So we’re supposedly £5m up at the expense of Udinese, but have you noticed that we have to play this utterly atrocious player up front, every single week? Something that is actively harming our ability to achieve more and perhaps be in the promotion conversation. If we’d sold this absolutely abhorrent excuse for a footballer for £10m, got the dud completely off our books and sent him to actually play for Udinese (and nowhere near us) then got to reinvest the money in a decent striker, you’d have a point, that would be excellent business. But, we have literally done the exact opposite of that.
Financially we are better off but in terms of playing XI we are exactly where we were with no striker capable of leading the line or scoring goals at this level.
Yes, but Bayo is obviously just a wrapper for the transaction, it could’ve been any player used to shuffle the funds across. Anyone who genuinely thinks Bayo has in any way been beneficial for the club just because he happened to be the player we’ve used cook the books (twice now) needs a lie down in a dark room.
Or give their head a wobble ? Financially he clearly has been useful though as you say, it could have been any other player.
It all very well saying that, BUT at the moment who have we got to replace him. Bah who can only last 30 minutes or Jebbison who should still be playing in a development squad as he's as weak as piss?
So where do you think it has gone if it hasn't been used to pay for new players or pay down debt ? Sneaked out of the club in a brown paper bag ? Maybe it was used to fund the loan fee for Jebbison which would be ironic.
Well that is precisely why making a’profit’ from Udinese on an embarrassingly poor player we still have to play isn’t a good deal, isn’t it?
Well I doubt we have to play him, but for whatever reason our manager seems hell bent on playing him week in week out, so aside from a change of manager it appears we’re stuck with him up front - all despite of TC supposedly wanting Jebbison himself.
Well, if all the wonderful cash injections from our clever owners have left us with squad offering a choice of Bayo or Jebbison as our two strikers, then it's a ******** system isn't it?
Yes though apparently TC wanted Jebbison so that might be on him ? Either way we are left with very poor options upfront.
Not been on here since the game as I was so pi55ed off. I haven't read through all the posts either as I'm sure it's fairly depressing. I've been going to Watford for 46 years now and have seen every game we've played at the dump of a ground since 1982. We've had some disappointing results and performances there over the years. the last time we went there we were terrible but at least you could say they were a half decent side who would eventually get promoted. This time they were 18th or 19th, fans were on the managers back and they had a fair amount of injuries. Decent chance you would think to make up for the debacle two seasons ago It was worse. I actually think it's the worst performance I've ever seen from a Watford team. No fight whatsoever. No plan to deal with their biggest threat, set pieces. Embarrassing defending for all three goals. No midfield. No 50/50 challenges won. Lost something like 80% of aerial duals. Played a keeper who was injured. I've not seen a worse reaction from our supporters at any game I've ever been too. So much abuse thrown at the players and every bit of it was fully deserved. To see Sissoko come over and tell us to calm down was just the icing on on the cake. I've save the best to last. The centre forward issue. Bayo is rubbish. Two goals and 0 assists in a year. He did less than nothing on Saturday, absolutely horrific. Jebbison was probably worse. Who on earth scouted him. I would say he's non league standard so far. Neither him or Bayo could control and hold up the ball. Lost it every time. I'm still absolutely fuming. I saw somebody say the fans should get their money back. I'm not one for that, you pay your money, you take your chances. I am surprised that none have taken to social media though. Maybe they've been told not to Leeds away next, god help us
Can you go into depth about the supporters reaction a bit more? I’ve not seen much on social media about it and Jugs gave the impression that it wasn’t that bad.
Agree with everything. The Scum played percentage football, hitting the channels and bypassing the midfield for their forwards. Both of them were nothing short of superb in what they did. On the occasions they didn't initially win the first ball they were all over the second too. That gave us no time to set-up to play. They targeted our weaknesses, of which we have too many and won with ease. My question is why didn't TC understand that this would be the case? These are professional footballers who showed zero pride. passion and that's what hurts the most for me. Bayo, Jebbison good Lord they were and are just so weak. We need someone desperately in the CF position come January or this be another season that just fades away.
One of the CBs could be used as a target man but that would highlight the crooked nature of the transfer if a £15M was kept out of the starting line up by a clod hopping centre half .
Incredibly well articulated post and I have been banging on about these points for years. It's why I wasn't that fussed about getting relegated, all we did was use the Premier League income to line the pockets of Gino's circle and sign dud players who would never positively impact us on the pitch, but pay nice commissions to Bayat & Friends.
Did I hear the coach was £13 each? So 57 seat coach = £741. I've seen a coach company offering private hire of a 57 seat coach from Luton into London Victoria for £235.
Normally when we've played badly there are always few fans that clap the players off. Not on this occasion and it felt like most fans had stayed to hurl abuse at the players. It was just a torrent of abuse, booing, insults. We're quite a non vocal support group and I'm sure other teams do this a lot but I've not seen a reaction like that ever
I saw my first game aged 6 and I'm 61 in December and I'd say that's the most spineless, ineffective occasion I've seen eleven players on a pitch. I can't dignify it with the word ' performance ' or 'play'. Yes the response or lack of it from the men on the pitch has been deafening in its silence. I'm still not over '84 Cup Final. No chance I'll recover from this unless I'm Deucalion and don't know it!
As was said at the time, to say we would be "debt free" was stupid as all companies have debts of some sort even if its accrued costs they haven't been invoiced for yet. Presume he meant "3rd party loans" ? Dunno, but we will continue to run at an operating loss and need cash inflows from player sales to balance the books as most clubs do. Perhaps in January we can buy him back from them for £2m and sell hin staright back for another £10m audited transfer fee ??
The Asprilla fee was after debt free day and covers many years of our operating losses into the future, given our reluctance to reinvest anything in the first team squad.
