The Championship 2020-21

From all the comments in Ivic's press conferences, we can forensically piece together at least his thoughts on the squad. He's surprisingly open about players and is not quite a vague as coaches have been in the past.

Clearly we need another LWB. I think it's a big loss selling Estupinan, and still I've not seen any links to incoming players. It will probably cost us some money in order to replace Pervis, but probably the only money we'll have to spend in the market. Maybe the guy from PAOK, although that's gone a bit quiet now.

So, other incoming players. Now we've signed Garner, we maybe done for midfield, unless we sell Capoue, then we'll need someone else to replace him. Hopefully someone experienced, as we're lacking that right now if Capoue goes.

Hopefully Troost-Ekong will come in, but that may depend on Dawson leaving. Although I do think we need one more if we're going to play three at the back. Really need 6 players if you play this system for an entire season.

Forward area is good if we keep Suarez, Sarr and Deeney. I suspect Welbeck to go.

We probably do need a number 3 keeper. Not so sure about Parkes ever playing in the first team just yet.

So, from what we have left and being mindful of the 25 man squad, this is my possible squad......but this is best case scenario. I still consider we need to raise at least another £15m-£20m to make up shortfalls.

Sold/not included in squad
Gomes (retired)
Holebas (out of contract)
Foulquier (£1.5m)
Santana (undisclosed)
Aias (undisclosed)
Becerra (undisclosed)
Doucoure (£20m)
Estupinan (£15m)
Pereyra £13m
Pussetto £7m
Deulofeu loan with obligation £25m
Welbeck £5.5m
Dawson £5.5m
Penaranda (loan)
Success (loan)
Navarro (injured)
Masina (injured)
Janmaat (injured)

25 man squad
GK
Foster, Bachmann, Parkes (3)
LB
New player, Femenia (emergency cover) (1)
RB
Ngakia, Femenia (2)
CB
Cathcart, Troost-Ekong??, Kabasele, Wilmot, Sierralta, Mariappa?? (6)
MF
Cleverley, Capoue (or new player), Chalobah, Quina, Dele-Bashiru, Garner, Hughes (7)
LW
Sarr, Sinclair (2)
RW
Pedro, Sema (2)
FW
Suarez, Murray, Deeney, Perica, Gray (5)

That totals 28, however 6 are classed as U21. (Pedro, Ngakia, Wilmot, Dele-Bashiru, Parkes, Wilmot)

So we would really be a squad of 22, however, Masina and Janmaat can be added in January once fit. Navarro can be loaned out at that point also. That would still leave one place for a new player if needed or maybe we keep one of Pussetto/Penaranda/Success.

I think this squad would get us promotion plus we'd have raised £92.5m in transfer fees (less whatever we spend on a LWB/LB of course) and we would have retained key players like Sarr, Suarez, Hughes, Foster, Deeney and Capoue.

 

To the best of my knowledge there's no 25 man squad in the EFL. You're applying a PL rule there.

 

Well that's handy for the Whammers I have to endure at Hockey on Sunday. When they say "Hope you enjoy Wycombe away..." I can give them exact time to join in the fun. These words I never, ever thought would pass my lips but: thank you Sky.

 

Concerned that Jerome Sinclair would still be involved. Would rather Success or Peneranda were kept on for some depth. Reckon Ivic could unlock some of their potential.

Also doubt we could afford both Deeney and Gray's wages. Deeney will go imo

 

Jesus. We seemed to be the new Leeds Utd

 

Harsh

 

Yes, but that would go wholly against the TV companies’ model. They’re all competing for your dosh so they need the market to be fragmented.

 

Completely agree, they mention having different companies broadcasting the games is good for the consumer. I fail to see forking out for Sky, BT Sport, Amazon is good for the consumer. No doubt Netflix will get involved at some point too.

Granted Hive is a substitute for us not actually being able to attend the games but each club should be able to broadcast all games they are playing in.

 

This one of the great lies of capitalism. Choice is good for the consumer. Sounds great, but in many cases like this one it either doesn’t work to our benefit or is totally pointless. Hence you go to the supermarket and can choose from 87 types of toothpaste.

 

Didn't they, like, get promoted though?

 

Yeah, but...Leeds? Really.
They are basically the Northern Millwall. Worse in my opinion.

