The Championship 2020-21

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Markoa$, Jul 26, 2020.

  1. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    That would be one hell of a start for the Championship top 2 if they manage to open up a 9pt gap over us in the space of three more games!
     
  2. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    The difference between the second half and first half today was huge, Ivic will be learning all the time, I wouldn’t expect to see Murray starting a league game again for a little while, (hopefully never).
     
  3. MIlton Dammers

    MIlton Dammers Reservist

    After a bit of Googling it would appear this is just a proposal. A bit late in the day to implement it now I would have thought, considering the season has already started.
     
    UEA_Hornet likes this.
  4. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    After the first couple of games, not withstanding we're deliberately holding back our better players, would the team we're currently picking actually stand a chance of gaining promotion?

    Well, I think Sheff Weds and Boro will finish in the bottom half, but I think they are probably typical of the calibre of side we'll be facing throughout the season.

    So far our defence has held firm. We've got an excellent keeper, and once we sign T-E, our central defence will be good enough for a promotion push.

    Midfield has to be improved. Garner maybe a quality player, but he's very inexperienced. Chalobah is not hitting the form of his early career, Quina seems to be all flicks and tricks but has a lot to learn. The only really dependable guy we have is Cleverley, but how long will he last before he gets an injury. No way is he going to last a season. So it's imperitive we keep Hughes and Capoue, or get replacements of a similar level, but I think that's beyond our pulling power.

    Up front it's our choice. We either keep some of our quality, or we cash in and say goodbye to promotion. It's that simple. Even with a tight defence, you're not going up if you can't score goals. Perica looks like being a decent signing, but unfortunately Murray looks like a mistake. He's a yard slow and cannot be trusted to run the line. Maybe from the bench he can offer something, but he's looked lost in every match I've seen him play for us. Gray always flatters to deceive. He just cannot finish and I would be very worried if he ends up being our main man. For me, we have to keep Suarez and/or Sarr. I we lose both of them, as far as I'm concerned that's it. We wont be getting promoted this season. We wont be able to replace them.

    So for me, if we lose Capoue, Hughes, Suarez and Sarr.....it's game over in terms of promotion. From what I can see, only Hughes is likely to stay, but hopefully I'm wrong about that.
     
  5. Is it me or does the quality of the opposition in the championship seem way poorer than when we were last here? The finishing is diabolical. Give a PL team 3 chances they will score 2, give a Champ side 3 chances they can't even put one on target.
     
    lutonh8a and domthehornet like this.
  6. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Well I think Boro have a general issue scoring goals - they dominated today v Bournemouth today but only got one.

    We haven't played teams know for scoring..

    Luton do seem to though - let's hope we don't find out.
     
  7. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Yes the level of opposition has been poor. I’d caveat that by saying I think we’ve played two lower half quality teams though. Reckon Norwich/Bournemouth/Brentford would dispatch us pretty comfortably at the moment until we establish our settled squad.
     
    Robert Katz likes this.
  8. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I wouldn't be surprised if the standard is lower now than 6 years ago, a combination of FFP and Covid has meant teams have to cut their cloth

    The Bournemouth team that drew to Middlesbrough today? (didn't see the game, but Boro looked well on top according to the stats)
    Brentford beginning to look good, although they did lose to Birmingham, who are certainly not one of the better teams in this division, and have only beaten Huddersfield in the league, and it looks like it'll be a long hard season for them...
     
  9. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I'd be very surprised if Hughes left (though at this rate I'd be surprised if he plays for us until Xmas!). Sarr I think will go having not been involved today, Suarez probably 50/50 whether he stays or goes, and roughly the same for Capoue. Still, things are slowly starting to motor in terms of incomings, I don't imagine we'll spend anything (or if we do it won't be too much), but there are frees from Udinese and loans from big clubs to come, as well as possible buys
     
  10. WalthamstowHornet

    WalthamstowHornet Academy Graduate

  11. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    Thanks, good work.

    Well that explains the need to shift lots of players then. In the PL, while it was obviously completely wasteful, we could afford to pay relatively high earners without registering them in the squad. That's not going to be viable in the EFL though. No wonder nearly everyone is in the shop window, especially with the international window closing earlier.
     
  12. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Need to be keeping Sarr and Hughes. Can't see Suarez staying
     
  13. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Brentford I’d agree with, but Bournemouth only drew with Boro and were outplayed by them, likewise Norwich against Preston, so little actual evidence they’d dispatch us easily.
     
  14. barely1egal

    barely1egal Reservist

    Boro looked to have been by far the better side against Bmouth and Wednesday just beat Cardiff 2-0 so I am not sure. Both of Bmouth and Cardiff are sides I would expect to be up there come the end of the season.

    I do think we have at the very least looked hard to beat even if we are lacking a bit in quality, so I am not sure any of those teams would run us over.
     
  15. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    We look like a typical Championship side rather than one who has just been relegated...

    We were only favourites because the bookies though all our "star names" would play.

    With the current squad we'd probably be ranked about 7th-10th.
     
  16. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    What does a side that’s just been relegated typically look like after 2 games?
     
  17. I would have it the other way around for two reasons: whether Sarr goes now, in 6 months time, or a years time... he's going, even if we are promoted. And without 2 decent wingers I see no point in playing 433.

    There is more chance of Suarez being a player who sticks around long term. And he fits into more formation options.

    Of the 3 I'd be going all out to keep Suarez and Hughes.
     
  18. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    A bit stronger than ours in the main - certainly not with so many players out surely?

    The bench for example is very weak atm considering the players we actually have at the club.
     
  19. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Good argument. I just think Sarr would be more committed if he did stay than Suarez. Suarez is probably more expendable in terms of the squad balance. Would be surprised if Ivic kept the same formation all season. I'd like to think it's more about player 'availability' than anything else atm.
     
  20. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Glad to see we are thinking along the same lines yet again :) see my post #848 on the Vladimir Ivic - Watford Head Coach Thread.
     
  21. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Agreed. I'm sure if he could turn the clock back a couple of months he would!
     
  22. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    They probably have a handful of players that are a cut above the opposition?
     
  23. YellowKicks

    YellowKicks Squad Player

    Mikel San Jose going to Birmingham and Scott McKenna Forest. Two centre backs I’d loved to of seen here.
     
    folkestone orn likes this.
  24. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    The players are out there. Could have signed Ayala on a free.
     
  25. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Could/should you compare us to the Geordies under Rafa when they went down?
     
  26. V Crabro

    V Crabro Reservist

    The "bench" might be weak, but yesterday each substitution raised our performance level. Perhaps we just started with the wrong XI.......
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  27. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    I might be wrong, but didn't Bournemouth get done by FFP after they were promoted? What happened with that - why aren't they in trouble now they're back in the EFL?
     
  28. V Crabro

    V Crabro Reservist

    I think I read somewhere that they settled a year or two ago for c. £7M ?
     
    ForzaWatford likes this.
  29. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    So: One type of toothpaste to cover everybody would be better, would it? They don't all offer the same things, you know.
    You, who live in one of the wealthiest, most free societies the World has ever hosted, anywhere, at any time, which encompasses capitalism combined with a huge welfare state are free to moan about it.
     
  30. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Good question.
     
  31. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Similar case with us and the forged letter wasn't it?
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  32. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    ForzaWatford likes this.
  33. onion8837

    onion8837 Reservist

    We could. But he is ****.
     
  34. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    Agreed...not sure how people can (understandably) moan about Dawson & then suggest Ayala!
     
    barely1egal likes this.
  35. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Ayala is probably better than Sierralta and more experienced than Wilmot
     

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