Valerien Ismael - Manager

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Cthulhu, May 10, 2023.

  1. Cthulhu

    Cthulhu Keyboard Warrior Staff Member

    New head coach

    sleep inducing

    hope he can get to the root of our problems
     
    HappyHornet24, HornM25 and SkylaRose like this.
  2. wfchursty

    wfchursty Academy Graduate

    Should be fun[​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-G990B using Tapatalk
     
  3. Cthulhu

    Cthulhu Keyboard Warrior Staff Member

    Sorry for taking both the puns so early
     
  4. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Has this **** ****ed off yet?
     
    SkylaRose, 3000 and Cthulhu like this.
  5. reids

    reids First Team

    Honestly feels like a missed opportunity. With JP gone, Sarr likely leaving along with all the contract expirees, loanees returning and possibilities for fringe players to leave, it's an absolutely perfect chance for Manga to define what sort of football he wants us to play, then recruit a manager to fit that and then build the squad around that end goal. I find it hard to believe that he's wanting Watford to, in a few seasons time, to still be playing the style of football that Ismael plays (with or without Ismael) which could again mean an unsuitable squad if we decide to go in another direction playstyle wise.

    I think I'd prefer it if we hired Wilder permanently and built the rebuild around his style of play and preferences.

    Will hopefully do a full breakdown of what to expect tomorrow.
     
  6. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    WBA and Besiktas fans having a right old laugh.

    Any time you think there's a chance to turn a corner or at least that this club cannot get any more pathetic and depressing, they manage it.
     
  7. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    I’d have agreed with you when we brought Wilder in but he did nothing to show himself worthy of the gig.

    I think the more fundamental part of Ismael’s style of play is his off the ball stuff (very aggressive press, high line and compression of the playing area) and I’d be very happy to see that remain a fixture of Watford for years to come.

    No mention of contract length though...
     
  8. Robert Peel

    Robert Peel Squad Player

    Next cab off the rank.

    3 months to perform miracles.

    Sacked.

    Repeat.
     
  9. IRB

    IRB THe artist formally know as ImRonBurgundy?

    Bit weird to not acknowledge Wilder leaving separately first

    Also 'pleased' to confirm but not 'delighted' to confirm... telling...
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2023
  10. Malteser2

    Malteser2 Reservist

    Manga is Pozzo’s appointment with no pedigree in English football

    Don’t get all your hopes up on him just yet. He may make a big positive difference but it’s still early days to know.

    I think this is a horrible, underwhelming and disappointing appointment but I want our club to succeed so I will wish him well. He’s not who I wanted but who am I anyway to have hopes and preferences and opinions. I’m a nobody.

    Let’s hope I and others who are lukewarm about this will be eating humble pie next season. I’d willingly do so if it meant we have a good campaign. Not getting my microwave ready to cook it just yet though.
     
    Happy bunny, wfcmoog, Chumlax and 9 others like this.
  11. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Good luck Valerien.
     
  12. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Back him, Gino!
     
  13. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I trust Manga will at least try to back Ismael, let's hope he's not hamstrung
     
  14. davisp2

    davisp2 Reservist

    It will be interesting to know whether this is a Manga or Pozzo appointment. If it’s the former and he can recruit players to fit then it could work. If it’s another Pozzo appointment then it won’t end well
     
    Happy bunny likes this.
  15. Halfwayline

    Halfwayline Reservist

    How the hell is a manager, renowned for a fast high press game, going to work with a squad that would look slow when playing walking football
     
  16. BeersThen

    BeersThen Reservist

    Probably joined as an unpaid intern
     
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  17. põder

    põder First Year Pro

    Kin ell! If there was one time the club needed to just breathe and conduct a purposeful interview process.

    Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk
     
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  18. Cthulhu

    Cthulhu Keyboard Warrior Staff Member

    good to see you malts
     
    Malteser2 likes this.
  19. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Presumably we will be looking for players who do suit his style ?

    If not then it’s a total waste of time .
     
    Happy bunny likes this.
  20. reids

    reids First Team

    I agree about Wilder in part, although I'd argue our squad was so rancid after recruiting for whatever manager we had that particular window that most managers would've struggled to get a tune out of the team, but he was also underwhelming for sure.

    Also true about the defensive side of the game, perhaps Ismael is the first stop in the evolution of our upcoming squad. I am optimistic although have a healthy dose of pessimism and scepticism alongside.
     
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  21. VR94

    VR94 Academy Graduate

    How come? OK, Ismael is very specific, but every coach is going to bring different nuances. The fundamentals (ultra-physical, high-pressing) could be something we work towards in the long-term.
     
  22. PowerJugs

    PowerJugs Doyley Fanatic

    Wilder I don't think was the answer we need to get ourselves in a more balanced and motivated squad. He was not the problem and I wouldn't have baulked had we kept him but it looked like he had very little idea how he wanted us to play and although a lot of what he said is true, it does also look at times he's pushing all fault away from him, of which he did need to take some blame.

