IT goes with the territory of the First Division. You win some, you lose some. Very rarely have teams really established any consistency.

Fulham were the exception one year, Charlton and Sunderland have run away with the title other seasons, but for the rest of the teams, dog has eaten dog, and the one with slightly more of an appetite usually emerges with an automatic promotion place.

The remainder battle like mad all season before clinching a place in the play-offs, just shading it above those teams in seventh, eighth and ninth position teams that could quite easily have fared as well if not better in the play-offs.

Take a look at Wolves who emerged as front runners with a great start to the campaign, only to go and lose at home to Crewe, who have lost more than they won.

So why should we be surprised if Watford, after putting three goals past Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby in successive matches, suddenly throw away a one-goal lead against Nottingham Forest.

That is what happened on Tuesday, October 23, at Vicarage Road and so it is a matter of back to the drawing board. For just over two weeks, Watford fans were harbouring the hope that Luca Vialli had got it right, mixing the slightly longer ball with his passing game and switching from 4-2-4 to 3-5-2.

The three victories coincided with the switch in tactics and approach but all that was to no avail on Tuesday night. Forest recorded their first away win of the season, against a Watford side that has looked rampant at home of late.

There is no logic to the First Division and Watford fans should know that better than anyone. The Hornets put together a run late on three seasons back to storm into the play-offs, purely because they were slightly more consistent than most of the rest.

So now the Hornets travel to Bradford, who will be seeking revenge for their drubbing, and Sheffield United, who are never an easy side to beat.

The only indicator to emerge from Wednesday morning's league table is that Watford's victories have come against teams from the bottom half: they have beaten none in the top half.

October 27, 2001 14:41