Crazy, Hoban is one of the best defenders at the club. Would be bloody annoyed if we sent him out on loan.
Personally I'm very happy with Angella, Ekstrand, Hoban, Tamas & Belkalem. On paper a very strong group.
We won't send a Home Grown centre back out on loan unless it's one of the younger ones. Certainly not tommie
Assuming we don't sell a first team centre-back this summer, and we are going to four at the back, then it is becoming clear that we need no more centre backs and won't be signing that big, British defender we wanted
Like many have said, he'd be better in a back four. People on here are far too quick to write some of our players off. He hasn't even played that much for us. Let's see how he fares next season in a back four and then we can judge him more fairly. I predict that next season Belkalem won't be a starter in our strongest XI but I think he'll end up a decent squad player.
He was pretty rubbish on almost every occasion he featured last season... However, he has all the attributes to be a good defender at this level, hope the coaches spend all of preseason working on his positioning and defending as a unit
He clearly has the ability. I thought as much last season. Algeria are not a bad national team. He needs to play in the centre of defence as KnightGT says. He does not have the pace to cover the flank. Players are written off for all sorts of reasons usually prematurely because of their age, inability to settle in and time needed to accustom to a new league. Look at Paletta a laughing stock at Liverpool who had obvious ability. Settled into serie A and has been called up by Prandelli.
To all the critics: how many Championship teams can claim having a player at the World Cup? Spoiled tinpot fans!
Clear indication we'll be playing 3-5-2/3-4-3 I like it, they're the same formations that almost got us promoted.
Pace? Positioning? Ability on the ball? Even Doyley has one and a half of those! I actually do think he will come good though. He can't be worse than how he played at times last season. A solis signing, even if he is only needed 10 times, he has the ability to be 'decent'.
Anya was a winger when he came and virtually all attack minded wingbacks (in this country at least) started out as wide men. I believe that you and many others on here are confusing the position with that of fullbacks; wrong, wrong, wrong! While a fullback's brief may be to stop all crosses coming in, a wingback's defensive role is more about not allowing time and space for crosses of any quality and the extra central defender compensates for those that do make it into the danger area. IMO the big problem with fullbacks is that once they're beaten in the tackle their man is then left free to serve it on a plate.
In fairness when Anya came was just sent here from Granada in that chaotic first transfer window. They probably didn't even know what they were going to do with him. I like to think that, two years on, when we are looking for wing backs, we are looking for actual wingbacks or attacking fullbacks. Not just signing players who are very clearly attacking wingers with the plan of 'converting' them
Why so many people are willing to write off a player who has only played 700 minutes of football for us this season bemuses me. He didn't play in two consecutive games at all this year, that can't help with settling and his injury couldn't have helped either. There's one thing that I find really interesting though; Watford FC players going to the World Cup - Essaid Belkalem Wfcforums members going to the World Cup - None If Sannino and Halilhodzic can both see something in him, I'm willing to bet there is a good player there. He just needs some consistent playing time.
Like most of us I don't know just how good or bad Belkalem is? Overall he has not played that badly in the few appearances he has made for us, and for all we know he might be showing great promise at the training ground? However, being a little cynical, could we be signing him up with a view to cashing in on him if by chance he performs well at the World Cup?
Beausejour Wigan Chile Medel Cardiff Chile Jara Notts Forest Chile Fer Norwich Holland Karagounis Fulham Greece Mitroglou Fulham Greece Garuic Wigan Honduras Espinoza Wigan Honduras Dejagah Fulham Iran Ghoochannejhad Charlton Iran Yobo Norwich Nigeria Omerou Middlesboro Nigeria Adomah Middlesboro Ghana Bo-Kyung Cardiff South Korea Chung Yong Bolton South Korea
We have depth. That's a good thing. Belkalem admitted that he needed to get used to the Championship, but that doesn't mean he can't.
I think this pretty much confirms that the Anya to Celtic deal is as good as done and that the Gomez deal has fallen through
Didn't he drive the Algerian bus once? I remember at the time it was felt he had the right attitude so happy for him to have a chance to develop with us. Hopefully we learnt last summer not to tear up the whole side and that maintaining continuity with a few key additions would be more beneficial
I included them because they are now Championship teams. I could have included 4 players from QPR and Leicester instead!
On what we saw of Belkelem last season, this would appear to suggest that after a promising start to our summer dealings, Nani has once more reverted to type. Disappointing.
He took a bus home from some big match or training or something. The story highlights his humility and lack of ego, not his ability to operate a long wheelbase vehicle. Bit unfair on Nani if we say this is reverting to type. As far as I'm aware Belkalem was supposed to be a Watford player but became a Granada loanee after some sort of visa trouble. I believe he was always bound to be a Watford player for more than one year.
