Fresh from Friday nights defeat, we are on the road to Watford, will Elton be there, one thing for sure the destroyer of the Hornet's twice last season, Osmajic won't, also captain Whiteman is suspended. Who is going to win the ball in midField, I hear you say, well er probably no one. Bit stretched squad wise at the moment but that's the way the croissant crumbles anyway.(10cc lyrics)
https://www.watfordfc.com/
MANAGER
Javier "Javi" Gracia Carlos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxaβiˈɣɾaθja];[a] born 1 May 1970) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the head coach of EFL Championship club Watford.
He totalled 430 matches across both major levels of Spanish football, in a 15-year professional career. After retiring he began working as a manager, going on to coach several clubs in Spain, Greece and Russia before being appointed at Watford in January 2018.[2]
Gracia led Watford to their second FA Cup final in their history in 2019, but was sacked later the same year.[3] From June 2020 to May 2021 he worked with Valencia, and a year later he won the Qatar Stars League during a brief spell at Al Sadd before managing Leeds United for three months in 2023.
FORM GUIDE
Last 4 games
Derby A 2-3 W
Bristol City H 1-1
Ipswich A 1-1
Boro H 3-0 W
MYSTICS MACS FORM RATING
HORNETS 11 PNE 13
Hornets good attacking side although they appear to be a bit suspect at the back, especially at dead balls, let in 10, moral, don't let your balls die
Hot shots and newbies
Irankunda
Petris
They paid fees for these two
Louza 6
Kjeerumgard 5
OTHER CHAMPO FIXTURES
Hull v Tractors
Boro v Coventry
Stoke v Charlton
Swansea v Direby
Canaries v Oxford
PNE play the first part of an away double-header on Tuesday as they face Watford at Vicarage Road.
Team News
Harrison Armstrong, who missed Friday’s Lancashire derby with a groin issue, is progressing well but manager Paul Heckingbottom is not prepared to risk the midfielder unless he is 100% ready.
Pol Valentín and Will Keane both returned to the matchday squad last time out after spells on the sidelines and they’ll be hoping to get some game time in this one.
North End are still without Ali McCann, Andrija Vukčević, Brad Potts, Lewis Gibson, Robbie Brady and Theo Carroll.
The Hosts
Watford head into Tuesday following a terrific away victory over Derby County at the weekend, as they scored three goals in the final half-hour to overturn a two-goal deficit.
The Hornets have seen an upturn in form since a change of management, with Tom Cleverley being replaced by Javi Gracia, who had a previous spell at Vicarage Road between 2018 and 2019.
They’re unbeaten in their last four and sit just two points outside of the top six heading into this round of fixtures.
Match Officials
Referee: James Bell
Assistant Referees: Matthew Smith and Shaun Hudson
Fourth Official: James Linington
James Bell will referee this fixture. Incidentally, the last time he was the main official for a PNE match was for the Gentry Day fixture at Vicarage Road in April 2024.
So far this season, Bell has shown 30 yellow cards in eight matches.
We’ve Met Before
Milutin Osmajić’s brace earned Preston North End a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road back in January.
WATFORD BUILDINGS
St Mary's Watford is a Church of England church in Watford, Hertfordshire, in England. It is an active church situated in the town centre on Watford High Street, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) outside London. St Mary's is the parish church of Watford and is part of the Anglican Diocese of St Albans. Thought to be at least 800 years old, the church contains burials of a number of local nobility and some noteworthy monumental sculpture of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.
https://www.watfordfc.com/
MANAGER
Javier "Javi" Gracia Carlos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxaβiˈɣɾaθja];[a] born 1 May 1970) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the head coach of EFL Championship club Watford.
He totalled 430 matches across both major levels of Spanish football, in a 15-year professional career. After retiring he began working as a manager, going on to coach several clubs in Spain, Greece and Russia before being appointed at Watford in January 2018.[2]
Gracia led Watford to their second FA Cup final in their history in 2019, but was sacked later the same year.[3] From June 2020 to May 2021 he worked with Valencia, and a year later he won the Qatar Stars League during a brief spell at Al Sadd before managing Leeds United for three months in 2023.
FORM GUIDE
Last 4 games
Derby A 2-3 W
Bristol City H 1-1
Ipswich A 1-1
Boro H 3-0 W
MYSTICS MACS FORM RATING
HORNETS 11 PNE 13
Hornets good attacking side although they appear to be a bit suspect at the back, especially at dead balls, let in 10, moral, don't let your balls die
Hot shots and newbies
Irankunda
Petris
They paid fees for these two
Louza 6
Kjeerumgard 5
OTHER CHAMPO FIXTURES
Hull v Tractors
Boro v Coventry
Stoke v Charlton
Swansea v Direby
Canaries v Oxford
PNE play the first part of an away double-header on Tuesday as they face Watford at Vicarage Road.
Team News
Harrison Armstrong, who missed Friday’s Lancashire derby with a groin issue, is progressing well but manager Paul Heckingbottom is not prepared to risk the midfielder unless he is 100% ready.
Pol Valentín and Will Keane both returned to the matchday squad last time out after spells on the sidelines and they’ll be hoping to get some game time in this one.
North End are still without Ali McCann, Andrija Vukčević, Brad Potts, Lewis Gibson, Robbie Brady and Theo Carroll.
The Hosts
Watford head into Tuesday following a terrific away victory over Derby County at the weekend, as they scored three goals in the final half-hour to overturn a two-goal deficit.
The Hornets have seen an upturn in form since a change of management, with Tom Cleverley being replaced by Javi Gracia, who had a previous spell at Vicarage Road between 2018 and 2019.
They’re unbeaten in their last four and sit just two points outside of the top six heading into this round of fixtures.
Match Officials
Referee: James Bell
Assistant Referees: Matthew Smith and Shaun Hudson
Fourth Official: James Linington
James Bell will referee this fixture. Incidentally, the last time he was the main official for a PNE match was for the Gentry Day fixture at Vicarage Road in April 2024.
So far this season, Bell has shown 30 yellow cards in eight matches.
We’ve Met Before
Milutin Osmajić’s brace earned Preston North End a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road back in January.
WATFORD BUILDINGS
St Mary's Watford is a Church of England church in Watford, Hertfordshire, in England. It is an active church situated in the town centre on Watford High Street, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) outside London. St Mary's is the parish church of Watford and is part of the Anglican Diocese of St Albans. Thought to be at least 800 years old, the church contains burials of a number of local nobility and some noteworthy monumental sculpture of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?