Our big Romanian in no rush to come back or rather he'd like to stay at Forest. http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/16162640.Pantilimon_hopes_to_remain_at_Forest/?ref=rss
Everyone away from the club never seems in a rush to come back. I include our injured players in this.
I see it was the massive Amrabat verses Success derby last night in Spain. Malaga succumbed to a 3-0 defeat in the end and were relegated as a result. Both of our heroes played an integral part in this titanic battle, clocking up an amazing 0 (zero) minutes between them. That sort of experience bodes well for the future. Good work boys!
Is Success injured or just not being picked? All the physical attributes to be the striker we are crying out for but he doesn't have a brain. I imagine he'll be off in the summer, he won't qualify as under 21 next season and he'd be a waste of a squad place.
Not being picked even though their manager is the one he played well under at Granada. Signs are not promising...
A general question but one with Isaac Success in mind, Penaranda too. With players who gained a good reputation at a young age, do the Pozzo's have a history of selling those who fail to kick on between, say, 20-23 years of age or do they try to wring every bit of loan fee money out of them before letting them go? Or do they renew their contracts as they come to the final 18 months, promise them security where they'll be looked after financially, medically (ha! not at The Vic obviously!!) and football wise with more loans or a transfer if they start to play and receive interest from a so-called big club? And if they are alerting bigger clubs this means they're playing, playing well and could then become an asset for WFC or Udinese in the shorter term with the possibility of a big BIG transfer a further season or two down the line anyway. I just don't see these type of players being sold off so easily because they're not commanding a squad or first XI place at WFC when there's a potential loan fee that could be earned.
Gooooooooooles de Cucho Hernandez! Back on the score sheet with a brace today as Huesca try to get back in the automatic promotion places.
If we can't get him here this summer, I don't think we'll ever see him. Another good season, this time in La Liga and he'll be off.
Didn't Acuna score goals for fun in the Segunda Division? Not saying the lad won't be a good player, but it's wishful thinking he'll solve all our goalscoring problems
New levels of tinpotness as Alex Jakubiak scored a neat back-heel at Dumbarton's rather picturesque one-sided ground in a 5-2 victory. I make that 7 in 17 for The Jak.
Just a more attractive version of playing at London Colney then with the one stand and rest just fenced off. Fair to say they might have trouble expanding the ground if they wanted to! EDIT: IT seems Dumbarton have been looking to move away but been rejected. http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=3524
Belgian press says that Obbi Oulare will have an operation on 30/04 and will be out for four months so will likely miss pre-season as he won't be fit until end of August. Will be interesting to see if we can get any takers for a loan next season, given his fitness problems and a potential lack of any pre-season, although Antwerp's manager has at least said he'd have him back.
I once told a woman I'd just split with that, although I was having problems and needed to be on my own, maybe sometime in the future, you know, perhaps if the stars were aligned, one day it may just be possible, all things being equal and we still felt the same about each other, that you never know... stranger things have happened. Once I got home I shredded every piece of paper she'd touched, burnt any furniture she'd sat on and deleted anything digital her binary coded form inhabited. I doubt very much Oulare will be going back to Antwerp.
He features in this months World Soccer magazine. Top 10 loan signings. It has been suggested that he is highly unlikely to ever play for Watford. Rated at £25 million +
I don’t see why people and press keep repeating he will never play for Watford. He’s contracted to the club, if he doesn’t get a work permit now he can apply for a Spanish passport next year and get in by that route, why would the club sell at a fraction of his potential?
I would imagine that his agent will feel that Watford are simply not good enough. It could be that under FIFA regulations and being 18, it may be his choice.
i am just taking a stab in the dark. How old was he when he signed a contract? Who, if under 18, was his Guardian? What clauses are in the contract? Passport/ Citizen issues. FIFA rules state that a player under 18 can only sign a 3 year contract. So, when did he sign a contract? He looks a good player indeed. He has an attitude, but which South American player doesn't have one?
The laws and rules around signing, educating and housing 'minors' run deep. Take a read of the Emory International Law Review : FIFA Transfer Regulations and UEFA Player Eligibility Rules: Major Changes in European Football and the Negative Effect on Minors Christina Lembo
Does he? I've been following his progress this season for this thread and haven't seen anything to suggest he's anything other than a model professional.