 

Fair point.

Their fans are either lovely or scary in my experience, nothing in-between

 

Worst fans in this order.....

Newcastle.....perpetual moaners
West Ham......a southern Newcastle
Leeds......just tw&ts the lot of them
Leicester......have a massive superiority issue

 

The scum are the team to catch right now. Tricky game next week for a multitude of reasons.

 

Worrying how Nathan ‘Saint Eddie’ Jones has got them firing since his return.

 

Norwich drew against Preston, who are on paper a little bit better than Wednesday, but it was at home (for what that's worth), and they did concede two goals. Well done to Middlesbrough, a battling draw against Bournemouth without Warnock in the dugout. We can all say we're not good enough already, but it's gonna be a tough season for all of the division's 'big guns'

 

They must be on promotion form since lockdown? They'll be buzzing with their start, but it's only two games, and we have one hell of a game to come next weekend! I'd be tempted to go with the XI who were on the field until JP went off, though if Garner comes in as a Chalobah replacement rather than a Quina replacement, I'll take that too

 

1 defeat in 11 league games or something similar. Can’t say I’ve watched any of their games but I really hope they’ve been lucky in that run as on paper it’s pretty impressive.

 

I think we start Garner in the cup game and we see how he does first.

Nate hasn't looked great, but i thought he improved in the second half of both games. Whatever change is being made at half time, we just need to start like that.

 

This may come back to haunt me however there is much
sitting back soaking up pressure and mugging teams on the
break . Cannot go on forever

 

Watford's squad philosophy can finally be revealed. They are going to clone Toby Stevenson.

https://www.watfordfc.com/teams/men/players

 

Just checked how many games we'll have to play until the transfer window closes. Annoyingly we're actually playing Derby on the 16th October, so that means we have 3 more Championship games to play until the window closes.

Luton (h ), Reading (a ), Derby ( a).

Ok we've taken 4 points from the first two and if we can pick up another 4 from the next three games, that would put us on 8 points from 5 games. Not great but steady.

Hopefully we'll be in a position where we still have some decent players around and we can actually start using them, instead of the club lying to us about illness and being under trained etc.

Our season could then properly start on 21st October against Blackburn.

 

It just feels a total waste. Our start to the season is a run of comparatively easy fixtures, which we are wasting by putting out a substandard side.

If we think it is difficult hanging onto some of these players now, it will be significantly more difficult when we are 9 points adrift.

 

9 points adrift when?

 

And of what? 1st? 2nd? 6th?

 

I agree. To me it makes little sense to not allow the coach to play his best players. They're hiding behind this fa*ade of "they need to want to play for the club" nonsense. Yes, nice ideals to stand by, but we're supposed to be in the business of getting promoted. That requires ambition, not fear.

The club don't want anyone to play in case they get injured. They know who the marketable players are, and these are the players that are being held back. I'm sure they'd all like to have a game. Not playing is harming them, as they need to get match fit for us or for their next club. I don't see any of them playing like ***** if they want to move elsewhere.

Yes I get one of two may not take training seriously, but in a group of individuals there will be some that wont put the effort in, but not all of them will be like that. Once they are on the pitch they'll play just fine for us, and will raise the overall quality.

Giaretta said something along the lines of "we're a Premier League club" and Ivic has stated the we want to win the league. That is the aim.

Well if that's the aim, bloody well act like it is. Without disrespecting any of the players who are turning out for us, they are not good enough. They will not win us games. Midfield is far too weak and up front we will not score goals.

Already two games have gone, we've scored 1 goal, and generally look short of attacking ideas. All this is easily remedied but we will not do it. We will not pick our best team.

I've never known a situation like this in all my years in watching football, where a club deliberately wants to sabotage itself.

 

The Telegraph seem to think there is (starting this season). I've not seen it reported elsewhere though.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...uad-sizes-help-ease-financial-pressure-clubs/

 

By deadline day.

 

I can’t read the article because of the paywall but it’s not been reported reliably anywhere else since the Telegraph said that a month ago. I certainly can’t see it in the EFL rules for 20/21 - although obviously I’ve not read every section.

 

I would expect us to pick up more than 4 points from the next three games, Ivic wouldn’t stand for that!

 

I'd be delighted but very surprised if we did.