Advanced talks with Fortuna Dusseldorf of the 2. Bundesliga according to Leventhal. Thought they were in the Bundesliga, turns out they're in the second tier, could be a good move that allows him to play more
Not one of the youngsters we are keen to give a chance to then ? Guess the injury and lack of game time last season didn’t help .
He was one that I was really hoping would break through into the match-day squads this season. But would seem a sensible loan, back to the country of his birth and the one he’s represented at youth level.
Lukebakio on loan was pretty much what kept them up in the Bundesliga for one season. When he was instead sold to Hertha, then Fortuna got relegated in their following second season.
Youngsters being given a chance was a load of waffle. The three academy players who were ready to make the step up have already disappeared into the black hole that is the Watford U21 team and the season hasn't even started. Youngsters will not play while Gino continuously fills the squad with old crud and favours for his mate Mogi.
Yeah, I think this is probably the main reason behind going out on loan. If he’s able to get opportunities to play regular football at a reasonably competitive level, it should be beneficial in his development.
I guess they meant the likes of Hungbo and TDB who had been out on loan - they will be on the bench I presume.
Homegrown youngster disappears on loan from a team desperate to point out they want to play youth - whilst 48yr old overseas Kalu remains. Seems about right.
Makes sense if we sell Sarr and play 3-5-2. If we end up keeping Sarr then we’re going to have to play with wingers and Baah would’ve been worth having around. One to watch.
Young players will get picked for the squad when Rob decides they are ready and able. Put aside the cynicism for a moment. Of all the head coaches we’ve had in recent years, Edwards has the best track record with developing youth. England u16s. Forest Green. Etc. I’d be more confident of a few younger players being given a chance under him than previous managers. The big issue as always, apart from whether they are good enough, is the huge pressure head coaches are under in the Championship and at Watford. They need to succeed and can’t always gamble on youth. By the way, again putting the usual cynicism aside, Asprilla should feature this season. As a teenager. As JP did before.
Kalu wasn't even in the squad in our last friendly and seems unlikely to make any matchday squads in the Champ, especially as he's not HG. If he still remains it's likely only because we've not yet found a club/carehome to send him to yet.
Kalu does seem a really really odd signing. I always assumed he was a replacement for Sarr when he was sold therefore of no use last season, but now, no wingers and Sarr potentially staying,....what was the point ???
We were never going to play the three academy players and I don't think we ever said we would. I imagine they were referring to Hungo or TDB who have a realistic chance of being in the reckoning
Now look here, Duxbury has said just today “being clever in the transfer market isn’t a crime”. There was a reason you just don’t understand.
Suspect it’s one of those where he was one we had been looking him at for a while, probably since he was playing in Belgium, and decided to buy him because he was cheap and available at the time - similar to the Fletcher and Etebo signings. Gino does like his long term targets.
I never said anything about them playing, they're not even in the squad. More lies from the top, they have no interest in developing youngsters at this football club. From April: From June:
Who were the academy players identified and what 'old crud' has been brought in that would stop their path into the first team? Is it not possible that Richard Johnson gave Edwards the best 3 academy players, Edwards spent a month with them and realised...they're not good enough?
I imagine when RE spoke about not wanting to have many non-homegrown players around the club who were unlikely to be involved much, Kalu was probably high on his thinking.
It's a target not a promise. If they are currently not up to the required level they shouldn't be selected.
How on earth would you ever expect an academy player to be up to the required level without playing in any actual competitive games? The club is constantly firefighting, and despite the odd meaningless platitude they’ll always revert to type an go for pensioners where they can, despite promising otherwise.
Pretty much every academy player of the last 10 years, when given the chance to play competitive games on loan, have shown they're not at the required level to make an impact for us.
It quite clearly says from this season they want three academy graduates in the squad and we then find out they've even identified them. So where are they? Are we really counting Hungbo who we signed from Palace two seasons ago for our U23s?
You are correct. But it just shows it’s a meaningless ******** soundbite because the club doesn’t bother to invest in its academy so it’s unachievable. Over the last 10 years we haven’t produced a single player who is of the current level of woeful Cathcart, Cleverly, Sema etc.
Yep, the last two that were solid Championship level were Hoban and Assombalonga, both of whom had careers hampered by serious injuries but looked like top end Championship players. But both in the system pre Pozzo. Nice to see O'Nien finally make it back up to this level this season too. Having said that, what's the point? Sancho, Galvez, Shaq Forde's brother, probably a couple more. Anyone that shows any promise just gets taken for nothing by a big team. And the irony is that even if they turn out only to be Championship/League 1 level, when they sell them they get a premium because they've been in a big club's youth team. Look at the utter dross Liverpool have brought money in on in recent years. The youth system in this country is broken and will get worse as the PL teams are pushing to force over 23s quotas on the Championship so we have to take more of their players on loan to develop them. Couldn't make it up!