Watford Boo Boys ... New Recruit 08/09 ?

[Budfrog]

I have been one of Aidy's strongest supporters on this MB and I am still optimistic (just) about our chances in the playoffs.

Injuries in key positions (Williams/Francis) and the poor form of our frontmen are some of the things that really could not have been planned for although a dip into the loan market was needed IMO. The Duke has proved to be a major disappointment and just enhances the good job that MK did for us. CJ was always going to be a risk injury wise and whilst Priskin has shown improvement Darius has gone the other way. We needed a David Nugent or similar to add to our firepower (what firepower ??)

Well if the worst comes to the worst and we need to plan for another campaign in the CCC then for Aidy's position to remain tenable things need to change. I am talking mainly around our style which, while not as bad as the media have made out, has been found out by the rest of the division. Make no mistakes if we carry on in the CCC with the same set of players playing the same way we will be looking at League 1 by Christmas.

I don't believe that Aidy can do everything on his own and still think we need a replacement for Keith Burkinshaw. It's not all gloom and doom as for this division I think we still have a very capable squad but the likes of the Duke will be a continued drain on the meagre resources that we have available and combined with the stadium costs it's easy to see things starting to spiral out of control.

I've not thrown the towel in yet, but Aidy needs to start learning from his mistakes PDQ or else there will be plenty more recruits to the Watford Boo Boys.

[wfc4ever]

Probably the new manager if he doesn't have us top of the league and playing stunning football..



(Just jesting but I see us getting a replacement for Aidy and people knocking him quickly if results don't go right)

Who is out of contract next summer?

If they reject a new deal like Stewart has then it will be them.

[Bubble]

I am talking mainly around our style which, while not as bad as the media have made out

I'm sorry, but what!?

The media have been kind about our football compared to how I feel about it!

[wfcmoog]

I'm sorry, but what!?

The media have been kind about our football compared to how I feel about it!

Exactly. Mr. Harsh reporter only has to put up with it for 90 mins, then look forward to knocking one out at the Hawthorns on his next assignment. Us poor saps have had to see it week in and out.

[Bubble]

Exactly. Mr. Harsh reporter only has to put up with it for 90 mins, then look forward to knocking one out at the Hawthorns on his next assignment. Us poor saps have had to see it week in and out.

A friend of mine was walking out of Vic Road yesterday alongside some old boy. He must have been in his 70's...he said he'd been to Vic Road every other week for over 50 years, and this is the worst football he's ever seen us play!

When someone like that says it, surely others must sit up and take notice?!

[Budfrog]

The 'style' is no worse than allot of the stuff we played under GT and no worse than many other teams in this division.

The sad thing is that we have players who are capable of playing good football.

[With A Smile]

The 'style' is no worse than allot of the stuff we played under GT and no worse than many other teams in this division.

The sad thing is that we have players who are capable of playing good football.

Budfrog

First of all a very good thread to start with. You have indeed deended Aidy with a good argument. Either Moog and I and a few others have worn you down or you are starting to see what we see.

I don't believe that GT's football was as bad as this. Yes it was long but it had purpose and effort.

I can cope witht eh long ball game but there has to be a elliment of effort and passion about it and.

The only part of your origional post i disagree about is that Aidy needs an expirianced assistant. He has been a coach for more than 10 years and worked in and around some very expirianced coaches and managers in that time. Les Read, Sam Ellis, Howard wilkinson, Keith Berkinshaw to name but a few. If after 10 years he hasn't llearnt to stand on his own two feet there is a bigger problem in there.

Aidy hired and fired his back room team. He replaced Gibbs, now first team coach at Reading and Hockaday and replaced them with his own men. If they aren't the right people to help and guide Aidy why did he appoint them ?

[DIOS]

Budfrog

First of all a very good thread to start with. You have indeed deended Aidy with a good argument. Either Moog and I and a few others have worn you down or you are starting to see what we see.

I don't believe that GT's football was as bad as this. Yes it was long but it had purpose and effort.

I can cope witht eh long ball game but there has to be a elliment of effort and passion about it and.

The only part of your origional post i disagree about is that Aidy needs an expirianced assistant. He has been a coach for more than 10 years and worked in and around some very expirianced coaches and managers in that time. Les Read, Sam Ellis, Howard wilkinson, Keith Berkinshaw to name but a few. If after 10 years he hasn't llearnt to stand on his own two feet there is a bigger problem in there.

Aidy hired and fired his back room team. He replaced Gibbs, now first team coach at Reading and Hockaday and replaced them with his own men. If they aren't the right people to help and guide Aidy why did he appoint them ?

