We are in a bad run, but it’s totally expected (by me anyway). Now consider we will have to sell Asprilla along with other key players. We will have to make up a £26m loss on the season somehow. We will not invest as we still have crippling debt to service. I don’t see it’s possible if the squad is further depleted, how we’ll be strong enough to compete.
Well someone suggested earlier on another thread that Duxbury was aiming for promotion in 24/25. I presume he meant us and not someone else!
Mixed bag of a game, we look like lots of other Watford teams in recent seasons where the confidence is so fragile. We were digging in and getting wins/draws when under pressure earlier this season but now we look a bit spent. The annoying thing was that we were on top, Asprilla scores goal of the season (sorry, Wes) and five minutes later Dele-Bashiru did brilliantly to turn between two players and then... completely fails to make the simple pass as he does so often, gets his pocket picked and is then miles out of position as they broke and scored via a Dele-Bashiru shaped hole. Can understand that feeling like a sucker punch and they just didn't have the belief/energy there was earlier in the season to fight back again. Think our customary end of season tail off is well and truly up and running.,,
So, this one isn't so much addressing what we were talking about to start with, but interesting to read nonetheless - from when he was first linked: This is also quite interesting from the same article but posted to R/Soccer instead of R/Championship: 'Square pegs in round holes' is very interesting - TDB anyone? Martins on the right wing, anyone? Rajovic on a football pitch, anyone? The added comment from a Besiktas fan is also worth anyone taking a look. (Shoutout to our very own @barely1egal for his cameo) These two chains from when he was sacked at West Brom is also quite amusing to read, I reckon. Doesn't directly reference us at all, of course, but it feels just a little deja vu-ey:
Realistically it was only Sean Dyche keeping us away from relegation before Pozzo, now the Udinese tap is turned off I’m not sure what they’re bringing to the party next season by comparison, other than a massively diminished ability to attract decent managers.
Having watched the replays, Dele-Bashiru’s attempt to get back for the third was pathetic, did not sprint a yard, all a casual jog.
That is pretty damning stuff from the fans' side of things, who won't hide behind paywalls and manager promises. A lot of what the WBA fans' especially said are looking more and more like what he is doing to us. Subs on the same minute, same formation, players out of position. He cannot be blamed for the small squad, but he can be looked at for the way the side has somehow lost it's mojo. Tonight wasn't the worst we've played. but it was up there for this season in conceding goals from positions we had more than enough cover from. How many more goals is Porteous going to concede through rash choices and bad decisions until VI finally sees the light? It might be too little too late by then.
I would caveat we said the same things about Edwards playing Kamara at right back then we sacked him and watched him get Luton promoted.
There are definitely some decisions which on the face of it seem weird from Ismael, but ultimately, the man to blame is upstairs...
On the subject of Val and WBA, I seem to remember there was lots of rubbing of hands on here about their situation and the fact they’d seemingly be ****ed this season with no parachute payments and a pile of debt and therefore be one less bigger team for us to worry about (lol). I know they have a takeover in the works, but it hasn’t actually happened yet, so I assume the reason they’re still outperforming us is that they’ve now actually got a good manager?
The frustrating thing about last night was that Norwich are clearly a team who start to crumble under pressure (we saw it in the first game too) but we didn’t take advantage. Having got back in the game against the run of play before half-time, we started the second half well and dominated them. Their game faltered and we ultimately equalised, but then, for some reason we seemed to take our foot off the gas and once they scored again there was only one winner. A big chance missed.
Sorry I misread your post and thought you’d said he was only in charge for a pre-season. I know he was only in charge for one season, but it was widely regarded we’d be in a relegation battle as we’d sold Graham, Cowie and Buckley as Bassini was asset stripping, and the season before we’d finished 14th, but despite losing some very key players he still got us to 11th place, which was well above expectations. This is not any sort of support for Dyche, just the acknowledgment of the reality that pre-Pozzo we were a lower mid table/relegation threatened team only elevated by a decent manager who went on to do much better things. I’m not sure what Pozzo is bringing to the table next season that differentiates us from that team.
Lots of comments across that last two games that Leicester and Norwich aren’t great, but that was us when we last got promoted, we never looked convincing but still found a way to win. However unimpressive Leicester and Norwich look they’ve got the results and we haven’t, passing it around nicely for a bit without any end product isn’t worth any points on its own.
Somewhat frustrating after we appeared to be well back in the match . More worrying was that they appeared to give up a bit at 4-2,, which isn’t like this side. Dennis looked good vs Leicester but was the worst player on the pitch when he came on . We’re on a bad run and could just do with a win. Rotherham gives us that opportunity hopefully . Don’t think Kayembe will be starting on Saturday but we could do with him back starting asap .
