Of course it's huge. Surprised LouOrns is saying it's minimal. We came 19th last season, but had we used that squad, with Doucoure, Capoue, Welbeck, Deulofeu, Pererya we'd have walked the league this season. We've massively watered down our squad but are still comfortably a top 4 Championship side. Look at Norwich. Kept pretty much the same squad. Far too good for the Championship, but well short in the Premier League. Occasionally you get a Sheff Utd, who played out of their skin for a season, which makes the transition look small, but look at them this year, canon fodder. Villa invested millions to bridge the gap. Probably spent over £200m in their two seasons since promotion. Fulham retained their Premier League squad last season in the Championship, but are in the bottom three again this season. Leeds, for me, are a bit like Wolves. They had a Premier League squad before they went up, or rather their style was very strong and that's down to the manager. But if he went Leeds would drop down pretty quickly unless they heavily invested. West Brom, crap because they didn't invest. The same will happen to us, if we go up with what we have and don't significantly improve. Midfield and strikers would need a major uplift as would probably left wing and left back.
This. Last time we went up we had a nucleus of a squad capable of surviving the top flight, with a few additions and off loading the players not good enough we survived with ease. However I feel the current squad isn't as good as the 2015 on the whole but we have a few individuals who would have walked into the 2015 side. I fear that if we go up we will have a quite expensive summer.
Indeed. Crazy to think otherwise. Eg Masina was atrocious in the Prem. People were calling Kiko the worst player they'd ever seen in the Prem (go check his thread), he's probably been the best right back in the Championship this season. We'd need quality improvements all over the shop, which, as we know from previous experience, is easier said than done. It'd be fun though.
The Leeds lot are better than top 6 Championship level now, though that's down to the kind quality coaching that we're unlikely to have access to
Harsh re Masina, who looked good under Pearson before lockdown and seemed a more than capable successor to Holebas, also scored against Everton.
Leeds are currently 12th and I don’t think they’re quality wise particularly great. Just have a really good manager
It’s not huge. The difference between relegation and staying up is more to do with coaching than the players you have. But you have to sustain that period through clever signings etc. We went down because of bad signings and bad appointments. We’ve still got a decent squad Championship wise. A half decent striker and a coach that knows what he’s doing keeps you up with relative ease. Also Leeds definitely didn’t have a Premier League squad before they went up. There’s a reason they were nowhere near it before Bielsa came in
I have to say he really proved himself as an indisputable Premier League player tonight with his goal against one of the worst teams in the Championship... Good goal, on a serious note.
Was all over the place last night. Dropping back to cover in the middle and picking the ball up, driving at the opposition and some of his passes were unreal during this time. I can't knock the fella because he has the perfect attitude needed in a squad and is more than good enough to drop in and battle too. Good enough for the Premier? Who cares we dont play there.
I had said this too saying he had looked leggy. Certainly not yesterday though. Very happy he's here and here to stay.
Well done King Ken. Bags of energy again down that left hand side. Come back safe and sound from the internationals.
Really impressed by his reaction time and positioning, he just knew how to get in the right place at the right time to pop in his goal. One of the commentators was selling it a bit short by calling it a "tap-in", it's not like he was just handed the ball on a plate in the middle of the six-yard box, he had to get it in quickly at an angle, and even Pukki, Toney or Ayew might have missed it. My only criticism is I sometimes wish he'd release the ball earlier during his runs round the box, like Hughes he seems reluctant to shoot or cross.
Can't really argue with five goals in the last ten games for a wide player. I do think he looked like he was suffering the after effects of Covid for a while but energy levels seem good recently.
Yep he is great at this level. He is the player who most perfectly highlights the gulf in class between the premier league and the chumpionship. I have not forgotten how effortlessly he was nullified by premier league defences, though many of our fans seem to have. See also: cleverley. A great asset at this level, but dog terd in the big league.
Sema says he has signed a new contract.. http://sportwitness.co.uk/feels-good-watford-man-confirms-vicarage-road-extension-will-probably-official-time/
Great news! Let's get rid of Sierralta asap and sign Sema up for another 5 years, with a fat pay rise. Flawless stuff as usual from our owners. Bravo!
Only 5 years? I think you'll find King Ken's new contract runs until he snuffs it and then Ken Jr will take over his throne on the left wing.
Just makes no sense. Player who is only good enough to be squad filler for premier league given extension even with 2 seasons after this one still to run, and a pay rise to boot. For all their good work this season the Pozzo’s remain awful at contract management (see Deeney, Cathcart and Cleverly, and on the flip side Hughes).
He's been pretty good this season, shown he can do it in a top tier league, extremely versatile and seems to be a good dressing room character. Don't see the fuss on the extension, especially compared to some of our usual poor decisions.
He’s a good egg and a positive personality to have around the place. His level though is Championship. He won’t be effective in the Premier League and just like last time, if we go up, he’ll be shipped off to Udinese. We all know it. This is how the Pozzo’s work. They signed him very cheaply, £1m I think, so he’s an asset worth investing in. A 5 year deal protects their asset be it at Watford, if we dont go up, or at Udinese if we do.
I can't see any problem with this at all. He came from Sweden to the Premier league, ok he didn't set it a light. Went off to Udinese and proved his worth in a few different positions. Has come back and is really now showing his worth. Great player to have imo. Let's get a few more signed up now.
So if we stay down, we stand a bigger chance of keeping a very good Championship player, if we go up, we've have a decent back up option, and don't need to go shopping for a replacement. Sema isn't exactly an over-the-hill injury prone player. He's 27, and we've secured his value for some of his prime years. Gino has given out some strange contracts over the years but this one makes sense imo
In other Ken Sema news, it was announced this morning that Sema, having not been involved in either of Sweden’s two other matches, will start tomorrow in their friendly v Estonia, 48 hours of so before our game on Friday. Infuriating.
Signing a 5 yr deal means that we won’t be under pressure to sell on the cheap. When Barca come knocking in the summer we can sell for a large profit