I don't think doucoure leaving is an if, but a when. He has said as much in his interviews, and the club need cash to reinvest. It's not like our end of season form will be convincing anyone that we are going to be the best of the rest next season. One first choice left back and centre back (two cbs depending on how many leave) Replacement cm for doucoure. Sign deulrfeourdfu if we can Rb or rw depending on if Kiko plays on the wing or at right back. We bought dodi bakakayu or whatever his name was, I'm guessing they want him to play a part somewhere out wide next season? Peneranda is coming to us so I'm guessing he will be out wide if he is in the squad? Maybe he will be the rw. An actual lone striker, if we continue with one up front. Success? Who knows. Maybe he will find some focus over the summer and be a part of the squad. I think we will be looking at five new players, max. An equally big issue is getting rid of deadwood on the wage bill who are probably making the atmosphere at the club ******. Out: zeegelaar, karnezis, britos, kaboul, doucoure, carillo, ndong, okaka, deeney or gray, amrabat, oulare, zarate, dje-dje, sinclair.
Where has Doucoure said he is leaving? I’ve seen him court the attention etc but say nothing about going for sure... And it is an ‘if’, not a ‘when’, because Gino has showed before that players/managers will leave on our terms, no one else’s. He may well leave, but only if someone pays what we want. And to be honest, over the past couple of months, I’m beginning to wonder if any club will pay that. He needs to hold his form over a larger percentage of the season and potentially break into the national team before I think any club will pay £40m+ for him.
I agree with most of the players you would like to see leave with one big exception, Karnezis. I would actually like to make his signing permenant. If we could get the sort of money being bandied about for Doucoure I would 100% off load him. The reason being I think he might just be another one of those many one season wonders we have had in the past judging by his already big drop in form, therefore if we can cash in on him now I would.
He's clearly not that though - he was great when he came in to the team in the second half of last season, a lone ray of light. He was highly rated and chalking up a decent number of goals and assists while young at Rennes as well. The question for me is rather whether he can sustain the exceptional form he showed for the first-half of the season for a whole one, or whether the average form and numbers he will have achieved across this one are more indicative - if the former then his worth is £40-50mil, but even if the latter then he's still a £30-40mil player. What I don't understand, is that yet again many Watford fans seem almost salivating at the prospect of cashing in on our best players; I've noticed this trend time and again on this board - it's as if many of you are somehow happier having cash in the bank which we'll most likely waste, than trying to hold on to players who will help carry us forwards. He's our best player and I hope he stays. If we need a bit of extra cash and money off the wage bill then we have plenty of others we can get rid of who I wouldn't shed a tear over, e.g.: Deeney, Gray, Richarlison and Prodl.
My overall assessment of the squad and hopes for this summer is: GK - I'm happy with Karnezis and hope he stays. Gomes has been a fantastic player for us, but now the question is really if he's worth keeping as a back-up and dressing room presence. LB - Need a first choice here - lose Zeegelaar and keep Holebas as back-up CB - Ideally I would sign 2 new first-choice CBs as none of our current ones can be relied on to stay fit or not constantly drop clangers. I would only keep Kabasele and Kaboul (if fit again), and perhaps Mariappa if he's fine being back to 4th/5th choice. Cathcart - I don't care if he's here or not. Prodl and Britos can definitely go. RB - I think it's fine with Kiko and Janmaat rotating. RM is more important. LW - Pereyra seems to be making his own. Richie can stay or go if an offer comes in. CM - We're good, though maybe a back-up DM to replace NDong. Obviously Doucoure would need to be replaced if sold, but I hope he doesn't (still, if he does then I hope we get Dendoncker). RW - Either sign Deulofeu or another of similar quality. Ditch Carillo. ST - Please may this summer be the end of Deeney. Although it wouldn't be dreadful if they all left. I've been saying this for a long time but we need a top drawer, lone striker. Another young, versatile forward would also be nice if we get rid of 2 or 3 of our current ones. In sum, sign: LB, 2x CBs, CM, RW, 1 or 2x STs (so 6 or 7)
Don't see him leaving now. He's been utter toilet for weeks and must be praying Chalobah comes back to help him look good again so he can get his dream move to one of the big boy's bench.
Sitting from the stands I thought he was worse than Capoue by some margin. Looked to keep giving the ball away frequently and was ineffectual. Capoue won the ball back a fair amount and kept it simple.
I'd say kiko is our best player. Then hughes. I wouldn't care if any of the others are sold (chalobah I suppose, though his injury has probably broken him). Doucoure is replaceable, and richarlison makes us a worse team when he plays.
I admit I was only watching on TV, but it seemed to me that although Capoue made some good interceptions, he was constantly being caught in possession.