Shyte day . Persisted down with rain from the moment we left home . Sat in seats no. 1 and 2 and got soaked . Witnessed the team throw away a game where Norwich had crumbled and their crowd had turned against their manager after he subbed off their 2 forwards . Then endured a journey home from hell . The A11\A14 exit was closed so had to divert around Cambridge to pick up the M11. Missed the Royston A10 turn off . So thought never mind just carry on to Stansted. That exit was also shut !! Then onto Harlow and whaddyaknow?
I know most, if not ALL, of our fanbase is in denial that we could end up near the bottom of the table, but I think it's fair to say you need to get around 50 points in order to be safe from relegation. It might be a few less as the bottom 3 do look a bit hopeless. But if QPR win at Stoke tonight they'll be on 32 points from 32 games, so they'll be averaging a 46 points season. Not including Chesterfield, the last 11 games against Championship opposition has produce just ONE win, and anyone who saw that QPR away game knew we got lucky. So, for me, the signs (as they have been all season), are worrying. We have 14 games remaining, and whilst it's true we could potentially win any of them, I think it's highly unlikely we win any of the following:- WBA (a), Leeds (h), Southampton (a) and Boro (a) and Ipswich (a). I would rate those games on paper as our hardest fixtures. So that reduces the 14 game list to 9 which I would say if we play well, we've got a chance of winning. Millwall (a), Hull (h), Preston (h), Swansea (h), Brum (a), Coventry (h) and Sunderland (h). For us those are difficult games, but I would expect to win at least one of those matches. The next two have to be our "bankers". Rotherham (a), Huddersfield (h). I think we need back-to-back wins in these two games, then we can put this season to bed. My concern is, if we fail to win either game, then we're going to get sucked into it. It's inevitable if our form doesn't improve. So, the next two games (for me), will tell me if we're going to get sucked into a relegation fight or will just hover above it treading water.
I know you like to sensationalise a bit but where do you get your £26m loss for this season from ? Are you basing this on some kind of cash calculation, based on the parachute payments having been p*ssed up the wall . It certainly won’t be £26 from a book perspective .
Yeah that's pretty much how I read it too. I was looking at the table last night and sort of predicting how we might do over the final games and even with my most optimistic of predictions I had us finishing on just under 52 points, which is awful considering where Duxbury said we would finish but he gets almost a million a year so can rest easy. For me, Rotherham away is going to be a big, big game. Play like the last 20 minutes of last night, or how we have played for the majority of first halves this season we will not win. Lose at the New York Stadium and serious questions are going to be raised at VI's ability to get the morale back in this side. Whatever he "fixed" early season has clearly broken again and I think the main reason for that, is teams have worked us out. When you play the same system with the same players out of position you will get beat. Sides are going to attack us down the right. Head towards TDB and he backs off and there you go, have a shot at goal. Hamer has been immense and I do hope we extend his contract for at least one more season. If next season is going to as tough as most of us predict then we going to need a safe pair of hands.
My calculations are taken from Kieran Maguire. He's an expert football financial analysis. He states we are losing £500k per week. So that's £26m per year. Nothing sensational about it. It's there in the club's own financial accounts.
Liked in order to sympathise with you for the catalogue of disasters listed! It reminds me of similar past s****y losses at Sheffield (both grounds), Chesterfield, Stoke and many many others which had weather and travel factors to maximise the misery. Keep your chin up and with luck you won't receive the cherry on top with @hornetboy1 explaining that he had predicted the 4-2 result was going to happen, that the A11/A14 would close and that you were foolish to miss the Royston turn off which would have got you home hours earlier.
You do realise these are ‘historic accounts’ . They are largely from last season . The club admittedly had higher income but the wage bill has been trimmed by over £30m according to the data . All things being equal the club should be turning an operating profit for this season given £34m of parachute payments . That doesn’t make the situation not worrying due to the cash and debt position , but the £26m number does not reflect the current situation No offense but people who don’t understand financials shouldn’t really be banding around these numbers as it is sensationalist and unecessarily alarmist . It suggests the club need to sell a £30m player every year to survive which is simply not true. We would be rapidly heading for administration if that was the case.
It is no surprise that our disappointing recent run has coincided with the absence of King 'Ken' Sema. He's clearly not match fit yet but once he is the results will improve
I'm beginning to think that Andrews may have some small injury that they don't want to aggravate. His only 19, his game is based on pace, plus of course his muscles and bones may well still be growing. It wouldn't surprise me if when Ngakia is back he has some form of recovery planned. Val is trying to play with TDB as an introverted full back, mainly because h drifts in there being a natural midfielder. Great if he then gets back and covers space, but his not and we are heavily exposed. Lewis is going backwards at an alarming rate and his confidence is clearly shot. A wonder from Asprilla, Rajovik looked better than he has been before. Clear they have been working with him and clear that his learning. Still a long long long way to go though. Dennis was poo, Georgi can run with the ball but has no final ball. He'll be replaced with Kayembe next week. Really disappointing, once we got back to 2-2 we should have managed the game a lot lot better and as a minimum seen the game out for a point.
