I don't know about anyone else but to me that is a premier league team as good as anything you'll find outside the top 8. And just to put the icing on the cake we can also put out a strong championship team: -------------Bond-------------- --Doyley---Nosworthy---Hoban-- --Anya-------------------Pudil-- ----Murray----Hogg----Smith---- -------Acuna---Fabrinni --------
----------- Almunia? ---------- - Ekstrand -- Angella -- Cassetti - - Faraoni - Abdi - Battochio - Romero - -- Fabrinni - Deeney - Forestieri -- Let's not worry about defence, i really cannot see anyone coping with this. Away from home maybe replace Battochio with a more defensive minded player to win some battles
Good shout. The only change I would make is to put FF or Acuna just behind Fabbrini and Deeney. ----------- Almunia? ---------- - Ekstrand -- Angella -- Cassetti - - Faraoni - Abdi - Battochio - Romero - -Forestieri/Acuna- -- Fabrinni - Deeney --
Best of luck to GZ and I'm glad he picks the side. The possibilty of Vydra coming back as well plus the likes of Hoban, Nos, Hogg, Murray, Smith, Mensah, Uche, Assambalonga. How bright does the future look now?! Spare a thought for those travelling to Southport on the first game of the season!:jumping1:
I still think we need one more CB, Cassetti is brilliant but he was looking a tad off pace toward the end. Can't wait for Hoban to be back, a back three of Ekstrand, Angella, Hoban. All under 25 and yet to reach full potential!
Fabbrini and Forrestieri in free roles behind Deeny is a tantalising prospect. With Faraoni and Romero down the wings giving us plenty of width as well. Seriously. Excited.
Don't diss Southport, play in yellow and black and hosted the great Luther Blissett for a loan spell...
Only one English player...the press are going to eat us alive for stifling homegrown talent and so on and so forth...downgrading the academy...etc
If I was a young academy player then Watford would be the perfect place to learn and improve. You can only get better by training with the quality we have at the club right now. There is a fantastic opportunity for any young lad at Watford these days. If they are good enough they will play, but they have to be good enough first and foremost. I do not subscribe to the theory that foreign talent blocks English opportunities. It should be the opposite and should inspire English players to improve. In an ideal world our team would be full of English players, but they just are not good enough right now. If we filled our team with just English/British players to the same quality we have now, how much do you think that would cost? £8.5m for Gayle, £15m Saha, Wickham £13m........it's just crazy. English players are overpriced compared to better overseas players. Of course what we need to do is invest in our own academy to produce the next Ashley Young, which is what we will do once have the money to do this. Bottom line is get to the Premier then we can stand on our own two feet, so we can seriously invest in the academy to produce our own quality players and augment that with the best of what the Pozzo's have to offer. Sure you may get a pat on the back for buying British, but it's just a fantasy if you think it's the best way to go when you compare the quality against VFM.
I agree dude, I was being facetious as it seems fashionable to find something to criticise us about and as it's not loans anymore, I'm sure they'll find something else to moan about.
---------------Almunia/ New GK---------------- Faroani --- Ekstrand --- Angella --- Romero ----------New DM----Battochio---------------- Fabrinni ----------Abdi-------------Forestieri ---------------Deeney--------------------- Backup (Yes, don't scratch your eyes... It does say backup!) ---------------------Bond---------------- ----------Doyley --Hoban -- Nosworthy ----- Cassetti/Anya--------------------------Pudil -----McGugan/Smith-Hogg-Murray----- ---------------Uche ----Acuna----------
They always do... i'm just waiting for the next Martin Samuel column after we complete the permanent signings... "all that's wrong with football", "disgrace to the game" etc. etc. For some reason part of me even expects Holloway to try and stick his nose in again at some point saying it can't be right that we're signing all these players on permanent transfers from one club... I reckon it's unlikely, but it wouldn't surprise me at all as he loves a good piece of attention seeking. At the end of the day, there will still be a good number of home-growns in and around the squad, and as someone said above... if you're good enough, you'll play. A bit of research before writing never did anyone any harm, but some journo's still fail to recognise this point.
I can see Sky having Holloway as a pundit for one of our games and yes I would fully expect him to have some comment. One thing the haters will have correct this year is that we will be a team full of Italians unlike last year when we only had Cassetti. Udinese B comments will be even louder this coming season especially as it will be thought we have side stepped the loophole which opposing fans gleefully said would be closed and stuff us up for the forthcoming season. Good stuff.
If the press start just point to what they're doing at Granada, they are investing not asset stripping and player development has always been a major part Pozzo operations and will be here too in good time. Do they really expect Rome to be built in a day?
Think this will be Zola's biggest challenge. Lots of those players in your 'back up' will be wanting regular game time so I think there will be a lot of rotation going on this season. I guess the question is can we do this and keep up the performances which was not always the case last season.
could someone who knows a little more than I (not difficult) list the new players with their respective positions? I would like to have an overview of where we are well covered and where we need a little more?! Thx.
Okay, so I put this together. It should be kinda useful. GK: Bond, Wilks, Trialist (Marko ???), Almunia (?) RB/RWB: Cassetti, Faraoni, Anya, Hodson CB: Doyley, Ekstrand, Angella, Brown (Trial), Hoban, Nosworthy, Thompson, Cassetti LB/LWB: Pudil, Anya, Romero (Pos), ****inson CM: Hogg, Battochio, Smith, McGugan, Abdi, Jenkins AML/C/R: Forestieri, Fabbrini, O'Nien, Murray ST: Deeney, Acuna, Forestieri, Assombalonga, Mensah, Ikpeazu
Ikpeazu - Striker McGugan - central midfield Angella - central defence Faraoni - anywhere down the right Romero - left winger Acuna - striker Fabbrini - forward/second striker Reece Brown - defence (if he signs)
I don't think Zola could have sent a clearer message to ****o, Thomo, Hodo, Jenko by not taking them on holiday to Italyo if he spent a year thinking about it.
Do you reckon the club are aware of all these tweets, instagrams etc.? Good on 'em if they are, but if they are not, me thinks some of the guys could be in trouble if they find out?
I think the club has given them the nod. Interesting use of social media, for me. Let the players break the news semi officially - seems a little more personal than the official twitter feed.
Why? They haven't given away big secrets / shown us cooking up some devilish set pieces - just young blokes having a laugh together and telling us when they have signed deals - can't see why anyone would give a toss
