Someone posted earlier on here how our strikers just aren't able to hold up the ball.... Four things that really hit me today:- 1) the way Swansea played they never once had any player needing to hold the ball up, they had continuous runners and support and just kept passing the ball at speed wearing us down. 2) the "hold the ball up" doesn't affect them as they had 5 players able to run thru our midfield, then the passes started around our box. (we always want to stand and pass the ball forward instead). 3) when they scored the winner they had several players in forward positions and we were static. 4) when Sarr got thru late on looking dangerous they had 3 players close him down, so even tho the first defender blocked him they had 2 right behind him so no way was Sarr getting though.! The difference in style and effort was there to be seen....
I remember Luther's first touch could be a bit erratic, but when he played for England against Scotland (who had Mo Johnston in the team when he was with us) while at the end of his stint with Milan, his first touch was superb, because he had really worked on it.
Yes . Luther is a great example of someone with a raw talent and worked and worked and worked. And never stopped working. However unlike Andre he knew how to shin roll one in from 3 yards. 20 times a season . Luther and Andre absolutely no comparison
Which also means development of young players stutters along which we then send out on loan to various different teams in different countries and expect them to become high level players. We expect them to keep good attitudes and criticise when they don't. The lack of development of any young players is plainly sad and the defence of this fact horrible. Success and Penaranda, for example, were better players before they joined us. I just hope Joao Pedro gets out before his career stutters to a halt - much like Richarlison had the sense to do.
I swear Gino must tell every new coach you have to get something out of gray, I spent £18m on this pathetic **** and if you want transfer funds it comes from getting some money in for this ****. As for Troy he needs to hang up His boots just join the coaching staff ffs how many times today he should of been in the box and he’s not even in the camera shot. He was looking trim when he came on against the scum but seems to of enjoyed Christmas and is out of shape again. Kiko and Sarr on the right is one of the only promising things in this team. Yet we start with Kiko on left. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
He only looked trim against Luton in comparison to what he had been looking like in training up to that point, but yes this is something else indictable about today - he looked fat as **** again. That's how little professionalism and respect for his position he has; he can't even be bothered to remain in the requisite physical shape for his job in the middle of the season.
But is Xisco to be Iphigenia,sacrificed to allow the fleet to sail to Troy? Is Gray Hektor? Not really cut out for all this football lark but possibly quite good in "I'm the Son of a King Get Me Out of Here" before being driven around the city walls on a rope behind the chariot? And who...that's enough ..Ed.
I love Troy one of my all time favourites, I really wanted him to stay and have a successful testimonial year. I live in Canada and if I talk Watford the people I talk to talk Troy. He is mr Watford he must bring leadership as his team mates comment about how they need him. His times up put him on the coaching staff let him lead and mouth off from there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Our squad is so unbalanced and I don't think 4-4-2 gets the best out of anyone other than the centre-backs. There are no combination of players who work together at all going forward. 4-4-2 also puts too much emphasis on the middle of the midfield to be creative when we don't have those players. It's also stifling Kiko & Ngakia from being the very good attacking full-backs they are because neither Sema or Sarr allow either full-back room to overlap. Play one up front. I don't care who, the current lot aren't good enough so it's irrelevant. Have any three of JP, Sema, Sarr & Zinckernagel play behind him, starting off narrow. Every one of them is more than capable of joining the lone striker as a second forward in open play, dropping back as and when either in defence or attacking play. Let the midfield screen of Cleverley & Chalobah win the ball and give the short pass they're capable of to the three marauding attacking midfielders or either full-back if they're advanced. It will also mean Sema doesn't have to be relied upon to defend as much because he's a ******* liability when he does. Cleverley, Chalobah won't have to cover as much ground so should be able to drop into wide defensive positions if a full-back is caught upfield. As it is we look ******* awful all over the pitch. It's a ******* mess.
We tried that. It didn't work either. The one up front has to be pacey, good technically and strong. An all rounder. Most of the teams up there have that in their squad. We don't.
We tried it for about a game and a half didn't we? Maybe 5-5-0 would be better then. It's just soul destroying watching any of Deeney, Gray, Perica or Murray impersonate a forward.
I agree with your sentiment and ideas theoretically Recluse, but there is one really fundamental problem in the way of it all, and that is that we literally don't have the squad to play a single effective formation as it stands. We can't judge Perica on eye; I don't know if he's capable of playing up top on his own and he does appear to actually be a striker, but he's currently injured and seemingly legally barred from starting somehow,whilst failing to actually set the world on fire when he has been given brief opportunity. We effectively are left without a striker who can play up top on their own, and also without a combination of strikers capable of playing as part of a two through either sheer incompetence or a mix of youth and positional square-pegging. There is no avoiding that we literally have to bring in another player to be able to field any single possible effective formation. Even Gino cannot possibly fail to recognise that, unless he is just exercising his human prerogative not to actually watch the games. What he absolutely can do, however, and has been for quite some time, is absolutely nothing about said recognition. #Prayforwatford
I didn’t say it couldn’t happen. I just think you’d be mad to do it (unless you’ve got enough money that it literally doesn’t matter as per the Saudi’s buying Derby)
That's got my vote; where do we register? No Saudis though; **** them (government and ruling family, not everyday average people, of course).
I’m so desperate for Gray not to play for Watford again I would rather see Success in the team. That how bad it’s got for me.
