After suffering from Pereyra's lackadaisical attitude last season I don't think we should be signing any more Argentines
Always quite liked him as a player - and think he’s better than Mowatt. Is also decent from distance and can take a set-piece... But I think he’s too similar to what we already have.
Deluded. But not at all surprising. It’ll only change if we sell what we have...that’s always been obvious.
I’m really pleased to hear Xisco saying he has the best strikers in the Championship. What I’d like to know is when are the club going to announce these signings?
I agree that he's too similar to what we have. He's not enough of a ballwinner for more. Good threat from set pieces though. Re Xisco's striker comments. They're obviously not true. But given that he's been told we won't be getting a striker in (and its not like there are many compelling and viable options out there), I have no issue with him publicly backing them. I'd rather that then "well I know my strikers are a bit sh*t but we can't afford to bring anyone else in so we're stuck with them."
Hahaha, did he actually say he has the best strikers in the Championship? God, I f***ing cannot stand this club. Just insufferable levels of bulls**t and delusion in every area.
Agreed, we have to accept we are stuck with them for this season, there is no alternative but blindly hope they come good. If we could swap the current Gray and Deeney for versions from 5 years ago we would already be up. Something Gino should be looking into.
He did. The COGs are rallying to suggest he was just being motivational. Which is obviously what two men who have played many times in the PL need. Some random leisure centre manager saying that they are the bestest. They need the push. Without it, they are nothing. ****s everywhere.
Same as Leventhal on the latest FTRE podcast - he was at pains to continuously point out we 'have talent at the club' in the striker position...if I didn't know better, its almost like he's been asked by the club to peddle that line in places that will reach fans. His co-hosts suggested it was because he was continually receiving tweets asking the same question but I reckon the club (or his sources) have been in his ear. There seems to be a belief that if Deeney or Gray get one goal, the floodgates will open....but that's already been proven to be a garbage theory. The only way this scenario changes is if the club spend money and scout well to change it - which is exactly why I think we will have to deal with these two for the rest of the season (and maybe longer if Deeney gets a new deal...which I still firmly believe he will).
Haha...they've still managed to sneak some Deeney propaganda in there.... “He can make a pass with his head, like Troy Deeney does, and you can count on him to finish. He needs work, like all young players do, but he could be a really good prospect for this club.” Deeney is bloody awful with his head.
I imagine even the club know that they are dogshit these days and would very much like to get rid of them but unfortunately they've presided over their decline at the same time as tying them down to long, expensive contracts. Was pretty obvious that we wanted either or both out of the door in the summer but couldn't find any clubs silly enough to take them. Once we're left in that situation, we can't refresh the squad, have no money to spend and these two are left ruling the roost as very expensive, underperforming untouchables. Gray can do whatever he likes during lockdown and Deeney can get the manager sacked for daring to rest him. The pair of them can sit there taking the piss out of Perica's Football Manager stats on a video put out on the official club YouTube channel whilst they rattle in one goal from open play each over the first half of the season.
I don’t hold the same belief that we wanted rid of both of them over the summer. I suspect they were available to anyone willing to pay for them - but I think that was the case for every single member of the squad really and most of them outside of a few were likely told as much. It doesn’t ring true to me that they would want Deeney gone, yet still back him over the head coach, make statements defending him and keep him as captain. Surely you’d just sideline him and bring in Toney? Or at the very least play Perica more? I think there’s very much a case within the corridors of the club of still having (misplaced) faith in Deeney and Gray. I can’t fathom how that’s the case - but I do believe it is.
Couldn't afford to bring in Toney and sideline Deeney and/or Gray. The club appear frightened or in awe of Deeney. Once we couldn't shift him, it's been the Troy show again. I imagine they'd still rather be free of his wages but are worried about annoying him whilst he's here, given his position in the club and influence in the dressing room so they're trying to keep him sweet and hoping at some point he somehow winds the clock back to 2015. Perica had a wonderful opportunity to have a run of games as main striker and got himself banned first time around, then injured second time. He's also being systematically publicly undermined by Deeney, who obviously sees him as a threat as he's the striker that is most likely to take his place.
Those who wanted Vydra back may not want to read this. Max Bielefeld @Sky_MaxB Sky sources: Union Berlin has made an offer for Matej Vydra from @BurnleyOfficial today. They want him on loan, Burnley would rather sell him. Player would like to go the Bundesliga to get more minutes. No second offer yet.
I must admit Vydra has looked pretty sharp again the few times he has appeared for Burnley recently, I'd have him back now depending on the type of deal. Sadly doesn't sound as if it will happen.
We have the best strikers in the league so can’t see Vydra coming here is he wants to play more games
According to SSN, Derby have committed to keeping their senior players which Rooney deems vital to their season - but will sell their promising young players to bridge their financial issues. https://www.skysports.com/football/...young-players-to-help-ease-financial-problems
I don’t really get what Sky mean by this considering that a lot of their team is comprised of promising young players. Their 17-21 year old players who are promising and could generate cash play for them (Sibley, Knight, Buchanan, Bird). The ones that can’t don’t.
Ah. Sounds like it’s this fella: (From Sky) Derby County’s highly prized 16-year old forward Kaide Gordon looks set to leave the club in the next fortnight – with both Liverpool and Man Utd closely monitoring his situation. Wayne Rooney has been hugely impressed with the versatile U16 England international and gave him his Championship debut as a substitute in Derby’s 4-0 victory at Birmingham in December . Derby are believed to have already turned down offers of around £1m for Gordon and value him at more than twice that figure. They also expect his value will increase substantially as he progresses and will demand a sizeable sell-on fee if a sale is concluded. Described by one Premier League club scout as “the best 16-year old in England right now”, Gordon is predominantly an attacker who can operate through the middle or out wide.
Think I've said this before but from the times I've attempted listening, I've been given the impression that the FTRE pod is a bit of a delusional COG haven, so that doesn't surprise me at all. On my bro's recommendation I checked out the Watford Buzz podcast this morning, and I was pretty impressed - they actually talk about the reality of what is going on at the club and with the squad, and use actual stats to back up their analysis. In episode 27 (the one that I listened to) they also went in on Hoddle and other rubbish co-commentators very enjoyably. I can certainly recommend it.
I'm sometimes dismissed as a COG on here but I totally agree with this sentiment. FTRE is far too optimistic. There's one contributor, who is about less critical than the average fan I think, and he is widely called out as the negative one. Yesterday's pod - supposedly about the transfer window - was incredibly limited and just waffled on about how creative and committed Gino is (which may or may not be true but isn't interesting or insightful at all). The Watford Buzz podcast is fair more substantive and I like how they speak to a pundit or fan from our next opponent which gives a nice lowdown.
I don’t really enjoy FTRE but when you’re working from home, it passes an hour and is a change from the radio. That said, this weeks episode was nothing more than Leventhal whacking off over Gino.
Creativity referred to structuring deals in an innovative way with innovative incentives etc. I’m not that surprised: Gino went to Harvard Business School and that kind of negotiation is core component of US business school curricula. That said, I’m not that impressed either as these things are fairly common in football these days as far as I know. Leventhal also didn’t really cite any specific examples. The commitment thing was a little more interesting. Basically that Gino is very invested in the club personally and emotionally and wants to see it do well. Good to hear on some level but I’m sure that’s true of say, the Allams at Hull or Chansiri at Wednesday etc. But yeah I tuned in hoping to hear something from AL akin to “Watford are looking at X” or even something vaguer like “Y and Z are options in the midfield” but it didn’t really add much apart from that Sarr probably won’t leave unless there’s a big offer (which one would have assumed anyway).
I suppose they probably are much more likely to be football people (whenever Watford is their main interest now who knows!?) than some owners but they must see that atm we don't look like getting promoted so need to invest and that will cost the club a lot of money..
Considering the amount of terrible decisions and strategic mis-steps they have made in the past two-three seasons, if they truly are football people who are invested in the club personally and emotionally, then that is an extremely worrying statement on their business acumen and basic competence when it comes to running a footballl club, frankly.
