This is no what a criticism of the signings - but just playing devils advocate. Maybe ‘in their prime’ isn’t good enough for what we need? Plenty of terrible footballers play for top level clubs - we have a number ourselves. Poor players in their prime are still poor players - see ‘Ken Sema’. (As I say this isn’t really about the 2 players in question - but the parameters you set out don’t really guarantee they will be good enough, that’s all!)
I can understand the lack of reinforcement at CB to a certain extent. While he certainly wasn't perfect last season I dont think anyone expected WTE to **** the bed in quite the matter he has and there has been some bad luck with injuries. However, bringing in Danny Rose as the only back up to Masina was utter madness in circumstances where Masina has been absolutely ***** for 95% of his Watford career and Danny Rose was 3 stone overweight with zero interest in being a footballer any more.
Not so sure. Lots of people were predicting what a nightmare WTE would be in the premier league half way though the championship and we already knew Cathcart was substandard. We then sold Wilmot so the chances of one of those pair playing most games was high even if Sierralta stepped up and stayed fit. I think starting a premier league season with our 4 cbs will be the reason we go down. That said they are busy repairing damage as we speak. Agree on left back as well - but feels you can get away with it a bit more there.
People were predicting his horrific passing would cause us problems. I dont think anyone was expecting him to start ducking under balls in front of opposition striker or any of the other bonkers defensive errors he has made. They were certainly chancing it, but I dont really remember a time when they weren't doing that. All I am saying is that I think 1 good and 3 reasonable championship centre backs is probably still a better position than having one mediocre championship left back and a rotund bloke who hadn't played football in two years.
I remember there was actually one wisened savant who replied to my posts decrying how appalling/dangerous WTE was with his passing and decision-making a couple of times, highlighting the fact that he also shaped up to defend attackers but then turned his body sideways and tried not to get hit by the ball in a cowardly fashion every time - I can't recall who it was off the top of my head, I'm afraid, but the evidence is out there if they care to look/they know who they are.
He certainly had his issues, but so do most players. All I am saying is that I didn't expect him to go from looking like a reasonable championship centre back to looking like one of the most inept players the PL has ever seen. He played the most minutes of any of them in that record equalling defence. There are plenty of players who looked a similar standard to him in the champ who have stepped up and at least been able to do a job in the PL - Cathcart among them.
I agree that I don't think literally anyone saw him becoming the worst consistent CB starter the Prem has ever seen, because it's by its very nature an outlandish and unlikely/rare scenario, but I certainly saw WTE as being even more exposed in the Prem than in the Championship and that those problems would stack up - in my period of research failing to find what @lowerrous managed to, over the last ten minutes or so, what I did find was a decent amount of people (though a huge minority, relatively-speaking, of course) who did indeed express those kind of concerned sentiments about the idea of WTE playing/starting for us at Prem level.
While I'm in that thread, I'll point out that in the summer I also thought it was "vital" we signed a CB "to partner Sierralta" (i.e. I also thought WTE definitely shouldn't be starting): https://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/2021-22-squad.58210/page-4#post-2994978
Ok fine, if we're jacking ourselves off I'll just highlight to the wider world that that prophetic Carpster post was in reply to me saying this: No comment on any of my wrong opinions.
What!?! There was literally no attempt, by choice - it's a screenshot - far more elegant and illustrative. Takes the people back without the tedium of having to erase the little grey boxes with their minds.
I was excited about us signing Ekong. I just want to point out how amazing I am for admitting I was wrong.
I was in the same boat and was also buzzing to be rid of Dawson. That West Ham game was a pretty grim experience.
In fairness - pretty much every single position in the squad needed reinforcement. I dont think anyone who has watched Kabasele, Cathcart etc over the years wouldn't have liked us to sign another centre back, however we clearly had extremely limited funds, and it was a position that looked in marginally less dire straights than others given we would have been staring down the barrel of a Cleverley, Dan Phillips and Tom Dele Bashiri midfield.
We will still struggle defensively without a defensive midfielder. Sent from my TECNO P701 using Tapatalk
If the good Samiriton has signed as a left-back, I agree this should be a priority. Younger legs in midfield will be vital, especially considering fixture congestion