Pre-season 2019

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by hornetboy1, May 23, 2019.

  1. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    He's class. Made a mistake by joining RM when Ajax were on the case. Will just keep getting better and better.
     
  2. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    No no no they might have been top half of the Premier League most of last season but they're all league one standard at best now and we are doomed I tell you because we haven't signed nine new foreign players nobody has heard of. Last season was years and years ago, they're all old and crap now - WHY WON'T THE CLUB LISTEN TO THE FANS!!!!!
     
  3. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    Sign him up.
     
  4. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    The last league match of last season was 12 May. So, counting to 10 August, that would be 13 weeks older, wouldn't it? I agree ageing gets you in the end, but let's not exaggerate.
     
  5. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    How is it exaggerating? From the start of last season, to the beginning of this, they are a year older?

    You’re argument is clutching at straws a bit.
     
  6. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    Careful, one of the fake news grandads will call you negative.
     
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  7. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    'Your'.

    But, let's not fall out over this. Your observation is correct, but, it seems to me we have seen them play a good deal more recently than the beginning of last season and they were doing OK for much of that season; which is what I meant.
    It concerns me, like many on here, that we haven't signed more players to fill the obvious shortcomings. But it doesn't concern me greatly. I think it is easy to be intimidated by big-money spendings by other clubs, but they don't always get it right: Everton, for quite a time before the penny dropped, and Fulham last close season, lashed out money left, right and centre - but they didn't know what they were doing.
     
    PowerJugs likes this.
  8. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    Totally agree, most of our players are worth more to us than their market value as they are already bedded in and part of a great team spirit. We could splash 30m on Sarr and we wont really know what we're getting. Also some clubs like Norwich have low net spends even though their need is much greater than ours. The reason we havent spent much is cos we already have a great squad. I see it as a sign of strength.
     
  9. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    We simply do not have a ‘great’ squad.
     
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  10. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    By great I mean we have strong back up in every position and a proven premier league goalscorer on the bench. This is the result of 4 years of PL evolution. We played some mouth watering football last season and have kept all those players and added Dawson who is a proven PL defender and probably as good as Cathcart who is our best CB. We also have fighters in our team who will knuckle down and scrap if the going gets tough. We could probably beat every other PL team in a street fight. I'm lovin being a Watford fan right now.
     
  11. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Great squad??? Success, Sema, Okaka, Prodl, Masina, Gomes are awful. Chalobah is finished. Cleverly/Marriapa are regressing to championship level with age.

    Gray and Quina aside which of our squad options are you referring to?
     
  12. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Such great street fighters that regularly capitulate to large defeats when things go against them. We do NOT have strong back up in every position. Where do you even dream this up from!?
     
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  13. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    I'd start Gray but based on Javi's preferences our 2nd choice 11 is probably Gomes-Janmaat-Mariappa-Kabasele-Masina-Quina-Cleverly-Chalobah-Sema-Gray-Success with Bashiru, Peñeranda and Okaka also possibilities. I believe our 2nd string could finish at least 17th in the PL. They also did really well in the cups last season.
     
  14. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    That is a largely rancid line-up.
     
  15. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Disagree. Chalobah would not be fit for service so not sure why he is included. In my view they would be relegated by some distance. When you say “did really well in the cups”, the beat Woking and Newcastle reserves. By QPR many of the fist team were back and a full team was fielded after that apart from our retired goalkeeper.
     
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  16. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    The proof will b in the pudding. Apple and Blackberry crumble please.
     
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  17. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Indeed. If the squad flotsam are required to play a significant number of games and we stay up with ease then I will eat much humble pie. Don''t get me wrong - I think the 1st team assembled is good. It's the backup that worries me and I hope last year's good injury performance continues.
     
  18. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    He probably wants Z-Cars back too.
     
  19. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    I'd like to see a mash up of Z cars, I'm still standing and Sha la la by Buju Banton
     
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  20. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    After watching the match back on the full highlights, the performance from us was worse than I even remembered watching it live.

    Sociedad destroyed us time and time again. Found gapping holes in our midfield and created so many chances.

    Foster, some last ditch tackling, some bad misses and just good old fashioned luck kept them from really racking up a massive score. They could have easily scored 6 or 7.

    We had two shots on target and scored 2 goals. Give Gray credit for getting the shots off, but both goals were soft from a goalkeepers point-of-view. Not many keepers in the Premier League would have let those two shots in.

    I don't think I've ever seen such a one-sided match end up with us winning. It's almost like beating Man City in that cup final. We should have lost 0-6, but somehow fluked a 2-1 win.

    Let's hope that incredible good fortune remains throughout the season.

    It's not that Watford were lacking in effort or not trying to do the right things, but they were just toyed with all afternoon by a superior opponent. That doesn't really bode well, but I've got to remember we were without Deulofeu and Pereyra.

