2021/2022 Transfer Window Grade

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Dr. Roland, Aug 2, 2021.

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How do you grade this transfer window

  1. A*

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  2. A

    7 vote(s)
    12.7%
  3. B

    22 vote(s)
    40.0%
  4. C

    10 vote(s)
    18.2%
  5. D

    4 vote(s)
    7.3%
  6. E

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  7. F

    2 vote(s)
    3.6%
  8. U

    6 vote(s)
    10.9%
  1. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    Zero chance of Sema leaving. They see him as first choice player whether that be on the wing or bizarrely in centre midfield.
     
  2. Dr. Roland

    Dr. Roland Academy Graduate

    How can a group of professionals wake up every morning, arrive at work, watch him during games and still think this though?
     
    wfcmoog and Chumlax like this.
  3. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    I think he’s okay as a squad option. I just can’t have him starting every week.
     
    folkestone orn likes this.
  4. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Not completely relevant to this window alone , but more a reflection on Pozzos recent transfer policy (or at least the successful ones as the stinkers are either gone or not playing)

    If Sarr wasnt fit, I think most peoples first XI would look something similar to this (with their transfer cost in £ mill)

    Bachmann - 0.25
    Femenia - 0.00
    Rose - 0.00
    Sierralta - 0.50 ( educated guess)
    Troost - 3.50 (educated guess)
    Etebo - 2.00 ( if we decide to buy)
    Kucka - 0.50 ( loan fee ? guess)
    Tuzan - 1.00 ( loan fee ? guess)
    Cucho - 0.25
    Dennis - 3.50
    King - 0.00

    SUB Pedro - 3.50

    Thats pretty much our best XI (without Sarr) which cost approximately £11.5 mill.
    We can add Pedro to that list as well for another £3.5 mill .

    Seven of that XI were signed this season if you include Cucho,ie Etebo, Kucka, Tuzan, King, Dennis, Rose.
    Two last season, WTE and Sierralta ( three if you include Pedro)
    Which leaves just Kiko and Bachmann the longest standing members having both joined 4 years ago.

    Getting back to this summers transfer window, we can say that 7 of our 10 outfield players ( comprising of a completely new midfield , completely new attack and Rose in defence) have been bought/loaned for a total of £7.25 mill.

    Thats less than what we paid for Louza.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2021
    Chiswell likes this.
  5. GarbeliaHornet

    GarbeliaHornet Academy Graduate

    Include Gray, and its a horror show.
     
  6. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    At the moment, it's looking a very solid A-, all that's missing really is a solid CB (as we've been saying for the past 4 seasons we've been in the Prem lol)
     
  7. Heidar

    Heidar Squad Player

    I think Sissoko alone pushes it close to an A*. We wanted to get in a midfielder with a bit of PL experience, what we've done is got a midfielder with over 250 top level PL appearances, 70 top level caps and isn't 36 years old.
     
  8. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Nothing wrong with 36 year old players. Ask the United fans.
     
    HeiaWatford and Teide1 like this.
  9. Optimistichornet

    Optimistichornet Penguin Assassin

    Honestly I’m delighted. We havnt broken the bank but we have given ourselves an excellent fighting chance of staying up.

    A grade for me!
     
    Chiswell likes this.
  10. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    Yes under the circumstances a lot better than it looked earlier in the window, we might be a little light on P.L. Ability and class but we could well make up for that in sheets guts and determination!
     
  11. I'm happy to announce I am upgrading to an A

    If we get TD and Gray wages off the books I'll go A+
     
  12. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    All these people throwing around A Grade’s like Kabasele and Cathcart aren’t still first team players!
     
  13. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Forward line revamped. Midfield suddenly looks very strong. Defence has improve from our last stint in the Prem. Keepers have never been a problem.

    We've been totally reformed from a club who looked likely to go straight back down, into a side that has the feel it will be very completive, once everyone is fit and fully integrated.

    We still need a centre back of course, but to have signed Rose, Fletcher, Louza, Tufan, Kucka, Dennis, King, Etebo and Sissoko for around £16m is breath-taking. Not forgetting we've sold Hughes (£10m), Dawson (£3m), Wilmot (£2m), plus the sell-on fees for Sancho and Foulquier.....means we've pretty much broken even on transfer fee trading.

