PHOTOS: Watford vs QPR 1

We were lucky enough to spend some time pitch side at the Watford vs QPR game on Saturday and we took some great photos. You'll see them in this and the next few blog post. Enjoy and COME ON YOUR HORNS!

Watford 2-2 Blackpool

(He hits the ball and scores a goal, Tommy, Tommy Smith)

I left Vicarage Road both disappointed and satisfied all at the same time. It's one of those weird feelings you can have as a football fan. Let's get the disappointment out the way first. It came from the final score line - Watford 2-2 Blackpool. With Watford going a head twice in the game we gifted Blackpool their goals. They were never a 'danger' but Watford switched off for periods. Firstly when a corner that gave them the 1st goal and we didn't close them down in the penalty area for their 2nd goal.

However, this disappointment seems to be short term and fixable. My satisfaction should be long term. I hope to see Watford play as well as they did, maybe even better. They deserved the win because, as Jason said in our Micro-podcast, we were looking like a team playing together for the first time. There was some fantastic movement and the number of opportunities in front of goal seems to have increased immensely from previous games. A few better placed balls and we'll be scoring for fun... okay maybe not that well. I find nothing more pleasurable when watching football when a team are passing a ball around how they want. Watford were doing this with regularity on Saturday. Part of that has to be down to new loanee Tom Cleverly. On several occasions he was in the right place to distribute the ball and continue a move and give us more chances of goals. His other big role was as goal scorer when he scored his 2nd goal in two games.

It was good to read on the Watford FC site that like me Malky was optimistic after the performance and disappointed with how we gifted them two goals. See the goals for yourself on the BBC iplayer (direct link to goals)

The other, and probably biggest, satisfaction of the day was seeing Tommy Smith score, what could be his final Watford goal. Not only did he score the first but he made the second. It was great to be able to give him once final sing and

This is better football from Watford. Malky seems to have sorted out his system and it's starting to work on the pitch. The other feeling I left the match with was one of unsettlement. Tommy plays such a big part in Watford's goals and I do wonder how we will play/change when he's gone. The longer he stays the more we can get out of him, but the longer he does the Watford team of this season won't have time to settle.

Tommy Smith and other animals

I'm a bit older now. A bit calmer. I don't swear quite as much at match officials, and my goal celebrations are slightly less enthusiastic than they once were. Even Neil Warnock doesn't wind me up that much any more.

So, with my new found sense of calm, I have been quite proud of the sanguine way in which I have accepted Watford's current financial plight. Despite the never ending tales of black holes in accounts and player departures, I have continually been able to find the positives and maintain some sort of optimistic excitment.

Even now, as the Tommy Smith saga looks to be drawing to a long overdue conclusion (1.8million toReading is the latest) I am hopeful that we'll be able to plug the gap somehow.

It's the thought of his unveileing at the Madjeski Stadium press conference that sees me regress into an angry young man. The thought of his smug face, grinning for the cameras as he puts his arm round our Tommy Smith.

I don't blame Tommy, he'll be on more cash, and I don't blame the board as we need the money too. It's just a shame it had to be Reading. It's a shame it had to be him.After considering this saga though, it occurs to me that in this age of super rich footballers, distant, aloof and detached from both reality and us fans,  it isn't actually that hard to keep the public on your side.

Take our friend Mr Rodgers. His comments before leaving for Reading were just hopeless. His talk of integrity blown wide apart by his tastelessly hasty departure up the M4. At best his words were ill advised, at worst they made him a bare faced liar. Watford fans, while not entriely surprised, rightly seethe.

Weeks later he opens his mouth again, to proclaim that "Tommy wants to join us". Presumably it was only after this quote hit the press he realised he isn't allowed to talk to contracted players without permission.

Two examples of opening mouth before engaging brain.

Now we all know that Smith has been the subject of transfer speculation for some time now. But what has Tommy done? Tried to engineer a move through the media? No. Discussed it in public? No. He has kept quiet, and it is for this reason that when he returns to Vicarage Road in a reading shirt he'll get a standing ovation. Rodgers thought he was clever enough to open his mouth and conduct his business through the media. Something tells me he will be afforded an ever so slightly different reception.

Tommy will get the new me.  I am most definitely saving a bit of the old me for Brendan Rodgers.