Capoue does a surprisingly good job of breaking up play, tackles etc but he's so casual in possession its untrue. The guy just doesnt seem to have any urgency once he gets the ball back. I'm surprised by some of the critiscm doucoure is getting. He's been one of our stand out players at times this season
He has made all the classic interview noises footballers make when they want to leave, and considering the drop in his performances I think it is pretty obvious he has checked our. And if we are going to get any quality replacements we need a big money sale now that our team of half - arses have blown our TV prize money out the water by ensuring another 17th place finish. He is still top goalscorer film midfield in a team who can't create chances, and we tend to get good prices for our players - it might not be £40m, but it will be big enough to buy some better players elsewhere in the team...
I admit this post is a bit fifa/FM but I watch a lot of football thanks to the rights over in the States airing live games from Europe’s best leagues and rerunning the games throughout the week. I had some time on my hands over these past few nights while my wife was putting our son to sleep so took advantage to help out Gino, Scott (we are on first name basis, not really but I wanted to sound ITK) and Giraldi. This list has been fun for me to put together, so even if you don’t enjoy it, like it or even bother reading it, I don’t care. Squad going into next season Goalkeepers Dahlberg, Gomes Defenders Femenia Janmaat Kabasele Cathcart Prodl Mapps Midfielders Doucoure Chalobah Hughes Cleverley Pereyra Richarlison Penaranda Strikers Gray Cucho (if we can get him a permit) Sign GK LB x2 CB RW/LW ST Players I would like us to sign, but we won’t sign any. Most I think are realistic, some might be a stretch. Deulofeu Championship players Bryan Flint Jansson Traoré Watkins Maddison Reid Brereton Serie A Karnezis Verdi Ceppitelli Acerbi Masina Berardi Bundesliga Brooks Petersen Fullkrug Finnbogason Stark Plattenhardt Baumgartl Max Papadopoulos Delaney Sane Anton Gerhardt Koch Gunter Hector I know some of the players listed are 30 but I would rather them in our squad than the other 30 year olds we have. They play with much more passion. Players I would like to see sold/let go/sleeping with the fishes but none of this will happen Holebas Zeegelaar Britos Kaboul Okaka Success Pants Plus some of our other players out on loan that will never make it. Most of you would put Gray in the let go list but I honestly think he still has something offer and his pace can be helpful even if it’s off the bench.
Enis Bardhi from Levante would be a good shout too. Reminds me of Abdi and a cracking free-kick taker.
Crikey, M$, if Gino landed all that lot we could field a competitive team across all Olympic sports. I would keep Holebas. My sixth sense tells me he could be handy at wrestling or maybe equestrian pursuits.
You appear to have omitted TD9! After his heroics on Saturday, I even checked under Defenders. If he doesn’t make the squad & we don’t sell him, is Gino planning to rub him out for the insurance money?
I think we could do with a first choice LB and CB, CM cover a RW (cover for Deulofeu assuming he stays). Also a striker but i'm not too hopeful. Lets hope Peneranda hits the ground running. Assuming we keep Karnezis? Can we have Amrabat as cover for Deulofeu? Is Foulquier any good? Though most importantly can we have a new medical team? Keep Maybe Get rid Karnezis Kaboul Wague Gomes Foulquier Zeegalaar Bachmann Capoue Hoban Dahlberg Success Djedje Femenia Amrabat Ndong Prodl Britos Pantillimon Janmaat Zarate Kabasele Carrillo Holebas Oulare Cathcart Sinclair Mariappa Doucoure Cleverley Chalobah Hughes Deulofeu Pereyra Richarlison Lukebakio Deeney Gray Okaka Penaranda
I hope that this statement doesn't rule out the possibility of signing 13 players from Peru and sending them all on loan to clubs across Europe!
In 1988 we (the Middlesex Ladies County Team) were at Devonshire Park for County Week. A former captain,Kay Wardley had brought a friend down for the Monday. Her name was Enis. None of us had heard of this first name before and the obvious jokes ensued amongst ourselves. Kay returned on Thursday with another friend and introduced her to us in the tea emporium near the theatre: 'May I introduce you to Enis' she said. Eight females sat there,mouthes open and looking at each other. Kay had TWO friends named Enis?! It transpired that Kay was confused and Thurday's friend was called Susie. I can still see Glynis Coles' face to this day! A player who had defeated Navratilova on the very same courts in 1978* was dumbfounded by 'Enisgate'. Bring on our very own Enis! *The year MN won her first Wimbledon singles.
I trust Kay was less erratic in performing her captaincy duties. Hopefully Enis found a Dennis for mixed doubles purposes.