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Another away day, another defeat and another 1,700 Watford supporters wondering quite why they bothered making the journey. Wolves took the points with a 1-0 victory, but it was the manner of Watford's performance that had callers reaching for some particularly colourful descriptions. We discuss the tactics, the midfield that appeared to have gone missing and whether Dionisi has any answers left. At least the goalkeeper gave us something positive to talk about! Uncle Ron, Rich, Greg and Colin, Kaiden, Mike Duffy and Peter Fincham join us for a phone-in that moves well beyond the ninety minutes. From Gino Pozzo's recent interview and the growing frustration amongst supporters to questions about recruitment, leadership and what has happened to the club's traditional relationship with its fans, there's plenty to get our teeth into. We also hear about plans for a supporters' protest, revisit some memories of Watford's past and discover that Kaiden has developed a particularly strong opinion about one member of the midfield. We also take a moment to send our heartfelt condolences to Ben and his family following the loss of his mum. Our thoughts are with Ben, Katie, Isla and everyone close to them. Football matters enormously to us, but sometimes life provides a reminder of what really matters. We finish with a look at the wonderful work of Watford's Community Sports and Education Trust, a reminder that whatever happens on the pitch or in the boardroom, the community at the heart of this football club remains something worth celebrating. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, it had been a quiet week at Watford Football Club. Apart from two spectacular collapses, an intervention from Sir Elton John, an increasingly heated debate amongst supporters and Gino Pozzo deciding to have a chat with Roy Moore. Justin, Carl and Peter finally get together to make sense of it all, which may be asking rather a lot of three people who occasionally struggle to agree on what day it is. Still, with so much happening off the pitch, there's certainly no shortage of things to discuss oh ....and we beat Charlton. We examine the extraordinary sequence of events leading up to the Pozzo interview, what was said, what wasn't said and whether the whole exercise has brought supporters any closer to understanding where the club is heading. There's plenty to consider about finances, communication, the Supporters' Board and the increasingly fractious relationship between fans themselves. We also revisit some revealing comments from familiar Watford voices and ask whether social media is really representative of what supporters are thinking inside Vicarage Road. And somewhere amongst all this, there's actually a football team to discuss! Has the victory over Charlton offered genuine encouragement, or merely provided a temporary distraction from rather more uncomfortable questions? We consider Dionisi's tactical changes, the familiar uncertainty surrounding the manager's future and the curious business of protesting against a football club while simultaneously wanting it to win. There are a few laughs, some strong opinions and probably more questions than answers. Business as usual, then. Recorded 19th October COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Wolves away, and we're joined by Connor of the Molineux View, who appears to have commandeered Molineux itself, switched on the floodlights and settled in for a chat. We revisit that extraordinary FA Cup semi-final, compare the rather familiar frustrations of two clubs whose owners seem particularly fond of selling their best players, and discover how Wolves are finding life back in the Championship. Misery, it seems, enjoys company. We discuss the Portuguese influence at Wolves, the return of Raúl Jiménez, the managerial merry-go-round and why Fer López might be the player Watford should be particularly worried about. There's also some advice about avoiding Belgian football agents, a discussion about the merits of playing attractive football and the increasingly worrying discovery that Wolves and Watford might have rather more in common than either set of supporters would like. Meanwhile, the Completely Rubbish Prediction League descends into its usual magnificently pointless chaos. Brett takes us on a spiritual journey involving his grandfather and a washing machine, John struggles with the geography of the Black Country, and one of our Patrons makes a prediction before discovering who Watford are actually playing. Justin attempts to avoid responsibility, Carl invents some vocabulary and Peter discovers that producing this nonsense is considerably harder than it looks. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, that wasn't quite what we were expecting! After two thoroughly miserable defeats, Watford somehow rediscovered the concept of playing football and dispatched Nathan Jones's Charlton Athletic 2-0. The threatened protests failed to materialise, but the players certainly turned up, with a change of formation, some previously much-maligned performers earning deserved praise and the rather unfamiliar experience of enjoying a Saturday afternoon at Vicarage Road. Rich, Greg, Neal, Paul, John and Matt join us across two parts to discuss whether Dionisi has finally discovered that round pegs work rather better in round holes. But football is only half the story. Following an extraordinary week featuring interventions from Elton John, Troy Deeney,Paul Robinson and Tom Ince, plus Gino Pozzo's lengthy interview with Roy Moore, there's plenty to unpack about ownership, communication, finances and the increasingly complicated relationship between the club and its supporters. We hear sharply contrasting views on the Pozzo interview, question some of the explanations offered and revisit the looming Spanish tax trial. There's also an unexpected appearance from Kaiden's dad, a confession involving West Ham and ham sandwiches, and a reminder that football's greatest strength is the people who share it. A welcome victory, plenty of disagreement and a little perspective after a difficult week. The problems haven't disappeared, but for one afternoon at least, Watford gave us something to smile about. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, that wasn't quite what we were expecting! After two thoroughly miserable defeats, Watford somehow rediscovered the concept of playing football and dispatched Nathan Jones's Charlton Athletic 2-0. The threatened protests failed to materialise, but the players certainly turned up, with a change of formation, some previously much-maligned performers earning deserved praise and the rather unfamiliar experience of enjoying a Saturday afternoon at Vicarage Road. Rich, Greg, Neal, Paul, John and Matt join us across two parts to discuss whether Dionisi has finally discovered that round pegs work rather better in round holes. But football is only half the story. Following an extraordinary week featuring interventions from Elton John, Troy Deeney,Paul Robinson and Tom Ince, plus Gino Pozzo's lengthy interview with Roy Moore, there's plenty to unpack about ownership, communication, finances and the increasingly complicated relationship between the club and its supporters. We hear sharply contrasting views on the Pozzo interview, question some of the explanations offered and revisit the looming Spanish tax trial. There's also an unexpected appearance from Kaiden's dad, a confession involving West Ham and ham sandwiches, and a reminder that football's greatest strength is the people who share it. A welcome victory, plenty of disagreement and a little perspective after a difficult week. The problems haven't disappeared, but for one afternoon at least, Watford gave us something to smile about. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear Carlos do a passable impression of Justin by thoroughly depressing friend of the podcast and all round good egg, Andy Collins about ongoing events!!! COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Watford still picking up the pieces from two fairly spectacular collapses, Charlton Athletic arrive at Vicarage Road on Saturday for a game that may well be overshadowed by events off the pitch. We catch up with Louis from Charlton Live to discover how the Addicks are enjoying Championship life this season, why three opening victories have been followed by a rather frustrating winless run, and whether Tyreece Campbell is finally delivering on his considerable promise. Naturally, there's the small matter of Nathan Jones, whose Luton connections guarantee a warm Watford welcome, even if his touchline celebrations increasingly resemble a man attempting to escape from a climbing frame. We discuss Charlton's changing tactics, familiar footballing surnames, the value of actual Championship experience and why Louis rates one of Watford's recent tormentors rather more highly than the league table might suggest. Meanwhile, the Completely Rubbish Prediction League returns, with John attempting to extract a football score from a cappuccino and some dice, while the rest of the competitors demonstrate varying degrees of optimism, pessimism and what may now qualify as clinical despair.COYH!! COYH This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A 5-1 defeat at Cardiff, a performance that barely warrants the description, and reports emerging during the game that Watford might be preparing to dispense with yet another head coach. Justin, battling a dreadful cold, and Carl take the reins for a post-match phone-in that rapidly becomes about something far bigger than ninety minutes of football. Supporters are furious, but the anger as has been the case for a long time is not directed simply at the dugout. The questions being asked about Gino Pozzo, Scott Duxbury and the direction of Watford Football Club are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.   Callers from the away end, across the country and around the world try to make sense of a club many say they barely recognize. There's frustration at recruitment, disbelief at the players' performance and a growing fear that YET AGAIN changing the manager will simply restart a cycle everybody knows way, way, way too well. But amongst the anger there's also something rather different: a sense of unity, renewed purpose and cautious hope. Elton John's intervention, Roy Moore's forthcoming meeting with Gino Pozzo and the increasingly vocal supporter movements suggest that, whatever happens next, the conversation around Watford has fundamentally changed.   Peter joins later as the discussion turns towards the club's identity, its academy, the supporters who continue to travel extraordinary distances and what being a community club actually means. There are moments of genuine sadness, some gallows humour, and even the suggestion that Roy Moore might emerge from Friday's meeting as Watford's next manager — which, given recent history, probably shouldn't be dismissed entirely. Ultimately, though, this is a phone-in about something more enduring than owners, managers or league positions: what Watford means to the people who support it, and why they're determined not to lose it.   COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watford head to Cardiff on Tuesday night for the third instalment of our Welsh trilogy, and we catch up with old friend Ben from View from the Ninian to find out how life is treating the Bluebirds. After a brief excursion into League One, Cardiff are back in the Championship with a manager in Brian Barry-Murphy who appears to have performed something approaching a footballing personality transplant. Gone is the traditional approach of launching the ball forward and seeing who survives; in its place is a young, ambitious side playing football that Ben can barely believe he's watching. We discuss Cardiff's return, the growing influence of their academy players, and why results haven't necessarily reflected performances. There's also a look at a Championship where almost everybody appears capable of finishing either sixth or sixteenth, and the rather unusual spectacle of three Welsh clubs sharing the division. Ben explains why Wrexham are regarded as an irritating younger brother while Swansea remain an entirely different proposition, which inevitably leads Peter to recall Watford's own adventures in compulsory coach travel to Luton — including the occasion when the club apparently decided that the ideal transport into enemy territory was a bus from the Harry Potter studio tour. And then the Completely Rubbish Prediction League returns, with its two most artistically ambitious contributors taking the competition to previously unexplored depths. Brett conducts a forensic examination of his Airbnb, apparently convinced that TripAdvisor ratings and Wi-Fi passwords contain the secrets of Championship football. Meanwhile, John visits the Guinness factory in Dublin and produces something resembling an Ingmar Bergman film, if Bergman had developed a considerable enthusiasm for stout and rather less enthusiasm for color cinematography. It's Scandinavian existential cinema meets Irish drinking culture, with football predictions somehow emerging from both. The rest of the league attempts to compete using the increasingly outdated method of actually thinking about football. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The international break is finally over and Watford return to Vicarage Road to face a Burnley side whose season has taken a rather unexpected turn. Old friend Joe from TurfCast joins us to explain how a club recently accustomed to bouncing between the Championship and Premier League has instead found itself looking nervously in the other direction — and why the next couple of games could be particularly important for their new manager. There’s plenty that will sound strangely familiar to Watford supporters: an unbalanced squad, significant departures, replacements that haven’t quite replaced them and supporters wondering exactly what the plan is. We also catch up with a familiar face from last season who may return to Vicarage Road playing in a rather different position, before turning our attention to Watford and the hope that three weeks without a game might finally have returned a few actual footballers to Alessio Dionisi’s disposal. And then, inevitably, football analysis gives way to the Completely Rubbish Prediction League. The EFL are suffering a worrying loss of form, Dice Dons have introduced an animal to the methodology, Patreon FC require two famous Juans to make a prediction work visually on an audio podcast, and Brett goes on holiday only to discover that beach safety signage is apparently a perfectly legitimate statistical model. After the international break, it’s reassuring to know some things haven’t improved at all COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re trying something new at DNSYE — PREVIEW, our attempt to fill some of the space left behind by programmes and fanzines, combining longer-form written pieces with the usual podcast discussion. And for the first proper outing, Peter has chosen something reassuringly straightforward: Spanish tax law, Luxembourg finance vehicles and the forthcoming Gino Pozzo trial. What could possibly go wrong? We look at what the case is actually about, why some of the assumptions surrounding it may not be quite right, and — most importantly for Watford supporters — why events dating back more than a decade at Granada could potentially matter at Vicarage Road today. There are previous Spanish football cases, an old Watford connection that raises a few eyebrows, two very different interpretations of the same financial arrangements and plenty still to be decided when proceedings begin in November. Along the way Carl asks the fairly inevitable question about whether any of this tells us something about Watford’s own finances, while Peter attempts to explain an extremely complicated case without accidentally qualifying as a Spanish tax lawyer. The full research is in PREVIEW; this is the conversation that came out of it. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watford go into the international break after a 1–0 defeat at Bristol City and another evening that exposed just how stretched the squad has become. Players are filling unfamiliar positions, others are still searching for fitness, and callers largely sympathise with Alessio Dionisi as he tries to assemble a functioning side from increasingly limited options. There were glimpses from Amin Nabizada and confident ball handling from Federico Ravaglia, but precious little attacking threat. Much of the discussion inevitably turns to the size and shape of the squad and whether three weeks without a game can really solve problems that run deeper than the injury list. Even if players return, callers question whether the squad has enough depth for the Championship schedule ahead. Amid the frustration comes the very sad news of the death of former Watford goalkeeper Kevin Miller at just 57 — remembered not only as an outstanding goalkeeper and twice Player of the Season, but by those who knew and met him as a genuinely lovely man. And perhaps that puts a miserable Friday night into some perspective. We finish by looking towards the Taylor Trek and the work of the Watford Community Sports & Education Trust — from mental-health programmes to supporting people living with dementia. Results, owners and players come and go, but the community Graham Taylor and Elton John helped build remains. On a night when there wasn’t much joy in the football, it was a timely reminder of the parts of Watford Football Club that really matter. COYH!