Yup, played quite a lot for Udinese last season. Seems like a young Fitz hall and scores a few. Him and Ekstrand would make high quality CB pairing
To even be talking about bringing players of the calibre of Angella on long term deals is fantastic. Wonder whats happening with Fitz Hall... no rumours of moves elsewhere which makes me think he could be signing on for another season with us, hope so.
With Nosworthy & Hoban out for a little while still, it'd be right to sign Hall on for at least another season. When he played last season he was solid. Imagine a back line of Hall, Ekstrand & Angella.
I'm afraid that although he's just signed a one yr contract doyley can only be thought of as back up. Yes he defended well in the Play off final but the fluid passing of the team is not the same with him in the team. Hall (if fit) ekstrand Angella This would be class
To be fair, the downfall last season was the amount of changes at the back. Hardly any by choice, all through injury. Find a back 3 (or 4) of that calibre that we can use for the majority of the season and we're laughing.
Hall's passing is good for a CB, very accomplished. Don't actually think he has a footballing weakness.
Think we'll have to disagree on that point. Doyley has to pass it 5 to 10 yards as he's not capable of much else. Hall is far superior with distribution. It's a shame as doyley is such a quality one on one defender but his distribution really lets him down.
Wait. So people are complaining that Doyley doesn't suit Zola's style? Yet he is only capable of short passes. In his positition, Doyley doesn't have a lot of time on the ball so this would suggest he suits our new style perfectly and is still retaining possesion within the team. There was only one defender out of last season's selection that I would have trusted with a long ball from the back and that was Cassetti. Some of his longer passes to Anya were perfect and even the not so perfect ones were successful due to the quality of Anya's first touch.
Hall is a much classier player but to be honest I would rather have Doyley. Over the past five years Hall has spent half the time injured and at his age things are highly unlikely to improve. Generally a solid defence is achieved by having a settled three and is not aided by having to replace an injury prone member every few games. At least Doyley rarely gets injured and is therefore ideal to have as cover on the bench at least. Hopefully Hoban will recover from his injury as I would love to see Angella, Ekstrand and Hoban as the preferred three. Assuming Angella signs and Hoban and Nos are likely to be fit fairly soon Iwould not resign Hall.
Best man marker in the div by a long chalk, but positional sense lets him down ( especially when in the centre). Distribution and technique has improved massively under Zola tbf and I still love him. Successful teams need more than just technical ability, they need passion and team spirit as well and he has that in abundance
Zola's style relies on the three CB's taking responsibility on the ball and to find the feet of the midfielders to then allow the team to flow forward. Doyley's passes are too often passing the buck to his mate (normally Ekstrand) alongside him, he rarely contributes to a move going forward and if he does the quality of the pass is unfortunately lacking. The role of the CB's in this setup is far more crucial for the forward play rather than just defending. Unfortunately Doyley doesn't cut it in this respect, as good as a defender he can be. It's a shame because I really like the fella and there's no doubting his loyalty and love for the club.
Leicester in the play offs! Best at one on ones I would agree with but not man marking which is very different. Basing this on everybody fit and Angella signing If we continue with the 3-5-2 system then not sure where he would get in. RWB would be Casetti or Anya. CB's Hoban, Hall, Nos, Angella, Casetti and possibly Neuton. If we went to four at the back he might be back up to Casetti.
Angella has started following some of my pals (all watford fans) on twitter, not me yet though Surely that means something?!
He followed me and a load of other Watford fans this time last year (a bit later in the summer last year maybe) when we were first rumoured to sign him.
Might as well get his name on my shirt! Just realised it's Thursday and nothing usually happens on a Thursday
Filippo Girald is definitely worth a follow on twitter. Seems to be giving little bits of info away to people asking. Was asked yesterday when we will hear about other signings after Lloyd and he said "soon" and asked today if players not from Udinese would join he said "yes" It's only small bits on info but better than saying we've been linked to Titus Bramble again. Then again, he could be one joining from a club that isn't Udinese. FML.
