[SIGNED perm] Rhys Healey

Did they have a different manager to the previous season? Smaller sample size, but his goal ratio went down, but he seemed much more well rounded with a few assists and pressing

 

Because it's Watford making it, that makes it bad. If it was Norwich, the same people would say "look at Norwich getting good business done early, while we flounder around!"

 

Tbf Stuart Webber has wrecked Norwichs strategy this summer. Signed a bunch old PL players then just quit after doing it haha

Yeah, it was a different manager, but no other manager has got Bayo pressing anywhere near what he did in his loan spell!

 

Would have been buzzing for him last season despite the risk that comes with signing someone coming off the back of a serious injury, my issue is if he's going to be up to the physical demands of Ismael

 

Literally seen most other championship clubs pining to sign this bloke. We do it and it's **** and means we have no money. Fact he scored a couple of top flight goals (no less a winner away at Monaco) since the injury gives me comfort. Big free kick threat too.

 

Good record in France. I’d be happy with this signing; let’s hope he can stay fit and hasn’t lost a yard (or any confidence) from the injury.

 

That Bayo deal stunk from start to finish. Money changing hands between Mogi and his brother-in-law. Charleroi signing him for £1.5m and the very next day we sign him for £5m. Hopefully this particular deal is high on the list of questions to be asked about at tomorrow's Q&A.

Once we had him though, even though he was useless, he did score some important goals, so it was strange we loaned him out and signed an even worse replacement in Araujo. I wouldn't be totally against giving Bayo another chance next season.

 

We definitely overpaid for him and he is undoubtedly limited in his overall game - he can't dribble, he's not particularly quick, he's not amazing in the air, he's not creative. But one thing he can do amazingly well and has been consistent with at every single club he's been at (including ours) is taking a lot of shots in good positions. If you can play to those strengths and aren't particularly bothered by the weaknesses (then again, most clubs in the league don't have forwards that can do all the above..) then he'll get goals.

He was top in our squad last season (600+ mins played) for:

- Goals/per 90
- xG/90
- Shots/90

And he's been pretty much top of all those metrics at every club he's played for.

 

I think the injury record plays a big part. Sounds like he's decent but the injuries are a concern

 

Feel like everyone we've had is injury prone apart from Doucoure, Capoue and Richarlison

 

A front paring of Bayo/Healey will be a truly bleak prospect. Like one of those bottom quarter pairings teams like Cardiff/Reading put out over the years. Which is the reality of what we will be next season so fair enough I suppose.

 

They have already played together for Toulouse a couple of years ago. So the stars are aligning on this for sure.

 

If you want some comfort, look at the replies from Toulouse fans to his departure. They are absolutely raging.

 

Doucoure actually had really, really, bad knee issues. Amazed he played for us as often as he did.

 

Its hard to overlook the context in which he came to us and the price that was paid though. If we had bought Bayo from an independent third party and he had cost 1-2m, then he probably would have been considered a decent signing. However, that is not what happened. He was part of some dodgy Gino deal to funnel money to the Bayats and the footballing merits of the signing were purely incidental.

Its also all well and good having a poacher, but who is creating our chances? We struggled with Joao and Sarr in the team. I dread to think when its Hungbo and Sema on the wings.

 

Let’s see who else we sign. Will need 4 strikers as Bayo is not up to it. If he is one of the 4 then maybe ok

 

HMSPTL locked and loaded and ready to sail.

 

Toulouse finished 3rd in Ligue 2 that season, 2 points behind 2nd.

They were far and away the top scorers in the division, while being let down by having the worst goals conceded in the top 6.

 

Looks like another A++ transfer window coming up. 5th one in a row as judged by Watford fans!

 

Yeah, didn't see that when Rey Manaj left wherever he came from!

 

Cheer up Jumbo .
It's too early to say good or bad window and this guy looks a sensible cheap option.

 

It’s always a A+ window with the fans, so I’m not worried. Even the Gaspar/Bayo/Manaj/Hause debacle was A+ I am told.

 

Did people really say A+? It turned out far worse than many thought but I don't remember anybody saying A+
Healey appears to be talented unlike the ones you mention so hopefully he's over the injury and can be a success.

 

What I will say though, this deal definitely screams 'punt', but with his record and on a free, I'd say he'd be one of the better punts we've had in recent years

 

Leventhal has now confirmed this one. 3 year deal set to be signed.

 

In fairness, we're not going to have a lot of money to spend and this seems a sensible, cheap punt. I can see the logic behind it.

Manaj always looked gash, hadn't really scored anywhere. Bayo always looked massively overpriced and an insane use of the entirety of our summer transfer budget. Gaspar was the opposite of what Edwards wanted (I don't actually think he was that bad, just wrong profile). Hause we got unlucky with the injury but they also dropped the ball on being able to send him back. All obvious errors.

This guy is free, home grown, can score goals (granted, not really been tested at this level) and knows the English game.

I get why we've gone for him, which is a lot more than can be said of the others. Of course, he might turn out to be a sick note or not up to it but it's a signing that at least makes sense to me.

 

Good man! Pleased to hear it

 

He's bagged plenty at League 1 level (insert joke here), and in Ligue 2, while he's never really played much at Championship level, that should be as good an indicator as any that he can do it at this level for us in terms of style of play and quality. There is the question mark over his injury record, of course with our record there's every chance he sees more of the medical team than his teammates, and even if he is fit, it remains to be seen whether he can do what Ismael will no doubt demand of him physically, but I am fairly positive about this signing

 

Sema had more assists for us than anyone else in the squad last season.

 

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that 15-20 Championship clubs would have been happy to sign Healey. He’s homegrown and has a great goalscoring record and is available on a free. On Twitter I’ve seen analysis accounts for at least five different sides today comment that they’d have liked to have signed him (Birmingham, QPR, West Brom, Plymouth, Sunderland).

Each year, there are a handful of premium free transfers to the Championship. Last year Wallace and Swift come to mind. Players that every club would have liked to sign. I think there are a couple of others (Maja and Manning) that are more premium than Healey but it’s a great signing.

The injury issue is a concern but it seems like he’s now through the other side of his ACL injury. He was already fit again by the end of the season and will have a full pre-season to get up to speed.

Depending on how we plan to line up, we’ll probably need one more target man type striker, though.

 

You can tell it’s been a quiet summer when people are so excited about a player they probably hadn’t heard of last week,

 

Could you show your workings here? It's fine to have a different opinion, but this is coming across as pretty weak trolling...