'IF' we go up...

IF we go up what sort of season would you expect it to be?

Will we struggle and fight relegation all season?

Or could we do a Swansea and impress with our passing football and claim a few Scalp's along the way?

Who do you expect to impress and hold down a 1st team spot from the current batch of players?

Sorry if there has already been a similar thread, I don't think I have seen one.

 

I think as always it will be tough next year IF we did go up and would be more than happy just to stay up and build upon that. We might do better than that but it would be a bonus and would happily take 17th place

 

I fully expect that the Pozzos will find us some premiership class players, possibly not very well known in this country as yet, but who will soon become household names.

I do not expect a struggle, but I do not expect to be tearing up trees either; a mid-table finish is my prediction for our first season back with the big boys. However, as I predicted when the Pozzos first took over our club, I foresee some sort of participation for WFC in a European competition within 5 years!!!

 

We would need some CB's. Our defense has been our biggest downfall this season- partly due to injuries, but those won't go away in the prem. Perhaps a couple more wing backs, too.

A free scoring team in the Championship I don't think we would have much of a problem at that end.

 

I think it will definately be a stuggle - the pozzos will not pour resources in as they have commitments to udinese and granada also. I don't think they will spend too much to gamble on staying up. With the long term income from players ales and Udinese/Granada we don't need to stay up, we could go down, take teh £50m in tv plus £60m in parachute payments and build to go up again.

16th place for me.

 

At one of the fans forums was it not said that if we did go up they would buy in playes for the prem

 

I predict panic buying...six figure wages...sacked managers....relegation....and administration. Tough year for WFC

 

Naaaat.

 

Europa league qualification or whatever it will be called by then.

 

IF we go up, the Pozzos will make us their priority, because of the money in the Premiership. I don't envisage a major struggle, although I won't be putting money on us bagging a Champions League spot.

I hope I'm not ******* off the gods by tempting fate ahead of Saturday...

 

WH, you used the word IF, which makes it ok

 

Undoubtedly we'd cope better if we went up next season as was planned, however I'm more than happy to take 16th or 17th next season IF we go up, and build from there.

 

The potential financial rewards in the Prem would likely cause the Pozzos to make WFC their number 1 priority

 

1st. DiNatale tears the PL apart.

 

16th and a battle

 

Surprise winners of the League Cup.

 

Mid-table, followed by a relegation struggle the second season. Most promoted teams have trouble scoring goals, but I doubt if we will. Keep Cassetti, Ekstrand, Abdi, Battochio, Chalobah if possible, Vydra plus Pudil as cover; priority should be a left wing-back.

 

I looked at the squad on the WFC site to check that I hadn't forgotten anyone. McGinn isn't there - AND NEITHER ARE NEUTON OR BELECK. So there is a Santa Claus! On the other hand, Britt is missing too.

 

Lloyd will tear the PL a new one. FACT!

 

I'd be happy with survival 1st season.

It's impossible to know what our team will look like... sure we know that the likes of Abdi, Vydra, Battocchio etc would be likely to stay.... but the Pozzo's have so many other players on their books. They could also buy us a few players.....

With our current team it would be a big struggle, especially with all the defensive injuries if they continue.

 

That's a bit odd. I'm sure the club said nothing would be said officialy until the season is over. I checked and you are correct and I wouldn't be surprised to see those 3 go just seems a bit strange. I would also have thought we would like to keep Britt and maybe loan him to a league one side next year or maybe higher if possible.

 

Thing is McGinn and Beleck were on loan up until Saturday so maybe that's why their profile is missing. Hodson, Iwelumo, Assombalonga and Mingoia are too. But as you say, Neuton and ****inson are also missing.

 

I'd be happy with 17th. I think we'd probably manage 14th/15th though.

I also suspect Chalobah will be back next year if we go up - he'll get more game time for us than he would for Chelski. If we crash out of the playoffs, he'll get loaned to a Prem team.

If we go up, I think Abdi, Vydra, Neuton, Battochio, Cassetti, Pudil and Ekstrand will all stay. I suspect we'll see at least 6 first teamers come in, too: couple of strikers (DiNatale seems likely), couple of midfielders (Badu and Torje?), a LWB, and a CB (Angella?). If Manu doesn't get a contract extension, we'll obviously have to get a goalkeeper, too, but I think we'll re-sign him.

We'd also see some good, young players come in on top of the first teamers, to be used as cover/subs while they get experience.

 

why would you say D'Natalie seems likely? He is a major reason why Udinese are where they are now, his goals are keeping them in with a shout of Europe!

 

I just hope that if we do go up the fixture computer is kind to us. Football is all about confidence and if we were to get a decent start we would have every chance. If we get the likes of Man U, City , Arsenal early doors we could have backs to the wall and face a long season struggling at the bottom.

All said and done our style allied to the fact we have the likes of Forestieri who could flourish I do feel we would be better equipped to have a proper go than our previous forays into the premiership.

 

I think Abdi, Vydra, Forestieri, Chalobah, Almunia, Cassetti and Ekstrand all have what it takes to make the step up and be at least solid players in the Premier League, and I think Battocchio and possibly Deeney are capable of growing to be one's.

The defence will need serious investment/strengthening and we'll need a proven Premier League striker and centre midfielder or two, but if we get that right I think we'll stay up and maybe finish as high as 12th/13th.

We have the makings of a a very good team.

 

I think we'd be like Blackpool a few years ago, probably make a good go of it most games and rely on outscoring the opponent, rather than tactical master classes from Zola. Against teams like Utd, City, Liverpool I can see our defence getting ripped to shreds.

 

He's 35 (36 at the start of next season), only very slightly younger than Cassetti. He's experienced and has seen it all, and would be a huge boost for us as we get to grips with the Premier League.

Keeping Watford in the Premier League is worth an enormous amount of money for the Udinese/Granada/Watford as a group, not just for Watford. If we get promoted this year. the increase in next season's Premiership TV revenue makes it even more important for us to stay up, from a financial perspective.

Given previous hints about "marquee signings", and a couple of online rumblings I've seen about us getting a big player if we go up, I suspect it to be Di Natale. It just fits nicely: great player at the end of his career, Udinese legend, under contract, capable of making a statement about this club's Premier League intentions, and a significant boost towards maintaining enormously increased financial prospects for all three clubs.

Of course, the player himself might not want to move; I know he's turned down moves aware from Udine before due to his familiy being settled. I also imagine his experience might be a big draw if Udinese get into Europe.

It's going to be a fascinating summer, that's for sure.

 

Lets get saturday over with first before we start moaning about the fixture list!

 

Look, I'm very friendly and we are a confederation of teams. But DO NOT TOUCH DI NATALE! Or it will be civil war!
Jokes apart, if all goes well I'd expect several reinforcements coming, in order to have a good team with depth.
Coming from 3 ways:
- some not much used at Udinese (but certainly without disrupting current starting 11) like Badu, Ranegie, maybe Fabbrini?
- some new never-heard-before promising very young players from South-America or East-Europe.
- some experienced and not too expensive English players (like it was for Cassetti and Almunia, but with an eye to the 6-home-grown rule) and maybe some young one too if they're not too overpriced.
Also there's the Granada variable: I really hope our cousins will survive in Liga but if not, some of their players "too good for Liga B" might be diverted to WFC while Granada is revolutioned with a younger team.

The absolute priority will be survival and Cups, pragmatically, will be an unwelcome distraction until there's good confidence in the capability of the team to avoid relegation so, honestly, expect to see your FA and League Cup matches played with the reserves team.

17th will be good. Anything more will be welcome. Time is on our side!

 

When is this 6 home grown rule coming into place?

 

Not sure, probably 8 really. Should be this: http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/home-grown-quota-for-premier-league.html unless modified since 2011.

 

Teams will just end up putting most of their English players on the bench or in the reserves.

 

I think our defence is very good when not plagued by injuries. Ekstrand has been very good, so has Hall, Hoban too, and Nosworthy, and Doyley.