From this mornings Udinese blog. To summarise. •Because of the poor financial state of Italian football, not many clubs have enough money to buy players at the price Udinese want to sell them •Therefore Udinese will have an excess of players on the subs bench. Guidolin has stated he wants just one replacement per first team place •Meaning the fate of the following players will likely be ( according to the owners wishes) - Benatar, likely loan to Watford - Angella, on loan to Watford , not a transfer as incorrectly reported in the press - Faraoni, loan to Watford - Badu and Merkel, probably surplus to needs. The latter likely to be loaned to Watford - Fabbrinni, loan to Watford - However because of loan restrictions of 4 per club the owners realise they need to find a solution to loaning this many players Italy today is a country of large cartels. In his little old world, football centennial follows its own rules, adapting to contemporary modernity. Thus we find that Udinese, thanks to the disastrous management of Italian clubs, is in a position to sell on his own terms. Which will not attract many buyers to tell the truth, and that, therefore, allow the Bianconeri to be able to have a long bench, indeed very long. Two for role seems to have been from the beginning the ideal of Francesco Guidolin. Today, if you could not even wanting to please him. So it serves to make unpopular choices, such as sacrificing Angella (close the loan at Watford, and not the sale as some specialized website wrote), which whetted the fans. Certainly have not fallen into the streets, but in the web world the comments to this decision were not sure of joy. Indeed. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the defender must play with continuity to grow, and why not to grow its value. Furthermore Bubnjic is considered ready, as well as Naldo. Tail, then, will complete the defensive line. Obviously the owners, at least initially, should be Heurtaux, Danilo and Domizzi. And Romagnoli? Nell'affere Benatar will fall into one of the sisters, probably Watford. As Alhassan will in all probability to Granada. Moving on to midfield, we realize that even Faroni is too: Just do not have buyers, even though the press has pages and pages to be filled with stories that do not find evidence. The Serb has never said he wanted to leave, Gino Pozzo has confirmed it, there is nothing to add except that Widmer is the bet and that the former Inter Milan, so it looks too. Even for him is the argument made by Angella. Even for him, then, that the final destination, which should be Watford. Continuing on the midfield, relying on that to 5, we find the center-Pereyra and Finzi, as median and Allan Badu, on the center Lazzari and Merkel, on the center G.Silva and Pasquale. E Jadson, Bruno Fernandez, Milnar? Of these, only the former Novara seems ready to jump in Serie A. Let us not forget, in fact, statistically speaking, not all new atmosphere in which you suffered, it also happens that someone fails (Willians, nda). And if it were in the midfield four? The first rule of Guidolin is to have a team that can play either with the two midfielders behind the tip, with both the midfield 5. If the first choice should fall on one to four, however, a transfer between Merkel and Badu you might want to consider, with the first one that could go on loan. Assumptions for now though, and this is to be emphasized. Because first you have to evaluate the new median, then you will decide what is best or what is worse to do. Returning to the midfielders Zielinski, Nico Lopez Pereyra may suffice. Fabbrini guess what? Proposal for Watford. Then Muriel and Di Natale. Even so the team would be profusely covered: will, indeed, diplomacy better to withstand the large cartels in the dressing room. But the results are the best glue, so you start with a third and a fifth place: it is not as bad as super attack. Still on the subject 'attack', before we do not believe that there will be other changes. Mitrovic costs a lot, like Castillo, while the name of Kozak will only do any of the experts and then have the opportunity to deny it. Nice shot: Two news in one! This is also part of Italy, the country of broad alliances, where only a diverse, cosmopolitan team like Udinese can keep bang. The other, for now, they are just so much smoke and little roast. NB: There is much talk of Watford. But be careful, because the loans are possible 4, so we need to understand that the company is moving to better understand how to work the thing. Does not intend to deprive yourself of some players, but he also knows that in Udine would find little space.
So if Udinese have a surplus of players and they're limited in the number they can loan to Watford, they'll having to start loaning players out to ... Palace.
Interesting that Benatia was mentioned as surplus because he has been a first team regular at Udinese.
Udinese has a particularly impressive squad this year. An automatic champions league spot must be a realistic target for them....
