I'm going to bury this news here while the WFC v Spurs game is on because I know it'll be heartbreaking to many and also because it's an early indicator the Pozzo Empire is crumbling. Matheus Santana, the 20 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder, has had his season long loan at SD Ejea terminated a whole 6 months early. Try to remain calm and find a new pastime so you lives can remain worthwhile. RIP Watford Football Club.
If anyone were to trawl through my posts on this thread/fred they'll find a series of clues hidden deep within each post. Eventually, a destination will be revealed where WFC's much needed new centre back and centre forward are waiting in full kit, holding hands, quietly realising their friends & family have been lost to them forever.
I envy you all. Tucked up in bed, toasty warm against the harsh frost and promise of snow, all the while oblivious to the news you'll wake to. Kwasi Sibo. Has Gone. On Loan. To Albanian. Superliga Side. KF Skënderbeu Kor*ë. I know! The excitement I felt upon learning the news is what you'll have bubbling in every cell of your body right now. Me? I'll be picking fluff from my trouser pockets in the hope it's something worthwhile. Maybe I'll collect it all over the years and insulate the loft with it but even upon completion I'll never have the buzz of reading Kwasi Sibo has gone to Skënderbeu on loan. Remember this day.
For anyone who cares, as far as I know these are the players currently out on loan from Watford Football Club. The 'contract ends' date is the players contract with WFC, where known, and not when the current loan finishes. If you know of any others or if I've made mistakes, please let me know! Albania - Superliga Kwasi Sibo @ KF Skënderbeu Kor*ë (contract ends 2022) Belgium - Jupiler Pro League Sulayman Marreh @ KAS Eupen (contract ends ?) Obbi Oularé @ Royal Standard Liège (contract ends 2021) England - League 1 Michael Folivi @ AFC Wimbledon (contract ends 2020) Alex Jakubiak @ Bristol Rovers FC (contract ends 2020) Jerome Sinclair @ Oxford United FC (contract ends 2021) England - National League Ashley Charles @ Barnet FC (contract ends 2019) Andrew Eleftheriou @ Braintree Town FC (contract ends 2019) England - National League South Sam Howes @ Eastbourne Borough FC (contract ends ?) France - Ligue 2 Mamadou 'Momo' Mbaye @ ES Troyes AC (contract ends ?) Germany - Bundesliga Dodi Lukebakio @ Fortuna D*sseldorf (contract ends 2022) Italy - Serie A Stefano Okaka @ Udinese Calcio (contract ends 2021) Ben Wilmot @ Udinese Calcio (contract ends 2023) Marvin Zeegelaar @ Udinese Calcio (contract ends 2021) Japan - J-League Division 2 Williams Velásquez @ JEF United Chiba (contract ends ?) Mexico - Liga MX Primera Division Jorge Segura @ Atlas FC (contract ends ?) Scotland - Premiership Tommie Hoban @ Aberdeen FC (contract ends 2019) Daniel Bachmann @ Kilmarnock FC (contract ends 2020) Serbia - Super Liga Filip Stuparevi* @ FK Voždovac (contract ends 2023) Spain - La Liga Dimitri Foulquier @ Getafe CF (contract ends 2021) Cucho Hernández @ SD Huesca (contract ends ?) Spain - La Liga 2 Luis Javier Suárez Charris @ Club Gimn*stic de Tarragona (contract ends ?) Pervis Estupiñán @ RCD Mallorca (contract ends 2021) Spain - Segunda Division B, Group 2 Matheus Aias Barrozo Rodrigues @ CD Mirandés (contract ends ?) Spain - Segunda Division B, Group 3 Jaime Alvarado Hoyos @ Hércules CF (contract ends ?) Juan Camilo Becerra Maya @ CD Teruel (contract ends ?) Spain - Segunda Division B, Group 4 Matheus Santana @ CD Don Benito (contract ends ?) Kingsley Fobi @ UD Ibiza (contract ends ?) Future Player Brazil - Serie A João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus @ Fluminese FC (pre-contract)
Huesca decided to give it a bit of Welly last night and got a 4-0 victory over Real Valladolid Last night. Cucho didn't score but notched two assists. 8 points from safety now
All three loanees on the bench for Udinese this afternoon. I'm not surprised at Wilmot being there having just joined & Zeegelaar hasn't started for them since moving, but that's the first time Okaka hasn't started since he went. Just to complete the WFC (ex or loan) contingent, Valon Behrami starts and is Captain.
Using twitter, I've started tracking the loan players again. I've found having a limited amount of characters concentrates the mind and stops me waffling. For anyone interested I'll leave a link here for the days thread once the games are over. Here are some previous threads if anyone is still interested. Saturday, January 26; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1089067516901707776 Sunday, January 27; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1089509575009685505 Monday, January 28; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1090008599076720640 Tuesday, January 29; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1090371056358043648 Wednesday, January 30; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1090513719229140993 Friday, February 1; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1091440663282044928 Saturday, February 2; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1091598411462311936 Sunday, February 3; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1092047415065145346 Monday, February 4; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1092530877211529217 Tuesday, February 5; https://twitter.com/LuridDreamer/status/1092688825116225536
Based on watching around 25 minutes of Aberdeen tonight I think Hoban looks a good defender. Quite a little ball player on top of being a solid defender. Now that’s 25 minutes of looking at my phone and glancing up a few times. Doesn’t sound much I know to form an opinion but hey it’s the standard amount of time it takes to claim a new signing is ‘the worst player ever to play for us’ for some of our fan base so just evening things out. #bringhobanbackwithhogg
A player we sent out on loan in August after buying from Cadiz is Mamadou Mbaye, a 20y/o Senegalese centre-back. He signed for Troyes in France then seemingly just disappeared with no mentions anywhere. All very odd. On Monday he appears to have signed for Croatian 1st Division side NK Inter Zapre*i* until the end of the season, on loan, from Watford.
Well, well, well. Looking for various players within the Academy set-up (unsuccessfully) I came across another out-going loan. Kieran Holsgrove joined Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Central (catchy title) side Tamworth FC on January 19th. Kieran made his debut the same day as a 7th minute sub versus Biggleswade Town. Tamworth lost 0-3. On January 20th Tamworth's manager & assistant manager left the club. On January 26th, Tamworth drew 2-2 with Bedworth United but Holsgrove wasn't in the match day squad. Kieran was at Liverpool's academy through U6-U16 and then West Brom U16-U18. He's from Merseyside though plays for Wales, last at U19 level. When I saw him for WFCs U23 side earlier in the season he looked a pretty decent two-footed left back. A good dead ball delivery and in later games he looked effective further forward in midfield/wide forward so I'm a little surprised to see him so far down the league pyramid.
That's 2 saves in 2 games for Bachmann! Rangers have now been awarded 6 penalties in their last 3 games! Is Eddie Howe the manager there now???
Steven Gerrard seems to like putting pressure on the refs and according to everyone else up there most of the officials are Rangers fans! (Which might well be true given most in Scotland are either Rangers or Celtic)
Lukebakio and D*sseldorf leading 1-0 vs Stuttgart on BT Sport right now. Dodi made the goal with a nice cross. Has had chances.
I know what you've said is in jest (I'm old now, I use phrases like the ones grandparents use - sob) but he's been available for three games. The first, in the league, he was an unused sub. Result? Lost. The second, in the cup, he started. Result? Won. The third, in the league, he started. Result? Won. Rumours Fulham want to sign him are (currently) unsubstantiated.