Agreed. I’ve been critical of Silva over a number of things but this is not one of them, they only player you can seriously accuse him of being stubborn over is Okaka. We had a great start to the season and were playing very well, all managers will natuarally have a favoured starting 11 that they would ideally field week in week out and he obviously had his. There’s is no substitute for minutes on the pitch and you can’t blame him for favouring players he has actually seen play Premier Leage games vs those he has only seen in training. As has been stated as soon as Hughes got his chance (because Silva’s first choice players were injured) then he stayed in the team, if he’d dropped hi straight back to the bench then there would be a case to answer, but he didn’t. And Wague and Zellegar were just 2nd/3rd choice squad fillers that were brought in at the last minute that none of us had been heard of, more than likely Silva included. Why would he favour them over players he has actually seen play and perform? We can’t comment on Wague yet but Zellegar is the same situation as Hughes, he was completely unproven to Silva and he’d almost definitely never seen him kick a ball in a professional capacity, so he only played him when he absolutely had to, but again, when available he’s retained his place.
I don't believe there's a referee on the planet that would have given the goal unless the watch beeped. Can you imagine the outrage if he'd given it, the watch hadn't beeped and it had subsequently been shown not to have crossed the line? Ok, not much outrage at all as it was Watford, but still..
The players you name yourself are the players he criticised as dissapointing. That certainly influenced the opinion of some fans (in the same way Walter convinced fans that Doucoure was poop) before they got a chance to play. Okaka strongly seems like missmanagement, given the guy is showing that he is clearly desperate to play, and is totally professional about it; so what lesson was the big Italian supposed to be learning, other than don't upset a genius at work? These issues, IMHO, make Silva seem like a spoiled brat. Wague had a reasonable reputation before coming here, his time at Leicester affected by injury rather than performances. The jury is still out on him, but why the delay when things have been desperate? He may not have been the most exciting signing, but I certainly wasn't dissapointed when he joined. These players could have been used in rotation or simply had run outs as subs, could have proven their worth or frailties in less pressured circumstances. I am not saying my opinion is the be all and end all, but I feel it very strongly, and am not surprised that others are doing the same based on the circumstances.
So, can you tell me at what point in his Watford career Pereyra established himself as a key player in the team. Maybe a run of games where he made himself invaluable? I have seen him play well occasionally, and do the odd bit of skill that shows his potential, but that is it.
And a good job they don’t. Off topic but what an absolute farce that third Bournemouth goal was. That was a textbook case for VR being implemented.
But all HB1 is saying is that in the old days that goal would not have been given certainly not for Watford!
really? one defensive error from Lesta leading to Wague's goal; Doucoure's was a lucky punt that Schmeichel nudged in. In fact luck has probably been more significant factor for us this season than Silva or the players.
We live in a parallel universe to HB1. You can try to make sense of it if you like, but only at a risk to your own sanity.
I was going to say similar. What's the instruction to assistant referees these days? Presumably they're told to defer to the all-knowing watch and not risk embarrassment by raising their flag in case they're wrong.
Strange logic. I truly hope that Silva has learned a lesson here. These guys may not be of the quality he was after, but they are very capable at this level, and his clear reluctance to pick the players should not be justified or excused because he kept them in the team when it turned out they are decent. He'd be in for a lot more criticism if he had dropped them after they came in and did well. Your logic seems very strange.
There is simply no reason to suspect any of this. Our poor form has been recent and actually corresponds with fringe players coming through. They themselves haven’t done particularly badly, but there was every justification for the prior selections. We were red hot. Every year large numbers of us fall out with the boss as if managing a team this size in the most competitive league is going to be linear and will make sense to the outsider. In fact the teams performances have been consistently good all through the season, but as players have been lost to injury and suspension the narrow margin we won by has turned to losses. This can be sorted in the window.
It seems perfectly logical to me. How soon do you drop a player in favour of one you’ve never seen play and didnt have a hand in signing? Do you drop a player from a team that is getting results just for the sake of it? How long do you persist with a player who you know can perform because you’ve seen it with your own eyes in favour of a moneyball type player brought in by the owners not you? He’s avoided picking players he knows nothing about until he’s had to pick them, and then if they performed well he’s kept them in the side. I really fail to see what’s wrong with that and what the flaw in that logic is?
