Surely a loan makes more sense and good business as I doubt CB has reached his full potential - and I hope we get to see that in the future as one of our own
Phew, a year or two of growing up and he could be a great player. Without Zolas possession style he struggled a little to impose his game. Almen is also suffering with our inability to pass for prolonged periods as well but all you Bepe lovers will say it's only the result that matters so...
We pass the ball plenty, it a complete myth that we don't. If there's a decent run and a long ball to be played then I certainly don't mind Tozser launching a few forward. Would you be saying the same about Abdi had he scored his three chances against Bolton which he wasted? He's been below par apart from that game, nothing to do with the football bring played. He misplaced a few simple passes on Saturday even!
I'm not saying we're a long ball side but the passing side if our game has dropped off significantly since Bepe arrived IMO. Leeds passing was far better than ours Saturday until the sending off.
Think a little loan to a League One side would have done him the world of good. But If he can go off and improve and enjoy his football, fair play. Never did anything wrong with us so respect the guy.
Pfft they've managed to poach one of the best strikers in the world from Bayern. Virtus Entella are a huuuuuge club.
Completely agree and what he needs most for his development at the moment is game time, something he might find hard to come by here currently
Very disappointing that he's gone to some Serie B side and not another team in the Championship or League 1. I outright refuse to believe that there's not a single team in this league or the one below that wouldn't jump at the chance of him joining their team until the new year. Very disappointing indeed.
Could be a whole number of reasons for him going to Serie B. Guaranteed starting spot (or as good as guaranteed anyway) which couldn't be negotiated with an English team. No other club wishing to pay a loan fee, if one is involved. Other clubs wanted to buy him outright. Had a choice of clubs & Cristian chose to go back to Italy. Maybe his partner/wife/girlfriend (one of these, not all three!) wants to go home/back to Italy. Virtus Entella were the only club to enquire about him. Who knows! As disappointing as it is, Battocchio isn't a cut above the rest otherwise he'd be starting most games. He's a good team player and very occasionally scores eye catching goals but is not the dominant player week in week out that WFC need right now. To become that player he needs to play so send him somewhere to help him grow as a footballer by playing regularly rather than sitting on the bench at a similar type of club to ourselves.
Forget not he's an Italian U-21, he'll need to be playing for a competitive team to stay in their sights ... top end Serie B is of a high standard despite it's lack of popularity.
Shame but if he isn't going to get games then might as well let the guy play some elsewhere in a league he'll feel comfortable in.
Like Fessi, he actually seemed to want to be here. Not everybody did. Good Luck CB..hope we see you in a WFC shirt again one day.
Official #watfordfc @watfordfcsays 1m More #watfordfc midfielder Cristian Battocchio to take-on season-long development loan at Italian side Virtus Entella YASSSSSSSSS!
I think this can be a great chance for Battocchio. Virtus Entella has just been promoted for the first time in serie B and judging from http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/virtus-entella/startseite/verein/20519 their team roster is not really great. This means Batto could play probably in starting 11 for the whole season (hoping no bans or injuries) and should be expected to become their leader in the midfield. Serie B is probably less competitive than Championship, but most likely quite better than league One, so Battocchio could earn a lot of experience from this loan.
Seems like they want him to get game time. Good call, I think; he is a quality player who just needs experience and minutes he isn't going to get here at present.
Whats the difference between a standard loan and a development loan? To me, it seems as that when he returns there will be a place for him in the team.
I don't think there is officially any such thing as a development loan. It's just the club's way of succinctly saying "we're sending him out on loan to develop via game time, not because we don't want him" to head off fan hysteria.
Didn't see the match unfortunately, but judging from comments on Twitter Batto had a really good match in Italy - Serbia U21, won 3-2 (after they were 0-2). It was a very important match. Now U21 Italy should be almost sure (if no blunders in last match) of participation to play-off for final phase of European Cup U21. Next Tuesday Italy-Cyprus is their last qualification match. If they win (as hopefully likely) they'll end as first in their qualification group and will most likely be seeded in the play-off thus playing a lesser opponent. And if at Euro 2015 U21 they reach the semifinals (among 8 teams) they'll qualify also for Olympic Games 2016. Given these chances of international visibility for Italy U21, if think it was a very good idea both for Batto and for WFC to have him playing in Italian serie B, gaining a lot of experience and being more "visible" to Italy manager.
Another 90' played and a very good match for Battocchio in the 7-1 win against Cyprus U21. He didn't score, alas! Now Italy has won its group and goes to the play-off.
Since taking over, Sannino has turned Catania from a team which had lost its first two games of the season, to 3W, 3D and 3L, or 12 points from 27. They will be comfortably midtable if they maintain that. His home form (true to tradition) is 3W, 2D, 1L, and his away form is 0W, 1D, 2L.
