City shocker: Watford 4-1 City

City are back to their Jekyll & Hyde ways. On Sunday at CCS v Coventry they were superb, but at Vicarage Road two days later against Watford, they took a right thumping going down 4-1, against a pacy, organised and up for it Hornets side.

Listening on the radio I heard words from the Radio Wales commentators like sloppy, poor, no game plan, a "tanking" and it showed in a match that City led (not for long), and eventually lost comprehensively.

Still missing Bothroyd - although Sunday showed that's not quite the end of the world, the Bluebirds were also without Bellamy today - two games in a week is too much for his fragile knee. Being without one of the two is just about OK - being without both frankly means we're unlikely to win.

The defensive frailties started to show early, with Naylor conceding a penalty inside 12 minutes, which Marshall brilliantly saved, and then against the run of play a super move saw Whittingham blast home to give City the lead. Watford hauled it back soon after, when another Naylor mistake gave possession away and led to their equaliser.

Shortly after Naylor who many fans (me included) think is a real weak defensively was booked, and he was eventually subbed before half time.

City, as so often in the past had no plan B to counter Watford's organised display, and to put it very mildly, had a shocking day at the office.

You could argue that two games in two days is too much - Watford haven't played for 18 days, but that's no excuse. They're professional footballers, they know it's a busy Christmas period, and they should be up for it both mentally and physically. People still say they have a good enough squad to go up, and I agree - but it's no good having a good enough squad if you can't play well enough as a team, and Sunday aside, City have been bloody awful since the end of October, and that's not good enough for promotion.

Dave Jones has got some sorting out to do. There is talk of money to spend in January, but the way City are falling off the pace (though unbelievably they are still second as results around them have favoured them, but the pack are catching, and indeed some have caught City - Swansea and Leeds are both on the same points), you have to wonder whether the owners will have the will to splash much cash.