20 year old left back on trial from Charlton, pictured on the left here. Wiki: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Stevenson_(footballer)
Utter filler. While I know there’s difficulty in running an academy, it would be nice to see us try and do more, rather than picking up kids released from other academies who clearly aren’t good enough. No disrespect to this lad, but I’d just rather we try and bring a few of our own through now.
Sort of signing that generates us loan fee money if we sign him. Wages will be very small. Then ship him out on loan for fee of £50-100k each time, just keeps the money ticking.
Probably another one for the future like Perkins who will play in the Under 23s for a season or two then leave.
We have very few defenders in the U23s right now and those we do have are all natural centre-backs, as is Stevenson. As it stands and not including the U18s, it looks like we have Agyakwa, Perkins & Spencer-Adams as the centre-backs with Barrett a converted right back and Stevenson if he signs a converted left back. Perhaps one of Perkins or Spencer-Adams will be sent out on loan and Stevenson gets to develop in his natural position and we bring in other left-backs. Or he may be the best we can attract this season, is just a squad filler while a current U18 player develops and is ready to step up or someone else becomes available. Perhaps they see something in him they think they can develop. Let's not write him off after one pre-season game though.
Majority of our domestic loans are u23s going to non league. Doubt they're even covering the full wage!
See my post in the Sarr thread where I advocate selling everyone over 23 years of age, I'm bang on form with that one
Why are you calling Stevenson a "natural centre-back"? He seems a left-back and made his Charlton debut at left wing-back (scoring a hat-trick vs Stevenage in the Checktrade Trophy in 2018). From the brief clips of him yesterday he also seemed a natural in that position. I've seen on the Charlton forum he's been used as LWB, LB and CB. Charlton fans consider him too slow when used as FB and too slight when used at CB (so if anything he's not a natural in either position, ha). https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5b...toby-stevenson-on-record-breaking-dream-debut https://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/89360/toby-stevenson-released He seemed to have a few decent moments actually, but his lack of pace and strength did seem apparent. Still young though. Charlton fans seem disappointed at his lack of development since his debut, but not so disappointed that he's left.
Yeah, I've made a mistake on reading a piece on him from when he went on loan to Dagenham & Redbridge last year. It clearly says a full-back who can also play centre-back but I read it the other way round. I could have sworn I saw something from his Orient days where it said he was a centre back as well but I can't find that now. Miss-read article. https://www.barkinganddagenhampost....edbridge-liam-gordon-heads-out-loan-1-6355155 It makes more sense if he signs then as there is no natural left-back in that group currently. (Quickly checks who plays where... yep, no other left-backs ) And in trying to find that Orient piece I noticed google came up with a page for him on Watfords official site, albeit coming up with a '404 not found' error. I wonder if he's already signed? I can't imagine they'd waste time preparing pages for players only on trial.
OFFICIAL! Watford confirmed the signing of Toby Stevenson. The promising 20-year-old left-back signed for a season, with a +1 option, after leaving Charlton Athletic That will be our replacement for Estupinan then. https://www.watfordfc.com/news/club/official-stevenson-joins-hornets
When has the official site got anything right? It'll be edited in a couple of hours no doubt. Ivic is using the academy anyway. Phillips has been played and Stevenson was involved in all the first team friendlies.
yes but he has hardly been bought in to be our first 11 lwb. come on hornetboy you are one of the better more articulate members of the forum, you don’t need to jerk to the lowest common denominator. he is clearly considered a hot prospect, I expect we bring in a starting left back before the end of the window.
That's a bit of an insult to our new hot prospect. He'll be lumbering up our wing in no time, you'll see.
Not even on the club’s Twitter. Definitely seen as an Estupinan replacement though. Gotta save that coin.
Ivic has a refreshing view to young players, Pearson played them then couldn’t wait to tell them all how **** they were
Perhaps it’s time for us to stop bedwetting? This sort of statement of intent is sure to prove us wrong.