http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co....rd-already-identifying-targets-january-891119 I wonder what constitutes "early" for SD.
Considering this article is ripped directly from the Evening Standard article from over a month ago, I’d suggest they’ve spent a month doing nothing but scouting Bolivian wonder kids they can send to Huesca rather than anyone that can actually play now. It’s the Pozzo way. And it’s becoming outdated.
Thinking about it, we only desperately need a left back, centre midfield cover and a striker if Okaka leaves. Chalobah, Hughes, Femenia, Kaboul, Cathcart and Success will be back soon hopefully and suddenly the squad looks good again. With Holebas signing on for longer the left back problem may be left until the summer. Could be a quiet one this month which I'm sure Silva will be delighted with...
The dip in form tells me we really struggle without all our top players available. That shouldn’t be the case though, and I blame the plummet down to Silva’s inability to create something resilient when we’re not at full strength. However the constant lack of form from some players has been worrying and we do need a big summer clear out. This window has to be positive though. Like you say, we need a central midfielder, someone that brings energy and can be trusted to play in tight areas. Maybe Ndong is that guy. Central defence is a huge problem. We are top heavy with poor EPL defenders and the quality needs to improve across the board. Bringing in Mawson would be a good move but not for anything like the £25m being quoted. I cannot see why Holebas is staying but we do need much a better defender at left back. For me, Zeegelaar is better than Holebas going forward but cannot defend. He’d be better as a back up left winger. Goalkeeper is a must as well. We’ve had strong links with two keepers, but we have no viable backup to Gomes, maybe even someone to replace him? A striker than can actually take chances has to be on our list. I don’t mind Slimani, and he’s decent in the air. Don’t forget we also have Hernandez on the books. He’s injured right now but if we do obtain a work permit he’d do well for us I’m sure. The shopping list is long and expensive, but it needs doing.
Bruno Pères would do. We were heavily interested before his move to Rome. Apparently Roma are apparently keeping tabs on Karnezis. Will keep my eyes open on this.
The strange thing is every time I saw him play for Roma he was good. Apart from his times at left back. The manager just doesn't like him. He is one hell of a player for 9m €
We desperately need a quality CB or two because whilst we have a large quantity of them, none of them are above average and quite a few of them can’t be trusted to stay fit.
Yep, CB and CF. Nothing else is as urgent as that. I think one CB would be enough. Having a decent CB alongside him would improve a player like kabasele no end.
I’d say Holebas signing a new contract puts paid to any thoughts of another LB coming in this month. Maybe a RB is possible but I’d again I’d be surprised given that we have Janmaat and Femenia. I think they’ll go with those two until the summer. We need full-backs but the club likely won’t see that as urgent this month regardless of whether the fans think we need them now. I can see Capoue, Okaka and Karnezis leaving this month and maybe Britos if there is interest. Couple that with the fitness issues with our central defenders, I think (in order) the areas where we will be looking will be: CF CB GK Winger CM - if Capoue goes.
Can we get a ******* left-back? Because the whole defence would look so much better with a full back who knows a thing or two about defending.
Equally bad on both sides. And that therefore exposes an area where we aren’t quite as bad but are still terrible in CB. Giraldi says the club are very happy with the squad. God knows what they are seeing in this bunch of defenders that no one else sees. If Watford FC was a house I’d just bought, each room needs a bit of a face-lift over time but the defence is a room that needs ripping out and completely replacing immediately.
Yes. But equally a manager and coaches can’t coach ‘talent’ into players that isn’t there, only form and consistency. If they aren’t good enough in the first place....
I am still amazed the recruitment team managed to overlook Tagliafico. And it would have only cost £5M. Just as good as Femenia who is the only decent fullback we have. That we have conceded so many goals is not just the fact that the centre pairing has been shuffled constantly but that the opposition don't really have to think of an attacking plan. Just attack down both flanks as we are so exposed by the clowns playing in those positions. Standing off, passed as if they don't exist, constantly caught out of position, lacking pace to recover. No wonder we concede so many. The poor centrebacks instead of having to focus on the opposing strikers are constantly having to keep an eye out to their left and right to bail out these hapless individuals. Witness Kabasele drawn out by the incompetence of Zeegcrap. Shabby from the recruitment team. If they do read this please go and get young Fabricio Bustos...
