More possession of the ball than in any other half of City's season, but in the end the Tigers were deserving losers because as a team they simply aren't astute or brave enough.

Now we're in trouble, you know. Watford at home looked winnable, of course. With Reading, Southampton and QPR to come, it had to be winnable. A confident display was required - try the first half against Leicester - combined with a share of luck - try the second half against Derby.

The only bit of the game which resembled either of these highlight halves was that City were awarded a late penalty. The similarity ended after Stuart Green placed the ball on the spot - against Derby he steered a crisp low shot into the corner, but against Watford, he panicked and blasted it into the South Stand. The 2-1 half time deficit remained to the end, and City drew a blank for three games in a row.

Having created little in the Lancashire lapdoggings at Burnley and Preston, the manager swallowed his pride and re-cast Nicky Barmby into a starring role for the visit of the glory hornet boys to the KC. Sam Collins, a bruising centre back whose arrival has caused a mixed reaction, was nevertheless awarded warm applause by the faithful as he took his place in a defence vacated by Marc Joseph.

Other changes included Green on the right (in theory) ahead of the unlucky Ryan France, and Kevin Ellison's caveat-ridden but strangely welcome return to the left flank in place of the ill and formless Stuart Elliott. Bo Myhill was protected by Damien Delaney, Collins, Leon Cort and Mark Lynch; Green and Ellison ploughed the flanks either side of the indelicate pairing of Curtis Woodhouse and the marvellous John Welsh; with Barmby probing the gap behind the furrowing Chris Brown. France and Joseph were joined on the bench by Ben Burgess, Craig Fagan and keeper Matt Duke.

An entertaining first half was ahead of us, despite the frustration of City's ineptitude at defending set-pieces which made Barmby's told-you-so opener on seven minutes irrelevant. Nonetheless, it was an exquisitely built and executed goal, with the maligned Ellison and Green putting a brace of intricate passes across the Watford rearguard for Barmby to thump home via a double-fisted attempt to block from Watford keeper Ben Foster.

Rapture. Barmby milked the adulation from the East Stand as all bar Myhill leapt on him to celebrate - Barmby made a point of thanking Ellison for starting the move - but only a second verse of "There's Only One Nicky Barmby" had been reached by the time Watford equalised.

City fans hate being in the lead at home, because our form this season suggests it's only a matter of time before the joy and confidence of having the advantage is tempered by the heart-sinking inevitability of more seasoned opponents breaching the back line in some way and levelling up. Leicester and Reading both did it with badly marked far post headers. Derby did it with headspinning pass 'n' move football which brought about a penalty kick. Watford, however, barely broke sweat in getting parity.

With predictably low concentration after going ahead, City conceded a sloppy corner and the excellent Gavin Mahon easily outjumped a leaden Damien Delaney (please give Dawson or Edge an injection or something, PLEASE) to head past an exposed and livid Myhill. However, if Delaney - a wonderful central defender - was looking worryingly like the timid, goofy full back City fans recall with horror and humour from the dregs of the bad old days, then Mark Lynch was looking less and less like a full back at all.

Lynch is really struggling, and this is tougher to take because he tries his socks off every week. Nobody would wish for the sort of start he had to his City career - kneecapped after half a minute of his debut, then sent off dubiously when making his comeback a month later - but he's had a settling down period now and he doesn't look comfortable. He can be excused a little in Watford terms, as Stuart Green was too often drifting infield and not providing any sort of back-up when Watford attacked, while the very man doing those attacks, the superb Anthony McNamee, has no doubt posed problems to most right backs at this level if his trickery, balance and control against City was anything to go by. Lynch might be a Hobson's choice (not that Gary Hobson would have coped any better) as Scott Wiseman (injured), Robbie Stockdale (injured) and Alton Thelwell (as if that one needs spelling out) would have been easily flummoxed by the divine McNamee - however, less gifted widemen have also given Lynch trouble this season, even when the more disciplined France has been ahead of him. It remains to be seen whether Peter Taylor has seen something in Lynch's performances which the rest of us haven't; either through his own unconvincing displays or the lack of support he's had from wandering midfielders. Last season Stockdale and Joseph got ample support at right back from a tireless Ian Ashbee - maybe Lynch as an individual is suffering from the skipper's absence as much as the team as a whole.

Watford took a deserved lead when a long throw was won by the bulky, reformed Clarke Carlisle and Matthew Spring - ex White Shite but a fantastic player - followed his midfield partner Mahon's lead by smacking one past a helpless Myhill. At half time there were grumbles in the East Stand bogs about a lack of a goalscorer - one who gets the ball, goes for goal and hits it. Not too much to ask, is it? They also grumbled about that singer who came on at half time, as he might have been a better suited to the right hand side of our midfield.

City dominated the second half on the pitch but there was restlessness among the supporters when Burgess and Fagan came on for the luckless Ellison and the impotent Brown. Fagan chased every cause down the flank but didn't combine his pace with any great imagination in his final balls, while Burgess had one of his more disinterested afternoons in a Tigers shirt, again prompting more bemoaning of Taylor's record when it comes to signing strikers.

It could have been better; but a point and a spell of domination when Watford held back would have shrouded the real problems City have in terms of creativity and attitude. Green's talent is wanting at this level; as a result he wanders the park too often without ever really wanting to hug the ball and dictate those around him. Barmby can only be an architect if his team-mates have the brains to anticipate his actions; Brown can't, Burgess certainly can't, and if Fagan's forever being shoved on the flanks he can't either. The latter two came with potential but little reputation from lower tier clubs (as did three others who left with reputations soiled in the summer); so why should Billy Paynter or - when he's fit - Stephen McPhee be different?

In the closing quarter, Green missed one glorious headed chance and Barmby was put through only to hit his shot too close to Foster. Then the penalty - a stonewall shrill of the whistle for the ref after Welsh was chopped in two - summed up City's insecurities. But although we're 20th, on a three defeat spin and looking troubled, negative and guileless, this might do us some good. Taylor has two weeks to reform and inspire - and most of all, replenish - a squad which has that classic look of a promoted team - a mixture of fear and awe which equates to inadequacy on the park. (MR)