I’d say it’s more that Porteous doesn’t want to get injured before the Euros and the yellow cards story is a useful red herring. Drifting into territory I don’t normally swim in - but it does annoy me that we are a club that allows the players to pull the strings on the last day of the season. A number of years now, we have gone into the last game (I appreciate not being in danger of going up or down is a large contributing factor) with a number of players suddenly not available. The club simply has to recruit big, strong characters that want to play for the money being given to them.
Hoedt isn’t leaving. For all our clubs faults when it comes to looking after players, Hoedt is vocally the happiest he’s ever been. Captaincy has been huge. I’d expect a new deal to be on the near horizon.
You may know better but my reading of the Porteous situation is it's come from Cleverley rather than the player - but I also don't understand why it's happening.
He plays like it. Given what we had heard from Soton fans and his poor performances for them, he has been superb.
Really needs a quality defensive mid to sit in front of the back 4, if he wants to play a back 4. A younger Livermore.
Well to be quite honest, it's a great thing he's in the running for the Scottish Euros squad, how stupid would it be if he had got a 15th booking in one of these two nothing games?
Can't see that happening now we've already paid a bit of dough for the Colombian fella. Maybe he could be a younger Livermore, but it will take him more than one season to perform like it.
A ban he picks up for 15 yellows in the Champ wouldn't be applicable to the Euros - if that's what you're getting at with your post here. From my pov, given the last game is now utterly meaningless and given Porteous already did well to help us to a win in our last home game (while also avoiding his typical booking), I'd have been fine with letting him off the Boro match even if he wasn't close to another (league) suspension, The Euros are a huge opportunity for him and maybe it would negatively effect his attitude towards the club if we had forced him to play in the meaningless game and then he picked up a freak injury that ruled him out.
No, yellows carry over into the next season, so if he'd have got booked vs Sunderland he'd have been suspended for the first two games of next season, would have been monumentally stupid if he had picked one up against Sunderland
Interesting post with much to agree with but a ghastly shade of green. Save our Ken. I don't want to lose him. One of our most likeable players that I can remember in a long while. Happy belated birthday to Mr Phelps.
Ken can still very much do a job at this level, but the issues with him are twofold, one, he is supposedly one of our highest earners, and two, he has spent a lot of this season injured. Would be inclined to keep him, but I'd understand if he's let go
Also gives a chance to put Sierralta in the shop window, (behind Pollock now), as I am sure they anticipate a big bid from Derby or Portsmouth.
Allegedly when at Saints, he had a bit of a "Charlie Big Potatoes" attitude about being in the Championship, I suspect over the years his attitude has matured and he has learned some humility.
I'm going to do another one for a 4-3-3 shape as we may well end up using that shape next Season. This is going in with the assumption that we spend almost nothing on transfer fees and instead use the loan market and free agents only. As obvious as it sounds, I prefer having two players who may have a little flexibility to play elsewhere but keep roles defined and swapping positions to a minimum to make cohesion easier. Only exception is striker where I always want at least 3. I'm even going to suggest who goes we may sign unlike before. Green - Keep Blue - Loan Red - Sell / Return / Release Bold - New Signing * - Homegrown ** - U21 Goalkeepers: Bachmann* Hamer* Right Wing Back: Andrews* Ngakia* Ferreira (On Loan) Ebosele (Loan) Left Back: Lewis Morris* Zemura* (Loan) Centre Back: Hoedt Porteous Sierralta Pollock* Central Midfield: Livermore* Dele-Bashiru* Kayembé Koné Chakvetadze Louza (On Loan) Idris El Mizouni* (Free Agent, preferred if 12 month extension not triggered) Chalobah* (Free Agent, back up to Mizouni if not available) Left Wing: Sema Martins Hurtado** (On loan) Dávid Ďuris (Free Agent) Right Wing: Asprilla Forde** (On loan) Kalu (On loan) Ince* Micah Hamilton** (Free Agent) Striker: Rajovic Dennis Bayo Fletcher (On loan, stay away) Adeyemo* Mamadou Doumbia** (Signed, permanent) Youssef Ramalho Chermiti** (Loan) Well, this looks slightly different to my 5-3-2, doesn't it? Some things haven't changed like at GK, CB, RB or LB where the changes I had then are the same as now, but after that things get interesting. Let's break things down from here on out: Goalkeepers: See previous Centre Backs: See previous, minus need to source another CB. Left Back: Jamal Lewis ultimately disappointed this Season. Although he was generally available once his fitness was up to speed, he never seemed to carry his runs forward out wide and lacked conviction beating a man. Sadly, Zemura also prefers cutting inside then overlapping like Lewis but is more capable at beating a man and Cleverley can work on him early during Pre-Season to get that across more to stay wider whereas Lewis joined too late to have that instilled. James Morris is an adequate back-up for this level. Not good, not awful most of the time. Right Back: Ryan Andrews has had a middling Season. I think fatigue caught up with him after February or March which for his first