Ben Manga

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by reids, Nov 7, 2022.

  1. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    Ivan Tapia, we desperately need to sign him on a free.
     
  2. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    “I vant a pia desperately”?
    I get this one.
     
    PowerJugs and munichhorn like this.
  3. cyaninternetdog

    cyaninternetdog Forum Hippie

    This guy and his team have got their work cut out for them, fingers crossed eh.
     
    Carpster likes this.
  4. RS2

    RS2 Squad Player

    Manga can suggest all the players he wants, it's Pozzo who has the final say. I'll be surprised if there's a noticeable shift in our transfer dealings next month. A few Mogi deals and freebies maybe.
     
    wfcmoog, Markoa$ and DaveWFC like this.
  5. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Unless this guy is a mixture of Jesus and Houdini, then good luck mate.
     
    RS2 likes this.
  6. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    Never mind the fans, how does Pozzo justify his recent track record to himself? Miss after miss after miss, many of which were signed for not insignificant fees.

    It's difficult to see why anyone would sign Kalu, Bayo, Okoye, Hause etc. And then double down on that pattern of failure. He will though. He absolutely will.
     
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  7. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Good shout Markoa$. He's also willing to stick his foot in and looks like Papu Gomez's younger brother.
     
    Markoa$ likes this.
  8. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    And a sprinkling of Dr. Bones McCoy. He's injured Slaven but not as we know it.
     
  9. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Except that Bones was apt to say “He’s dead, Jim!”.
     
  10. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    He could do Keighley with reference to some of our players. Zombies move faster than Davis which should be troubling for him should there be an apocalypse. :D
     
  11. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    The kid is quality. Can comfortably play DM/CM/CAM. Is a leader on the pitch already at the age of 23. Can hit a free kick. Decent passer of the ball and as you said, he’s not afraid to get stuck in. It’s a no brainer of a signing, especially on a free. I have no doubt he would survive the championship. Has that Argentinian nasty streak in him. We’re crying out for a player like him. Therefore I have zero hope of us actually signing him.
     
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  12. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    You're right there Markoa$. The Argentine market especially in the wake of the World Cup is going to be somewhere now where we have got zero presence. I'm thinking of what might have been had we remained up. Brighton are doing great in that regard as they've secured Buonanotte who is going to be a star. You look at the fees for others like Perrone, Beltran possibly and it's something we could have done with a progressive owner. Pfffttttttt.
     
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  13. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    It’s just stupid. We signed Bacuna on a free. Tapia is on a free as of tomorrow. We could have/of had everything done in advance and announced him tomorrow. Not our owners, far to busy looking out for Mogi and his dross of players.
     
    Smudger likes this.
  14. reids

    reids First Team

    Perrone has moved (edit: just searched and seen he's gone to City!)? He was on my list to do for the scouting thread :(
     
  15. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    I don't like the move @reids. Garre and Zuculini were messed about. I hope Perrone is not. He's a superb player. Good at everything. A ceiling as high as Enzo. Then there is Nicolas Paz and Valentin Carboni as well who are more attack minded classic tens. It's a very talented Argentine midfield generation. The best since well the 78-80 born which is of course a while back.

    Perrone is compared to Redondo but is not quite a box to box player as yet.
     
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  16. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    I have noticed that Ben signed one of my favourites Jens Petter Hauge for Frankfurt from Milan. I didn't even realise he was on loan in Belgium and hardly getting a kick. One to keep an eye on if Sarr effs off.
     
  17. PowerJugs

    PowerJugs Doyley Fanatic

    cyaninternetdog likes this.
  18. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    I could use a hat stand.
    Send him over here.
     
  19. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    cyaninternetdog likes this.
  20. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    The mean comments seem to range from extreme joy to delirious happiness regarding the news. One person comparing it to when Nelson Mandela walked free.

    They should all be careful what they wish for.
     
    Chumlax, PowerJugs and Hogg-DEENEY!!! like this.
  21. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Think they were referencing a Bayat quote when he compared himself to Mandela (I kid you not) saying that lots of good people had gone to prison.

    There's a reply to that tweet from a Nantes fan with a wonderful turn of phrase: 'it's only taken them two years to realise he's been sh1tting in their eyes'. Always a big fan of creative foreign swearing!
     
  22. Robert Peel

    Robert Peel Squad Player

    Seems a strange coincidence that us and Nantes have ditched him at the same time (assuming we have). Feels a bit like when a couple of kids join together to face down a bully and get their lunch money back off him.

