Which Ex-player, From The Pozzo Era, Would You Add To This Squad?

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by folkestone orn, Dec 24, 2020.

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Which ex Pozzo player would you add to this squad?

  1. Ighalo

    5 vote(s)
    6.3%
  2. Vydra

    17 vote(s)
    21.5%
  3. Abdi

    46 vote(s)
    58.2%
  4. Toszer

    2 vote(s)
    2.5%
  5. Doucoure

    2 vote(s)
    2.5%
  6. Richarlison

    2 vote(s)
    2.5%
  7. Fessi

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. Ake

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Guedioura

    2 vote(s)
    2.5%
  10. Watson

    1 vote(s)
    1.3%
  11. A. N Other

    2 vote(s)
    2.5%
  1. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Have to admit that I've stolen this idea from twitter. Thought it might make for an interesting thread.

    I mean players, as they were when they played for us. E.g- Jurado in 2015/16, at his playmaking zenith, rather than washed up.

    Loan players also count.
     
  2. EB Hornet

    EB Hornet Reservist

    Toss up between Abdi and Vydra as I believe these are the two types of players we need the most right now. Went Abdi as adds a couple of extra things required.
     
    Forzainglese and folkestone orn like this.
  3. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    I think Abdi is the most obvious one. The question is, what is the main thing the squad currently lacks? I think creating and scoring is one thing, but we also lack leadership.

    I think I'd probably go for Toszer. More experience and quality from set-pieces.
     
  4. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Vydra. This squad is missing a goalscorer and Vydra in his prime was amazing.
    However I'd be tempted to take Richarlison, sell him to Everton for £40m again, buy Vydra and pocket the rest. Maybe even buy a LB.
     
    folkestone orn and SkylaRose like this.
  5. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    This team wouldn't make any goals for Vydra. You actually need midfielders to be good.

    When Almen Abdi (PBUH) was fit, we finished 3rd and 2nd in this league. When he wasn't, we were ******* terrible.

    If I could take two, I'd take Abdi and Vydra.
     
    DaveWFC, luke_golden, Chumlax and 2 others like this.
  6. NemoNemo

    NemoNemo Reservist

    Abdi was great but Geudioura was completely unplayable most games. His through ball
    to Ighalo from an impossible angle at Derby and his crossfield pass to Deeney against Middlesbrough were just 2 of many moments of pure class that helped us gain automatic promotion.
    Added to this his calmness with the ball and his threat as an attack minded player but also a tough tackling enforcer he had it all.
    Thinking about it I would honestly say he is the best Pozzo signing IMO
     
  7. Aymondo

    Aymondo First Year Pro

    Abdi and Vydra are the obvious picks.

    Think Valon Behrami is a shout, experienced, leader, can play in many positions and put a graft in. In his first season he was great, could use a player like that, bit more of bite in the midfield.

    Joel Ekstrand's performances in our promotion season have somewhat gone forgotten, he was brilliant and then unfortunately got injured.
     
  8. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    Abdi. All day long. When Abdi was at his peak he was one of the most naturally talented players I've seen in a Watford shirt, and he coupled that ability with hard work and a desire to succeed.
     
  9. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    That pass at Derby was incredible. If it had been made by a big name player on a bigger stage the pundits would have been going wild over it.
     
    Maninblack likes this.
  10. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    On top form, Doucore or Ighalo.

    On current form.... not sure any of them.
     
    SkylaRose likes this.
  11. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Vydra, great strength and along side Perica or even a bothered Deeney would be a threat. That goal he scored against Leicester in the PO SF at the Vic was amazing.
     
  12. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Abdi without a doubt. Creator, accurate passer and able to retain the ball when needed. Different class on his day and would stroll into this current midfield. And not a bad finisher able to score in and outside the box. Remember the pearl against Fulham ?
     
    Steve Leo Beleck likes this.
  13. Abdi

    Abdi Academy Graduate

    Stop the count.
     
    Knight GT and Steve Leo Beleck like this.
  14. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member


    Does not do any real justice to him as a player. Imagine what happens when you cross with accuracy and midfielders dare to attack the box.
     
  15. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Loved Abdi too. Were Deeney, Vydra and Ighalo so good because they had Abdi behind them ? Or was Abdi so good because he had excellent mobile strikers to interplay with ? A bit of both.
     