As the season is pretty much done and dusted, seems like an appropriate time to review the loanees' spells away from the club. There is quite a large caveat - I've barely watched any of these players in action, the ratings are from a mixture of their stats, match reports and comments from fans. I've used the forum's established "Wow" rating system to assess the players. Part 1 deals with the foreign loans. Cucho Hernandez - 5 Wows. The jewel in the Pozzo loan crown, rated as one of the best players in La Segunda Division. Can do it all and there are strong rumours of interest from Barcelona and a £25 million price tag. Expect a turned down work permit application and another year on loan in Spain, this time in La Liga. Nordin Amrabat - 3 Wows. Made 32 appearances on loan at Leganes, but has been a sub more often than not recently. Managed 2 goals and 3 assists this season to improve on last year's modest return with the Hornets. Leganes fans seem to quite like him, appreciating his effort. Likely to be back for pre-season training - if Gracia is still here might make the squad as had his best ever season under him at Malaga. Adalberto Penaranda - 1 Wow. A warning to El Cucho. The former "Next Big Pozzo Thing" has had a torrid season, turning up injured with a broken foot. Malaga didn't want him in the squad but we refused to let them cancel his loan. He finally got fit, got in the squad, made 13 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists then got suspended for discipline problems and hasn't been seen since. Duxbury has confirmed he'll be pitching up at London Colney this summer so it looks like it'll be a make or break season. Dimitri Foulquier - 3 Wows. Was injured for a long period at the start of the season, so much so that Strasbourg fans wondered whether he actually existed. Finally got fit, turned in some good performances in his 15 outings but then got injured again. Outside chance that he might turn up to pre-season as he's a right back who can also play on the left. Obbi Oulare - 2 Wows. 3 goals in 16 appearances for the big man in another injury and fitness affected season. Had to be put on a special training regime after the winter break as he was overweight. Had a few good performances and Antwerp are supposedly keen on having him back so another loan looks most likely even though he only has two years left on his contract. Mauro Zarate - 4 Wows. Back where his heart is at Velez Sarsfield after an underwhelming spell at Al Nasr, punctuated by some outrageous goals. 6 goals in 11 games at Velez, where he's treated as a hero. Doubt he'll be back which is a shame as he would've offered us something different upfront, including someone that can consistently take a good set piece. Isaac Success - 1 Wow. Left behind the Baileys and hookers but still turned up in Malaga overweight. Has spent only 250 minutes on the pitch at Malaga and is now old enough that he would take up a squad place, which hardly seems justified given his output over the last two seasons. Another loan? Brice Dja Djedje - 1 Wow. Don't know how well he's actually playing but he got arrested for beating his wife up in the town square in Lens, prompting Lens fans to display a banner saying "Beat opponents, not women". He was initially suspended after the incident, then allowed back in the team before getting injured and ending his season. The court case appears to still be hanging over his head. Sold/released in the summer. Pervis Estupinan - 3 Wows. 20 year old Ecuadorian left back. Came in for a lot of criticism from Almeria fans at the start of the season but forced his way into the team and has had some good reviews since. Eligible for a Spanish passport now, another that could possibly be looked at in pre-season, particularly as he's an option for our problem position. Pontus Dahlberg - 3 Wows. 19 year old keeper who continues to be Goteborg's number 1 after signing for us in January. Was voted Swedish top division's best young player last season and has been in a full Sweden squad without making his debut. Will probably be looked at by coaches in pre-season before a decision is made on next season. Sulayman Marreh - 3 Wows. A tale of two clubs - roundly mocked at Valladolid by fans who questioned if he was even a footballer, and was restricted to a couple of Cup games. Left in the winter transfer window and joined Estupinan at Almeria where he established himself in the team pretty quickly and has become a hit with their fans after several good performances. Continues to play for the Gambia national team. Tall, 22 year old defensive midfielder that loves a booking. Another loan likely. Luis Suarez - 4 Wows. 20 year old Colombian striker at Real Valladolid B. 10 goals in 32 games this season, the only one of our five loanees there that started most of their games. Another loan at a higher level beckons. Recently promoted to Valladolid first team squad but no appearances as of yet. Williams Velasquez - 2 Wows. 21 year old Venezuelan centre back at Valladolid B. Played 20 times for the team. Complete lack of any comments about him suggest he's done ok, nothing more. Another loan most likely. Jaime Alvarado - 2 Wows. Colombian midfielder who made 24 appearances for Valladolid B and the youngest of our loanees at 18. Another loan ahead. Eduardo Montenegro - 1 Wow. 19 year old Colombian midfielder who only managed 3 starts at Valladolid B and hasn't made the squad since February. Another loan or release beckons. Juan Camilo Becerra - 2 Wows. 20 year old Colombian striker, nicknamed "The Tank" due to his physique. Managed 3 goals in 16 appearances for Valladolid B. Prior to signing for us, he was Colombia's top scorer in their academy league with 40 goals and scored freely at Granada B last season so worth another loan. Matheus Santana - 1 Wow. 20 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder. Only managed 70 minutes of football at Murcia after an injury hit season. Difficult to find out much about him as he shares a name with Brazil's favourite Olympic swimmer. Matheus Barroso - 3 Wows. 21 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder. 3 goals in 14 appearances for Fuenlabrada was enough to convince Valencia to sign him on an 18 month loan with an option to buy in the winter window. Has been injured most of the time since he's been there but made a very short debut recently as a sub for Valencia B. Kingsley Fobi - 3 Wows. 19 year old Ghanaian right back who had an eventful season. He missed the start as his club (Formentera) forgot to register him so had to wait for his chance. As soon as he got in the team, he was an ever present playing every minute until he had a cruciate injury in mid November. Incredibly, he's recovered within four and a half months and is back playing. Another loan at a higher level. Strahinja Karisic - 1 Wow. 20 year old Serbian attacking midfielder who turned up at Fluminense round about the time we signed Richarlison. Got a reasonable review for his time with Fluminense's u20 squad but then had a birthday that made him too old for that team and wasn't taken on by their u23s after a short trial. Now hardly playing at Rad Beograd who are stinking out the Serbian Super Liga and look like they might go down. Loan or release. Jorge Segura - 2 Wows. 21 year old Colombian centre back. Played 16 times for Valladolid B, scoring a couple of goals before returning to Colombia on loan with Independiente Medellin. He's a regular starter there now, in a team that's fourth in the Colombian top flight. The fact that he's gone back to Colombia suggests he may be sold, rather than looking to develop him for either Udinese or us. Andrew Eleftheriou - 2 Wows. Taking the prize for the weirdest loan as academy right back Eleftheriou somehow found his way to Sandefjord in Norway at the end of March. No idea how he's playing but it looks like he played the full 90 for the first couple of games and has been an unused sub in the following two.
Amrabat has been very good from what I have seen of him this season. Often playing up front on his own. Not many goals or assists but he suits playing the headless chicken role in a team based on counter attacking. His work-rate is always phenomenal. Would have probably done a similar job for us in place of Gray and saved the club a bit of wedge in the process. Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing? Shame Success doesn't share Amrabat's attitude to the game really.
