside Taylor as the club's joint Honorary Life President until 2008, only to later resume the role he shared alongside Graham Taylor until Taylor's death.

Previous Meeting

We lost 3-2 at Watford in December. The hosts had a 3-0 lead after goals from Gerard Deulofeu, Jose Holebas and Domingos Quina. The late consolation goals for the Bluebirds came from Junior Hoilett and Bobby Decordova-Reid.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Cardiff City: Etheridge, Peltier, Manga, Bamba, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Arter, Paterson, Decordova-Reid, Niasse

Watford: Foster, Janmaat, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes, Sema, Deulofeu, Deeney

Form - Last Three Games

Southampton 1-2 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 2-0 AFC Bournemouth
Arsenal 2-1 Cardiff City

QPR 0-1 Watford
Watford 1-0 Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Watford

Match Odds

Cardiff City - 19/10
Watford - 7/5
Draw - 23/10

Predictions

Post your predictions below

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Despite 2 late goals they battered us up there, home win this time

Watford win 1-0 tonight at QPR in the FA Cup to progress to the quarter finals.

I'm going for a draw 2-2.c'mon boys make me look daft

I think this depends on which Watford team turn up.
They can be brilliant with some excellent individual players and win 3-0 or they can be awful and lose 3-0

Hopefully the later turns up Friday

We will scrape a draw I think but really this is a game we need to win because on paper it's one of our best chances at points even though it will be tough

1-1

It’s pay on the night for both sets of fans

Going for another 2-1 win for us, got my ticket already

2-0 city

2-1 to the best football club in the world with the best fans, the mighty Bluebirds!!!!

3 - 2 to city just got a feeling watford will not travel well enough to keep us out, niasse to break his duck.

3 - 2 to city just got a feeling watford will not travel well enough to keep us out, niasse to break his duck.

Let's hope he has some good glue to put the duck back together then.

BANANAS

It could have been his d.ck but that's probably draging in the grass.

Troy Deeney, Cardiff City's failed summer pursuit and why the Bluebirds might have missed a trick on the Watford skipper


By Dominic Booth

Wednesday 20th February 2019


Cardiff City will lock horns with a familiar foe on Friday night; someone who has proven a thorn in their side both in the Championship and the Premier League.

But there's more to the Bluebirds' relationship with Troy Deeney, Watford's captain and talisman.

They made a very serious attempt to sign Deeney last summer.

It could have been the signing to solve the problem that plagued the first half of Cardiff's season; a problem that has only recently been addressed by the form of Oumar Niasse and — against Southampton at least — Kenneth Zohore.

But how close did they come? And does the Deeney evidence from this season suggest he would have suited Neil Warnock's side?


What happened in the summer

Despite having Gary Madine, Anthony Pilkington and Lee Tomlin around their squad in the summer — all of whom have now moved elsewhere — Cardiff knew they needed a striker of top-flight quality and experience.

Zohore's scoring record in the Championship told Warnock he needed another option. Deeney was on the transfer wish-list along with other names such as Danny Ings, who ended up at relegation rivals Southampton.

The news that Cardiff were targeting Deeney was met with a mixed reception in south Wales, though most were excited at the prospect of the bustling target man donning the blue shirt.

Deeney's reputation for troubling Premier League defences with his physicality, and his leadership qualities, made him an attractive proposition.

Unfortunately for the Bluebirds, Watford's asking price of £15million proved too steep for a player whose peak years are behind him. His reported wages of £100,000 per week were also an issue.





Cardiff may have been willing to splash £10million.

And although it appeared Deeney had dropped down the Hornets' pecking order, boss Javi Gracia didn't want to make too many adjustments to his squad. It was never a goer, despite t he bona fide Bluebirds' interest.





What's happened since

Deeney, forever a forceful and charismatic personality, has defied any doubts about his age.

It was understood the 30-year-old would have departed Vicarage Road had the club been willing to sell in the summer.

But it says so much about his status at Watford that he stayed and has firmly held off the challenge from Andre Gray, whose sparkling pre-season form threatened to demote Deeney.

He's started 20 of the Hornets' 26 league games. Gray and Isaac Success have started eight apiece, while Stefan Okaka failed to start a game before leaving for Udinese on loan in the summer.


Deeney has never been known for a prolific goal record.

But he's chipped in with six goals already this season — as many as he managed in the whole of last term — as Gracia's men have won plaudits en route to 37 points and eighth place in the table.




Did Cardiff miss a trick?

Deeney's all-action performance in the Watford win over Cardiff earlier this season told them all they needed to know.

While the Bluebirds floundered badly at Vicarage Road in one of their poorest displays of the campaign ( 3-2 was a very flattering scoreline ), Deeney ran riot. In contrast, Cardiff couldn't use their forward — a converted right-back in Callum Paterson — to any great effect.

With Gerard Deulofeu playing in the pocket behind him, the Walsall product used his physicality and hold-up play to bring the Spaniard and others into play.

That game, and others, persuaded Warnock to go out and spend big on a striker in January.

It's an incredibly sensitive subject, but £15m was the fee the Bluebirds paid for Emiliano Sala last month.

We all know that tragedy denied Warnock his record signing and affected subsequent transfer dealings. But Deeney could have been there since the start of the season for the same money.

