Dr Watfords Casebook #6

There`s been a fair few emails winging their way into the VitalWatford inbox this week asking just what editor-in-chief Dr Watford has against the "once great and mighty" Nottingham Forest.

Well the answer is simple… the sour grapes shown by the City Ground 'connoisseurs of fine football`, following Tuesday`s 2-1 defeat, have really left a nasty taste in the mouth this week.

If it wasn`t the post match comments of Tricky Trees manager Billy Davies ("because of the surface we knew there would be no football played today…") that were totally wide of the mark following the 2-1 defeat, it was the match report remarks of a certain local rag.

Lazy journalism is something that is never tolerated here in VitalWatford Towers and if we`d had our way we`d dish out a massive can of whoop ass on Nottingham Evening Post sports hack, Paul Taylor, for such 'laziness` that surely he must be embarrassed at his own efforts!

In fact, when a match report pulls in over 18 fuming fan responses and does little justice to the game itself you really do have to wonder if the reporter was actually there!!!

You see, whilst all the red-top national tabloids told tales of Watford`s "refreshing, slick and stylish football" and the new look Hornets "pacy passing game full of creativity", the Nottingham Evening Post quoted Watford`s approach "blunt and abrasive"…

The Mirror even dubbed Brendan Rodgers revolution as a "transformation from cavemen to cavaliers" such was their praise.

So much for the Watford`s approach winning "few plaudits" or "points for artistic merit count for nothing" then?

Mr Taylor indeed saw something else through his red and white tinted glasses. He lazily harked back to the Boothroyd era to suggest that Watford "battered and bruised" their way past a Forest side, who "found themselves drawn into a far uglier, more physical battle…"

Watford fans have been quick to jump all over the Nottingham Evening Press report - and rightly so - as the match stats clearly show that Watford were by far the more creative, rattled off more shots on goal and had greater possession of the ball.

In fact, the Hornets put in a 2nd half performance of such out and out control and cultured footie that the scoreline could have been a lot, lot worse for Forest.

Not that Mr Taylor would agree. Certainly not - he reckoned "the second half was a drag, more closely-fought affair"…

So not the "thrilling basement battle" that`s been written almost in every tabloid (and The Times) then?

Brendan Rodgers has shown that a leopard can clearly change it`s spots in a very short space of time but it`s changing the mindset of others so blinkered and unwilling to accept change that is a much bigger challenge - especially when you`re chasing column inches and covering up a dismal performance by a desperate team.

The Nottingham Evening News ends their 'report` by suggesting "Forest will face a very different test, against a Burnley side with a more cultured ethos.".

I, for one, hope that Owen Coyle`s claret and blue army - with the likes of Robbie Blake and Clarke Carlisle - batter the living daylights out of Forest`s much hyped 'sexy football` (just like they tried to do at the Vic)…

…then they really will have something to moan about.

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