Gracia: “We gifted them three goals – that’s why we lost at Birmingham”
St Andrew’s, Birmingham – Watford head coach Javi Gracia did not hide his frustration after his side slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon, a result that ended a four-match unbeaten run and left the Hornets still searching for consistency away from Vicarage Road.
Speaking in the cramped away dressing-room corridor at St Andrew’s, the Spaniard was unequivocal: Watford had only themselves to blame.
“We lost the game because we made three big mistakes that Birmingham punished,” Gracia said. “In the Championship you cannot gift goals like that and expect to win football matches. The players know it, I know it, and now we have to react.”
The turning point came in a chaotic first half that saw Watford fall 3-0 behind inside 36 minutes. An under-hit back-pass from Francisco Sierralta allowed Jay Stansfield to intercept and round Daniel Bachmann for the opener on 14 minutes. Seven minutes later, Keshi Anderson capitalised on a misplaced Ryan Porteous header to volley past Bachmann from 20 yards. The third, and perhaps most damaging, arrived when Bachmann’s attempted pass out from the back struck the onrushing Willum Willumsson and looped into an empty net.
“It’s difficult to accept because the goals are avoidable,” Gracia continued. “The first one is a technical error under pressure, the second is a lack of communication at the back, and the third… well, sometimes football is cruel, but we put ourselves in that position. We spoke all week about not giving Birmingham transitions, about staying compact, and in 20 minutes we threw the plan away.”
Watford did at least restore some pride after the break. Edo Kayembe’s thumping 25-yard drive on 56 minutes gave the 2,847 travelling supporters something to cheer, and for a 15-minute spell the visitors looked capable of an unlikely comeback. Rocco Vata and Moussa Sissoko both forced smart saves from Bailey Peacock-Farrell, while Kwadwo Baah’s pace repeatedly troubled the home defence.
Yet Birmingham, managed by former Watford loanee Chris Davies, held firm and could have added a fourth on the counter. Only a combination of poor finishing and two excellent Bachmann saves prevented an even heavier defeat.
Gracia refused to criticise individuals publicly but admitted the defensive lapses were part of a wider issue on the road. Watford have now conceded 14 goals in their last six away Championship fixtures.
“We are not solid enough away from home,” he acknowledged. “At Vicarage Road we control games, we press high, we dominate. Away we are too open, too easy to play through. That has to change quickly because the next weeks are very demanding.”
Attention now turns to Tuesday night’s home clash with bottom side Plymouth Argyle, a fixture Gracia described as “the perfect opportunity to show character.”
“We have