Crap window so far, as expected. Yes we hit some excellent form (until the mess that was tonight) and that's great, but why then not back it up with a couple of solid signings in key areas now that we have a genuine chance of survival? Are we seriously going to end this window with the same back line? The board are continuing to prove themselves more and more as completely naive. That or they don't care if we go down, for whatever strange reason.
The club said he could only go out on loan if he signed a new contract albeit that was some time ago...
There must be some mad italian striker we can sign on loan for the rest of the season. How's gabbiadini doing these days for sampdoria? I'd break the ***qin bank for the massive adams appled hunk. Keeping gray and getting rid of okaka was a catastrophic error of judgment.
You've obviously forgotten about the streak of piss we've signed to play in midfield, the one area of the pitch where we have a wealth of talent.
Watched one of the Sky Transfer Shows earlier and they did an article on PL teams that need strikers in this window and guess what, we did not even get a mention
Because we don’t need one. We play with one striker who happens to be club captain and have 4 others on our books. If we’re openly selling 1 or 2 and can get someone in who’s willing to swap one bench for another then fair enough
FFS the only reason we are in the league position we are is that we DON'T HAVE ANY DECENT STRIKERS!!! If we had any clinical finishers we would be in the top half, NOT in a relegation fight FFS
I'll reply to the grown up comments from the above and not the 6 year old girl ones. I don't disagree with you about the finishing. Success and Gray are not good enough for this level and I believe should be moved on. My point was in Sky's view we play our club captain as a lone striker and we have 4 others on our books (regardless of their quality) who it doesn't look like are moving on due to (1)ridiculous wages and (2)only championship teams would be interested. Therefore, Sky probably don't believe we need any strikers - not that they don't care to discuss 'little old Watford' Secondly, let's say we do get rid of these two, what type of striker would be happy to come to us and play the lone striker role, assuming they will be played in a rotation with the captain? Probably not one from a top/mid table Premier league's sub bench given we're in a relegation scrap. Equally so, one of the top strikers in the championship is unlikely to be available in the January window. So we're looking at foreign strikers again, and how's our track record in buying the right player in that area? Another Oulare? Perhaps we look to Udinese to help us out. Who is their leading scorer this season? Okaka! In all liklihood, our best hope is to get an initial short term loan until the end of the season, as we did originally with Deulofeu. That's only my view. What constructive solutions can suggest? Real world ones, not FIFA world. Finally, and this should be the most obvious part. We could have the best finisher in the world up front and he still won't score the goals you want if we don't create enough chances for him. Thats where we need to improve in my opinion as only Sarr has been putting dangerous crosses in the box recently
I think we need to upgrade Deeney in the summer. But he has started scoring. And given how many games he has missed, his goals to games ratio is actually better than many strikers in the PL that would be deemed to be superior. Losing to Villa for example had far more to do with lack of depth and quality in other areas. Same can be said for most games we have lost this season.
People have talked about upgrading Deeney for the past 3 or 4 years, but isn't the point what happens now if he gets injured again? We need to see Pedro in a Premier League context and if would be nice if Welbeck could be fit, but otherwise we know Gray and Success are not good enough so we would be back to asking Deulofeu to play as a striker. I'm sure Gray and Success could be 'upgraded' in ability and attitude respectively if they could be moved on.
Pereyra, Success & Gray out. That should £25-30 million and free up a load of wage budget. Buy an absolute leader of a centre back and some pace on loan for the bench.
I don’t disagree - but my point was more being directed at those who say it’s imperative we sign a striker because we keep missing chances. That’s not true. Obviously if we have aspirations to be a team that operates higher up the table, then Deeney needs a replacement sooner rather than later - but it’s not a desperate need in this window. We have other concerns that are more in need. Get Success and Gray out and then yes, we need another one to come in - but I think some over-estimate how easy it is to get someone to come in who would be happy to play a bit-part for now. I just don’t see the club bringing anyone in this month who would be of genuine quality - because they would take Deeney’s spot. And I think Pearson really likes him and the form he is in, as well as the fact he is captain. Seems Inter are now after Llorente and have dropped their interest in Giroud. He’s the one I’d really go after - but as I say, I think bringing someone in like that has a chance of upsetting things within the squad, as strange as that sounds.
As the squad is at this moment with all the players we have considered, then I’d place the order of depth we need re.new signings as: 1. RB 2. CB 3. CM 4. LB 5. STR/FWD
Remember Watford like to leave deals to the last possible hour. Don't expect anything over the next couple of days. A few clubs are still after Danny Rose. I do feel Deeney's injury has almost revitalised him too - never has he looked this confident in games since QSF spell alongside Iggy. Great to see of course, but then again if we lose him to another bad injury, we could be finished. I do agree that P&S have worked wonders with the squad so far, but having that Captain's voice on the pitch has been missing for so long before hand.