    Upgrading the squad for a zero net spend is bloody genius. Not given the highest grade because of the central back situation, as we do need more than 4 senior pros for this position, but it's been nearly perfect and I would say the best window the Pozzo's have ever had at Watford.

    It has to be graded A.......but will get an A+ if a decent CB walks through the door before the window slams shut.
     
    Chiswell, Heidar and GarbeliaHornet like this.
  14. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    As promised, upgraded to A+++. However, I'm docking them a + as it's looking like we're dumping off guaranteed goles in Deeney and Gray and we haven't replaced Murray.

    Sign a CB and I will consider giving the + back.

    So A++ for now.
     
  15. HeiaWatford

    HeiaWatford Reservist

    It's a promising window with plenty to look forward too.
    Moving on the rest of the deadwood Deeney, Gray and Quina would please me and gives us the ability to go for a quality CB. Getting in someone like Nikola Maksimovi* who's a free agent or someone of similar quality would be perfect. Then and only then would I give it an A.
    Idiotic of me but can free agents still be picked up outside of the window ?
     
  16. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Yes, I reckon that's why we're looking to release Deeney on a free now, because I don't know if Brum or any other club of a similar level will be able to do a deal with such little time remaining in the window. I'd love us to sign Maksimovic, but isn't he looking to stay on at his current club?
     
  17. MIlton Dammers

    MIlton Dammers Reservist

    I think so, but there must be spaces still available in the squad.
     
    HeiaWatford likes this.
  18. HeiaWatford

    HeiaWatford Reservist

    He was released by Napoli this Summer, he's currently training alone. From what he said he would jump at the chance to resign but the coach isn't so keen.
    But in all honesty there's some decent CB options out there for free or entering their final year.
     
  19. we can’t afford 25 first choice like city and utd can

    we have a poxy little ground and rely on tv money
     
  20. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Apart from Sarr, we have a completely new front 3 and midfield 3. Along with a new LB that is a first team revamp on a par with Zolas tenure.

    As we know that took about 8 games for the team to gel so we will need some patience with Xisco.
     
  21. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Don't think a club like us could do much better for 4th and 5th choice CBs than them, if we get one CB then it's a cast-iron A for me
     
    Chiswell likes this.
  22. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    If we get rid of Deeney and Gray, it transpires that Udinese paid us 10m for Success, we sign a first team RB and centre back and a goalie and we sell Sarr for 50m then it will be an A-
     
  23. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    You talk like it’s one or the other - there’s many areas of difference between having City/United scale resources and having the CB options that we do. And put simply, the inability (as yet) for the club to address that issue means an A grade is wild at this time. It’s been a great window. But A grade surely suggests it’s been exceptional and so far, it’s not.
     
  24. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    Exactly my point. Get a decent CB in and I have no problem with grading it higher. But whilst Gray is still here, Chalobah’s status remains unknown and we don’t have that CB, I don’t see how it can be graded as an A.
     
  25. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Well as it stands we have 28 players in the squad (not including Deeney who I'm treating as gone), so we either sell the likes of Gray, Quina, Alvarado, or they simply won't be named in the squad. Chalobah is an interesting one, he looks further than the first XI than ever, yet nothing seems forthcoming (Fulham would make sense, although they still have players they need to shift before they can think of any midfield incomings). I like Chalobah, I think he could do a job this season, but with all these midfield signings, and being out for quite a while with an illness, how good will he be?
     
  26. I’m grading it an A, if you all want to grade it something else be my guest
     
  27. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    I’m grading your post a C.
     
  28. Rookery Refugee

    Rookery Refugee Reservist

    I would go with B+, perhaps A-. Anyone of worth that we've lost we've replaced. We've strengthened our attacking options considerably and the spine of the team as a whole. We also added depth (or a starter) at left back. We created competition at many places in the squad. About the only things that could have improved it were:
    1) A stronger option at Right Back
    2) An upgrade at CB
    3) Getting more cash in for players on the way out/way down the pecking order (Gray, Success, Deeney, etc.)

