Seeing as you have Ian Bolton as your avatar.........he's 70 today......can you believe that? Memories in pictures of Watford great Bolton on his 70th birthday | Watford Observer
It's nothing short of frightening tbh. My first Watford hero. He even stopped along with Luther and Bobby Downs to have a kick about with us kids in Cassiobury park on occasions.
I’m told we are still looking to bring in 5 players as quoted by AL and AF etc. however I have not had any new information around particular targets or signings for a couple weeks now. Fingers crossed the hierarchy just going about their business quietly.
Of the 5, I'm hoping these do not include resigning players like Gosling and Manaj. We definitely would in for a left back/wing back seeing as we only have one player, who is only a backup anyway. Of the other 4 I would say 2 first choice strikers, seeing as Ismael likes to rotate this position a lot during games. So, 4 viable strikers are paramount. Midfield is a big concern for me. Louza, Kone and Asprilla are the standouts but we do need a quality enforcer. Someone who is going to be a bit of a bully and doesn't mind a tackle. Don't have a problem with Gosling or Livermore if they are to be backup, but we need a much better DMF as first choice. So, to recap. A LWB, DMF x 2, striker x 2. I think we do need a new keeper as well though. From what I've seen of Hamer he would let in a lot of soft goals. Okoye is even worse. So we have a real problem here. Personally I would sell Bachmann and invest in a very good allrounder, who is comfortable with rushing off his line and dealing with the high line we'll be playing. For me, we need a minimum of 6 players and we need to still move some on for their own good. Players like Baah and Hungbo are not really needed. Ngakia needs to go as we don't need three right backs (especially if Gosling does re-sign). I'd like to see Kayembe go too, but I suspect we're stuck with him.
To my knowledge the list is a LB, DM, AM, LW, ST. but I’d agree on needing 2 strikers, I do think for we will sign a younger talent and then either Livermore or gosling will be signed on as cover.
2 reasons why it might be good news that we no nothing - if they are sh1te then if we knew we would be going ape - if they are good - last thing we want to do is ;et the world know
I don’t understand us being in for a LW. Martins and Sema are both decent enough. RW our options are Kalu and Hungbo. Horrendous. Need to be signing a RW before a LW in my opinion.
Sema has been playing RW so far in pre-season. Asprilla being a left-footed player could also perhaps play there, albeit it might limit his creative passing slightly, and in turn he'll need to improve his finishing from last season to be more effective in such a role. Martins could be as effective from the RW as the LW perhaps, given it's not as if he seems that good at side-footed finishes with his right-foot from the left-flank anyway.
I think Ince is here as the right wing option, with Kalu as backup. No place for Hungbo IMO. According to the Reading fans, even though he didn't play too often on the right, that's his best position.
I think his best position will be the most advanced of a midfield 3, but he should be able to do a job as a RW. Yeah don't think he'd really work as a LW.
I'd forgotten that Ince was also left-footed. Yes he is another decent option for RW then. I'd say that leaves LW as being more in need of an upgrade - I'm not convinced by Martins tbh, and although Sema is good at making assists from there, it appears Ismael prefers inverted wide players, which would rule Sema out as a favoured option. In which case a right-footed attacking wide player like Palma still does fit the bill.
Any idea what our budget is? I know you probably wont but it seems like you are the only person that might know.
Why’s that? As I noted yesterday we have structured multiple deals in that way with similar or more expensive financials.
A fair point but we might have viewed last season as our best chance to get back into the Premier League and might have a very different appetite for those deals this season against the backdrop of the (external) debt free by end of the season target. I guess none of us really know, but we'll soon see what the budget was for this summer when the transfer window 'slams shut'.
I mean I’d have thought in terms of risk management loan + option/loan + obligation in the event of promotion would be a smart way of handling things if the goal is to be debt free by the end of the season.
Kalu is extremely good on FIFA '23. No idea where they came up with the evidence that led them to that judgement of his ability.
Giaretta publicly confirming what @Goldenorn reported earlier. https://twitter.com/thetransfergeek/status/1679531102807941124?s=46&t=-0aWEmPmVMorOr6Y6_OCvA
I hope we take a slightly longer term view of our transfers rather than trying to plug the gaps with players that are 30+ and on a wind down.
In the past yes. They spent all they could last season, which was not a lot, in an attempt to go straight back up, that failed and any parachute payments remaining are more or less gone already. The Kamara transfer was a red flag also, it was obviously inflated to help us financially. Im not being pessimistic just realistic after being confronted with the evidence but hoping for the best as always.
"No, it's not true, there is no offer or nothing advanced for Palma, reports are false" Although, it could be telling that he doesn't actually flat out say we aren't interested in the player; really just that there is "nothing advanced". We could have held an initial discussion about how much a deal would cost, and it wouldn't contradict what Giaretta says here.