    They are our only two real quality players. Players who can do something with the ball that is unexpected. We need more of that type of player in our squad and it really underlines when they are not there, how much we miss them.
     
  21. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    Hahahaha.
     
  22. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    Ye of little faith LOL
     
  23. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Seiously Moosegasm, you must be kidding ! They would struggle in the championship.
     
  24. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Given their history that midfield 3 would be injured for most of the season and well Success probably banned for cheating and Kabasele for falling asleep and getting himself sent off.
     
  25. PotGuy

    PotGuy Forum Fetishist

    We strengthened our weakest position tbf
     
  26. PowerJugs

    PowerJugs Doyley Fanatic

    And with Sarr likely to be signed that's the areas we were crying out for filled with quality additions, whilst keeping our star assets. The fact we retained our core assets while most of the other teams around us have lost important players. It's frustrating we've not strengthened much this window compared to others because it feels like a missed oppurttunity / necessity. But we aren't that bad. We have the same core that came a whisker within European football. Everton have lost their spine to a degree in Zouma and Gueye and any replacement is a gamble thereafter. Wolves have no depth and will encounter injuries this season like we did in our 2nd season. They had our problem of a good XI and bench but no depth when injuries struck. Leicester have looked good this window and I would say are the best bet to finish in 7th, but just lost a key CB in Maguire which will hurt them. Southampton look stronger as they have a competent head coach but otherwise have the same squad near enough so they will be a mid table consolidator. West Ham have done pretty well in the market, but they're West Ham and always contrive to finish higher mid table. We've lost no-one we wanted to keep and have addressed the reasons why we faltered last year, assuming we get Sarr over the line. Bournemouth are the same level as us. You get odd score lines occasionally when we lost 4-1 but otherwise we match them. (3-3 away and all those games before)

    It feels like a lot of pant wetting here. We can't afford to have 25 players of Doucoure's or Deulofeu's quality as we could not give them the play time that they would need to staisfy their demands nor the finance either. We break even every Season, and last Season made a loss (Though didn't factor in Richarlison's sale but that emphasises the point) and the depth will see us through injuries and help the XI on their toes. We'll finish somehwere between 13th and 10th I reckon come end of Season.
     
  27. Moosegasm

    Moosegasm Reservist

    I don't wanna b petty and I know we're all Watford fans together here but actually its 'Mr Moosegasm' If u dont mind. People often mistake my name as being some kind of Watford related moniker but the truth is I was sired by an unknown Canadian sperm donor. Hence 'Mr Moosegasm'.
     
  28. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Oh, stop being so reasonable!
     
  29. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    I wonder what it would look like without the yellow-tinted glasses on?
     
  30. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    We have kept hold of all of our best players and added a bit of strength and experience into our defence. Decent window so far, with the possibility of another one or two coming in as an added bonus.

    I'd be more bothered about new signings if they were replacements. As it stands I'm really surprised we've kept hold of Capoue, Doucoure and GD. Keeping hold of those three is better than having to replace any of them.
     
  31. PowerJugs

    PowerJugs Doyley Fanatic

    So finishing between 12th - 10th isn't a realistic position for us? Where do you think we'll end up at the end of this Season?
     
  32. luke_golden

    luke_golden Space Cadet

    Agree with this. I think the cup final is clouding judgement when it comes to how well we did last year. Up until the Arsenal game, we were lauding Javi for seemingly ending the run of dreadful finishes to the season. Granted, we were crap after that Arsenal game, but it was hardly an inexplicable collapse, given that I think it’s fair to say we’re not the first, nor the last to find ourselves distracted by a huge game being on the horizon.

    We’ve got a decent squad, that have been pretty settled for a while now. Again, it’s not long ago that we were bemoaning the constant change amongst playing and coaching personnel. No doubt we do need upgrades and a bit more depth, but to act as though we’re doomed because we’ve not signed loads of new faces is a bit much.

    Honestly think we’ll be comfortable this season.
     
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  33. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    I genuinely think everyone would be far more complimentary had the club bought 2 or 3 solid defenders and that’s it. They still might so there can be histrionics about it yet.

    But I think the vast majority of sensible fans can see that the back-line has needed serious updating for a couple of seasons now with hopefully the age profile brought down at the same time.

    I want Sarr and he sounds exciting. But I could be level-headed and forego signings like him and Welbeck(!) if we did what I think has been required with the defensive recruitment for a long time now. I’m not silly enough to think we are still in the realms of signing lots of players or spending a fortune.

    It will be nice to have a talented winger - but I still have a slight thought of just how much we could improve our defence with that £32m or whatever it is.
     
  34. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Exactly the same
     
  35. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    No problem Mr juicy-moosay-moosay.
     
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