WATFORD INTERESTED IN BENNETT Watford are interested in signing Joe Bennett from Cardiff during the last week of the domestic window. The 30-year-old left-back has one year remaining on his Cardiff contract. Bennett has started three out of four Championship games so far this season but came off after 14 minutes with a knock last time out. The domestic transfer window closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm.
‘Came off with a knock...’ How far down the ‘Injured transfer targets who aren’t that good’ list now?
I think he would be good cover, and if we can get shot of Dawson it would balance our defensive options.
Cardiff fans on twitter do not seem at all happy at the prospect of losing him which is always a good sign. Would be pretty happy with this if not for his age.
Got confused with Joe Bryan which made no sense at all but obviously would've been great. Looked him up on Wikipedia and turns out he's a perfect substitution for Dawson in the squad as both are 30 year old defenders born in Rochdale.
Cor, one of the best LB's in the league if not the country! What a signing this would be, for such a small fee. Rename the town to Ginoville, as we're all living the dream!
Hmmm, what do I think of this? Well first up, we've either had on the books, or have been linked with far more glamorous players at LB/LWB this summer (I'd put even Ryan Manning in this category), but he's good at this level, and a bit of experience wouldn't go amiss given we have a lot of kids. Would be excellent backup in a back 3, I don't know about King Ken playing on the left of a 4, so maybe that would be Bennett's time to shine? The other thing of course is that if we do go up, we'd probably have to upgrade, but first things first I guess
Pretty decent player at this level - and unlike some of the others linked has actually been playing regularly and at £1.5 offers a fairly cheap squad option. However, what strikes me as odd is that he more of an orthodox left back than a centre back / left wing back so unless we are changing formation, he doesn't make sense, and if we are changing formation I am not sure he is good enough to start week-in-week-out.
Don't think Cardiff play with wing-backs, but he has played there in the past (and as a left-winger), so I'm sure he'd be able to play in a back 3 or a back 4. I guess he'd be backup in a 3, maybe starting in a 4
£1.50 is around the budget range we're looking at, I understand. And almost £2 more than we've spent so far this window.
Just working our way down the list. Expect a move for Dexter Blackstock in the next few days. Not an exciting signing, but who are people expecting? It's pretty clear we're a Championship club looking for a back-up wing back. They're not going to be world beaters, and it's a safe bet to go with cheap, more experienced players who know the league. Nothing to cheer Gino for or wet the bet about, just something the squad needs.
I’d genuinely think there are some players who are surplus in the PL that we could be looking at who would excite fans better than names like this. And I’d loosely expect that we should now have a modest amount to spend or wage bill to work within given all the exits. A move for Danny Rose would be better than this in my opinion, although I suspect it’s not a widely held one! Not saying we have a fortune to blow - but we must surely have more room for manoeuvre. It would be nice to get genuine links to exciting names or prospects - at the moment it’s just bland link after bland link.
I suspect not many that are happy to play back-up. If you mean for the starting line up, I think we'd do very well to find a LWB better than Sema who is available, affordable, and wants to join us.
Sema has shown promise there but we shouldn’t forget it’s not the position he has played for most of his career and he’s still fairly new to it. He’s adaptable which is good and can play wide left in a more attacking role and I think he also played in CM at times last season. If we could get Rose in, that would only benefit Sema in learning from him in that position. I also still really have my doubts that we will continue with this formation as our ‘primary’ shape so I think an out-and-out LB is a must.
Loving supporting Watford back in the Championship and being linked with these types of players. Andrew Taylor is still only 35, might as well get him in or Matthew Briggs, he's only 29
Danny Rose is not going to drop down to the Championship, and given we're moving out any wage possible we're not going to be paying the money he'd want in the unlikely event he was open to a drop in standards
I went to the Norwich game and remember him scoring an own goal from a tackle from the edge of the box. I would pass on that opportunity!
I really thought he'd be a quality player when I first saw him for Boro(over 10 years ago!) It hasn't worked out that way but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing him play for us. He actually knows what to do with his left foot so an instant upgrade on Kiko
At 30 and a first teamer for Cardiff not sure why he'd come to us to be anything other than a first teamer.
Will we really offer to pay more for a back up LB, in difficult times with cash tight, than Cardiff are paying for first teamer pre covid issues ?
I don't know what Cardiff's finances are saying, but it wouldn't surprise me if they are tight. Besides, with all the games to play, I don't think there'll be a chasm between 'regular first team' players and 'backup' players
That's my point really. He'll be coming expecting to be playing regularly rather than a pure back up and so will be paid to reflect that.
He's a moody sulky git. Remember him almost coming to blows with Deeney and refusing to shake his hand when we won 2-0 at the Amex the day we were promoted from the champ.