JCP leaving in January? Wobby reports JCP is considering moving on due to lack of game time: http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/13952389.display/ To be honest, I think he's looked more dangerous than Anya in the limited number of minutes he's played in Anya's position in the 3 behind the striker. He's certainly got no chance of displacing Nyom as first choice. Nyom's a far better defender.
he can be tricky & skillful but not great defensively so I like him better in midfield. If he wants to leave I guess it frees up a non-HG slot if he goes
Flashes of brilliance but I feel on edge every time he has the ball. I'd like him to stay, but there will be no tears if he goes.
He will get less game time after the January transfer window/ when Jurado returns. No end product, and without Anyas HG status and versatility.
I like him but never feel entirely safe with him defensively. I expect he will be no longer in need of WFC headwear.
Guess its the trouble when you have players not really playing although he has got quite a bit of action in recent weeks making some impact Not really a fan of his though really - sloppy defensive wise and cannot cross to save his life.
Apparently Layun wanted out because he felt he was not going to get enough playing time with us, and now Paredes is hinting he may also want to leave, another player who was making the same sort of rumblings until he recently won a starting place was Britos, though he just wanted to go out on loan, whereas the other two are looking for more permanent solutions. It strikes me that young professionals looking to break into first team football and players who have been there done that and got the t shirt are more suited to being squad players, than the likes of Layun and Parades who were first choices at their previous clubs. It has to be much harder for the like of them to accept not playing on a regular basis, as they are still in their prime and need to be playing regularly. Whereas the older mature players might be happy to not play as much, and the youngsters might just be happy to be in and around the 1st team for a year or two. It's a difficult balancing act, but actively recruiting quality players who have already achieved most of their ambitions, to be squad backup players, rather than mid career players who might not be happy as a squad player, seems to me to be a good idea for trying to keep everyone happy, whilst still having a strong squad.
You make a good point. With a lower half team up and comers will want regular game time. Youngsters will be happier to sit on the bench if it's a top 6 team as they still get exposure and there's players perceived to be better than them ahead of them in the pecking order. Paredes had 39 appearances last season. it's fair to suggest that having 1/10 this season he might be a little miffed. Luckily we have the perfect solution in the group to move players around to keep them happy but nothing can happen until the window. Parades did well in his last match and imho has earned a starting position in the next.
Anya came as a winger but looks better at full-back; JCP came as a wing-back but looks better as a winger. That said, while I'd like Anya to stay (a U-turn from what I used to think), I'm not bothered whether JCP stays or goes. It would be nice to have somebody like Ritchie or Robbie Brady who can be relied upon to put decent crosses in.
Typical reids : If it is that obvious, then why are WFC not doing it? The Pozzo model has been to recruit players that have so far slipped under the radar and bring them through, but now WFC are in the PL that model does not always work quite as well; because many of those type of players, like Layun and Parades will rightly want to make a move to a club that is going to showcase them. Unfortunately PL teams like us might feel they are good enough to be squad members, but maybe not yet quite good enough to claim a regular 1st team slot, which for the reasons I stated in my original post would probably not suit those type of players.
We signed 14 players over the summer, and 10 last season, out of those 24 players who've complained (that we know of anyway) that they're not getting game-time? Dyer, Layun, Paredes, Britos and Vydra (to some extent) is all I can think of. Both Dyer and Vydra are at the opposite ends of the spectrum to what you're suggesting, which just leaves Paredes and Layun who, being regulars in their national team is obviously/rightly a concern to them. You just seem to have an idea and run with it, ignoring all evidence to the contrary.
Ibarbo must surely be close to complaining that he's not getting game time. Berghuis as well. Both must have expected to at least start a few games? I'm not saying they should be at the moment, but they are probably a bit disenchanted.