Wague had a decent game, capped with a goal. I liked the fact he actually celebrated, even though it was against his old club. But only played 70 minutes in Leicester colours, so he probably wasn't a firm fans' favourite. http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co....ews/watford-molla-wague-leicester-city-977231
But you are making the same assumptions again. How do you know that Okaka is being 'totally' professional about it? Silva has stated in the press that they both know the reasons why Okaka hasn't been playing. That hints to me at more of an problem on Okaka's side than Silva's. I was glad he came on yesterday and he put himself about, he did well. Silva was unprofessional at the end of the last transfer window when he made his comments about being disappointed with the last week of dealings. But again, you simply don't know what he had been promised. Should have been kept in-house I agree - but at the time, on this very forum, most people were saying they were happy with the window as a whole but the last week and defensive signings were underwhelming. He shouldn't have said it publicly but Silva was just saying the same as most fans. Wague maybe did have a 'reasonable' reputation before arriving. But he wasn't the step-change in quality we needed at CB at the time. And he couldn't force his way into an Udinese side that were struggling badly. Zeegelaar made his debut against WHU. Most likely because Holebas had a stinker at Everton - but before that many fans had been praising Holebas' start to the season - so why would you rotate them before that? Will Hughes, I genuinely do't think was brought into the team by mistake. Much more that he is a young player, who stepped up a league and had a summer tournament so likely had an extended summer break and took a while to get up to speed on a number of fronts. When he was ready, he was introduced. In my opinion, these are far more likely and believable reasons as to why the above players haven't been in the team before now rather than Silva just arrogantly not picking them. Sure he has a high opinion of himself but he's also professional and has a reputation that would be severely damaged if he wasn't doing his best for the team. This, I do agree with you about. I am seriously underwhelmed by Pereyra so far. The talent is clearly there as we have all seen it but it appears to be getting buried deeper and deeper within himself under the weight of fear of getting injured again. He has simply been a passenger since his return from both injuries this season. And sadly those returns to the team have been when we could not afford passengers in the side. It isn't a lack of ability but there seems a very obvious mental block with the guy whenever I've seen him play this season and I think its down to much more than simply not being played as No.10. I think Silva is putting him in because he knows his abilities and one good game could turn the corner. But after Brighton and yesterday, maybe the patience is beginning to wear thin... When everyone is fit, on this season's form, he doesn't get in my team. And I'm not sure he's the type of player to roll his sleeves up, double his efforts and force his way back in given Silva publicly questioned his desire to work as hard as the other midfielders only 2 weeks ago.
I see the angle you are taking, but seriously, I believe it is one taken to defend a situation, rather than to prove a serious point. Silva should have made himself damned well aware of these players capabilities and usefulness to the squad long before he reluctantly brought them in. Otherwise what is the point of him?
Good job as well in Spain the past month there have been 3 clear goals not given because La Lega will mot introduce goal line technology
It was only after Chalobah was injured, forcing Cleverley into a deeper role, then Pereyra was injured, and finally Capoue played so badly as the advanced midfielder against Stoke that Hughes was given a chance. Either Silva was forced into it by injuries and a disastrous performance by Capoue, or it was a happy coincidence that Hughes just happened to finally be ready to play when all other options had been exhausted. I know which seems more likely to me...
Yes. You are absolutely right. I am making assumptions. Assumptions based on what I have seen, and Okaka has appeared willing on every occasion he has turned out, having opened the season with a good game and a goal which, despite his subsequent treatment, has set him out as our most effective striker. Is that not a fair thing to form an opinion around? You recognise a professional approach (he put himself about, he did well) yourself in your first paragraph, so why shouldn't I. It would do well if you also remember that your opinion is formed from your own assumptions, unless you are of the HB1 school of "I think it, therefore it is real". You are assuming that Silva is 1, being honest when he talks about Okaka's exclusion, and 2, that Okaka is lying about his lack of knowledge on the subject. I have no problem with you making your assumption however and would not criticise or question you for doing so, even though I may disagree with you. You are assuming that Silva's reason for excluding Okaka is a good one, and not just that the head coach has spit his dummy. I have no problem with you making your assumption however and would not criticise or question you for doing so, even though I may disagree with you. You are assuming Wague is not the step change in quality we need at CB (The Pozzos were looking to move Wague on from Udi, and make their money on him). You know little about him and have hardly seen him play. I have no problem with you making your assumption however and would not criticise or question you for doing so, even though I may disagree with you. You are assuming the I consider Hughes as one of the players over looked. I am not. I believe his introduction to the team was managed very well. I have no problem with you making your assumption however and would not criticise or question you for doing so, if I do take this opportunity to put you right. You are assuming that Silva is not just "arrogantly picking them", whilst you have no more proof than I have that he is "spitting his dummy". I have no problem with you making your assumption however and would not criticise or question you for doing so, even though I may disagree with you. I'd appreciate it if you stepped back and looked at how you form your own opinions before questioning me for forming mine. PS Liked for the Pereyra bit! Merry Christmas
But what exactly is the issue with this? Young unproven kid from the championship in ‘not first choice over experienced Premier Leage players’ shock. The only issue would’ve been if he’d played well when he finally got his chance and then been straight back out of the team, but that wasn’t the case was it. I can’t think of many other managers in the league who don’t approach things in the same way.
