West Bromwich Albion 3 - Watford 0

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Ratings submitted so far: 18

Brendan Clegg:

Another fantastic win!

I can't have been alone in going into this game being quite confident. Mozza has brought such a consistency to our performances that, even if people have an off day quality-wise or make mistakes, you know we're going to be fully at, aggressive, disciplined, organised - feeling like if we score first we'll almost certainly not lose the game but even if not we'll always be in it.

That confidence was increased when I saw the Watford lineup, followed by our own - it looked like it would be our game for the taking given who they;d left out and them having nothing to play for, even though they do have some decent players.

And that's really how the first half panned out. It wasn't an explosive start by us but it was clear from the off we were winning the 50/50s and getting at them, with Maja playing slightly deeper and linking the play.

And it was his wonderful quick touch and ball out wide that created our first goal with Imray crossing for Price to expertly steer home. It was a super goal - the kind of which I feel we would never have scored under Mason or Ramsay because Heggebo needs 4 or 5 touches to do what Maja did in 2 and Imray, if he'd even have been there, would doubtless have turned around and come back or would have just leathered the cross in hope. It is also worth commending at this point how Morrison and his coaches have found a way to create goals and opportunities from wide areas without any wingers fit and available - Molumby coming inside on this occasion to give Imray the channel to gallop into - but there were intelligent and deliberate variations to his positioning all game, as there were against Preston. I have said before... but there is far more tactically going on behind our results than 'keeping it simple' and 'pegs in the right holes' cliches.

After we scored there was a cracking volley from Watford that was well-saved by the generally reliable O'Leary and then after that we scored a second which I would put firmly in the bracket of the kind of Championship goal you seem to score when your luck is in and when the opposition are not quite at it - a deflected cross nodded in from 2 yards out by Dike, who deserved it and looked delighted, having made himself just awkward to play against all half.

Half time came and was comfortable, and you couldn't see Watford coming back into it in the way Wrexham did, but after the break we were slow to get going and cheap on the ball. Sometimes the 'keep it simple, nothing silly' mantra means that players take the easy option, play percentages and stop looking after possession. We were a bit guilty of that, combined with the tired legs, and we let Watford back into it for a spell - again similar to at Preston. Once again, I felt like we needed fresh legs earlier but we rode it out, found our way again and then after a bit of pinball in their box Imray lashed home a third to kill the game.

After that Mozza made intelligent use of subs, spreading the minutes around and getting Bany on the pitch which will be psychologically big for him - this is another thing I think Mozza has done brilliantly at under the radar, just managing the squad so well and giving those moments to players... as well as being a bit ruthless and brutal in order to get results.

We eased to victory and results went our way - felling like we are safe but not quite able to celebrate until we hear the outcome of the PSR investigation, Putting everything else to the once side until we know that for sure, it would be great if we carried this momentum on into our last 2 games and play like we have, looking to win both of them.

It's notable that Patel was there... maybe we'll find out in the next couple of days, maybe Mozza's future will also be confirmed (I cannot think of anyone who would do a better job and who would want it, whatever league we are in) - we'll have to see. For the last 2 games I'd just like us to carry on as we have been and I'll repeat myself - we're pretty much everything you'd want a team for a club of our size to be; we fight for everything, we run as hard as anyone else or harder, we are organised and disciplined, we defend no-nonsense when required and we try to pass it well when we can, we move it forward quickly, we get people into the box, we have a go, we leave everything out there, everyone covers for each other - we are just really enjoyable to watch... and that is the whole point! Combine those things, there are sort of the best aspects of the influences of Hodgson, Pulis and Mowbray in there. Looking forward to the test of Saturday already.

• O'Leary - 7 good stop and just reliable. Given money will still be tight, seems like a no-brainer to offer a deal to for me.
• Imray - 8 Is really looking like a player now. Can we get him? Defensively and offensively just growing into it... has been an upgrade on Furlong in the last 5 games.
• Phillips - 7 A few sloppy passes but nodded everything away again
• Campbell - 7 Partnership just looks like a dream, another clean sheet
• Styles - 7 Reliable, consistent, always gives his all but just so much more controlled and less erratic
• Molumby - 7 In terms of tactically, discipline and football intelligence, is playing his best ever stuff for us
• Diakite - 7 Dominated it again - the quick first time passes that set us away are really noticeable
• Mowatt - 7 Fair play, has stepped in and after a bit of a struggle has adapted to the higher tempo and bigger area to cover. They all look fitter but him much so.
• Price - 7 Great goal, has always been an unbelievable athlete but is using that base in a much more intelligent way and had progressively got his form back
• Maja - 7 Benefitted from the space he was given and created for him by Dike's battering ram
• Dike - 7 Worked hard, got a goal, not always pretty but effective.. earned it

Subs

• I thought they all ticked us over, useful minutes for them all although it got a bit bitty.

One last thanks for everyone who sponsored me for the Manchester Marathon and Refuge - the support from readers of this site is genuinely unbelievable. Despite putting my back out a few weeks ago I managed to get around in 3:21 and I did Boing Boing over the line. There are some 'action shots' on my page below for those who are interested:
Brendan's fundraiser for Refuge