Abdoulaye Doucouré

I agree, even Hogg isn't getting much game time with them.

 

Surprised Villa haven't recalled him given the situation they are in.

 

Premier League clubs can only loan one player from another PL club, they already have Agbonlahor

 

Isn't he going African Cup of South American Nations though?

 

Writing off Doucoure already I see! It is difficult to walk into a side in January in a new country where you don't speak the language. Mario Suarez and Nordin Amrabat have hardly been first choice since arriving. All of them need time to adjust to the style of play, the league, language! Remember that Granada rejected Ighalo once they got to La Liga, look how that turned out!

 

Jesus, they've only had three games since he joined.

 

Now, now then. That post is a little too sensible and logical. It does not give an opportunity for a retort. You need to show a little more consideration. You have only 76 posts since July 2012 as a result of this sensible nonsense.

 

Yes and just 13 more to go. My point was I wonder whether Granada actually wanted him or he was effectively dumped on them without discussion, hence the fact he's not starting. Maybe the change of manager will help.

 

No one has written him off ?? Suarez & Amrabat are long term investments here being eased in, Doucoure is with Granada for 16 games and hasn't started the first 3 and not sure how many minutes he's spent on the pitch. Might have been better to leave him in France til the end of the season. What has Ighalo got to do with this ?? he was an established player they thought wasn't good enough for the top league and his record bore that out. I'm simply saying it seems a waste to park Doucoure at Granada if they're not going to play him.

 

Success isn't a Watford player.

 

Probably has a better chance of starting with the new coach arriving.

 

I think I read on WD that Granada really wanted him and spent deadline day trying to convince him spend the rest of the season with them. We can't just give Granada players if they don't want them, it doesn't work like that.

 

He has hasn't he!!

 

He pretty much is TBF

 

Well if he wants 50k a week I doubt Gino would want him here.

 

Both Suarez and Amrabat are turning 29 within the next month or so - unless the FA are planning on launching a 'Veterans' league to top-and-tail with the Under 21s then I certainly wouldn't see them as long-term investments in the footballing world.

 

Expert trolling TVOR.

 

Long-term as in longer than the 16 matches Doucoure has at Granada !

 

He was mostly used as a bench player once in La Liga and in his final season he played less than half of their league games! I count that as being rejected. Ross Jenkins played 81 times for Watford but that doesn't mean he was ever a crucial member of the team does it?!

 

Starting today

 

As is 3 other Watford players. 1-0 to Granada after scoring a Penalty won by Penaranda.

 

Looked half decent. Helped Granada keep a clean sheet.

A younger athletic version of Ben Watson

 

Impressive.

 

Doucoure got rave reviews for his Granada debut. As WDS put it, "Wearing No16 on his back and playing on the right of a central midfield two, he was economical in possession throughout, recycling the ball well and breaking up play with immaculate timing and real precision. He was Valon Behrami, Ben Watson and Mario Suarez rolled into one athletic, leggy frame. If he was watching from home, which he probably was, Sanchez Flores would have loved the way he screened the back four and took up the position Watson does in the Watford team – that all important-area between the full-back and the centre-half when the ball is out wide and ready to be slung into the box."

That worries me. How much do we need a Valon Behrami, Ben Watson and Mario Suarez rolled into one? Wouldn't it be nice to have a midfielder who's a bit different, and perhaps even a bit more attack-minded? I'm all in favour of an upgrade, but what about the types of player we don't have?

Too similar to Valon Behrami, Ben Watson and Mario Suarez?

 

He can be very attack minded when allowed to be. The midfielders we have a getting on in age now, and we could do with a younger one with fresher legs. He's much more of a goal threat than the midfielders we have now.

 

It sounds like he can do whatever job we need as he was very much an attacking player at Rennes. And with the 3 mentioned all to be the wrong side of 30 in a year I think it's a fantastic signing.

 

Sounds perfect. We can play Doucoure, and he'll do the work of all 3 men. That frees up space for us to field some luxury showboaters along the lines of Eder and Kinkladze.

 

I watched the game, which can be found here (as per, watch on YT):
[video=youtube;KVfMhATi8KM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfMhATi8KM[/video])

He did well and I expect (hope) that he has set himself out as a starter. Defensively strong last night, and has the engine to support Success and Peñaranda in the box.

 

It's great to be able to watch 3/11th of next season's side in action, playing together in advance

 

It was!

I even knitted them little yellow shirts that I attached to a stick and moved in front of them as they ran!

it was hard keeping up with Penaranda!

 

That boy's quicker than Speedy Gonzales & Roadrunner rolled onto one

 

I think he was just under instructions to play a disciplined game last night. He did break on a couple of occasions and he once he gets going he is really quick, both with and without the ball. The channel I was watching it on showed some stats at the end and he'd run further than anyone else on the pitch, reached a faster top speed than anyone else (including Penaranda and Success), and had the highest average speed for the whole game. He is much more dynamic than Watson and Suarez, and more attacking than Behrami.

He looked a completely different player to anything we have in central midfield, he will easily be able to support attacks and run from deep past the forwards. I thought he was the best player on the pitch by some distance.