2021/2022 Transfer Window Grade

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Dr. Roland, Aug 2, 2021.

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How do you grade this transfer window

  1. A*

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  2. A

    7 vote(s)
    12.7%
  3. B

    22 vote(s)
    40.0%
  4. C

    10 vote(s)
    18.2%
  5. D

    4 vote(s)
    7.3%
  6. E

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  7. F

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  8. U

    6 vote(s)
    10.9%
  1. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Wouldn't say Rose is the 'finished article' yet after so long off the pitch, he was caught out a few times against Norwich, but there were some classy passes forward that would almost certainly be beyond Masina (even against a team as open as Norwich). Etebo has probably been our best midfielder this season and will be nice and rested for Newcastle, Sissoko too looks a good signing, and hopefully we see Tufan and Louza tomorrow and they can begin to find their feet. Dennis has been fantastic, probably our best signing so far, hopefully the penny has dropped, it's flabbergasting that a man of his talents has fewer Nigeria caps than Isaac Success! Cucho had his moments early on, although hasn't done much since the Palace game, King seems to be working his way back into form nicely, a lovely assist on Saturday, and hopefully the first goal comes soon! As for Fletcher, I was a bit perplexed at the time as I thought there was little chance of us getting rid of both Deeney and Gray, but we probably can't rely on King to be fit all season, and Dennis and JP will either not be available all season, or may be needed out wide, so we did need a player happy to sit on the sidelines waiting for his chance. Obviously won't feature much, but I was glad to see him get his goal against Palace, that's never a bad thing
     
  2. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Now the dust has settled and we ve seen the players perform , I’d give the window a B+.
    That’s with the caveat that one of Louza or Tufan provides the technical ability we require in midfield .
    A lack of signing a first team CB was difference between getting an A.

    However bearing in mind we signed almost a whole new first team attack and midfield , whilst making a small profit is very impressive .
     
  3. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    I find it slightly painful that our only hope for creativity (except Sarr) is one player who has looked completely out of his depth and another who hasn't kicked a ball for us yet. I appear to be wrong about Dennis. He has been one of our more dangerous players but again, his creativity is mainly from being a nuisance. He's an opportunist, who mainly appears to play on the counter or feed off the mistakes of the opposition. It really would have been good, for our hopes of survival as well as spectators to have some other source of considered threat.
     
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  4. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    An “opportunist” striker is exactly what we’ve needed up front for years.
     
  5. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    It would be better if we had more than one other person (Sarr) in the squad who can be routinely relied on (even that is a push) to create opportunities for him.

    When Sarr leaves, I really hope they have several creative players lined up to replace him. We probably won’t sign another single player of Sarr’s quality for the next decade or longer. Would have been good to get maybe just 1 other in this window. Maybe that is their plan for January?

    In some ways we are more reliant on Sarr than that Villa team was on Grealish. Villa already had Watkins and McGinn. Then signed Ings, Buendia and Bailey.
     
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  6. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I think that’s a little pessimistic about not signing another player of Sarr’s quality for a decade. One thing’s for sure, though, it won’t be a British player. It’ll be another relatively unknown foreigner tempted over to play in England.
     
  7. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    Next ten might be a slight exaggeration.

    Please give me a list of potential contenders for players we've had at club since 01 who had as much quality as Sarr, whilst being at Watford?

    I think you could make a case for Richarlison, Delf and Young.

    Any others?
     
  8. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    In terms of pedigree and reputation-Pereyra.

    João Pedro, will be excellent too.
     
  9. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Mahon
    Dyche
    Leo Belleck
    Foulquier
    Hand
    Blizzard
    Belkalem
    Amrabat
    Fabbrini
    Gilmartin
     
  10. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Hard to answer, I love him but he's like 60% athlete, 40% technical.

    Whereas someone like Abdi, I'd say had a far, far better footballing brain than Sarr does. Ighalo scored sixteen Premier League goals, will Sarr ever do that?

    Even in The Championship, Vydra & prime Deeney put up better numbers and probably looked more effective.
     
  11. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    Aside from the ones other people have offered, I'd say Danny Rose for sure. He might be out of shape but he's definitely a top tier player; he just oozes class with some of the passes he makes.

    Welbeck arguably did too, albeit he was injured most of the time while here (and then bafflingly not played when fit), but he's definitely a quality player.

    I'd also suggest Capoue and Doucoure, both excellent players in their roles.
     
  12. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Well he has four in the first six games already, so I would say it’s perfectly possible.
     
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  13. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Best players in EPL for Watford under Gino…

    In no particlur order

    1- Ighalo
    2- Holebas
    3- Capoue
    4- Delefeu
    5- Sarr
    6- Behrami
    7- Foster
    8- Doucoure
    9 - Deeney
    10- Richarlison
     
  14. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Forestieri probably had similar numbers to put this into context!
     
  15. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    I think Sarr will go for the most money in the Pozzo era to be honest, just because his ceiling whilst in a Watford shirt is much higher than any of the other players who can even be compared to him under Pozzo.
     
  16. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    I agree, but can you seriously see Gino being sensible with the money? Let's say for example we get 30M. That could easily buy a new RB, CB and possibly a new GK if the scouts do a decent job. Or, would he let it go to his head and splash out on another luxury midfielder?
     
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  17. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    To be honest. I'd be impressed if any of it gets re-invested in the squad at all.
     
    simpleMASH likes this.
  18. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    Sarr is ****. Not **** like Ekong or Cathcart, but as a winger, he's a 15m job. A bit fast, but nothing else. There's no way he goes for the 40m plus we hope, to a big club. There are far better players available for less.
     
