Reading 2-0 Watford Fc - Fa Cup Third Round - 07/01/2023

Okoye, l have saying it since we signed him.
There was a reason why he was available for €1m in the September before we signed him.

 

Actually quite enjoyed that despite the result

All of our proper academy players looked decent. Andrews especially looked completely at home at right back.

Obviously the biggest positive was Kone. Worked his arse off, calm and progressive on the ball. What's not to like?

The Bacuna injury....less said about that the better. At least Choudhury is fit again, and Kone will be excellent alongside him you feel

 

Bayat wasn’t involved in the Okoye deal.

 

More fun than expected. Helped I didnt care about result.

Kone looked decent. Asprilla positive moments but same issues. Pollock had a solid game.

Blake decent technically but was a bit lost. Slightly annoyed he got subbed (especially for Bacuna ...). Andrews and Adu Poku looked decent also.

Hungbo and Morris just not good enough for this level.

 

Second half the young lads did well. Kone looks like he ll fit straight in.

Andrews and Grieves did well.

For most of the second half all of the outfield players were youth players apart from WTE and SA

 

So midfield three against Blackpool... Kone,Asprilla and Gaspar ?

 

Wouldn’t read too much into that, at this stage of the season it’s just about getting hamstring tears into legs

 

I don’t normally go for the thinking that it’s good to go out of the FA Cup early. I’m still a romantic at heart and invest some hope into it.

But I’m very glad we are out this year. We are looking precarious in the league and simply don’t need the added distraction. And our squad issues don’t lend themselves at all to still being in the mix - a few weekends off when future rounds occur will be very much needed.

I’m also not bothered about Bacuna’s injury. Suspect his run of starts was coming to an end anyway - and it may well also force the clubs hand in going out and spending a bit of money on a quality CM. So could be a positive strangely.

 

Bilic reckons Choudhury will be fit

 

Better than I thought it was going to be.

What I learnt today.
Okoye is Pony.
Hungbo is outta his depth.
Ryan Andrews and Andrew Blake both looked like they have something about them.
Kone is going to be a very good signing.
There are levels in all sport. Shane Long showed that, our forwards played to their current one, he played to the one he's dropped too and still carried a threat ours never had..
Everyone who pulled on a shirt today, wore it with pride and gave their all, none of the s-hite we saw at Swansea.

Switching over to B'Mouth/Burnley.

Over and Out.

 

Should have Hughes and Doucoure by then

 

Yeah I thought that as well. I very much doubt he'd have started against Blackpool.

 

Something endearing about watching the academy players get opportunities, made for a better watch then the usual week in week out, even with the expected drop in ability.

Some little flashes here and there, Morris still cant cross, Andrews looked decent, shame the forwards didn't get much service as would like to have seen more from Blake and Adu-Poku.

Hungbo replicated the majority of Sarr's performances in being ineffective. Hungbo's not shown he's good enough so far given his loans and appearances.

Okoye, cant kick wont kick. Did he have an injury or is distribution not his thing (why sign him then?)
Kone* looked useful, like to see him push forward a bit more, ofc couldn't in these circumstances.
*Not shown today, but think end of season, working on putting on a bit of muscle a la Pedro would do him wonders in this league esp.

 

He was dreadful. Be amazed if he ever starts another game for us.

 

It’s like he lines his boots with treacle before every game.

 

Surely he's starting the next game without Kamara?

 

Sema might be back potentially…

 

That would have been ideal had we not stupidly brought on Bacuna - as per my post before the game, risking him didn't seem sensible at all. Aside from that, good we got knocked out given our injury worries and that some academy players got a run out.

I thought most of the academy players did alright:
Adu-Poku did okay on his own against a mostly experienced back 3 and has some good physicality and desire.
Blake's technique seemed silky, but I thought his age showed a bit more with his current lack of pace and strength meaning he often got out-fought for the ball.
Grieves had some nice touches when he came on.
Andrews looked rapid, though his final ball was a bit hit and miss.

They generally at least seemed a bit more like footballers than the last set of academy players like Phillips and Forde we gave cameos to (albeit Adeyemo despite being a unit seemed to have poor technique).

Kone was generally good, but there's a lot of aspects of his game which will need to be worked on going forwards. He clearly has a lot in his locker when he wishes to use it, but I thought he seemed generally too content to play the safe, backwards/sideways pass, and at times was a bit too passive and lackadaisical in either tracking back or trying to win the ball back. Good potential though.

In line with many comments above, Okoye seems crap. I don't think he was at fault for their goal though - it was an absolutely freak fluked cross which sailed in to the top corner completely out of reach.

Hungo is terrible, but we already knew this. He's not even that quick.