  16. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Loved the miserable Fulham commentator "oh no...." for the 2 goals at Fulham :). Still have that "live on sky" 0-5 win on my skybox
     
  17. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    A common synergy as you say TUT. Even Messi has struggled when he had statues around him at Argentina. Our current midfield is abysmal. And having one striker already cuts down the options and more so when he can barely move.

    We desperately need to play at the tempo we see in the clips above, with width and pace. I personally would like to see Perica and Pedro in tandem as they were for a short time at the Wednesday.
     
  18. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Interesting how Abdi was a god at championship level, but looked out of his depth a division up.

    Now I know that can be slightly mitigated against by the fact QSF was the manager and played him at left back that time, yet sadly he still didn’t look quite up to it.

    Yet we’ve got players who have looked better at premier league level, but aren’t showing a fraction of the talent of Abdi at championship level.

    I guess application and hard work go some way to explaining it.
     
  19. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I've been a fan since 1977 and never enjoyed our attacking football more than 2013-15 under the Pozzos. Our offensive play is so far below that level now it's really sad to see.
     
  20. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    Has to be Abdi, with Vydra second.

    There's no point bringing in a striker like Vydra without an Abdi to play the killer balls. Abdi will immediately improve the current team; Vydra would struggle for service, because we've not been creating much lately.

    Frankly, I'm pretty sure Abdi at his peak would make even Gray dangerous.
     
  21. lowerrous

    lowerrous First Team

    Peak Ighalo, easily.

    We'd actually have someone to score from the crosses Sarr puts in.
     
  22. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I’m glad people remember this. That was possibly my favourite away game of the Pozzo era. It‘s easy to forget how important that result was since Derby fell away after it.
     
    folkestone orn likes this.
  23. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Agree. RE those assists. The best I've seen for Watford. He lifted the whole team when he came in. As good as Abdi was, did he have the pushun of Gueds? I think not
     
  24. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    LOL. Imagine re-hiring the guy who did that! It'd be like Ivic playing Quina at LB
     
  25. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Hell, I'd take Layun over most of the current lot. The guy would have been a legend if GP wasn't so short sighted
     
    CarlosKickaballs likes this.
  26. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Obviously Abdi...

    There's something magical about watching a player that has no pace, isn't strong and can't tackle dictate a game from midfield, all because his footballing brain was operating at several levels above everyone else's and his technique was sublime.

    Honourable mentions to Ighalo and Vydra, both of whom would love to play with Sarr rather than Anya, Paredes and whoever else we had as our wide options...

    But as a pure artist, Abdi every time. The Championship Zidane for two seasons.
     
    Knight GT, luke_golden and reids like this.
  27. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    It would be Abdi for me right now in this division. A goalscoring central midfielder we currently miss. No point picking a striker whilst Deeney is at the club.
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2020
  28. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    I wouldn't mind Richarlison either, he would be incredible in this league but I can only pick one.
     
  29. reids

    reids First Team

    Just checked out where he was now to discover he retired at 30 :(
     
  30. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Can't agree with that, always thought he got dominated by physical centre forwards and committed a lot of petty fouls that led to bookings and/or dangerous free kicks. Sad that it ended his career but thought that injury summed him up as a player, a needless "hard man" tackle on a smaller player that was going nowhere.
     
  31. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Chris Iwelumo
     
  32. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Still Abdi for me but my goodness this team could do with a Guedioura. The complete Championship midfielder.

    There is no-one in the squad that could do what he does in this first clip and that's before you even get to the skills, the passes, the crosses, the goals.

     
    luke_golden likes this.
  33. nascot

    nascot First Team

    I don't think he looked out of his depth at all. Granted he couldn't have the same impact on games but he was also played a bit further out wide by QSF which ddin't help.
     
  34. Dorset-Orn

    Dorset-Orn First Year Pro

    Right now we know our defence is average, we can't judge our forwards properly as we don't attack properly from midfield, and our midfield is appalling.
    Therefore I would bring in all three of Abdi, Gueds, and Behrami any day of the week. Those three with hughes would be great....
     
    a19tgg likes this.
  35. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    Deeney. All day long.
     
    The undeniable truth likes this.

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