On a side note, if you watched Gomes' interview after he had a red mark on the right side of his head, presumably after Maguire collided into him.
Yes, VR probably gained us 2 points, there - and about time, too. & yes, the Bournemouth goal was not refereeing's finest hour. The more VR is used in such situations the fairer the game will become. &, by the way, did I see Bournemouth cheating again? Wilson screaming that he didn't touch the ball when he did (and knew it). The referee, however, should have disallowed the goal because Wilson moved for it when he was in a known offside position, regardless of whether he touched it or not. Silly referee.
Kavanagh might be a no mark ref at the moment but he is new to PL and very highly thought of. He’ll go right to the top, but hopefully avoid the arrogance and subconscious big club favouring of your Taylors and Atkinsons and the shortsightedness of your Madleys and Mosses.
A reason the players are motivated and play for Silva is his loyalty to his players. He started with a team playing well and players who came in had to win their place, this is only good for team moral. Mostly injuries and suspentions created the opportunities but Hughes over Parayra is a good example whilst Prodl, last years player of the year, came in when fit but having been given 3 games to get up to speed was dropped to the bench. Very fair decisions. Same with Holobas who had a good start to the season and dropped after poor performances. Shows competition for places.
Overal a great improvement on Huddersfield and Brighton. I thought Watson, Cleverley and Doucore put in a huge amount of work. With the return of Chalobah and Hughes, I can't see the point of retaining Capoue next season. Yet again I was underwhelmed by Janmatt, when he signed for us I thought he was a massive step up in quality, but now looks less and less likely to be an automatic choice once we have a fully fit squad. What was interesting was watching Vardy. The way he gathered the ball, released it and moved on into space, showed how much we need a player capable of doing that when we break from our own half. Today even Silva looked like he had stopped sulking, and celebrated the goals. Hopefully we are out of the rut we fell into. A good result against Swansea and a creditable performance against City will hopefully sort us up for the second half of the season.
Did you see Wilson's post match interview on MOTD? He said he got a touch on it without even being asked about it, and when the interviewer asked him with what (did he get a touch) he grinned and said ‘ a touch of magic’. It makes a bit of a mockery of it when he swears blind to the ref he didn’t touch it but then immediately admits that he did after the game. Also the linesman has flagged, but the ref has then presumably overulled him on the say so of the player himself, which is daft in the extreme.
Did think him overly card happy at the start but was generally unobtrusive which is normally a good sign for a ref
The issue is that i don't think Silva deserves much credit for easing him in, when it looks like his hand was forced. And he certainly should have played Hughes ahead of Capoue in that position vs Stoke. Anyone can see that Hughes is a better attacking midfielder than Capoue, who even when he's playing well, needs to play from deep as he doesn't have the footballing brain to find space or receive the ball on the half turn against a packed defence. Also, Richarlison was an unproven kid from another continent and yet he was given a chance. Chalobah was unproven in the Premier League too. Silva was fine to throw them in at the deep end (and rightly so). The idea that Hughes who played over 150 games in the Championship and had just come off the back of a successful u21 tournament would need more time to adapt to the Premier League doesn't cut it for me. Silva didn't fancy him, injuries and lack of form forced his hand and luckily Hughes seized his chance, similar to Doucouré and Mazzarri.
Think the dislike over Carrillo stems from the fact that he wanted to hey back to Benfica pretty much the moment he landed. Got the impression that he could do better.
