Wat a story of woe for Bow
NOW LEE SEES THE SIZE OF HIS CRISIS
PLANE sailing for Watford – but very plain indeed from Birmingham City.
Xisco Munoz’s Hornets made it five straight wins as Ken Sema, Nathaniel Chalobah and Andre Gray led them to this easy win.
Lee Bowyer only arrived at St Andrew’s last week but will now realise the size of his task just to keep the Blues in the Championship. And anger from supporters at their current predicament was obvious even though they were not even there.
Chief executive
Xuandong Ren was their target as a plane flew over
Vicarage Road in the second half with the message:
“By Order of Blues fans Dong must go.” But for second-placed Watford things are looking very good indeed after this near-perfect display even without injured star Ismaila Sarr.
And boss Xisco said: “Always I think I have a very good luck to have these players.
“They give everything, 100 per cent for the shirt. We can celebrate today but we have a big job until the final.
“We have some very important players out. I’m lucky with these players, we are in a really good moment. It is important to have the team spirit.” Birmingham may have beaten top-six side Reading on Wednesday in Bowyer’s first game since succeeding Aitor Karanka. But they were second best throughout here.
It took just 218 seconds for the hosts to take the lead as Neil Etheridge failed to hold Joao Pedro’s shot and Sema put in the rebound.
Moments later Adam Masina missed a sitter from a corner for the Hornets.
Birmingham were full of heart but had no quality, with Chalobah blocking the visitors’ best chance from Jeremie Bela.
And it was the Hornets who strolled to victory in the second half as they showed their superiority.
Captain Chalobah was left unmarked to head in Dan Gosling’s 55th-minute corner.
And then just moments after they had both come on, Jeremy Ngakia and Gray combined with the latter finished expertly.
Birmingham are now just three points above the drop zone with 22nd-placed Rotherham having four games in hand. But Bowyer said: “It was not a 3-0 game, it was just that quality.
“They were a lot more clinical. We had a go and we will learn. We went toe-to-toe with a top side and did not embarrass ourselves. “
On the plane incident, the ex-birmingham midfielder added: “My job is the football side, that’s all I concentrate on.
“What goes on off the pitch is not anything to do me.”
WATFORD: Bachmann 6; Femenia 7 (Ngakia 80), Sierralta 6, Troost-ekong 6, Masina 6 (Lazaar 67, 6); Chalobah 8, Gosling 7 (Sanchez 56, 6), Hughes 7; Pedro 7, Success 6 (Hungbo 57, 6), Sema 7 (Gray 80).
Unused Subs: Foster, Wilmot, Cathcart, Perica.
BIRMINGHAM: Etheridge 6; Colin 6, Dean 6, Roberts 6, Pederen 6; Halilovic 6 (Sanchez 61, 6), Gardner 7 (Sunjic 78), Harper 6, Bela 6 (San Jose 61, 6); Hogan 5 (Leko 61, 6), Jutkiewicz 6 (Cosgrove 78).
Unused Subs: Prieto, Friend, Mcgree, Seddon.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Nathaniel Chalobah. Superb all over the park, scoring Watford’s second, as he continues to enjoy captain’s responsibility.
REFEREE: Darren Bond 6.