Choudhury, Kayemebe and Sema along with the names you mention. Those three are not Premier League quality by any means but are more than capable in this league and have shown it. I'm not saying we are good enough to pi55 the league or anything but we are much better than last nights dreadful effort. You can blame Pozzo and Duxbury for not giving us a more balanced squad and quite rightly so but last night we didn't seem to have a plan and played like nobody was sure when to do what. Where is this high pressing attacking football that Edwards was supposed to like. Can you not play it without a RWB?!
But who would take on our debt?? Even if Gino cancelled the £75m we owe him, which he'd have to be mad to do, no one would take on a heavily debt ridden small town club with a tiny income after the end of the 23/24 season.
Shame they didn't have an Athletic match thread just to see how the COGS defend that performance. Obviously, he was concentrating on producing another waffle-fest, and didn't want the hassle/distraction of chairing a "discussion" of a potential sh1tefest.
Meanwhile Udinese go from strength to strength. I' have ten Holebas's out there. He not only was irritated by the fans but by quite a few of his fellow players because he thought they were: 1.crap 2.lazy Something he never was. Pizza and Fuxbury have recruited a team of mental midgets.
He said 'technical ability with the ball at their feet.' The three you named are no good with the ball. Whether they're good enough for a promotion side is clearly a matter of contention.
And again highlights the dreadful recruitment. You look at who Brighton and Brentford have recruited and they are technically capable, young with potential. Sorry to harp on about it. reids scouting thread alone contains more data than Gino's FM exploits. We truly are run appallingly. No balance to the recruitment either. Because it's seen as a money making exercise and the profit according to Beano is forwards. And more forwards.
Levels of toxicity were off the scale. They will be astronomical after another slow start against Sunderland. No 8-0 for us.
I don't want to criticise Choudhury too much because he's been good for us and is excellent at what he does, and Kayembe isn't too bad at this level, but they need to be paired next to someone who isn't scared of the ball. I'm sure Louza will be a great addition to the team, but a) he'll have missed about a quarter of the season by the time he slots back into the team, and b) if he's unavailable for any reason going forward, we're back to square one. The defence was good 2 years ago, but I do think the defensive record flattered them considering the protection they had (and considering teams were scared of us), and they're all two years older now...
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/21488641.watford-must-react-make-changes-blackburn-debacle/ A quite interesting article, even if it beats around the bush and doesn't directly criticise the root of the issue
For all the woeful play in the 1st half , if choudhury had put his left foot around the ball in injury time instead of trying to dislocate his hip would of gone in at half time 1:1,so we start second half on level terms still loads of points to play for 433 Saturday please COYH
Gaspar - better RB than RWB Ngakia- judgement call Kamara - better LB than LWB CB’s - none particularly good at passing, so ideally just play 2 of them not 3 Sema - better LM or LF than LWB Sarr - miles better RM or RF than CF Pedro - best number 10 in the division Davis - hold up number 9 I mean it all points to a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 , I do wonder how a professional manager hasn’t seen it.
I think overall it comes down to Rob desperate to play "his system" which we obviously do not have the squad for - and then shoe horning anyone anywhere to make it work. Last night there was no shape, direction or gameplan. We were scared of having the ball (first half) due to not knowing how to press. That comes down to Edwards having no plan how to approach the game - which is in-excusable.
Really disagree on Kamara, he really struggled when having to do any defending in the Prem, and the two times he's played at LB this season rather than LWB he's been sent off against Burnley and generally had a mare against QPR. The CBs are a bit shaky, so I get the idea of safety in numbers, they looked exposed in a back 4. I'm sure Edwards will want some attacking intent from the full-backs, which seems largely beyond Gaspar and Ngakia, not sure about Sema as his output has been fine as a winger or a wingback, Sarr is better as a winger, but not horrible as a striker, JP is best in a 10, but perhaps as a 10 in a 4-2-3-1, it exposes those behind him a bit more, and Davis is potentially one of the best hold-up #9s in the league, but that can work perfectly fine in any formation
I see this mentioned quite a lot and people even going as far as to say our centre backs can only play in a three at the back but I see it the other way round. I do accept that QPR was a car crash but overall I think it's much easier to be a centre back in a back four. You have to cover far less of the pitch, most of the time you are within the width of the penalty box with a full back outside you for protection. You don't need to be making decisions about whether to go out wide or hold centrally, there aren't three of you trying to decide which of you picks up the forwards, you don't need to split when we have the ball and be expected to pass as progressively. If you have a pool of centre backs that are a bit immobile, not the best readers of the game and quite poor on the ball, I would go for the security of a back four every time.
He’s had one season as a manager in which he won a league playing 3-5-2, so my hunch is that has something to do with it.
This is especially the case as our current pool of full backs are much more suited to RB/LB than RWB/LWB
Just got back from the game. I have to say the overriding emotion right now is one of pride. We went to the home of the Premier League champions and gave them a run for their money. Us! Little Watford! Blackburn dominated as you would expect, but with a little bit more luck and better officiating we may have nicked a point (or more)! Just hoping we can carry this feel good factor into Saturday. I wouldn’t want to be Sunderland right now.
Just seen Sunderland’s goal from the game last night, they are going to rip us to shreds if they can produce something like that
Yes, 442 in particular seems to fit the current personnel. Gaspar at RB, Kamara at LB, Sema LW, Sarr RW, Pedro and Davis as a front two with a hint of a little-and-large throwback. Our best players at this level all in their natural positions.
Yes, it'd be a real shame to move away from our dominant rampaging midfield displays of recent games.
I'd like 4-2-3-1 if everyone was fit Davis Sema Pedro Sarr Hamza Louza Sema Sierralta Hause Gaspar/Ngakia Bachmann Obviously not ideal having Sarr out on the right but we'd be a lot more solid in midfield with Pedro capable of dropping deep and getting stuck in if need be.
I mean it’s all opinions, but in just half a season he won our POTY as a left back in the Prem. Granted it wasn’t much of a competition, but still, I’d argue he did pretty well last season there.
I mean, he definitely won it by default as although he was bright, especially going forward, if not at defending, he definitely wasn't our POTS! I think the criteria for that was 'not completely useless', and 'not a complete ********', and he was one of the few who fit the bill!
Isn't that 1-3-2-4? Still, we're desperate enough we could try it, Davis as a lone CB might surprise them.