full senior Season is understandable and a lack of cover in Ngakia did not help manage that fatigue better. Assuming Ngakia's contract renewal is accurate then I would focus on securing a loan to demonstrate to the club he can stay fit like TDB at Reading a few Season back did after his ACL problems. I would try and bring in Ebosele from Udinese on loan for the Season but I'm not as familiar with his game although seems adequate for our needs. Would provide stronger depth and competition. Central Midfield: I think Imran Louza will stay for this upcoming Season under Cleverley. Were VI in charge he'd be loaned or sold but we need his vision and passing we know he can do. However, if TDB has turned down a contract, we have to get what we can from him than pass up the ability to sell him. My preferred choice at CDM would be Idris El Mizouni. He's out of contract with Ipswich having a 12 month extension option still, is homegrown with a string of good loan spells at League One and would imagine little chance of them needing his services especially following their promotion. Even if his 12 month extension was triggered he would not cost a huge amount to sign. If we baulk at spending any transfer fees, then Chalobah's contract is up and will almost certainly be released. Not my preferred choice, but serviceable. That gives us Louza, Koné and Chakvetadze in midfield as our more creative options whilst between Livermore, Kayembé carries the ball forward and one of IEM or Chalobah provides a defensive balance. We could maybe consider signing both for depth but feels unnecessary. Left Wing: Unlike last time, I would look to keep Ken Sema even if it mean he went on a free at the end of next Season. He's a strong option at this level and provides depth for the entire left flank. I'd let Hurtado go on loan back to Gillingham next Season to give him a year to adapt to English football as he looks talented but light weight. A winger I'd want to bring in on a free is Dávid Ďuri* who has 9 goals in 18 appearances this Season for MSK Zilina playing both out wide and down the middle. At 6'1" he's not small and should be able to adapt to the Championship and provides effective depth in two positions. Matheus Martins can return to Udinese as I do not think he's consistent enough at this level and had his fair shot. Asprilla we know is a goner so no point entertaining otherwise. Right Wing: Probably the biggest gamble of the lot in this position. Shaq Forde has earned his chance to play for the Senior team this upcoming Season after winning YPOTS at Leyton Orient. Micah Hamilton is currently looking out of contract and is the type of profile we should be attracting; young, clearly talented and room to grow. It's a risk taking on this type of player (Look at Jerome Sinclair) but without the same fee, hopefully. Even if he were to renew, I think I'd still take him on loan as there's a talent there. I ummed and arr'd about this, but I'm also keeping Ince as few clubs would take him on loan this upcoming Season and he can cover both wings. Kalu we loan out again. Striker: Like last time, I'm selling Bayo and terminating Fletcher's contract. Dennis' return looks dead in the water for the finances required and so that option is ruled out. So, instead I'd integrate Mamadou Doumbia this Season to the Senior squad and I'd look to sign Youssef Ramalho Chermiti on loan from Everton using Cleverley's contacts there. He's looked promising and think we would provide a good platform. Rajovic I think we will see some slight improvement this Season but not going to be exactly tearing up trees. Summary: There's some changes from last time based upon new information of our ITK's information and general needs of using 4-3-3 instead. It's clear with Cleverley's interview here//: saying “I feel a bit inexperienced when I’m talking about budgets and so there I’ll be guided by Scott and Gino.” which is code for "We ain't got a pot to piss in." so we have to shop accordingly. In defence and midfield I'm content with the options available with its balance and experience but up front is a big risk. I think most teams who aren't immediately dropping down from the Premier League are in a similar position where you inevitably have to take low cost punts and hope it works though and that's football. Formation:
Is there anything in particular that has given you this impression? He would be a good loan signing if possible, but given Everton's financial situation and that they only just bought him for €15mil I don't see them loaning him to the Championship. You mean the 25 year-old David Duris who is currently on loan from Zilina at Ascoli in Serie B, where he is struggling to get minutes despite them being 18th in the table?... Having Forde and Ince as your two back-ups for RW next season is indeed a big gamble - if your first choice gets injured, or has to be subbed or rested due to exhaustion, then you're screwed. Ipswich will surely trigger the year extension on his deal to sell him for a small fee. We were linked with him last summer as well. It does seem a tad strange though that neither Ipswich nor any other Championship sides have given him a chance as of yet. Could still be worth a cheap punt I suppose, but too much of a risk to be someone I'd sign as first choice given how close we already are to a relegation-battling team now. Only for potential depth, which may be unnecessary given the Colombian lad we signed who might take a similar squad role. I'm still hopeful that if we sold Asprilla then that would provide us with at least some funds to reinvest.
