14th is about fair enough. Looking at the league table and how teams have played I can’t argue much with those above and below us. Think it’s fair and what we deserve really. Excited if we can add a central defence and some decent strikers we might improve. If not we might not get so lucky
We’re too big for Gracia? Dearie me. We’re back on our pedastools. Glad this season is over, get Javi a full pre season and back him up with some actual defenders and strikers.
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...b-has-suffered-most-from-injuries-this-season Agreed. Whilst this includes Isaac Success we are some way ahead of all the other teams in injuries this season-and other clubs might well have their own "Isaac" Even if we had won today we would have been one place higher i think. Over a season the combination of "Evertongate" and the injuries which have disrupted any semblance of consistency in the outfield have lead us to finish a creditable 14th and 8 points clear of the drop zone. In my book we finished just under half way in the "Second PL" (being the other 14 below the top 6)-i don't care that other clubs with greater resources finished above us when others finished below us. Fourth season in the PL- GT managed 5 of our previous longest run of 6. Sure improvements are needed but on the whole i am pleased how it turned out.
Because Capoue was playing last week but wasn't available this week. Chalobah's not fit enough to start and Cleverley was out. He probably made the decision on the basis that you can get away with two in the middle when Capoue sits and Doucoure roams forward, but neither Pereyra not Hughes are defensive enough to offer any protection to the back four in a midfield two. That was the best starting XI available today.
This reads like I'm someone who's constantly been having a pop at you, but I'm sure you're intending it for a wider audience as you know that's not true. For me it's too easy just to say the away form hasn't been good. That's self-evident. But coupled with good home form it's not been such an issue. And those of us who've watched football for ages (you included) know teams go through these inexplicable runs. No amount of armchair coaching from anyone on here is going to turn it around. I look at our substandard strike 'force', our injury record, bad luck and crazy momentary lapses in otherwise committed and competent individual performances and wonder when Gracia will get a break. Opponents at this level exploit every little crack. And arguably we've got several, most of which are out of the coach's control. Labelling them as excuses doesn't suddenly make them less relevant. You're right to suggest it can't go on. We're not good enough at home to survive a single point haul on the road over a whole season. Changes will need to be made. But I'm sick of it being the coach who gets binned and feel that's one of those cracks our opponents exploit.
The only reason for Gracia to go would be to have an obvious upgrade by way of the new person coming in. I don't know how that'd be measured but what would be the point of sacking Gracia and employing Gracia Mk II? At the moment this squad is mid to lower half quality Premier League. There are players who need to be more squad fillers rather than first teamers and there are players who just need to go. But, again, that can only be done if the players coming in are markedly better (attitude, work ethic AND ability). Sadly there are a whole host of clubs around Europe who are looking to get the very same players we are, considering our club size and budget. And every transfer is a gamble of sorts, some more calculated than others. Finally, given it's a World Cup year I think it's going to be harder than ever getting rid and getting in the players you want to.
Did we not say the same thing last season when we finished in 17th with less points? The reality is we’ve stayed up very very comfortably without even going near the relegation zone. Will we not strengthen over the summer too?
You always write and argue your points well and I enjoy reading them and debating with you, but in my opinion your and other Gracia supporters biggest failing is a total refusal to occasionally admit he has shortcomings. We go 8 games without an away goal and it’s the players’ fault. It’s the people who bought the players fault. It’s bad luck. It’s the whereabouts of the moon in relation to Jupiter. Another team were poor away last season and have come 7th this season so logically we must be able to do the same next season. Etc etc. It’s as if our away run hasn’t registered on some people’s consciousness. That it can just be laughed off as if it’s irrelevant. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we will all do a Bobby Ewing tomorrow and wake up and it was all a dream.
I don't recall us ever being in the bottom three since we came up and we are now an established lower/mid- table Premier League team - an amazing achievement given the state the club was in when the Pozzo's arrived. This season promised more than it eventually delivered but this is still a great time to be a Watford fan. Of course, like several other clubs, we will start next season aiming for the top 10, but, realistically, survival (with a decent cup run thrown in) would be very satisfactory.
Apart from wolves (apparently) we will have two dead teams coming up. Only got to be better than one other team to stay up. Can we do better? 1. We have a goalie problem. Gomez is aging and error prone but talented. He doesn’t have a full season in him. He’d be a good 2nd or 3rd choice. Karnezis - hmmm - not quite good enough you suspects and the young spotty lad is too young. Not sure what to do here. Suspect pozzos will just stick rather than twist. It will lose us points 2. Central defence. We need, I think, to invest in 2 quality ( and that means expensive) investments. I’m not sure we will get any more than prospects 3. Strikers need an overhaul. Deeney is peak Deeney, sell. Gray - can’t believe I’m saying this but think we should stick. We do better when he plays. The useless, untalented scummed. Okaka I like as an impact sub but no more Pay for a decent couple of players here or maybe a couple of chances and one established player and we are good Unfortunately what we will get in reality is lots of speculation over midfielders What I’d say to the pozzos is you’d make more money negotiating your midfielders to other teams if we were in - champions league position.
What’s wrong with wanting to aim higher than a Coach who cannot provide supporters with even one away goal in 720 minutes of football under him?
Looks like it's going to be a depressing summer for you. https://www.football.london/watford-fc/javi-gracia-watford-manchester-united-14652304
We are a mid-lower table club who can afford and attract mid-lower table-quality players/wages on average and mid-lower table-quality managers. We are punching at our weight, we are not a 'sleeping giant'. We will never replicate what GT did; different times and what Leicester did will not happen again for another 100 years, if ever. Some seasons we might finish a bit higher than 14th, some we might finish a bit lower and we'll probably get relegated at some point in the next few years. This much won't change unless we get taken over by a multi-billionaire owner with an even better approach than the Pozzos (and a hell of a lot more money!). That is unlikely. Nothing wrong with ambition of course, we can always strive to be better and have to, but let's not get ideas above our capacity for improvement. I've been as fed up with most of this season as most fans and I seriously considered whether or not to renew my ST. I did in the end, the eternal hope of a football fan! But there's absolutely no point in screaming how **** some players are or calling to sack the manager. We are not entitled to anything and shouldn't ever start to think we are.
I think that’s pretty complacent. We might have said that last year about Huddersfield and Brighton (in fact, perhaps we did). Probably Swansea fans thought the same. I would think Villa would have every chance of competing, for one.
Glad to see Gracia has the backing of the Pozzo's - nothing else to do now but to get behind him and support him. He'll soon be gone if we start off badly next season so I wouldn't worry too much - lets hope we get some decent defenders and strikers in over the Summer otherwise it doesn't matter who we have next season.
Don't think it's entirely false though. The fact that Huddersfield and Brighton managed to stay up 'relatively' comfortably says more about the division than the quality in their ranks, with the greatest of respect to them. Wolves should be easily mid-table, but I'm not exactly quaking in my boots at anyone else
How does Gracia saying he thinks he'll be here next season equal support of the Pozzos? Every coach we've had says they speak with Gino all the time, doesn't stop them leaving at the end of the season. Sounds like he doesn't have a clue if he's staying or not, 'I think so' isn't exactly definite.
At least we got to see Chalobah back. Looked very dynamic which bodes well after such a serious injury. Really not too fussed about losing Doucoure now. His wayward passing has meant so many attacks have broken down.
We had more attempts on target than Utd did today, how can a coach be blamed for the sitters we've been missing. Had Rich put his header 12 inches further to the right today, and it had gone in, would we now been congratulating the coach on a great goal? Utd scored from their only attempt on target. They had Rashford and Sanchez who is on about £500k a week. Are we supposed to praise Mourinho for it? No, coaches do not deserve condemnation when our inept forwards cannot score a goal from clear cut chances.
Exactly.. no one on here is saying JG is the future managerial messiah of the club, but we finally have something solid to build on & the importance of that is significant, also for the players, a pre season with stability. It's interesting to see the people who want him out can only cite away form & I'm pretty certain the context of placing your argument solely on that alone is flawed in it's wider context. Away improvement is undoubtedly needed, but a few additional quality squad members can get the balance we need. It's a cracking midfield so what a good base to work from. Definitely think it's time for Okaka to go, he is a weak link due to stamina & would probably do quite well in the Champ. If a fair offer came in for TD, I would probably say on balance now is a good time for him to go & also for him personally, he has done everything he can here & needs to keep himself fresh elsewhere, it's all a bit stale up front & the time has come for step up in progression, part of this will mean cutting off the Deeney shackles, which will probably be a step back to take 2 forward In all this I still live in some hope that we might have unwittingly purchased Grey a season before we need him.
Of course. But it still shouldn’t stop us questioning the Head Coach. But as soon as we do, we seem to get out down. Even you, somebody I like and respect very much, starts the debate today with talk of pedestals and the likes! Come on! Let’s have a proper debate about whether we can do better for a Coach than Gracia.
I think it’s more a case of watching us week after week without scoring a goal that’s sucked all the common sense out of me!
A thoroughly enjoyable and successfully season. In particular I think we have played better football this year. There is clearly room for improvement and some obvious areas that need strengthening. I am assuming those that are complaining weren’t at the Vic 5 or 6years ago when we had the likes of Carl ****inson in the team?
Yes absolute toast, & lets sack Gracia, but only if we can get someone better...otherwise he should stay!!
It’s boring blaming Holebas nearly every game but yet again we find ourselves blaming him again because he is utterly useless and cost us. I seriously hope he is not even in the Squad next season, I don’t even want him as a back up LB. I can’t use enough negative words about him to justify how duff he is. Doucoure played like he is off. Countless counter attacks we had, spoiled by his terrible passing. He then didn’t even care that he gave the ball away. Hughes was yelling at him in the first half when Deulofeu would have been through on goal and Doucoure’s pass had about as much power as an ant farting behind it. United were there for the taking and yet again we fail to capitalize on a good opportunity to score away from home an take a point or all three. I have been in the keep Gracia camp and I still am but only just. However if he does go, I won’t be too disappointed.
Just said this in the other thread, but the fact that there are glaring holes in our squad actually fills me with confidence. We know exactly what we need, we're good in some areas, ***** in others, most of the other teams are just plain average across the board. All it takes is for the Pozzos to not sink lower than the **** players we already have, if that makes sense