    We are in a good position to recruit for Valerian as the squad will have so many spaces that are now available that there isn't going to be the potential problem of having a bloated squad that most sides would encounter to do this. Looking at some articles, he looks to play 3-4-3 or so with a top heavy press and direct down the wings using wingers and a strong forward or two who can occupy centre halves and can finish. The central midfield needs good engines to aid the press as well. A sweeping keeper is preferable as well.

    Assuming no loanees are retained for next Season:

    Goalkeepers:
    New GK (XI)
    Bachmann or Hamer (Sub)

    Centre back:
    Porteous (XI)
    New CB (XI)
    Hoedt (XI)
    New CB (Sub)
    Kabasele (Depth)
    Sierralta (Depth)

    Right back:
    Ferreira (XI)
    Andrews (Sub)

    Left back:
    New LB (XI)
    Morris (Sub)

    Central Midfield:
    Louza (XI)
    New CM (XI)
    New CM (Sub)
    New CM (Sub)
    Koné (Depth)
    Dele-Bashiru (Depth)

    Left Wing:
    Sema (XI)
    Asprilla (Sub)

    Right Wing:
    New RW (XI)
    New RW (Sub)

    Striker:
    New ST (XI)
    New ST (Sub)
    Bayo (Depth)
    Assombalonga (Depth)

    26 Senior Squad Players

    Loan:
    Pollock
    Grieves
    Hungbo
    Forde
    Ademayo

    Sell / Release:
    Hamer or Bachmann
    Okoye
    Ngakia
    Cathcart
    Cleverley
    Gosling
    Quina
    Pussetto
    Baah
    Sarr

    I make that 11 signings ideally. You could trim a couple off if we lean on existing players more (Having Hungbo as an RW Sub, having Pollock as a CB depth, having Grieves as a CM Depth) but we need to recruit externally for the rest. It's a lot to do, but if we as a club are letting Manga and Valerian take legitimate control of the footballing decisions then this is how I roughly expect it to shakedown coke the end of August because if we don't we will have another managerial change come Christmas and the last chance for thus club gone to halt this dreary slide into mediocrity.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2023
  23. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    Another thing I like is that we now have a clear benchmark in terms of profile of players to judge the recruitment against. If we have a sweeper keeper and a lamppost up front by the end of the window, we’ll know that recruitment is being done differently.
     
  24. Steel City Gold

    Steel City Gold Reservist

    It's May, and I'm already not looking forward to next season.

    What a complete shithausen we have become.

    #Maybe it's time to let go of the love

    We don't seem to have a sad emoji; fcuking fascist stewards.
     
  25. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    We could view Sema as a LWB and play with more of a 3-4-1-2 with Asprilla in the 1. Ismael’s front three is very narrow; one of his players off Dike at Barnsley was Morris who is just a Centre forward. I wouldn’t be shocked if we don’t get new wingers and would be surprised if we get 2.
     
    PowerJugs likes this.
  26. lutonh8a

    lutonh8a Squad Player

    In all fairness though he has done well in the Championship which is the league we are playing in. He may have been sacked at West Brom but they were 5th in the table. He also managed to get Barnsley in the play offs and they were relegated the following season after he had left.

    What has this Farioli fella or whatever his name is actually achieved except being the next Pep Guardiola after finishing mid table in Turkey? Wasn't he a goalkeeping coach under De Zebri?
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2023
  27. PowerJugs

    PowerJugs Doyley Fanatic

    Asprilla is very versatile. I don't think he's physically strong enough to start games but behind the strikers or out wide he's got the ability to great things, similar to Pedro when he was still growing into his body. Sema was made for a Valerian side.

    If we did a wingback system, Ferreira and Sema would do very nicely as they're both attack minded and put in dangerous balls, with Sema more physically capable to sustain it.
     
    Norfhorn likes this.
  28. reids

    reids First Team

    That's true, I was too focused on the long-ball side rather than the defensive aspect.
     
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  29. Halfwayline

    Halfwayline Reservist

    Sure but remind me when our current regime has recruited players to suit their incoming managers style as opposed to just recruiting based on availability/players that may be able to be sold at a profit

    and a lot of faith on this board is being put into Manga…time will tell
     
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  30. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Have seen so many negative comments from other fans, never a good sign that!
     
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  31. VR94

    VR94 Academy Graduate

    Leventhal was on this way before anybody else, fwiw.
     
    Jumbolina likes this.
  32. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    I totally agree .

    Based on January singings we will get slight young untested attackers for example .
     
    Halfwayline likes this.
  33. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Largely irrelevant what the name is. Gone by early December if he is lucky.
     
    PowerJugs likes this.
  34. Aylesburyorn

    Aylesburyorn Academy Graduate

    Was it ismail that quina played quite a lot of football under on loan?
     
  35. J.B

    J.B First Team

    Would have been nice to have at least a week or so following the end of the season before being completely underwhelmed by this club yet again.
     

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