    Maybe something came to light that neither want to be associated with, or perhaps both realised that most of the deals mean they end up a squad full of cack players.
     
  23. Happy bunny

    Happy bunny Cheered up a bit

    Maybe sinking ships are abandoning the rat.
     
  24. LF24

    LF24 Academy Graduate

    Interesting new interview with Ben Manga via Kicker-de

    "If I'm honest: the first two places are gone, Burnley and Sheffield will go straight up . We can only make it through the playoffs. That's why we have to try to make two or three good transfers in January to improve the squad across the board. We have to position ourselves better across the board, the January transfer window comes at the right time. In Ismael Koné and Matheus Martins we have already brought in two good young players who of course have to settle in England first and need time before they can help us further."

    Manga in an interview: "Before my time, no one knew Frankfurt in scouting" | kicker - kicker (www-kicker-de.translate.goog)
     
  25. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    Great interview and pleased to see he agrees with my take that we should be signing players not to bolster our top 2 aspirations but with the longer term in mind. Some interesting info in there:
    -He and Helena Costa have a five year contract
    -The club are planning to bring in two or three more players (“good transfers) this window. I read what he said as on top of Martins and Kone. Presumably Ferreira is one.
    -Gino Pozzo is looking to invest and Manga is looking to bring in “good young and cheap talent” for 2-5m or so. Not £20m.
    -He has seemingly criticised Gino about the managerial turnover and is looking to get thy under control.
     
  26. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Given up on top two already? Maybe Burnley have gone but I think Sheff U are catchable if we turn into a winning machine. They are bound to have a wobble at some point and we still have to play at Bramal Lane. Win that and we’re just 8 points. Thats doable.

    But the new young player signings look like they will be options rather than clear first team choices who make all the difference.

    As long as though those 2 or 3 incoming players are top midfield and striker options we should have enough to make the play offs.

    I know a lot is being made of the injuries, but I’d say only Louza and probably Choudhury have been a big loss to us for this season. Obviously we’re going to feel the loss of Davis and Pedro now, but the previous games they were playing. Just goes to show the complete misjudgement the owner and DoF made pre-season. They went cheap and only did half a job in the squad build. Now we’re in this ridiculous situation where we’re left with the lottery of the playoffs at best.
     
  27. Heidar

    Heidar Squad Player

    Nothing is ever over. I don't think it'll be us that catches the top two but I recall we overturned a 10 (maybe 12?) Point difference on Brentford in only 4 matches.

    I fancy West Brom to be knocking on that door in the final stages.
     
  28. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    Boro will catch them if anyone does. We won’t catch them with a 15 member injury list.
     
    poakley likes this.
  29. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    I would guess he's probably basing it on his experience with other leagues. I agree Sheffield United at catchable (by a number of teams, even if you think we're not one of them), but in most leagues that sort of gap would be insurmountable. The Championship is a bit of a wild card in that respect; it seems like almost every season sees at least one spectacular collapse.
     
  30. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    Such a great interview and so refreshing to hear.

    For the first time in 5 years it feels like we actually have a plan as a club when it comes to transfers.

    The fact that we have given Manga, Costa and his team 5 year contracts to get us back to the Prem is huge.

    Manga sounds very excited about the challenge ahead of him and I’m excited as a fan to see what young good players he brings in to get us back to the Prem. Also feels like if we were to get promoted, we have a much better chance of staying there.

    When he lists off Ndicka, Tuta and Kamada it’s actually exciting to think who we could see in a Watford shirt. With him mentioning Ndicka and Tuta who are both CB’s, I hope we sign CB’s like them.

    Something also worth noting was the exclusion of Giaretta when speaking about his role. That it’s basically him, Gino and Duxbury. Loved hearing that. Giaretta has massively failed at his job and should just be grateful he’s still here in some capacity. So it’s nice to know that he will have nothing to do with the running of the club when it comes to the players and transfers. That Manga will go directly to Gino, but Duxbury will be privy to the convo’s they have.

    Interesting that he talks about being a scout that actually watches players and not just use data. “I want to see everything live and I'm not a fan of data. However, you can use the data to confirm or refute your own impressions. We do that too. But I want my scouts to sit in a stadium every day or at least every other day and get impressions on the spot. You can see and hear everything in the stadium. If you sit in the stands every day, you will receive new information every day. For example, you will hear when a parent says that their son has already been invited to Bayern Munich. That's why my scouts are everywhere.”

    Really did feel like an interview where we are preparing for the future. We all wanted a rebuild and it sounds like that’s what we’re getting.

