Watford fans expressed their frustration as manager Paulo Pezzolano explained his decision to substitute Nestory Irankunda after just 35 minutes. Pezzolano cited Irankunda’s apparent fatigue, stating the move was to protect the young player from potential injury due to a demanding schedule. Irankunda reacted angrily, punching a chair and throwing a water bottle as he left the pitch. Both Pezzolano and teammate Mattie Pollock noted that Irankunda had calmed down by the match’s end, with Pollock emphasizing the team’s trust in the manager’s decisions and suggesting the incident could be a learning opportunity for Irankunda.
In the match, Adrian Segecic’s 79th-minute goal secured a draw for Portsmouth after Watford had taken a 2-1 lead through Rocco Vata’s goal and assist, following Yang Min-hyeok’s early strike. Despite a strong second-half performance from Watford, as reported by BBC Sport, fans voiced their discontent at halftime, chanting for Pezzolano’s sacking.
The result left Watford 16th and Portsmouth 17th in the Championship, both with 9 points from 8 games. Social media posts from fans, such as @hyena4 and @AllegedlyR, reflected anger toward Pezzolano, with some questioning his tactics and others calling for his dismissal, while @fitts1867 praised the impact of substitute Vata.