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watford head to Bristol City after a Stoke performance where the hospitality was excellent, the company delightful and unfortunately somebody eventually produced a football. We revisit Amin Nabizada’s latest ridiculous finish, a midfield currently available in travel size only, and the continuing debate over what constitutes criticism, analysis or simply shouting at a screen while repeatedly asking why nobody has tracked the runner. Then old friend Dave interrupts his Ibiza holiday — without either clarinet or trumpet, mercifully denying the Balearics an international incident — to explain a rather more optimistic Bristol City. There’s Michael Skubala, increased investment, 11 new signings, a three-year project and actual squad depth. Essentially, Dave describes several concepts Watford supporters may wish to Google before listening. Finally, the Completely Rubbish Prediction League reaches territory even we hadn’t anticipated. Religion becomes involved. Then breasts. Dice Dons seek divine assistance, the Gods of Backgammon abandon conventional statistical modelling altogether, ChatGPT is forced to investigate human nipple-to-breast ratios, and listeners are invited to rescue the entire enterprise by writing to DNSYE Towers, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD0 DEAR. Football predictions may also occur. COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watford lose 2–1 at home to Stoke in a game where the scoreline does the performance considerably more favours than Watford managed to do themselves. We discuss being comprehensively outplayed in midfield, a side already looking worryingly leggy, players being asked to play through problems, and a substitutes’ bench featuring two goalkeepers, two right-backs and precious little ability to change what was happening in front of us. Stoke, meanwhile, rather inconveniently demonstrated what midfield depth, movement and Championship know-how actually look like. There is, however, one glorious little shard of sunshine poking through an otherwise fairly industrial-sized cloud: Amin Nabizada. The academy youngster comes off the bench and belts in a fabulous consolation goal — his third of the season — providing approximately 97% of the afternoon’s available joy. We ask whether he should now be starting, where the other youngsters have disappeared to, and whether Alessio Dionisi can reasonably be expected to keep squeezing performances from a squad currently held together with cotton wool and crossed fingers. Callers range from despondent to extremely despondent as attention inevitably turns towards the ownership, recruitment and the increasingly mythical prospect of everyone becoming fit after the international break. There’s praise for Dionisi, admiration for Stoke, some free-agent shopping, an unexpectedly detailed discussion about the relative size of Watford players’ heads, and the discovery that losing 2–1 can apparently constitute a flattering scoreline. Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play? COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watford somehow turn a first half described variously as “dog shit”, “abject” and “turgid” into a 2–1 win over Preston. We discuss a victory apparently retrieved from several feet inside the jaws of defeat, an enormous intervention from Federico Ravaglia and whether Alessio Dionisi’s greatest achievement was changing the game — or simply surviving the opening 45 minutes without setting fire to his tactics board. Then the cavalry arrive. Mamadou Doumbia finally gets his reward, Mavadidi and Maammaa add some much-needed attacking intent, and Iker Bravo produces the sort of performance that causes perfectly rational football supporters to become extremely irrational indeed - bordering on weepy. We ask whether we spend too much time worrying about the starting XI rather than the finishing XI, while continuing the slightly inconvenient debate about squad depth, injuries and having two goalkeepers on an eight-man bench. Finally, callers make their way home through an increasingly detailed tour of Britain’s motorway networkv& Football Manager produces Watford’s first major trophy before inevitably sacking the bloke who won it. Three points, a manager prepared to roll the dice and, for once, Watford beating the team everyone expected them to help back into form. What is this, some kind of sorcery? COYH!! This Podcast has been created and uploaded by Do Not Scratch Your Eyes. Huge thanks to all our Patreons: Chris Giannone, RichWFC2, Steve Holliman, Paul Fiander Turner, Sean Gourley, Lee Anselmo, John Parslow, Mark von Herkomer, Neil Silverstein, Steve Brown, Dave Lavender, Kasey Brown, Nipper Harrison, Boyd Mayover, Colin Payne, Paul Riley, Gary Wood, Karl Campion, Kevin Cremen, The Big Le – Bofski, Greg Theaker, Malcolm Williams, Peter Ryan, John Thekanady - Ambassador of Dubai!! Jack Foster, Jason Rose, Michael Abrahams, Ian Bacon, Ken Green, Nick Nieuwland, Colin Smith Ant!!!!! Westlie Wheeler, Stephen Atkinson, John Myers, Ryan D! Dave Mullins, James McNamara, Jim Cuthbert, Peter Birch, John Myers, Richard Pyne, Vydra Deeney!!! &PDF!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices