Was kind of looking forward to this up until recently, despite all the nastiness that comes with derbies (which will be lessened with no crowd tbf), and despite the circumstances with which we find ourselves in the same dicision, it's good to have a proper derby rather than have Bournemouth, Palace, Everton and Wolves pretend to be our rivals. Think it's fair to say that with the teams we've put out, I'm not looking forward to this game nearly as much now...
we simply will not. we don’t have a decent enough team to put out unfortunately and I doubt any of the players know it’s a derby
Bloody hell, bedwetters are no longer content with wetting the bed, they've progressed onto turds on the kitchen table. We've not even lost yet! We're in transition. The squad isn't good enough without the players resting before sale, but they don't want to play for us, so the team is a quasi A/B team and the carabao cup team is a quasi B/u18 side. Its is arguable the resting players should be turning out, but its clear that the mandate is the team consists of players who want to give 100%. If we do need to raise more funds, we can't sell a Sarr or Suarez or Capoue if they break a leg, I dont agree with leaving them all out because I think we have enough saleable assets to cover the risk of one getting injured and its unlikely we have a freak accident in training/ a match where muliple players break an ankle. But the decision is made and a bunch of frothy mouthed men in yellow polyester isn't going to change it.
Not sure what your point is? Because Pozzo won’t change it means we shouldn’t show our anger at how he is running our club? The guy has run up huge debt and let us with a threadbare championship squad and we are paying a bunch of mercenaries huge sums to sit doing nothing. So in my view support the team on Saturdays but in the meantime point out the poor performance of our owner in terms of running the club and hope that he moves on so he doesn’t cause more damage with his toxic business model.
Amazing how quickly things change in football. 10 months ago we were 10 points from safety at the bottom and Luton were safe in the champ. 2 months later we were safe and they were 10 points adrift in the champ. When footy stopped in March, and we thought he season had ended, we would have stayed up and they would have been relegated. 2 months ago we were relegated and they stayed up. On Saturday they could be 5 points above us after 3 games played. 2 months ago our front 6 were made up from Capoue, Doucs, Hughes, Pereyra, Sarr, Deeney, Gray, with GD to come back. None of those will feature on Saturday, yet we have only sold one of them..... Worrying times.
In all honesty, I would rather have Gino’s toxic business model, than Bazzini’s no business, no decent players, no money, corrupt business plan!
I’ve always been behind the Pozzos and am pragmatic about the current situation but the thing that hurts the most is Murray - the club dressed this up as a very positive signing but currently the bloke looks finished. I saw a grossly overweight Micky Quinn play for us on loan and I’d honestly take that over Murray at the moment.
A common argument on this forum. If it's not Pozzo it must be Bassini. If it's not Mariappa then it must be Laporte. Always absolutes. Maybe it's possible to have an owner who doesn't run this outdated model that leads to woeful team spirit and large debt who isn't Bassini? And when we were in the Premier maybe it was possible to upgrade Mariappa without buying Laporte.
Point is we've not lost in the league yet. Some of us have turned into "Newcastle Fans moaning about Mike Ashley of the championship". You say we're paying mercenaries to do nothing. But the decision has been to only pick players 100% on the watford bus. At the end of the transfer window some players remainong unsold will be asked if they want to join the bus. We need the atmosphere and toxicity out the club and its in my view inarguably the players not the owner.
Sure you can show your anger and express your frustration, as we all can. But statements like “never forgive these owners or the fans who still support them if we lose this game.“. Seriously? We have lost to Luton under previous owners btw. And all the vitriol and ***** spouted on shoutbox and elsewhere against the so called Happy Clappers. who are the Happy Clappers anyway? Most people on here have nuanced views with a mixture of criticism, realism and sometimes, dare I say it, hope. This forum does not have to be some sick parody of a bipartisan North American state where you can only have a view point that is diametrically opposed to another perspective. There’s a little clique that wants to mock and put down anyone who doesn’t 100% agree with them. And the smugness when something goes wrong, I seriously think some people are happy on here when we lose as it gives them the chance to say “I told you so”or “let’s see the happy clappers argue their way out of that.“
The owners model creates the toxicity in my view. From treating Players like cattle to firing managers at the drop of a hat to undermining managers with Giraldi. Everyone in the club knows the score. The club is rotten from the top down.
I thought the gripe was the players were treated too well? Their salaries are insane and they have fantastic facilities. They also get to live and work close London. They get a chance with us, a second chance at Udinese and a third chance on loan somewhere else. If they do well they can get a big money move to set them up for life. What’s not to like? Mr Giraldi, a very nice man in their opinion.
I predict we will beat Luton comfortably. But if we don't, it won't be because we were rubbish or better than them as we have a better squad on paper. In a case like that, I will also be right as there's no way we should lose this game, on paper. We'll be fine.
Truly vitriolic. I'm shocked and disgusted. I hope the mods take a look at this as it's quite unbelievable.
I think the issue at the moment is getting everyone integrated. We have looked more settled at the back with Kabs, Cathcart and Foster who know each other pretty well. The midfield is in terms of relative experience outside of Cleverly inexperienced and a little lightweight and is the biggest source of concern being where matches are won and lost. It looks like it can be bulled too easily and lacks the craft at times to cope. I am hoping Quina can come good. Garner has the talent to do so and aptitude to learn as well under Ivic. That is why we are not creating goals in open play especially when Pedro is saddled with a non entity at present and why Perica being sent off is a huge blow as he can be the focal point a la Deeney to bring the midfield into play. Maybe reids has the position maps for the first versus second halves but we seem deep initially and with big gaps between the forwards and defence and more harmonized and a unit in the second. As for those sitting on their backsides. Shame on them. Maybe it is a decision of the owners. Maybe Ivic. But if I was a player I would have the decency to offer to play and do my bit seeing as the club are paying my wages. If I get a move all well and good. If not just knuckle down and try to win a title. Some of these idiots need to get out into the world as it is and the huge anxiety being felt by millions with an uncertain future.
Joao Pedro isn't a striker. That's pretty clear from the first few games. We are playing him there because we've run out of players.
GD he is a striker for certain. Just needs one to go in. He has already shown that in the Brasileirao. Still needs some strengthening but that will come in the next two to three years. Richarlison has moved centrally. Pedro will too I expect. Just need to find him a useful partner. Perica offers that support. Murray is clearly not at the races after being out for so long. And as a player gets older it takes much longer to come back into shape.
Murray had only played 80 minutes of football since February. Maybe the club hadn't been able to observe the extent of his decline? Most of us didn't think he'd have the legs to be a regular starter when he signed, but thought he could still be a useful bench or rotation option. It's true that he's not even that, he's a complete waste of a shirt. I don't think anyone of us predicted when he joined that he would be quite this useless and his decline in ability will have been so rapid and extreme.
Geez, I actually agree with you on this. Ivic disagrees with you as well. In his press conference before the Sheffield Wednesday match he said of Joao Pedro "maybe his natural position is like a winger, but he can do it like striker or second striker". Maybe in a few years he might become more of a striker, but at the moment he's not really. Also, you mention Richarlison having moved more centrally, but Calvert-Lewin is very much their #9 with Richarlison more the second-striker/assist-maker.
Latest article on the Watford Observer about last night and looking ahead to the weekend casually has a line that Sarr still might not be involved this weekend...
