[NOT HAPPENING] Jack Rodwell

Discussion in 'The Transfer List' started by Aylesburyorn, Jul 14, 2018.

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  1. Or, taking a leaf out of Alan Parson's book, The Pozzo Project.
     
    RookeryDad and I Blame Pozzo like this.
  2. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    I think I need David Attenborough to explain the difference betweeen, group, squad, pod, pack, herd etc. Only then will this whole group thing make sense.
     
    Ray Knight likes this.
  3. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Have we had Gino's Gang ?
     
  4. No - but I have a very vague childhood memory of his Ram Jam Band
     
    Scalexman likes this.
  5. Cassetti's Beard

    Cassetti's Beard First Team

    Rodwell is quality, you fools know nothing about football. Hope he goes elsewhere as we don't deserve somebody of that stature.
     
  6. simpleMASH

    simpleMASH Reservist

    So as I understand it, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong, Mario Suarez has decided he wants another crack at Watford and the Premier League (perhaps because we once again have a Spanish coach) and has concocted a master plan to conceal his true identity, which consists of changing his name and pretending he’s English. However he couldn’t be bothered to find a disguise. Right?
    A8FE1B8C-A83D-412A-B27F-D4644F5E0D5C.jpeg
     
  7. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I wonder if by any chance they may be related ?
     
  8. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Please no! Nothing to do with his character, just based on him not being a particularly good footballer, in a position we do not need strengthening.
     
  9. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I believe the fact that Mr Suarez senior happened to be at a sales conference in Southport in June 1990 is pure coincidence.
     
    Hogg-DEENEY!!! likes this.
  10. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Excellent! I just about remember Jack Rodwell, but I had completely forgotten Suarez even existed! Needless to say I don't want either of them
     
    Hulk Hoban and Ray Knight like this.
  11. The uninformed

    The uninformed Academy Graduate

    If you ignore the fact he is Jack Rodwell and look at it dispassionately, I think this deal makes sense.

    He is a decent, home-grown footballer who can play two important positions more than adequately. If we plucked him from non-league and paid him a modest wage (which is no doubt what he will be offered) and he performed as adequately as I suspect he will when called upon then I think we'd all be saying it was a good piece of business. Don't look at him as someone who has commanded huge transfer fees and wages in the past because we won't be paying those fees or wages.

    I always thought he was over-hyped even before he left Everton. But he was always decent.

    I personally think we should look at him as a CB. We're short there and it gives him a chance to reinvent himself.
     
    Bubble, Glenhorn and EB Hornet like this.
  12. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    We're certainly not short at centre back: Kaboul, Kabasele, Cathcart, Britos, Prodl, Mariappa, Wilmot, Hoban - if we're playing a back four that's far too many. I could understand bringing in a first choice centre back to push some of those names out of the squad, but not taking a chance on a midfielder who hasn't played any football for over a year and was desperately underwhelming the season before.
     
    Chumlax likes this.
  13. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    To be fair, you were replying to someone calling themselves "The uninformed".
     
  14. The uninformed

    The uninformed Academy Graduate

    I would (respectfully of course) disagree. Of those you've mentioned:

    Kaboul: Played 24 games in 2 seasons (inc just 2 last year). In 13 seasons as a PL player he has managed more than 23 games once. Cannot be relied upon and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes.
    Kabasele: I agree he'd be my first choice
    Cathcart: I really hope he can regain form and fitness as I think he's the best CB we've had under the Pozzos but sadly his record suggests it would be foolish to assume he will
    Britos: Cracking player at times in his first season, trending downwards since. Unlikely to experience a renaissance aged 33. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go
    Prodl: See Britos but replace first season for second (although even then I don't think he was *that* good under Walt but accept I'm probably in a minority there). Slightly younger than Britos so could still prove me wrong but I get the feeling his best years are behind him.
    Mariappa: Lovely bloke, decent back up but not first choice material
    Wilmot: I'd love to see him get a few games this year but it is unrealistic to expect him to be regular first team material for a while
    Hoban: I get the feeling he'd be chuffed with a solid season on loan somewhere. Hugely unlikely to have any impact at Watford this season if ever

    To summarise, I see that we have one first choice in Kabasele and the other CB will come from Cathcart, Britos and Prodl (assuming Britos and Prodl stay) with Wilmot and Mapps playing a bit part role at best. I don't think that is particularly strong bearing in mind the injury history of Cathcart and Britos.

    The other thing I like about the idea of Rodwell at CB is he would be a more thoughtful user of the ball than any of the others (perhaps excluding Wilmot). At some stage it would be great to see a Watford defender doing something other than the old panic/hoof combo.

    But my main point was that there is little downside if - as I say - you look at it as a cheap, decent, home-grown option who can cover two positions well.

    If he turns out to be terrible, cut losses at minimal expense.
     
  15. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Home-grown is irrelevant. It was an issue in the first season when we didn't fill the 25 man squad, we now have more than enough HG so it brings no extra benefit. Not sure how he can described as "decent" when he's played no football for a year and was universally panned before then.

    The issue is that if you give him a squad place, you have to take someone else out. Despite all their faults, I'd rather we relied upon Prodl, Britos or Mariappa for 10-15 games if there's another injury crisis at the back, rather than someone who has never played senior football in that position, and hasn't played any football at all for a year.
     
  16. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    With all this talk of reverting/converting Rodwell to a CB, its worth noting that Wilmot played advance CDM yesterday.

    Why bring in a natural CDM and play him at the back? And vice versa?

