Apologies, I was more making a statement about being left footed rather than arguing with your point. I'm not a huge fan of defensive players playing on the wrong side. It makes tackling difficult. Going forward is fine though. I've not seen enough of him to say if can play that role though. Desperately hoping Kamara stays with us as this system would seem to be made for him
Updated Non-Home Grown (Rule of Eleven) (currently 20) Maduka Okoye GK Vincent Angelini GK Pontus Dahlberg GK Kiko Femenia RB Hassane Kamara LB Adam Masina LB Cristian Kabasele CB Francisco Sierralta CB Samir CB Edo Kayembe MF Moussa Sissoko MF Imran Louza MF Ken Sema MF Yaser Asprilla MF Samuel Kalu RW Ismaila Sarr RW Emmanuel Dennis FW Adalberto Penaranda FW Dapo Mebude FW Joao Pedro FW Home Grown (currently 14 – so 34 in total) Daniel Bachmann GK Rob Elliot GK Jeremy Ngakia RB James Morris LB Craig Cathcart CB William Troost-Ekong CB Mattie Pollock CB Tom Dele-Bashiru MF Dan Gosling MF Tom Cleverley MF Domingos Quina MF Joseph Hungbo RW Kwadwo Baah LW Ashley Fletcher FW Possible Extras / Unknowns Pussetto Elitim Sibo Bayo Manning Rose Andrews Forde Cukur
Thanks for this mate. Looking at that and knowing 9 need to go (sold/loan) minimum, I would go; Dahlberg Angelini Masina Sissoko Kalu Sarr Dennis Penaranda Mebude
10 once you factor in Bayo’s arrival (and assuming no more non-HG arrivals) though. I think that 9 is a good list and almost writes itself but the departures afterwards are not as obvious. Kayembe? One of the non-HG CBs?
Forgot about that. I was thinking the same thing, preference for me would be Sema and Kayembe. However I think you’re right in that it will be one of the CB’s. Unfortunately I think it will be Sierralta.
Not too fussed who it is provided they make way for a better homegrown CB. Sierralta is pretty limited but maybe Rob could construct a defence that utilises his strengths/hides his weaknesses (pace and in possession) well at CCB. Sema should be another. I think he’d do fairly well at LWB but don’t think we need him counting towards the 11 non-HG spots, especially because Kamara has a good fitness record and we have other homegrown backup options there (preferably Hungbo).
If we are really going to get down to 11 non-homegrown players in the squad (which I don't think is realistic given the current make-up) then surely we are going to have to see a large number of decent homegrown players coming through the door. I just don't see any evidence of that so far. And if we are waiting for the Sarr and Dennis sales before investing in those homegrown players, then we are going to be too late as we are already seeing many available, realistic targets move to our rivals. It just does not feel like the approach of a team with genuine promotion ambitions.
This could be Peneranda’s year. We’d be mad to let him go right when he’s on the cusp on becoming the player we dreamed he’d be.
I don’t understand their thinking in getting it down to XI. Sema is garbage but someone might need a rest one midweek so we bring him in then and just don’t have him in match day squad rest of time. Ditto Kayembe, Kabasele.
If Edwards wants to play a fast attacking using wing backs style of game none of those are going to be ideal ! In fact not sure many are in our squad for now.
Each time one of those spineless cowards is moved on out of the club is an excuse for a small celebration. I would be quite happy for the whole lot to be thrown out of the club and everything start afresh. Obviously, it will never happen, but the vast majority of that lot should never darken our doorstep again.
Cucho probably wasn’t one of them though last season and we never saw Zinckernagel. Apart from King and Foster it’s the same squad atm.