A few ITK DM's on different platforms have said similar things so going by that. If DCL or Beto are sold, then I'd agree it scuppers the idea. If they aren't then it gives us a reasonable shout as they will want him to senior games in the English game to adapt and Cleverley has repeatedly talked about wanting to develop young players and his connection to Everton during his time there. It's why I think Hamilton is an option. Young, cheap, room to grow and the profile Cleverley will want to develop. Yeah, unsure why it censored his last name. I am likely being overly negative with who we could attract and afford, but we are financially in the pisser so not trying to be too ambitious what who we can attract and do think he has some attributes that could work. Perhaps we go for someone more established like Chris Willock who's contract is up (Albeit he's a left winger primarily anyway) but we don't normally operate in the English market much like other clubs do and focus more in South America and Africa more and more. Forde has done enough to deserve a proper shot, some of his movement and shots are of high quality and if we don't give him a chance now, when do we ever with the squad we have? I'm being extremely frugal with what we do this window and going by the idea we primarily develop who we have and give them a chance. Ince is just insurance to have a body able to play either side in an emergency. Strange way of describing us re-signing Carlos Sanchez again! It's a gamble for sure. I think he's done well enough at League One for multiple teams that he's worth a shot, and someone who could easily appreciate in value quickly. I think it's the market we're in now. Elan Ricardo I remember a few months ago was who we were linked with and I've seen a few places say it's now done since you pointed it out, but whether he's intergrated into the first team remains to be seen. If he is a first team option, then that negates the need for a new CDM. You and me both. I just don't see us investing almost anything, much like last year though. Pedro, Healey, Sarr, Hungbo, Kabasele and Troost-Ekong were all sold for very significant money between them but we only saw at most £1.5m re-invested from £45m+ in sales in Rajovic and Ince in transfer fees. If that's what we put back into the team after that, I don't see the sale from Asprilla being invested more unless we also sell Koné and Louza at which point we're screwed anyway for significant saleable assets. Realistically, we might spend £2-3m at most this window but if we didn't spend anything last Season and we still have significant external debt, we won't spend anything this window. Appreciate the points made, good counter points to my post.
Don't suppose you have any links? Just curious as I haven't seen anything about it. Given we're likely to have similar defenders (or a similar standard of defenders) Clevs will have a lot of coaching to do to suddenly make us look better in a 433 again considering how frail defensively we looked in that formation the couple of times he used it. I thought the point was that the sales last summer, which we didn't spend, should have cleared most of the external debt by now? And our wage bill has also been cut dramatically. I don't know what the exact current debt situation is though.
I'm not able to name those who have told me these as it was in confidence. The closest you'll see online is Cleverley here: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/24280744.cleverley-says-watford-recruit-style-playing/ Absolutely agree. I'd actually rather stick with 5-3-2 based on what we've seen this Season. We look more stable defensively and we have the bodies in central midfield already to make it work. Up front we have to refresh the team regardless. We were meant to be externally debt free by the end of this Season. Whether we are remains to be seen. But even if we are we're still in debt to Gino Pozzo himself so unless he's willing to put more in on that front I'd expect an anaemic transfer budget which is what Cleverley has alluded to.