El Tractor? Who could refuse with such a name! Exactly. I cannot fathom the constant failings of Holebas,MPA and Janmaat. On so many occasions they are positionally all at sea. Surely this is communication and organisation,the two cornerstones of competent coaching in any sport. Utterly unfathomable. If the players were that incompetent they would not be anywhere near ANY professional contract. I accept a lack of confidence but this problem infects three players and has done so when we were doing well. It is now more exposed because of our poor run or maybe the other way around! Unacceptable either way. A coach should organise this. Kelly at Palace was Mr IBB's pet hate. Roy appears to have him organised and competitive.
Javier Zanetti had the same nickname. It's down to his stamina. Every ninety minutes he is up and down his flank and never tires. Hope Ipswich are not watching.....
His positioning at the same age is not as good, he can be rash and his ball control is not quite on the same level or calm temperament but for his age he is extremely good and likely to learn those attributes as he grows wiser. He certainly ventures into the box more than Javier. Not as gentlemanly on the pitch though. Zanetti is a model footballer on and off the grass a wonderful person with his charity work in Italy and Argentina and a very humble person too. One of my favourite players of all time
Why are there so many contradictions coming out of the club right now? The key people don't give many interviews, but when they do they are worth reading and absorbing. I loved the interview SD gave back in November I think it was. Saying the club would buy players in January and we would get our work done early, also saying about expanding the stadium to 30,000 as well as money towards improved training facilities. Roll on to January and it all appears to have changed, certainly on the question of signings. Giraldi's interview gave a completely different picture. He didn't say we were not signing anyone, but made it clear the priority was to get injured players back on the field, which is a complete contradiction to Duxbury's early interview. Silva is clearly under the impression new players were coming in, right up to when the window opened. He was making it clear the board knows he views and that new players were needed to finish off what was started in the summer. Now we're in this sort of limbo. No one knows what's going on, and this seems to included those in key positions at the club. They are certainly singing off different hymn sheets. From the outside it looks like the club is in a bit of a mess. I hope we're not and that new signings are imminent and weak areas are strengthened. Let's be honest, of the injury list who are we really missing? Success, Cathcart, Kaboul, Femenia, Chalobah, Hoban, Britos & Hughes. Of those how many would really make a big impact or huge difference to the side? Only Chalobah and Kiko imo. I honestly don't believe had any of the others been available our run of form would have been any different. To make out injuries are behind our bad run is deceiving. It's had an impact to a degree, but is nowhere near a crippling as people would have you believe. We need investment and sign good players. No more Karnezis' or Zeegelaar's. We cannot do this on the cheap every time. The cost of getting this wrong is very real, and so is the threat of relegation this season if we don't get it right.
I would sincerely hope so IBB. He's already on the fringes of the Argentina team and missed out on an appearance albeit a friendly through injury. He's also well known to most clubs in Europe I'd suspect or any that have been watching Independiente and their set of youngsters this and last season. I'm still miffed we missed out on Tagliafico in a position that is crying out for quality. And not for an exorbitant sum of money either.
I wonder whether they are holding off if they are uncertain of Silva's future intentions and be saddled with his players if he decides to up sticks in the summer. They just want to continue to use their model of frugality with regards to transfers and keep it independent of any managerial input. Which is far from ideal. It looks to me like they are playing a dangerous game of wait and see which if other clubs at the bottom do invest we may well be caught with our pants down. No need for any expansion plans then.
This could well be the case and it's a dangerous game. The more it unravels the more it looks like Silva will be gone. Either after the next couple of defeats or at the end of the season for sure. Why invest in his recommendations if he's going to go and take all those players with him when he goes? I thought last season we were lucky to survive Wally, but this season seems worse in many ways.
There are a few things which are baffling and not helped by the lack of information coming out of the club and very poor local press reporting. Watford Observer a joke and Mercury not much better. Oh for a bit of insight from the likes of the defunct WD Sport. Why no updates on injuries? The club must know projected return dates even though Silva seemingly doesn't No players leaving, would be surprised if Capoue, Sinclair and Okaka are still at Watford at the end of the window, Zarate and Dje Dje already gone Silva was expecting players in , now says unlikely and Giraldi says happy with the squad but we hear on social media of interest in players and failed bids Club not in a great place but did think the Graham Taylor montage was well done yesterday. Do think it's time for the 72 minute clap to stop. Taylor will never be forgotten but the applause cannot go on indefinitely.