Updated Non-Home Grown (Rule of Eleven) (currently 20) Maduka Okoye GK Vincent Angelini GK Pontus Dahlberg GK Kiko Femenia RB Hassane Kamara LB Adam Masina LB Cristian Kabasele CB Francisco Sierralta CB Samir CB Edo Kayembe MF Moussa Sissoko MF Imran Louza MF Ken Sema MF Yaser Asprilla MF Samuel Kalu RW Ismaila Sarr RW Emmanuel Dennis FW Adalberto Penaranda FW Dapo Mebude FW Joao Pedro FW Home Grown (currently 13 – so 33 in total) Daniel Bachmann GK Jeremy Ngakia RB James Morris LB Craig Cathcart CB William Troost-Ekong CB Mattie Pollock CB Tom Dele-Bashiru MF Dan Gosling MF Tom Cleverley MF Domingos Quina MF Joseph Hungbo RW Kwadwo Baah LW Ashley Fletcher FW Possible Extras / Unknowns Pussetto Elitim Sibo Bayo Manning Rose Andrews Forde Cukur
If that's Kwasi Sibo, he left Watford permanently last year. https://ghanasoccernet.com/ghanaian-midfielder-kwasi-sibo-joins-spanish-side-real-betis
Agreed. Wanted to keep Cucho, Pedro and Kamara, but ones already gone. The rest of them should be on eBay by now with no reserve price. If that fails, write them off for spare parts.
The homegrown side of the squad looks very weak, I don't think Rob is going to be left with only 11 non-homegrown players by the end of August. I'm predicting a horribly unbalanced squad including a few players he doesn't want and probably won't use.
I genuinely think that we will finish mid-table with that squad. Too many big egos too few players who are going to fight for the cause. If Edwards has that squad come the start of the season, let's hope he can perform Jesus-like miracles and polish a turd into a diamond.
That team is a depressing read. I know we have all of next month yet for incomings, but it's like playing our cup sides each league game. I don't know if we are wating for some massive bid to come in for Sarr before he is off, but what worries me the most is our forward line. It was awful last season and although this is a more forgiving division it's also a much, much more competitive one. Can I see Dennis bagging 20? No. Prove me wrong.
I've seen the future and this is the line up against Sheffield United: Bachmann Massina Cathcart Ekong Kabasele Ngakia Gosling Cleverley Kayembe Fletcher Sema
Bloody awful. I know that your line up is sarcasm, but if by any chance it becomes so, we are in deep ****. We can't attract any decent players due to our Owner/CEO. We can't buy anyone decent due to our massive debt. So you could be right with the line up. Back to the dark days for the fans.
We got 2 months left in the transfer window. Of course that is not going to be the final squad! I hope your all wind up merchants and none of you actually seriously think that is going to be our final squad.
Another good interview by Mr French. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/s...xplains-watford-have-plan-place-sign-players/ RE stresses we don’t need much in terms of incoming players and the striking area is what we are looking at. He also confirmed Bayo is a Watford player.
Personally I don’t think we will see more than 4 or at a pinch 5 of these players starting, I will update this on the 1st August and see what happened!
Updated Non-Home Grown (Rule of Eleven) (currently 20) Maduka Okoye GK Vincent Angelini GK Pontus Dahlberg GK Kiko Femenia RB Hassane Kamara LB Adam Masina LB Cristian Kabasele CB Francisco Sierralta CB Samir CB Edo Kayembe MF Imran Louza MF Ken Sema MF Yaser Asprilla MF Samuel Kalu RW Ismaila Sarr RW Vakoun Bayo FW Emmanuel Dennis FW Adalberto Penaranda FW Dapo Mebude FW Joao Pedro FW Home Grown (currently 13 – so 33 in total) Daniel Bachmann GK Jeremy Ngakia RB James Morris LB Craig Cathcart CB William Troost-Ekong CB Mattie Pollock CB Tom Dele-Bashiru MF Dan Gosling MF Tom Cleverley MF Domingos Quina MF Joseph Hungbo RW Kwadwo Baah LW Ashley Fletcher FW Possible Extras / Unknowns Pussetto Manning Rose Andrews Forde Cukur Holding Mckiernan Adeyemo Blake
So here's my early thoughts on the matter. Depending on how good Bayo turns out to be and which other striker we bring in, I'd say we could put out a pretty strong Championship starting 11. Beyond that 11 is not good though. Okoye, Femenia, Kamara, Samir, Kabasele, Cathcart, Louza, TDB, Pedro, Bayo, New ST.
We definitely need more quality HG options otherwise Edwards will have a wafer thin squad for a gruelling season.