Your guess is as good as mine

[Goldenmist]

Budfrog

First of all a very good thread to start with. You have indeed deended Aidy with a good argument. Either Moog and I and a few others have worn you down or you are starting to see what we see.

I don't believe that GT's football was as bad as this. Yes it was long but it had purpose and effort.

I can cope witht eh long ball game but there has to be a elliment of effort and passion about it and.

The only part of your origional post i disagree about is that Aidy needs an expirianced assistant. He has been a coach for more than 10 years and worked in and around some very expirianced coaches and managers in that time. Les Read, Sam Ellis, Howard wilkinson, Keith Berkinshaw to name but a few. If after 10 years he hasn't llearnt to stand on his own two feet there is a bigger problem in there.

Aidy hired and fired his back room team. He replaced Gibbs, now first team coach at Reading and Hockaday and replaced them with his own men. If they aren't the right people to help and guide Aidy why did he appoint them ?

There's no point comparing AB to GT. Under GT in the 80's there was very little expectation from the crowd and the players played as a team. The ethos was to get the ball to the wings quickly, where we had John Barnes and Nigel Callaghan who could provide a killer cross (if you don't remember Cally think Ashley Young and then multiply by 100 for skill). Oh, we also had a decent strike force who could score and midfielders who ran their socks off to create and break down the opposition. The crowd were always behind them as it was a siege mentality every game with managers (still hate Venables) and the press wrongly criticising us. Again, GT's second reign created very ordinary players into a hard working team BUT there was no expectation from the crowd.

This year we, including me, wrongly or rightly expected after spending that amount of money on players. That has been our downfall.

[PaddingtonsYellowArmy]

There's no point comparing AB to GT. Under GT in the 80's there was very little expectation from the crowd and the players played as a team. The ethos was to get the ball to the wings quickly, where we had John Barnes and Nigel Callaghan who could provide a killer cross (if you don't remember Cally think Ashley Young and then multiply by 100 for skill). Oh, we also had a decent strike force who could score and midfielders who ran their socks off to create and break down the opposition. The crowd were always behind them as it was a siege mentality every game with managers (still hate Venables) and the press wrongly criticising us. Again, GT's second reign created very ordinary players into a hard working team BUT there was no expectation from the crowd.

This year we, including me, wrongly or rightly expected after spending that amount of money on players. That has been our downfall.

Also under GT coming up through the divisions so quickly into old league one - we were always underdogs.

This season we were joint 5th favourites to win the league, behind wba, charlton, wolves, one other shyte team cant remember and we were joint 5th on betfair with sheff utd.

Seems to me that the betting got wba right and wfc right. So the outside world was expecting/backing us to be 5th or 6th.

Whereas, I in particular and got it wrong, believed we would and should have romped this league along with wba.

Ashley Young was always going to go if he fullfilled is potential at wfc - i recall when we sold him that he wasn't having the greatest of seasons, his crossing was pretty poor and he wasn't particularly scoring many ( though i also ecall the stats seemed to say his crossing was good) - i recall people saying he should be benched and at the time nearly everyone felt it was a fair deal for Ash at that price and if he did produce the goods for Villa then they have paid the right price at that time.

The player whom possibly would have benifited us most this season is Hammer B (his pace is what we lack and he has more to his game than Muff)- again I do not feel his fee was bad - but i do believe he was not easily replaceable and I was never happy paying the price tag of Jobi 1 million too much and Elly 2 million too much.

Finally and the biggest reason for our season being that of the bookies expectations is Aidy has never really addressed the midfield - we really are crap in midfield - Eustace has come in and done ok - but there are no replacements able to come in ( he new we had two lonh term injuries). Without the midfield players we will never be able to play a consistent passing game and retain the ball, thus assisting in managing a game, having more possession than the oppo thus giving them less in play time to score ( something Aidy has talked about in his time as manager).

Marlon Kng was by far the best player we had for a long time that we have bought - we really mis his contribution in games - holding the ball up, passing and the ability to get on the score sheet off his own work.

Aidy has gone far too defensive at home - he remains wrongly consistent IMO bringing every one back for oppo corners and free kicks, a tactic that he said he would look at ( at the fans forum) along with the kick off we do. We put ourselves under severe pressure hoofing the ball out to theoppo to retain possession. Leave muff up field and A.N Other - make the oppo think about us.

I am not sure if AB still BELIEVES WE HAVE PACE TO COUNTER ATTACK - in my eyes we do not - not with his starting 11.


See you all at Wemberleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee in May!


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