 

Very much hope not. If we're persisting with wing backs have to hope Sema is back. If we move to a back four pretty sure Ferreira (if we can sort work permit) would play as he's played on that side previously. And if neither of them available would think that one of Gaspar and Ngakia will play on the wrong side. Although we might need Gaspar for our midfield unless Choudhury does make it...

 

So NOT taking into account ages or quality of opposition, this is how I’d rate the players today (purely on this game)

Okoye - 4 - looked uncomfortable, probably unlucky with 1st, looked like poor positioning for 2nd.
Pollock - 5 - weakest of the 3 CB’s today, didn’t show any particular strengths of his game
Troops-Ekong - 6 - fair display
Sierralta- 6 - ditto TE
Gaspar -6 - fine, but didn’t offer much
Morris - 5.5 - tried to be effective, but never beat a man, slightly weak and lacks speed / agility
Asprilla - 6 - occasionally looked like he’d produce something with a burst of pace, but no end product
Kone - 7 - will easily fit into our team, worked hard, looks very comfortable on the ball - awful corners (shock)
Hungbo - 4 - offered nothing, looks nothing like the player who had a few decent cameos
Blake - 4 - didn’t do anything
Adu-Poku - 6 - thought he did quite well, hope we can develop him, looked lively with pace and strength
Andrews - 6.5 - Picked up all the scraps his side with good speed / agility, wanted the ball, got forward well. Promising
Bacuna INJURED! (Sigh)
Grieves - 4 - looked well off it
Ademeyo - 6 - gave us some energy and caused some issues up top, again would be happy to see in a few cameo roles

For a youth set up that seems to be getting battered at U’18’s and U21’s I actually thought a few of those guys looked like they have some potential. If I did take age into account their scores would be good.Can’t fault the energy and effort today, quite enjoyed watching it.

 

He's the slowest full back I've ever seen.

 

Finished his suspension I thought?

 

One of my biggest peeves in all football is accounts, pundits, and fans pretending something as clearly unintentional as that was entirely purposeful. Pathetic.

 

Kone and the academy kids did well. Not much else to say.

 

Sorry I know there's many on here willing to put the first goal down to a lucky Reading fluke and the second to a routine 1 v 1 goal and therefore giving Okoye a free pass today. I can't see that at all. His starting position and inability to sense danger and put in a proper effort to save the first, or pressure Long by coming out far quicker and further to force the Reading player to decide on an early shot or to have to go round him proved to me we have spent £6.75m on someone without the basic skills for the level we need. He nearly gifted an early goal by poor control from a backpass. Yes this was a game that didn't really matter in the scheme of things but was a chance to show what he's made of. Unfortunately for him, he did just that.

All this is basic stuff which seemed to be part of his game when he joined and is not something that shows any semblance of improvement. If that isn't his Watford swansong I'll be amazed.

 

Same. First he's static then flatfooted and goes in an awkward way with his wrong hand.

Second he is rooted to 6 yard box until it's well too late.

I suspect he could be a fantastic shot stopper with natural talent, but hasn't been coached in an orthodox way so looks all at sea. Then confidence drops and who even knows if he can kick it?

With the rest of them, I'd have liked a little more do or die and to have come a little more out of their shells. But there were 3 17 yo's on the pitch a debutant no other first team midfielders and a 15 yo on the bench.

 

A few people either said or asked this in the Shoutbox, Okoye does not appear to be one of Bayat's - signed from Netherlands with a Dutch agent. @wfcmoog @Smudger

Makes the signing even more bizarre if anything.

 

We will never hear from Gino of course, but the recruitment of Manga appears to be an admission that the club is not currently getting it right with recruitment and needs to step up . This interview us exactly what we want to hear. If we don’t get promoted this season there is essentially a 5 year plan to buy players fairly cheaply and build a squad around what we actually need . I hope it works out that way .

Despite the suggestion the club is maybe casting Bayat aside. I am also baffled that Giaretta is still at the club . What does he do ? There seems a very strong argument from what I’m seeing and reading that Watford is run as a bit of a gravy train for some . If this brings success regardless then might be more acceptable but given the current circumstances it’s somewhat hard to stomach. Let’s hope this is the beginning of doing things a bit differently .

 

Not much to say about that. Can’t draw too many conclusions from what was essentially a 2nd/3rd string glued together. Kone looks pretty useful and with a more organised, experienced and better team around him I feel he’ll really shine.
Reading were pretty gash though and had more first team players on the pitch.

 

Proud of are lads.

 

He might've been....but then he signed a new contract which will naturally bump up the price of the deal. Since he had nothing to do with Bayat I'm not sure you can pin this on him

You keep saying this but he wasn't valued at €1m when we signed him.