Yesterday we were ****. We didn't adapt to them playing 11 behind the ball and 2 full backs on each side. Dare I say it, but it was the type of game Louza could have made a big difference (the use of subs was poor and too late, 3/4 subs on the 60 min mark would have been welcomed IMO in this game) But overall I like what the club are doing this year. Trying to change the culture, sticking with the same manager, etc. Looking back on the past is pointless, we must look to the future
Went to the game yesterday. It was cold, wet and terrible. So much sideways and backwards passing, are some of them scared to venture forward with the ball? Why not take off Livermore and go two up top? Better to go for it. Huddersfield were there for the taking- another rubbish team. Four minutes to go and he brings on our most creative player. Think VI’s time might be coming to an end sooner rather than later
Fans screaming for stability now shouting for a manager to be sacked. Fans going bananas at the manager for making subs last week now chanting at away games demanding subs. A lot not to like about Watford over recent years, a large chunk of our fan base would be included within that.
100% agree. Our fanbase are malleable and get distracted so easily by minor detail and misdirection. Pozzo could not have found a more compliant bunch for his activities.
The fickle football fan for you . Pozzos are inpatient and trigger happy until now but so are a lot of fans .
Okay but it’s not a Graham Taylor team? **** me, we waste a lot of time talking about absolute nonsense hypothetical situations. He’s a legend, the greatest man in Watford history but wtf has it got to do with the price of bananas today?
The reason we waste a lot of time talking about it, is because a few of us were fortunate enough to have seen first hand with our own eyes, that the more one ventures forward and gets the ball in the oppositions penalty box the more likely you are to score goals! I have come away from games that we have lost and attacked non stop and been more satisfied than by games in which we have barely attacked and earn’t a point!
I think we have a big chunk of our fan base that have grown over the last 10 years, only really knowing us as a top championship or prem team. Anyone around 20+ years ago understands we've had a long journey of roller-coaster rides, bad times, half decent seasons etc.. This season is a massive reset, it had to happen and we all know it, so we've just got to believe that VI will do his best to rebuild on a low budget, and it will take another 14 months at least to see real gains. We are a mid table team right now, we might be better after January transfer window - who knows but hey at least we don't look likely to follow the fall that say Sunderland and portsmouth had to go through......
Well fans want entertainment naturally but who was the last manager to bring that on a regular basis. Admittedly we haven’t exactly kept many managers long enough to do that !
Jokanovic I think can be put in that bracket. That legendary 4-3 game against Bolton comes to mind. Abdi screamer, Gomes triple save and the rest... or that Fulham 5-0 away game. Or Brighton 2-0 that secured promotion.
We made some big sales in the summer and didn’t re-invest, together with a huge cull of players with only a few coming in, although none of us know the exact numbers, it would seem we have a reasonable chance of not going out of the championship the wrong way!
Genuinely, when have we ever meaningfully improved the side in January? I’m sure we have at least once in a decade but I can’t think when? Surely though it’s clear that more often than not we don’t, so those expecting it to miraculously happen this January, given the fact promotion will be impossible and we have no parachute payments next year, plus no real saleable assets, are probably going to be very disappointed. Who knows, maybe this will be the January despite being in the worst financial shape since Pozzo took over, and having no actual chance of promotion we won’t just decide to grease the palms of an agent, or buy expensive ‘prospects’ that will never actually play a game for us, and actually strengthen the team, at a point when it makes the least sense to have ever done it.
Do you reckon all the international hornet supporters groups that were around in the Premier League are still tuning in at 3pm on a Saturday to watch us? In particular thinking of that Chinese couple.
If I could somehow delete Rajovic from my mind I'd honestly say pretty much anyone coming in would surely improve this squad. And yet there he, the big Danish lump, proving that's wishful thinking. I think we'll see a couple of loan signings in January but no more than that.
