Watford Players at the 2018 World Cup

I like it. Very good indeed.
Does Holebas still have a contract?

 

Lucky how? We dominated the game

 

Another hornet legend in Niang playing for Senegal.

 

Can you advise whether 36 points will be enough to keep us up in the 2018/19 season? Will avoid 30 pages of debate and argument 8 months from now.

 

hes just scored !

 

Gon back 2 vila

 

On the subject of Watford players, since we're including ex as well as current, I wasn't that impressed by Ash on Monday - I supposed he's still a bit rusty after being out of the international scene for so long? He had a chance to shine with a free kick which I was expecting to be a beaut like the two he scored against us, but it didn't really come close. Other than that, he was hardly outstanding - Henderson, Trippier and Maguire contributed more in driving our attack. Hopefully he'll pick up against Panama, as I'd like to see him thrive against Belgium, a team who will let us play more than our first two opponents.

 

Like that, kinda sounds like Lord of the Rings (which I'm reading at the mo) set in the future!

 

Ash put the corner over for the opening goal and delivered another couple of decent balls in the first half, the. Second half was hard watching I'm not sure what was going on! I didn't think Harry Kane did much to be honest except be in the right place at the right time twice, a bit like Jimmy Greaves who also played for Spurs!

 

“We’re all going on a universal tour...!”

 

Looking even more of a bell-end than usual.

 

Still want Morroco to win.

 

Amrabat's playing some superb football.

 

per Keown
"Raphael Guerreiro is making Nordin Amrabat look world class. Every time he just goes past him. He's got him on toast."

 

Good for us either way. I think he's a useful backup, Gracia managed him at Malaga and we met his release clause so who knows, he may be have a future here.

 

He had one good spell at Watford and dross on either side. That puts him ahead of another World Cup star, Carrillo

 

Good old Amrabat. Why cross first time when you can cut back and lose the ball. Nothings changed.

 

Same old from him. Loving the physical battle with the full back, rolling him time and time again, sometimes being fouled but also comitting just as many fouls himself in the process.
But as many times as he’s beaten Guerrero he’s still not able to play a killer ball, put in a cross or have a shot himself. No end product.

 

Doesn't have the best end product and doesn't score goals, but I still think he would be a useful player for the team at least as an option on the bench. Yes, he is frustrating but he's been a handful against Portugal today

 

Best player on the pitch, I'd have in back in the squad as he caused a lauded defence no end of problems, thought he did ok for us on the whole even when played out of position and is better than Carillo or Niang

 

Amrabat MOTM. Had a good game and we missed him last season. Not that he should be starting but he is a very useful option off the bench if we’re winning 1-0 and need to hold onto the ball. He is extremely strong and both Portugal FB’s couldn’t handle him. I know I’m in the minority on this forum when it comes to him but I seriously hope he is with us this season.

 

If he's not his value has probably just doubled so win-win.

 

No end product.

Like 99% of professional footballers then.

I love Amrabat one of the few players we have who seems to give a ****.

 

Ok but it speaks volumes that his best use as a right-winger is to come on when we are already winning and just hold onto the ball.

 

Ah...I remember the French answer to Balotelli. Two great goals for us last year but a guy with a serious ego and attitude problem. No surprise he now rocks up for Senegal who are looking the best of the African sides in Russia.

 

Had a very good game and was doing well before he got subbed off in the last game.

Always liked him and would've been no worse than Richarlison after the goals dried up - end product is always an issue, then again, you can say the same about most of our players. Not sure why Amrabat got so much stick compared to other players who have been as inconsistent and if anything, worse than he ever was.

 

Aways loved the Bat' and his positive work ethic but have to agree there remains little in the way of end product.

 

Today summed Amrabat up. Lots of bluster but nothing at the end of it.

That's ok in a one off, if your aim is to impress potential buyers, but week in, week out it makes you an irrelevance to the team, which Amrabat was.

People are dismissing his lack of end product as if it's a side issue, when in reality it renders all other work pointless.

 

Don’t disagree, but that’s something none of our other players seem capable of.

All those times we threw away games from winning positions like, Swansea, Palace and Everton for example. If he was on the pitch I have no doubt we would have won those games just by having him come on and keep the ball in the corner. Not that Silva would have played that way because the guy is only capable of playing one way, but still, you get my point.

 

We know his end product isn’t the best but the way he is slated for it is ridiculous. I saw Amrabat put in some decent crosses that our immobile strikers were not in the right position to get on the end of it. Our strikers are partly to blame because of the fact they are so static in the box. A better striker and Amrabat would have a higher assist rate that would sit much better with people.

Can he be frustrating, yes of course. Is he anymore frustrating than watching a static Deeney, a falling over throwing his arms in the air Okaka, a misfiring Gray or a constant abysmal performing Holebas? I certainly don’t think so. He just became the boo boy and people jumped on the bandwagon. Rather than looking at the good he offers, people chose to focus on his “poor end product” or “holding onto the ball to long.” We know he done those things. Again though there were many times when he had looked up and had no movement in front of him or other options to hit, so he had no choice but to hold onto the ball.

Anyway I think Amrabat, like Gray, will always split fan opinions. I honestly hope both are still with us this season. Amrabat for reasons already states and Gray because he offers something different to Deeney and Okaka, who practically offer the same thing. At least Gray does have good movement and pace to make defenders think. Yes his first touch is poor and finishing can be woeful but we need different options off the bench.

 

So if he has no end product, what use is he?

 

Coming off the bench and helping us hold onto the ball if we are winning. Drawing fouls to waste the clock. His work rate can not be questioned, so even having him on to help out the RB for the last 10mins is a great quality to have. Unlike having Carrillo or Deulofeu who might leave the RB exposed in the last 10mins or so.