Yesterday Vicarage Road was definitely a first day of school. There was the excitement of being back there for the first time, the sun was out, we had a new manager, a great pre-season – and at 3pm everything in the Watford world was good.

Doncaster hadn’t really come to win the game, just to stifle Watford from playing football, often done by putting two or more men onto Tommy Smith when he got the ball. On 27 minutes Watford finally scored the goal they deserved – hooray!

Tommy got on the end of Don Cowie’s left side free kick, shot across the goal, and Danny Graham was at the far post to poke in his first League goal. The Doncaster goal was a very soft, if not freak goal just before half time. Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach was caught in the wrong position, well off his line and a good cross and header left him powerless.

The second half was very dull. The sun was very hot, both sets of players didn’t seem quite match fit. By the hour mark both teams seemed to have given up and it got very sloppy. Watford didn’t seem to have any conviction with their play and there was a lot of hit and hope. Doncaster had a short controlling spell which allowed Loach to reprieve his earlier mistake with a terrific dive to the left had post and clear a ball off the line – and it was on the line.

New boy Danny Graham not only scored the goal but showed us the type of striker he was going to be – a hard work who will hustle us some goals – I like. It’s not as pretty as Priskin but who cares if he keeps scoring (6-in-6). Scott Severin played well but I didn’t see him shine – first day at school nerves maybe.

I was disappointed with the result, but not the performance. I left knowing this was a first day of the season and thing will be better. That makes me feel that this isn’t going to be the nightmare season some have been saying it will be. The guys need to build as a team, know where one another is going to be and that will come with a bit more time. Time I will give them.

We might get a few more players in so it will be a few games before we settle and for the 2009-2010 Watford Team show their faces/ I really hope that one of those faces is Tommy Smith the man who played more ‘football’ then anyone else and Watford true playmaker.