Livermore rolls back the years
JAKE LIVErmorE had only scored three goals in the last three and a half years — then along came two in five minutes.
the former England midfielder was the unlikely hero as Watford condemned lowly QPr to a fifth defeat in six games, pushing the Hornets back into play- off contention and keeping their hosts five points from safety.
A finer brace you will struggle to see. After Watford rode their luck, Livermore, 34, curled in sublimely from 25 yards for the opener and then rifled in from outside the box again to put Valerien Ismael’s men 2-0 up.
the Hornets have moved up to eighth, just one point away from the top six.
As for QPr — who did at least get on the scoresheet for only the second time in five matches — it was yet more disappointment as their seven-game winless run goes on. that rut stretches back to december 9, and things will have to turn around fast if they are to mount a serious bid for survival.
With money for transfers likely to be in short supply this month, boss marti Cifuentes has a daunting job on his hands.
the quixotic Catalonian had become the youngest boss in spain, been dubbed the worst manager in the history of danish football and also coached in sweden, the netherlands and norway by the age of 40. But even the well-travelled spaniard can’t have been in a spot as sticky as this before.
After a bright start to life in west London, his side are sinking without a trace. Cifuentes, QPr’s fifth boss in 18 months, will hope the club’s newly appointed 26- year- old CEo, data guru Christian nourry, can prove his sancho Panza. ‘ I’m sure he will help us to be much better as a club,’ said Cifuentes. ‘ Age is not relevant, I will never judge a person because of their age. He’s young but he has worked with some of the best clubs in Europe. He really knows this industry.’
It was a man eight years nourry’s senior who stole the show here, though. Livermore made QPr pay for missed chances early in the second half, young striker sinclair Armstrong twice denied excellently by Ben Hamer.
there was no stopping Livermore’s strikes, however, as he curled Watford into the lead from range on the hour and drilled them into a two-goal advantage five minutes later.
‘I think I’ve been due a couple!’ he joked. ‘I’ve been getting a bit of stick from the lads for not chipping in with enough.’
Lyndon dykes gave QPr hope, tapping in after Paul smyth’s deflected cross fell perfectly into his path. But it was too little, too late — Hamer stepping up to the plate again in stoppage time to deny the hosts a leveller.
‘It’s not Jake’s job to score goals, but he has a great mentality,’ said Watford boss Ismael.
‘He’s a very important player for us, an example to the young players in our squad.
It was a great away performance.’