    Obviously this is still a huge window, and sounds like we will sign at least 3 more players before it slams shut.

    “Promotion aside, what exactly is expected of you at Watford?”
    “That I can advance the club - with new content, a slightly different structure and the German mentality.”

    I found this answer interesting and my interpretation of it is the following;

    New content and Slightly different structure - No more Mogi duffers and not just signing quality from South America, but from all around the world.

    Not sure what he means by “the German mentality.” I’m guessing he’s talking about the players weak mentality that ours currently have and he’s going to help them develop the German mentality.

    His mentioning of Helena Costa being his right hand who will do all leg was also interesting to me. With her being well connected in Spain and Portugal (Ferreira was her signing) we can only assume that we will see more talented youngsters from those countries incoming.

    Anyway as a fan, it finally feels that after 5 years, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It finally feels like Gino has learnt his lesson and is correcting it.

    Don’t know why this interview has got me believing again, but I’m aboard the HMS Piss the Transfer Window for Potential Superstars, AKA HMS PTTWFPS!
     
  31. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Lord I hope you are correct!
     
    Happy bunny likes this.
  32. RS2

    RS2 Squad Player

    I'll believe it when I see it. First sign of trouble and Pozzo will sh!t the bed and start bringing in players from his trusted agent(s) again I reckon.
     
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  33. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    The interview is a good one, shame it's tucked away on some random media outlet and not through more traditional channels. Hopefully Manga will give an interview to the WO, Athletic and even the official site. There's nothing in it that has surprised me though. It only confirms what a great appointment he's likely to be. Traditional scouting methods are unfairly labelled "old fashioned" but that doesn't mean it's a bad way of working. The boots on the ground approach is just as good and the data only method. It all depends on who is interpreting the data. That's where the skill lies.

    I think for this season we are looking to bring in 2 or 3 more senior pros to help us achieve promotion. I feel that's going to be a one off though. If we don't go up, I believe we'll sell all the high value assets then flood the team with young players with a sprinkling of Cathcart, Cleverley type players. We'll turn into something more akin to what we used to be pre-Pozzo. Nurturing our own talent, blooding them into the first team with a senior pros giving a guiding steer.
    It's really music to my ears. Whether it really goes that way, or Pozzo decides he's not got the patience for it, remains to be seen.

    It was interesting that Manga mentioned the high turnover of head coaches. It was clear that was off-putting to him during his talks with Gino, but he's been convinced that will stop now once he brings in stronger players, which does make sense. Pozzo never fires a winning coach (although he did let the Joka go, but that was down to contract negotiations breaking down).

    So, I'm very optimistic we're going to see a new direction for Watford. Something which is backed by top class scouting and a very effective head coach. We've always had it nailed with our connections to South America. This one aspect, where we pick up gems, has really kept Watford afloat. It's the dross we've signed from Giraldi, Giaretta and Bayat, that on the whole has demoted us as a club. Gino has to take full responsibility for the demise, just as he took full credit for the rise.

    I think we're at the start of something good again, so I'm happy to see where it takes us. The fans should really get behind it, although I totally understand the frustrations from the "Uncle Ron's" of this world......and very often in the moment (after a bad defeat) I'm fully in tune with what is being said. But football is an emotional game and that rant feeling is only powerful for the first 12 hours or so.

    After all it's Gino Pozzo who has raised expectations. He's a victim of his own success. There's a lot I do not like the way he does things, such as never giving interviews, getting into bed with unsavoury types like Mogi Bayat, and making some disastrous strategy calls, but on the whole, Watford have a much higher status in the game than we had pre-Pozzo. We could easily be like Reading, Bristol City, QPR, or even be below their standing. But I do feel this transfer window is probably the most critical in the Pozzo reign. Get it right and we could go up, get it wrong then I feel the path back to the promised land could be a much longer one.
     
  34. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Exactly - more hype and excitement about who who they might bring in but got to see them in a Watford shirt and perform before proclaiming a new year and the start of great things .

    The Pozzos will probably expect instant success or promotion still …

    And given the potential financial situation might be a must too .
     
  35. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Not been in evidence in recent years at international level. I think he Ubenga is more relating to the way most German clubs are run and how the players are brought up as all rounded individuals with professionalism in all aspects relating to their football. I hope Gino keeps his nose out of the way and lets Ubenga and the scouts do their work. There is plenty of young talent out there. Let's hope this is an end to the model of signing old, injured, over the hill players and signing them to long term contracts and instead a focus as in Colombia and Ecuador and links to Fluminense of bringing in youngsters with the skill and right attitude.
     
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