African Nations Cup

Fantastic news about Dennis, just hoping we announce 3 new defenders and a goalkeeper at 00:01 tonight.

I think it's in Dennis' interest to stay with us and build on his progress this season. If he keeps it up he'll be a shoe in for the 2022 world cup squad. Unless Pozzbury are completely insane (always a possibility) this will have been done in consultation with the player and his agent, rather than a heavy handed blocking from the club. Obviously the Nigerian FA have to make it sound like they tried to get him and Dennis has to say he would've gone if that was the outcome of the discussions between Nigeria and Watford. At the end of the day it seems to have been handled pretty smoothly and relatively amicably. It also suggests Dennis is loyal to people who treat him right.

 

Our twitter will be funny later, it's already dominated by Nigerian's calling us racist.

Despite of course having probably the largest contingent of African nationals, and players with African heritage in any of Europe's top divisions

 

Well, that's one person the Pozzos have treated right, thankfully it's our superstar rather than a 30 something backup CB this time

 

It is hilarious but I can see it getting a bit naughty later when we get beat by Spurs.

 

I totally agree wingco!

It's yet another load of PC clap trap

 

Except it has literally nothing to do with the concept of 'PC' whatsoever, does it? It's not coming from within our own culture, and it's nothing to do with being 'politically correct' - that phrase has literally no relevance to or application in this scenario. So why just throw it about like that?

 

Here we go they are out in force on social media after the loss. Can't wait for them to get knocked out of Afcon.

 

Troost-Ekong plays for them. The longer they are out there, the better.

 

Well this random site says Ranieri said he had a small problem then looked nervous so he brought him off. I assume that means he had a knock.

https://scorers.org/ranieri-weighs-in-on-potential-watford-penalty-explains-dennis-sub/

 

Nah would rather they got slapped regardless

 

How did Dennis play today?

 

Wow

 

Well we were very understanding when Nigeria sent an email late, so I'm sure we definitely agreed to let our most expensive asset go off to play in a tournament when he might not be fit.

 

Senegal can insist on a medical examination and looking at the FIFA rules it’s up to Sarr whether that happens in England (the association where he is registered) or in Senegal/Cameroon. So it’s not just Watford’s word that decides it. What I suspect has happened is we’d previously agreed to him potentially playing later in the tournament but have now revised his prognosis and proposed to rule him out of the tournament altogether.

 

Club just put up about St Albans Hemel game today. The Nigerians now want St Albans to lose today and be relegated for being our association club

 

Yes, I think this is most likely what has happened.

If he won't be playing for us until February anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if the medical team have been nudged into a more negative prognosis than they might have come up with otherwise.

I suspect it is now a more realistic prognosis anyway as our medical team have a history of being overly optimistic when it comes to return dates!

 

I see this ending very badly. The club are probably right that he's still a month away, and no doubt he'll be assessed by Senegal who will declare him fit.

Pressure will be put on him by Senegal to play, and he'll feel obliged to do so.

One knee requiring surgery later, we have a player that's value has plummeted

This is bound to happen as absolutely everything else that could have gone wrong has

 

We've just got to piss off Josh King and we'll have the full set of forwards wanting out. Although Sema probably tipped King over the edge yesterday with his wildly inaccurate passing killing any attack in 5 seconds flat.

 

In fairness, it was always an utterly ludicrous suggestion that they would summon him at the quarter final stage when he's BLOODY INJURED. Pick someone else, you chancers. No fan of any team in the same situation with the same relative player would be anything other than totally against it, despite what I imagine umpteen 'classy' Man Utd fans from anywhere but the north west are screeching on the various socials this morning.

 

To be fair, if it was one of England’s star players (or any Home Nation depending on where you’re from) - Harry Kane for instance - then I’d imagine the vast majority of Spurs fans would be only too happy for him to be called up if he was only available for just the quarters onwards.

Once again, the issue here is the timing of the tournament.

 

I would also imagine that the medical treatment he'll get with Senegal is going to be pretty basic.

Can't imagine there are too many anti gravity treadmills kicking about in Cameroon

 

Do players ever actually join up with teams during the middle of a tournament though? I mean, I’m sure it’s happened but I can’t think when.

You’re generally either fit and named in the squad ready to start the first game, or you’re not. Maybe at a push a player might be named in the squad but maybe not match fit for the first or maybe second group match, but beyond that I’m struggling to think of a precedent for an injured player joining their national team in the knockout stages?

It’s tough for them, but sometimes you’ve just to take these things on the chin, if he’s injured he’s injured, and if he’s that vital what are the chances of them getting to the knockouts without him anyway?

 

Yeah, I am with a19 here in that I just don't think that really happens - honestly I think it's a strange way of making the tournament and national team set up look more budget and bodged than it even needs to be, which hardly helps the perceptions they're constantly railing against. I imagine it would come down to the injury prognosis too, but given Sarr's is floating about in the ether it's not exactly like when we took Kane despite him not being match fit having only recovered in the final weeks of the season (not that I'm saying you're talking about a real world example like that, I get it).

 

No, I'm aware it sounds elitist and smug, but I'd be worried enough about Sarr taking the pitch in the Premier League injury-wise, let alone in the various directly terrorism-threatened regional pitches of Cameroon.

Besides, whether it's Senegal, San Marino, or Germany, in the confines of a tournament experience, particularly when it comes to one-off knockout rounds later down the line, I'm not entirely sure any decisions made on participation will be 100% solely taking into account the actual preparedness of the player and ideal management of his condition.

 

How **** are Senegal that they're desperate for a half fit Sarr to join up with them during a tournament? Just show them his performance against Arsenal.

 

It's a really rubbish position because Senegal have very little to lose here. If they rush him back and he gets injured again, they haven't really lost anything because he was never fit in the first place. But we lose our best player and because its a knee ligament injury his value plummets. If we get relegated again he will almost certainly try and force a move in the summer too.

Wish there was a way that we could get some financial guarantee from Senegal for when he eventually gets a season ending injury.

 

If I were Sarr and not fit I would decline selection.
Play when unfit and it could end his career.

 

I get that it's a long time before Senegal's next game, but what happens if he comes back too quickly and gets an even more serious injury? Then they could be without him for their World Cup play-off!

 

I would imagine this is what's happening right now. His agent must be telling him this could potentially set his career back years