    I have no problem with us looking at Rodwell. I have no problem with signing him if he sufficiently impresses. There has obviously been enough talent shown by the guy at some stage in the past. If we can draw that out of him again, it could be an astute signing.

    Although....we really need to stop the obsession with buying midfielders. A recognised CB and a striker with potential and I’ll be happy with the window. Then we can get rid of some more fringe players.
     
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  17. The uninformed

    The uninformed Academy Graduate

    I described him as decent because he was once heavily touted as a big talent. If he'd continued on that trajectory he'd be out of our reach now. The fact that he hasn't kicked on is the reason we are in a position to take a look. If he can recapture his previous form - we would have a player on our hands who is arguably above our level.

    We've paid more in the past for players who didn't have ability in the first place! Yes, Brice I'm looking at you...

    And re the HG thing, I'm not going to pretend I've done the analysis but speaking in general terms I thought it was a limit on the number of non-HG players, not that you had to try to get up to a particular number of HG players. For every HG player in the squad we release another spot for the next Doucoure, Richarlison etc.
     
  18. The uninformed

    The uninformed Academy Graduate

    I guess we aren't alone in looking for recognised CBs and strikers and suspect there are very few if any on the market who fit the requirements. So maybe we have to be a little more creative if we want to avoid going into another season with the same problems as previously
     
    Ray Knight likes this.
  19. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    That's lovely and everything but the question has to be asked, why has he not played football for a team that has just been relegated two years in a row and why he might be the answer to a ball playing centre back. He has basically done nothing since leaving Everton apart from pick up massive amounts of money (which I don't blame him for). Why has nobody tried to get him on loan, surely Sunderland would have been happy with some of his wages taken away from them and playing at another club might have got him a move a lot earlier.
    I'm not surprised we are having a look but I very much doubt it will go beyond that
     
    Chumlax likes this.
  20. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    I couldn’t profess to know the answers to all those questions. Rodwell was played at first as a CB while in the youth teams at Everton. Much the same as Chalobah was at Chelsea - Chalobah was actually labelled as their natural successor to John Terry. Not saying Rodwell would be seen as a CB and is unlikely he’d be one of PL quality straight away - but he does have history of playing there.

    I suspect (but again don’t know) that if he was on 73k a week at Sunderland, he was probably on all sorts of bonuses too (match appearance etc etc) and this probably made it just too expensive for them to even play him.

    But there does remain the question of why he was happy to stay there doing nothing and not seeking a loan move. I don’t blame him for not wanting to be paid off etc as the guy may have outside factors affecting that (kids in local schools, mortgages etc). Just because you earn so much, you live your life according to those means. If he walked out and went to Bolton for example on a 1/3 of the wage, that would affect his life - even if we all could easily live off it.

    There are two questions about him - why has he been happy to play so little football? And does he still have the ability that he carried in his youth? The answers to both questions would be nice but if the question of his ability is answered positively, I couldn’t care less about the answer to the first question.

    I suspect if you offered him it all over again - he wouldn’t have joined City from Everton. It was a great chance for him and it would have been amazing for him and England had it paid off. But sadly he joined when the homegrown quotas were introduced and soon became apparent why City bought the likes of him, Sinclair and that wrong’un rotting away in jail.
     
  21. The uninformed

    The uninformed Academy Graduate

    I agree with all of this. The fact that those two questions remain outstanding is the reason why he's on trial at Watford instead of recovering from a World Cup and a season of regular football at City. A club like Watford has to accept an element of risk in transfers. We can't buy proven performers. We buy potential which can be found in young, promising players who may or may not fulfil their potential (Doucoure, Wilmott, Sinclair, Success) but can also be found in players who have lost their way. Again, they may or may not reach their potential and that's the risk we have to take.
     
  22. elliott_honour

    elliott_honour Battle Hardened Centre Forward

    Slightly different scenario I know but....
    Marlon King was a player that showed some potential at Gillingham.
    Went to Leeds and did nothing.
    We brought him as a bit of a risk but he did well for us.
     
    Bubble likes this.
  23. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    At his best he was a brillant player. We were as good as down as soon as he got injured in the prem. Still had time to score that great goal against WHU(?).
     
  24. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    Best striker we've had here in the past 15 years. Pace, strength, touch and a good finisher. That injury was a disaster for us.

    Also a shame that he was/is such a massive tw*t!
     
    Ray Knight, Bubble and poakley like this.
  25. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    I remember the threads from last games of last season. "It will be fine as we will upgrade centre backs and forward line"

    - Renew Britos contract
    - convert Rodders to centre back
    - Deeney/Gray/Okaka/Sinclair

    Job done :p
     
  26. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    Ponzo model. Best scouting network in the world. Get used to it.
     
    sexyfootball and Keighley like this.
  27. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    #trustinGino
     
  28. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

  29. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Markoa$ likes this.
  30. lowerrous

    lowerrous First Team

  31. wingco

    wingco Reservist

    Doubt they would feature him in a pre season video unless they were signing him
     
    Markoa$ likes this.
  32. Doucoure is first choice defensive mid, Capoue 2nd, Rodneyplonker will be there as a backstop. If he’s okay with it, and the coaches are okay with him, why not. Cheap option that doesn’t take a non HG slot.
     
    Optimistichornet likes this.
  33. Optimistichornet

    Optimistichornet Penguin Assassin

    Exactly this. Can never hurt to have homegrown strength in depth. Cheap and who knows if he can rediscover his love for the game and some form it could be a great signing.
     
  34. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    .....and is used to not playing !!!
     
  35. barely1egal

    barely1egal Reservist

    Exactly. He has experience in the NDong role.
     
    Supertommymooney likes this.
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