Come On Watford ?

Maybe we can occupy ourselves tonight down the pub watching Liverpool or Chelsea playing some boring two-leg European thing and amuse ourselves with the thought that it probably matters to someone, when in reality there's really only one important game being played tonight - Watford v Wigan.

A Watford win would give them an incredible 21 points and finally lift them off the foot of the table, a position they have occupied since we swapped places after our Guy Fawkes night blitzing of Blackburn, and a home win would therefore push us down again to bottom spot. A Wigan victory, however, would leave us 8 points, and a worse goal difference, away from the coveted 17th position. A comforting draw, meanwhile, would leave the places as they are but give Wigan a 6 point lead over the Addicks and the Hamsters.

And looking at current form, a home win is not so unlikely. Whereas Wigan were inspired against the Arse last week, they have nevertheless lost 10 of their last 11 games in Cup and League, and meanwhile Watford have been going in the opposite direction. They still don't score many goals but their 1-0 FA Cup win over Ipswich on Saturday was their fourth win in six League and Cup games and their fifth win in the last nine games.

They also managed a 1-1 draw at Wigan in September and were drawing this Vicarage Rd fixture 1-1 again when it was abandoned in December. Plus the fact that Wigan have never won at Vicarage Rd. OK, there's only been three games there, but history sometimes has its mysterious effects.

Meanwhile Adrian Boothroyd explains his teams recent revival by admitting last week that he had been guilty of placing too much pressure on his players since the beginning of the campaign, and that he had since adopted a more relaxed approach to training and matches. And while his fellow relegation-fighters are putting stress on high fitness levels, Boothroyd takes a more laid-back approach - Of tonights game and the forthcoming fixtures he adds - "there is no pressure on us, because we are not expected to do anything."

Lets hope that he thinks the same come March 3rd..