Toon fans turn angry as Watford march on
NEWCASTLE fans struggled to contain their anger after their team’s last chance of silverware this season evaporated at Vicarage Road.
It was a frustration shared by manager Steve McClaren, who was left pulling what is left of his hair out after his team failed to convert long spells of superiority into goals as they made yet another early exit from the FA Cup.
Where McClaren disagreed with the travelling support was in their muted boos at the end and their more vociferous criticism of the team, and substitute Florian Thauvin in particular, which he described as ‘very harsh’.
Despite being the better side for most of the match they were heavily punished for the errant backpass before half-time of Georginio Wijnaldum, which was seized upon by Troy Deeney.
‘It’s very frustrating, I thought we controlled the game,’ he said. ‘Everybody is frustrated and angry, including the players. We came here to win, picked a team to win and we have done everything but win the game. We dominated.
‘I can’t fault the players, couldn’t have asked for more. This team are not far away from doing something but it’s important to show patience. We have got to stick together and fifty thousand people have to get behind us when we play Manchester United on Tuesday.’
That is now all that is left, the grim business of high-stakes Premier League survival. It is something that will prove difficult if they cannot show more composure in front of goal.
As McClaren pointed out, they had 25 crosses and ample chances, but the meagre tally of 19 goals this season was betrayed by the feebleness they showed up front.
The travelling support, which filled only three-quarters of the away end, stopped short of turning on the manager, but there were chants directed at owner Mike Ashley and a refrain of ‘We want our money back’.
They had come a long way to see their dismal FA Cup record of the last decade continue, this being the seventh time in 10 years they have gone out in the third round.
For all the relegation worries, McClaren wanted a Cup run and picked a near full-strength team, while Quique Sanchez Flores is much more equivocal about the competition and its demands.
He made four changes, and left his leading scorer Odion Ighalo on the bench. Still they won, and that was due to their one proper chance being slotted away with a calm that proved way beyond the visitors.
Newcastle showed far more purpose in the first half until Wijnaldum’s brainstorm in the 43rd minute, which saw him split his own defence with a backpass that was perfectly weighted for Troy Deeney to run on to.
The skipper took it around Rob Elliot and displayed the kind of sangfroid that is said to be attracting the attention of Arsenal, even though the Watford manager later dismissed the speculation.
Captain Fabricio Coloccini was taken off at half-time after a knock that is not expected to keep him out on Tuesday, and Newcastle continued to press hard.
But they could not convert chances and even their best player on the day, Moussa Sissoko, was guilty after fluffing his shot following a skilful surge into the box.
Heurelho Gomes was far the busier keeper, as Aleksandar Mitrovic spurned a late chance and so did the unfortunate Thauvin, singled out for abuse.
Luck is not in great supply for Newcastle, though critics would suggest that the dysfunctional nature of the club does not lend itself to creating good fortune. WATFORD (4-4-2): Gomes 7; Nyom 6, Prodl 7, Cathcart 6, Holebas 5; Jurado 5, Guedioura 6, Watson 6, Berghuis 5 (Abdi 65, 6); Deeney 7, (Ighalo 72, 6), Oulare 5, (Anya 45, 6). Subs (not used): Britos, Ibarbo, Capoue, Arlauskis. Booked: Guedioura. NEWCASTLE (3-5-2): Elliot 6; Janmaat 7, Coloccini 6 (Lascelles 45, 6), Mbemba 5; Dummett 6, Sissoko 8, Tiote 6 (De Jong 82), Mbabu 5 (Thauvin 51, 5), Wijnaldum 5; Mitrovic 6, Perez 5. Subs (not used): Gouffran, Darlow, Toney, Sterry. Booked: Tiote. REFEREE: Roger East, 6.5.