Tough year for Ngakia so far and things in the longer term ain't looking up. No winter fuel allowance to look forward to when his final Watford contract finishes.
Think I've said it before, but I actually have some sympathy for him. Most footballers do actually want to play, and seeing your career slip away whilst you're constantly in the treatment room and doing a rehab programme is horrible. In my amateur running world I have a knee injury that means I can't run although walking is fine. So frustrating. The goons who hand out the contracts and decide a player who they know has a history of injury will be part of the first team squad are, as per usual, the ones to blame.
Not entirely his fault. If you or I were handed a five year deal with a nice amount at the bottom as an annual sum, would you sign it? I would. You are correct, he should of been moved on a few seasons ago, but it's Gino's fault for even considering keeping injured players on our books. let alone offering new contracts.
Can we steer clear of the idea that a player who has an unfortunate injury record is somehow complicit in bleeding the club of resources and happy to get paid for not playing? Until you have experienced a career changing illness or injury, especially one that shows complexity and brings false hope to specialists and patients alike, then it’s better to withhold judgment. I know how frustrating it is to have a player who is not playing for the club, and by all means make your accusations towards the club for poor stewardship. But please don’t continue this pointless narrative that a young guy, who has not been able to advance in the only profession he knows, for reasons beyond his control, is some kind of con artist who only cares about having his mortgage paid.
Ngakia was playing pretty well before his latest setback. If he can continue that sort of form on his return then he's a decent backup player and one we know who will give his all.
He's made 4 appearances in the league in the past 12 months; 2 of which took place in this current season, and which overall took place in three separate periods (so not all reflective of one single injury and respective time on the sidelines). I think it's really rather generous to suggest we could in any way claim that he looked like anything, let alone at the strength of 'playing well'.
Hmmm he's in a very privileged position unlike almost any other person. It's really not that similar to mere mortals like us suffering from illness or injury preventing them from working, especially given he has his money guaranteed. I don't hate him, of course, but he's certainly defying gravity when it comes to somehow convincing the club to keep him under contract despite rarely being fit enough to play. And so he deserves some scrutiny too - it can't all be put on the club.
It's just behind the famous Janmaat extension and in front of 5 More Years for Bachman in the head scratching contract extension table.
I wouldn't worry, come the Tuesday game it will be declared by the club that he is a "Week Away". I'd probably put money on it, but I'm not a gambler.
To be fair to Jezza I think he's just about due his periodic sub appearance followed by anguished look and limping off again.
Tuesday will come too soon, but he'll play 10 mins in the next game. Start the game after that, then we won't see him for another 4 months.
The good thing is that we weren't stupid enough to think we could go with just Andrews and Ngakia. Having Ebosele means that Ngakia being injured makes no difference as he wouldn't make the squad anyway. Get him fit (ish), loan him out to League 1 or something and see what happens. He doesn't offer us anything.
The best thing Ngakia did was get injured before the transfer window closed so that Cleverely could get Ebosele in time.