The onus is now on Niasse to fill the void up front for the Bluebirds and build on a promising start since signing on loan from Everton.

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I'm hoping for a 2-0 but think it will end 2-2

Does anyone know whether it's on TV anywhere - or if it can be streamed

Too good to be true to steal 3 points ahead of other fixtures and have a relaxing Saturday... 1-2

Watford head coach Javi Gracia has spoken highly of his this Friday's opposition manager, Neil Warnock and has tried to convince his own players they need to win the match as much as their hosts do.

Cardiff are sitting perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone, while the Hornets are looking comfortable in eighth on 37 points.

However, Gracia wants his side to remain ambitious in their pursuit of a strong finish to the season.

He said: "You never know what's going to happen, we know Cardiff needs the points, but I want to convince my players we need them as well and we have to show it if we want to win.

Recent reports suggest that Watford skipper Troy Deeney was the subject of a transfer bid from the Bluebirds in the summer, but Gracia is pleased to still have his captain playing for him.

He said: "I really don’t know what happened last summer, but what I can say is the way I see Troy Deeney train every day and as you know, he's the captain, he's one of the most important players for us and he shows his commitment, his ambition and desire in all the games."

Delefeo biggest threat what a player cannot believe everton let him go a few seasons back,he's like holliet on "speed"

1 - 0 to Cardiff in a tight match.

2-1 City - niasse first goal

NEIL WARNOCK:

Few niggles injury-wise

Team news?

"We’ve got two or three niggles. We’re optimistic one or two might be doing full training, but we’re not far from a full squad at the moment."

Too many distractions in the club will filter to the players. Not winning this

The latest on Sean Morrison after appendix op

Warnock gives an update on Morrison after he suffered a burst appendix last month.

NEIL WARNOCK:

"Morrison is training. He had another tough session yesterday, he’s just got to have a bit of football in his locker. It’s pointless rushing him with three games in a week - I’m hoping he’ll be involved at some stage.
He’s our leader, to turn down an offer from Sheffield Wednesday and a massive wage increase was an amazing thing. His commitment has been fabulous and he said something special was happening."

Neil Warnock:

Victor Camarsa

"If he's fit, he's playing, so it's difficult to know at the moment."

"It's so much easier when you've got someone like Sol Bamba who says 'I'm fit gaffer' - even when he's not."

Bamba has been playing through a thigh problem, while Cardiff will hope on-loan Real Betis playmaker Camarasa can shake off his calf problem to feature against Watford on Friday night.

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What's the latest team news?

Cardiff are likely to be without captain Sean Morrison, who is still recovering from an appendix operation.

Victor Camarasa is a doubt, with Warnock casting doubt over the Spaniard's fitness following a calf problem

For the Hornets, star midfield man Roberto Pereyra and forward Isaac Success are expected to return from injuries.

Latest odds Cardiff v Watford:

Courtesy of Paddy Power:


Cardiff win - 2/1

Watford win - 13/10

Draw - 23/10

Needs to play Murphy tonight and Bobby Reid behind Niasse

What's the latest team news?

Cardiff are likely to be without captain Sean Morrison, who is still recovering from an appendix operation.

Victor Camarasa is a doubt, with Warnock casting doubt over the Spaniard's fitness following a calf problem

For the Hornets, star midfield man Roberto Pereyra and forward Isaac Success are expected to return from injuries.

That is a worry. He's played little football this year. Wouldn't expect him to play 3 games in 8 days though and some other players s do will see some rotation possibly.

Why Cardiff City v Watford was moved to a Friday night and why it's not on TV



Friday 22nd February 2019



Fans of Cardiff City and Watford could have every right to wonder why their Premier League encounter is on Friday night rather than a normal Saturday or Sunday.

Especially when the game isn't even being shown on TV as part of Sky Sports' Friday night Football.

The game between West Ham United and Fulham was chosen to fill that television slot with broadcasters Sky and BT Sport deciding their February TV fixtures back on December 12.

The Bluebirds game against Watford, having not been chosen, would usually have been down for a Saturday 3pm kick off time — as was originally planned at the start of the season.

But due to the enormous Six Nations clash between Wales and England at the Principality Stadium, which gets under way at 4.45pm on Saturday, South Wales Police made the decision to switch the Cardiff City match.

The Bluebirds and the Welsh rugby team have played on the same day in the past, most recently in fact when a home contest with Leicester on November 3 last year clashed with Wales' autumn friendly against Scotland.


But the magnitude of this particular rugby game, with fierce rivals Wales and England both going for the Grand Slam and protecting unbeaten records, swayed the authorities to keep the sporting encounters on separate days.

It's a decision that slightly baffled Watford boss Javi Gracia , though the Spaniard revealed he had friends travelling to the Welsh capital for the football — and staying for the rugby.

“I’ve never been in a situation, as a player or coach, where our match has been moved because of rugby," he said.

“But I know there is a game of rugby this weekend because three friends from my home city, Pamplona, are coming over to watch it.

“And before that, they want to see our game against Cardiff as well.

“And I know how difficult it will be for us to win on Friday night. On the pitch, maybe Cardiff are in their best moment of the season and playing there will be very demanding for us.”

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Got me an early finish, 2 hours relaxing now the head to Cardiff