True, but VI gives a very strong stance on future transfers and it seems he won't buy for the sake of it, and won't buy a player that he doesn't think will fit. This is the first time in GP's reign that a manager won't just be hoovering up quantity in the hope that 50pct are decent. VI "appears" to have opened up GP's eyes (along with balance sheet) and I believe we're on a different journey now. That's why Vi's contract was extended.... We moan about our players but it's been shown over recent years that a lot of players have come in, played awful, left us and joined another club, and looked pretty decent. That just had to change! Eg. Portious was a decent defender, plays well for Scotland, came to us and struggled. He will come good and so will a few others if we get the squad mentality right.
We do our business in the summer. We do it so well that only minor tinkering is ever required in January. Someone like Raj would not have been available in January, though ironically he might be available on loan this January.
No previous manager has “hoovered up” players. It was all done by Pozzo and Giaretta/Giraldi and the managers were given what they were given. It’s wishful thinking that Ismael has now been giving an Alec Ferguson type remit. He’s just a low quality puppet. The finances dictate the recruitment strategy because Pozzo and his cronies have wasted it all with poor signings and questionable relationships. There is no “new journey” here. You are just seeing the consequences of years of poor ownership.
Okeye? Kalu? I mean Bayo was shipped out on loan despite being the first player we ever spent a transfer fee on in the championship. Have you not been paying attention, we literally do it all the time!
I cannot remember the exact calculations, but even though we won our early kick off game, wasn't there like two or three results that had to go in our favour to get promoted that day? I'm pretty sure Norwich not winning was one.
That sounds right. I remember getting on the 320 back from Watford Industrial as the results were confirmed and we were going up. Absolutely surreal feeling. Also never forget that sand of god with the header that went wide
I’m not getting dragged down by your pedantry, we regularly waste money on crap we don’t need in January, that often aren’t what we need and barely if ever (in some cases) play for us. Do you disagree?
Yes norwich drew at Rotherham after having a man sent off, a late equaliser. Mboro lost at Fulham after leading, the winner coming in injury time when they sent their keeper up for a corner, searching for a winner.
Think it's a bit of Column A and Column B. Gino has definitely had alarm bells going off with the state of the club's finances and how it's been pissed up the wall and now there's nothing left bar the sales of players. I doubt there were a huge amount of high quality managers banging at the doot at this prospect. He wanted a manager who would accept that in exchange for a longer noose when results got iffy. VI meanwhile saw a club that indicated they wanted to go in a direction where they wouldn't have a large war chest but would give him a greater remit than previous coaches in restructuring the club to suit their needs which he didnt have at other clubs. He's not rushing players back and he's happily dropped our "best" players (Louza being dropped to the bench on merit would have been unheard of under other managers who would have kept playing him regardless) on more than one occasion with the club's blessing whilst other coaches would have let it slide as results came first before the team. VI definitely has more influence than previous incumbents. That's clear. Is he a yes man? I don't think that's out of the question. He's not making a fuss of what is a meagre war chest vs what we have spunked previously. Does he have a bigger say on transfers and squad management? Also yes. All ITK sources seem to indicate he's had a big say on what the club structure is and how it's doing things now.
I'd probably tweak the bit in bold to say 'VI definitely thinks he has more influence than previous incumbents'...
That was it. It was like we needed snookers to go up despite winning at Brighton - but for once our luck was in. We had a great side back then too.
To be fair, Hoedt was a good addition last January. Porteous on paper was a good signing too, he’s struggled a bit but it was an attempt at stepping in the right direction. Think a quality PL loan would be useful and maybe getting something in return for Louza somehow if this latest disciplinary approach with him doesn’t work.
If Bilic is to be believed, Giaretta is sublime at lining up premier league loans. Had bundles of them ready before Manga ruined it all. We should be thankful we have such a high pedigree operative at the controls, as opposed to a yes man, friend of the family leech.
I have it on good authority that Giaretta had 4 very good prem loans lined up in the summer, including current England internationals, but VI vetoed them all as they weren't as good as the players we already had on our books.