  19. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    Still baffled how people felt we had a transfer window worthy of an A grade. Nowhere near.
     
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  20. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    In a Rousy-boy-style callback, I'm fairly happy with my own grading, though I'd be tempted to make it even worse given just how pointless judging any positivity on outgoings really has been shown in stark relief to be - not to mention how much more disadvantageous some of those outgoings now seem:

     
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  21. Cassetti's Beard

    Cassetti's Beard First Team

    10 games in and safe to say the transfer window was absolutely gash.
     
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  22. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    I think we all knew that deep down, but it's getting even harder and harder to put any stance on how it could of been better, especially with the money tightening. We did get rid of dead wood
    like Gray, Deeney and Quina. Chabolah wanted to go as did Hughes. Rose, Dennis, Sossoko, Etebo and King have been the standout replacements so far.
     
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  23. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    I still don't think it was an overall "bad" window, as such. It was a window with some clear positives but the same old, repetetive, tiresome negatives that substantially undermine those positives.

    Dennis, King, Etebo (before the injury), Sissoko have all proven astute signings, and we've added Nkoulou who will without a doubt improve the centre of defence when he comes in. Tufan has the ability and attributes to come good at this level and Baah looks an smart acquisition for the future. Then there's the fact we finally managed to ditch some of the complete and utter deadwood in Deeney, Gray, Success, Navarro and Perica, which is very much a positive as well.

    The negative side of, yet again, mostly revolves our near complete and utter, ongoing negligence when it comes to improving our truly pathetic defence. Troost-Ekong, Femenia and Masina all aren't good enough, Rose could have been a decent signing but clearly isn't motivated or professional enough to get in shape, Ngakia looks decent but is young and inconsistent and Cathcart should be in League One. I genuinely believe that. The man couldn't get in our Championship side last season and now the OAP is starting in the Premier League. It's ******* lunacy.

    That leaves us with Sierralta and Nkoulou who are likely our only two defenders of genuine, reliable Premier League quality, and whilst I believe that's true, neither of them are actually proven at this level. It's an assertion simply made based upon their qualities and, in Sierralta's case, his potential to get even better.

    The people who run this club just do not learn. Either that, or they're just too pig headed and arrogant to truly admit when they're wrong and adjust their way of doing things, despite bullsh*t PR statements where they grit their teeth and tell us "lessons have been learned", only to fly directly in the face of such statements in the weeks and months following.

    Until the madmen in charge of Watford start taking the defence seriously and realise it's actually quite an important part of football - especially for a club looking to stay in a division - we are going to be facing an uphill battle to progress on the pitch. Right now we are effectively starting every game 1-0 or 2-0 down, because we don't have a hope in hell of keeping a clean sheet with the current back line. Every single team in this league will go into their game against us very confident in the knowledge we'll gift them multiple chances and they'll likely score.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2021
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  24. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Must be the only Italians who don’t like defenders!
     
  25. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    If you’re going to skimp on defenders you really need a defensive minded coach, something they appreciated first time round but totally forgot this time. Munoz was utterly clueless and just went with whatever last worked. Ranieri is a good coach, but I’m not sure he’s ever been known for being a defensive minded one, therefore he’s got his hands tied behind his back with the crap he’s got to work with in defence.
     
  26. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    No amount of coaching is going to make the likes of Cathcart close to competent at this level at this stage in his career. If we set up every game to completely park the bus from the first minute we'd still concede, because we're playing with defenders who are a complete embarrassment.

    Cathcart, Troost-Ekong and Masina starting at this level is very much akin to Xisco managing at this level. Just shockingly, laughably out of their depth. The only way we'll really improve at the back is by signing some players who are actually fit for purpose in the Premier League.
     
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  27. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    As Ranieri has admitted really .

    Which says it all!
     
  28. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    Just watch back how Adams created about 2 yards of space in our area for his goal....he pretended to run towards goal, stopped, sending our defenders to the edge of the six yard box, and then simply collected the ball knocked into the space he'd created, turned, picked his spot and put it there. All without even the semblance of a challenge from anyone in yellow; from within the penalty area. Utterly laughable.
     
  29. RS2

    RS2 Squad Player

    Troost-Ekong was just hopeless. Don't let Adams turn in the box and if he does then make sure you're tight enough to block the shot. Troost-Ekong barely does anything, more half-hearted defending from a team that specialises in making the basics look hard.

    I know people say that Troost-Ekong is a good defender despite being awful with the ball, well it's been over a season now and I just don't see it. He's Championship at best and even last season I wasn't convinced.
     
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  30. Cassetti's Beard

    Cassetti's Beard First Team

    I'm not even convinced that we can bounce back with the current crop of shyte
     
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  31. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Must admit with at least 3 new signings from August now not being here isn't a good sign of a club doing it's business well.

    And even one of the January signings has now been dropped whilst we'll probably never seen another one play.
     
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  32. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    I gave it a 'C' because I thought the lack of attention to our defensive deficiencies would undermine what I hoped might be some good business elsewhere; knowing what I know now, I think 'D' is more realistic, even after the January window.
     
  33. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    Nostradamus.
     
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  34. Cassetti's Beard

    Cassetti's Beard First Team

    It's becoming quite clear who the superior minds on this forum are.
     
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  35. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    The bells the bells!

    Oh, not that guy?
     

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