Don't think it's the defenders who are the issue, but the strikers tbf, we'll surely get at least one new striker to be first choice next season which will hopefully allow us the option to play however Clev likes. Really don't know about the financials, but we'll have lost the last of our remaining PP money, plus it may well be that we won't lose the big earners who are actually contracted to the club (Asprilla and TDB are the two players most heavily rumoured to be leaving at the moment, and they are not on big money at all from what I can find), and I don't like Clev's use of the word 'creative' when it comes to our dealings in the market
Not sure how swapping a striker around is suddenly going to make us seem more solid at the back and not concede chances for fun. There could perhaps be a slight improvement in hold-up play depending on the player, but even then that's a bit of a reach. Also, a new striker good enough to be first choice will surely require spending more than the mere £1mil we spent on Rajovic last summer.
Well we generally played better with Bayo up top, him pressing high and holding the ball up did give the opposition something to think about, but often what happened is that he couldn't do that job for 90 minutes, at which point Rajovic would come on and we lose control of the game. Ultimately, a striker who scores 6 league goals all season gives the guys behind him less margin for error, thankfully this season the midfield chipped in with a decent amount of goals (largely from long range), but it's not something I feel we can rely on long-term. Looking at the other players in the division who hit double figs this season (many of whom will have played more minutes than Rajovic, but will also have contributed far more in other ways), Szmodics cost £2m (having an ordinary first season at Blackburn before absolutely exploding into life this season), Whittaker cost about a million (was on loan there initially, faced the prospect of returning to L1), Jack Clarke cost less than £1m (was never going to make it at Spurs, perhaps his contract was running out too?), Chaplin cost £1.5m, Broadhead £750,000, Brandon Thomas-Asante cost £300,000, Azaz £2m, and then Philogene, Stansfield, Ugbo and Hutchinson were loanees (couldn't find how much Will Keane and Ryan Hardie went for, but it can't be much given the circumstances of their transfers), so it's very possible to find a Deeney or Grahamesque bargain, though I suspect it's more likely we dip into the loan market more this summer
Yes it's possible, but doesn't mean it's probable. About 2/3rds of those who scored more than Rajovic still cost significantly more than him (as in at least 3.5 more than him). Plus a number of those you mentioned who scored more but cost less got their goals across many more minutes than Rajovic so actually had worse strike rates (eg Thomas-Asante, Stansfield, Hardie, Keane). And even £2mil is still double £1mil! Philogene wasn't a loanee either btw - he cost Hull £5mil. Anyway, in the Brum game we had Dennis at the top of the 433, then he was subbed for Bayo. We were terrible defensively the whole game. In the Saints game we started with Bayo and were also terrible defensively while he was on the pitch. I still don't see how the striker will really make that much difference to our vulnerable and shaky defending in a 433.
So that's still 12 players who managed double figures who didn't cost significantly more than Rajovic, all of whom managed to notch up at least one assist and are probably better footballers (and in the case of Stansfield, Whittaker and Hardie, played in worse teams), it's not even that hard even if we don't dip into the loan market
Where has this idea come from that Bayo can hold the ball up? He really can’t because his ball control is poor. Once he leaves Watford our memory of him will be: “He ran about…”
Sell or Release: Ngakia - made of glass, frightened of the ball, waste of time Morris - too weak and slow Kalu - too old. The Care Home is waiting for him Kone - ££ we need the money Asprilla - £££ we need the money Andrews - sell, but returns on a season long loan Bayo - sell, if we receive an offer Rajovic - out of his depth Martins - back to our Mother Club Livermore - Is his 45mins enough Bachmann - Good stop stopper, but the defence still lacks confidence in him TDB - not sure he has the fitness Fletcher - not necessary to give a reason Louza - He doesn't want to stay Ince - His time has come and gone Sierralta - Slow, not sure he'll get game time. Pozzo - With the Spanish Authorities wanting 12yrs jail time and €49m in fines, will Gino sell up or be banned from ownership.
So do you plan to use our limited transfer budget to pay off the contracts of those that aren’t saleable ? Then pick up the 15 or so better replacements on a mix of free transfers and loans ?
It is just a wish list. It is probably not possible due to our very limited funds and those players who will sit on their contract. As you pointed out. If the transfer budget is £2m, which was last years figure, we are in for a struggle next season. Free agents and loan deals coming in. The Watford FC fan podcasts all state that a finish in the top ten next season would be a bonus. New Manager, no money, large debts, owner facing jail/large fine, player sales and thinner squad. I am actually looking forward to the new season. It should be an interesting one.