Success and Gray out on loan maybe, but we'd be crazy to sell these two considering where we are in the table and the strong possibility of relegation. These two would do well in the Championship. We'd never get the money back on what we spent when we signed them. These two have devalued and are clearly not Premier League standard, but they could easily do well in the next level down. Pereyra will be going and we'd probably get our money back, or close to it, but this won't happen until the summer. If we do stay up, then yes, selling Gray and Success, for whatever money we can get for them, should be high on the list. Trouble is, no one, not even crazy Leeds would give Gray £70k per week, so I think we could be stuck with him until his contract expires.
I had this discussion with someone in the summer window - look at our purchase history since being in the PL. It’s on various websites. We don’t leave our business late. No more than anyone else anyway. Our deals are more spread out than some think.
I think we're done and listening to Pearson he thinks so as well as he talks about in-comings as players coming back from injury rather than new players. If we signed anybody I think a right back is the position we definitely need someone. Janmaat is always injured which only leaves Femenia (also injured currently but a little more reliable). We can't carry on with Mariappa there. He gives his all but much like Gray, he is simply not good enough. I would be amazed if we signed a striker.
Players needing game time for Euro 2020 contention will start to come into the transfer equation soon. That's pretty much how we got Deulofeu on loan 2 years ago. Another upshot of the loss against Villa though is they're being ask to join a club in the relegation zone rather than 15th.
I'm sure he wouldn't. If his attitude is so poor in the Premier League, how on earth would he knuckle down to life in the Championship?
I think (or hope) we'll have a huge overhaul in the summer: Keepers: Gomes and most likely Foster gone, with at least 1 of Bachmann/Dahlberg out on loan. Would mean at least 2 new keepers. Fullbacks: Janmaat, Holebas + Zeegelaar leave. Leaves Kiko and Masina. Estupinan seems to be doing well in Spain in the stuff I've read so far, so potentially 2 right-backs needed. Centre-backs: Prodl most likely gone. Mariappa out of contract. Leaves Dawson, Cathcart and Kabasele who at the end of the season will be 30, 31 and 29. Would like a bit of depth here - maybe 1 promising youngster and 1 "star signing" who can grow in value (aka under 23 years old) but has the quality to start every game. CM: The one area we don't need to do anything in. Attack: Pereyra off, Gray off. Wouldn't surprise me to see Success depart either. Hopefully Joao Pedro will be up to scratch by then to take over the role of Success (aka cover for striker/wing). Not sure on the quality of Pussetto yet but may need another addition on the wing. Hopefully one of Suarez or Cucho can step up to take Grays role.
Agree with most but not all. I think Foster will likely stay on for another year at least. I doubt we will have Joao Pedro, Suarez, Cucho, Welbeck and Deeney all at the club. I think Suarez will go on loan again - given the videos the club put out of Cucho at the training ground and meeting teammates, I think he’ll come in. But the biggest thing is that I think we do need a CM in the summer. If the formation stays the same, we only have 4 to fill 3 spots. Cleverley can’t really be trusted to stay fit - Hughes, Doucoure, Capoue and Chalobah isn’t enough. We need another.
I'd be very surprised if Mariappa isn't given a one-year extension. I'd also be surprised to see Cucho involved next season unless his form picks up in the second half of this season.
I think Foster has shown there is life in the old dog yet. Gomes will go or stay on in coaching role possibly. One of the other two to step up as a number 2 and the other on loan. So one more required as third choice. Agree on full backs. One each side required and at least one top quality centre back. The young one you talk about could possibly be Wilmot or maybe the lad who played against Tranmere who's name escape me. I think we need an extra midfielder. Cleverly has struggled with injury and isn't getting any younger. Capoue is in to his thirties and still not sure on Chalobah although he has improved recently Agreed with Pereyra, Gray and Success leaving. Deeney, Welbeck and Cucho as the front option as it seems Pedro maybe an option wide
Quina is arguably ready but could benefit from a loan. Certainly good enough as depth. I definitely forgot about Wilmot. Oops. Yeah he fits that spot perfectly. I think Cucho will benefit from playing in a better team. He was prolific for a Huesca side that was dominant in the second division but now he's played for 2 teams battling relegation that don't score many goals/create many chances.
I think we’re done as well. Hopefully Pearson can conplete the miracle. If not Pozzo and Giraldi will richly deserve the relegation for not adding a single defensive resource.