    A fast, vibrant, good passing AM would have been great, but realistically that's beyond our means at this point.
     
    DaveWFC likes this.
  29. You are ungraded

    Please retake the whole transfer window again
     
  30. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    1) At RB, Kiko is very flawed, but has a good relationship with Sarr honed over the last two years, and Sarr is our best player after all, we need to get the best out of him. Ngakia may be good enough for this division right now, he may not be, but he doesn't take up a place in the squad so I don't see any business there
    2) It's clear to me that CB is where we need reinforcements most, but I doubt the Pozzos see it that way!
    3) We'll see how much money changed hands for Success when the accounts come in, I suspect it's nothing, I also hope we're not stuck paying any of his not insignificant wages. As for Deeney and Gray, I don't see anyone paying a fee for them in these austere times, a loan for Gray, even with us paying some of his wages, would be fine by me, my guess would be that we'll pay off part of Deeney's wages and he'll be free to join Brum. I think we did well to do the deal we did for Hughes under the circumstances, Stoke got Wilmot for an absolute bargain, let's hope when we do sell Quina that he fetches a somewhat decent fee too, and who knows, maybe someone like Chalobah might leave too
     
  31. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    I think we need to be careful that the age of the squad is creeping up again. As it stands, I reckon we are looking at a C grade, transfer window.

    I'm not overly convinced by our midfield, although Sissoko is obviously an excellent signing. Etebo and our Serb look good, but it's still early days. Our defence needs improvement. Granted we have improved at left-back. I think our attacking options are sufficient.

    In terms of players leaving, obviously Hughes was unavailable, shame he has gone to the Egg n' Chip ultras though. Great that Success and other deadwood have left. Can't help but feel we will regret selling Wilmot and Quina.

    Get rid of Troy, or Gray, it's a B.

    Get rid of both it's an A-.

    Do all of this and bring in a good center-back, it's an A+.

    Any more than this and Gino needs a statue built in his honour.
     
  32. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Our new forwards, King aside, are all 23 or under tbf, and while Kucka and Sissoko are well over 30, Louza is young and Tufan and Etebo are at or approaching their primes, I think there's a really nice blend of youth and experience in there (I suppose if we do go down, there's a good chance the younger midfielders won't be here, but we'll deal with that if and when we have to!). Agreed that we'll come to regret Wilmot and Quina leaving, Quina I feel we could have aided his development better, although perhaps Wilmot was just one who got away, it would have been a brave manager to play a kid in a back 4 in the heat of a promotion battle. You have to suspect given the business we've already done, that Deeney and Gray have one foot out of the door already, because even if they somehow stay, there won't be any space in the squad for them both
     
    sydney_horn and GarbeliaHornet like this.
  33. Gladiator

    Gladiator Academy Graduate

    Probably the worst take on the window in the whole thread. The club have significantly upgraded the squad for virtually net nil spend - that’s unbelievable really. A- for me.
     
    Arakel likes this.
  34. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Thanks. C is still above average. I think those saying we've had an amazing window are getting ahead of themselves.

    We've significantly upgraded in midfield, although Kucka is aging so will not be a long-term solution. Sissoko is also aging, but will probably be good for a couple of years so I'll give you that. Etebo also an improvement. Louza, who knows? It's premature to suggest he's any better than Hughes, for example.

    Dennis and King are also upgrades, although one is injury prone and the other hasn't got a great scoring record, but looks a handful

    Fletcher is meh.

    Our defence is still underwhelming, although Rose is clear upgrade on Masina.

    We still have clear weaknesses at RB and CB, as well as a lack of goals in the team.

    Am also disappointed that Wilmot and Quina have both left.

    Regarding the financial side of things, much of this is guesswork on our part.
     
    Supertommymooney likes this.
  35. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    We needed a transformative window and, by and large, we got it. Attack and midfield are almost completely unrecognisable (in a good way) and on early viewings appear to be up to the challenge of avoiding relegation. A number of high wage players who were surplus to requirements offloaded, with a clear intent of cleaning house.

    Perfection would be a new first choice RB and third choice or better CB (WTE and FS are good enough as starters), but as far as a single window goes this one has been quite excellent.... especially so given the very low net transfer spend.
     

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