And I’m sure they asked Edwards and he was in agreement? So it’s gone back to the original point - why are people getting worked up and believing he’s been stitched up?! If Gaspar wasn’t someone Edwards wanted, I’m sure he would have said ‘I won’t play him, wrong profile’.
I'm pretty sure RE knew exactly how the club were expecting to manage all the players Ins and Outs when he signed. It was always "wait and see" re Sarr and dennis and there's no way RE expected the perfect squad this season. Dennis leaving is one trigger and Sarr will be a second if he goes, RE is probably extatic he's got Davis and Choudury, a couple more like that by September and he won't be complaining..
I'm sorry but don't believe the club have changed their ways at all. If other people think they have then that's fine. But the unusual Bayo deal, the pointless Manaj transfer and completely ignoring the rule of eleven, despite using it as a reason for Cucho leaving, makes me think that they're still making decisions without Edwards having the final say.
This is where I disagree. Reckon it’s more likely Edwards says “I want a fast, ball-carrying wing back” and the hierarchy scamper off to look for one. Next thing, they’re offered a player with a bit of pedigree, for no transfer fee and think “great! That’s that sorted” and sign him up, without considering if he fits what Edwards actually wants.
Why is the Manaj deal pointless? Edwards has used him? If you don’t believe anything has changed, fair enough. Still would need a compelling argument though given Edwards has literally said what the process is.
IMO Manaj is clearly another Geijo or Perica, just squad filler. And even worse he's going to take up a non-homegrown space, what on earth possessed the club to sign two non-homegrown strikers at the start of the window while we still had Dennis, Sarr and JP? Well we know the reason for Bayo. You are completely right that there's still a few weeks to go and I'm probably being a miserable sod. I'm just sick of more waffle from Duxbury earlier in the summer and to me it doesn't feel like much has changed. It feels like we have a real chance to change the philosophy of the club under Edwards and I think we'll squander it.
Okay. Well Edwards himself has said different. So we have a liar as a manager as well as liars for owner and chairman. ‘Once again, Edwards was involved throughout the process of bringing Gaspar to Vicarage Road’ “Mario is a player we all identified as being someone we knew would be very good for us” Edwards explained. “I was part of that process of identifying him and deciding to move for him. It was very important for me that he fits into the group as a person, and then the decision to sign him was made by all of us involved in recruitment.” That’s a very odd way of him explaining he has no say and there’s no consideration if the player is what he wants. As it sounds very much like he was exactly the type of player he wants.
This sounds like Edwards wanted Gaspar. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/20587864.edwards-feels-gaspar-brings-much-watford/ The pertinent points being experience, versatility and leadership. The latter being something the side has severely lacked for some time. Samir has gone, WTE is potentially off and with Sierrelta still a baby in terms of games played, bringing in Laird over Gaspar would have meant even more inexperience in the back line.
Edit: hadn't seen similar posted in other threads. This one is more reflective of the actual squad though (doesn't list Rose, Pussetto etc.)
I don’t doubt Gaspar is a great and experienced right back, I just wonder if Edwards realised that his signing would be at the expense of a flying RWB ….unless we are still expecting to sign another flying RWB.
Ngakia being offered round clubs says to me a new right back will be coming in. Gaspar I would suggest wasn't on our radar at all until the Kiko situation happened. Edwards wasn't going to veto a move for an experienced captain considering how few leaders we have in the squad
I don’t believe Edwards had any say in Gaspar’s signing, or any other signings come to that, he may say what he wants position wise, but behind the scenes the powers that be construct the deals which they hope will be of benefit to the club one way or another!
The numbers in that graphic are wrong - Asprilla and Joao Pedro count as overseas players, being under 21 doesn’t matter in their case. So if Edwards is insistent on only having 11 non-HG players, we need to lose 3 more. But given you could never be sure all 11 were fit at any one time, I don’t see the issue in keeping 13-14 personally.
Tough one though. It's a hard sell to certain players that they have no chance of playing unless there's an injury. What we don't want is the Zola-esque rotation just to keep players happy
You ask, I provide! https://www.football365.com/news/avb-offers-resignation-marseille-no-to-ntcham And Edwards could easily have said no to the interview. But he didn’t and his comments are clear. I just think people want to twist the narrative on this one because of their unhappiness with Gino etc. And I really, really do understand that.
Of course not - but silence can be just as telling. RE very specifically said he was involved. He did not have do that.
That’s pretty funny. Okay, well let’s assume he’s not just towing the company line; until he starts playing Gaspar as a RWB then I don’t think it’s a wild assumption to think he wasn’t Rob’s first choice and a “flier” was what he wanted.
Fair enough, it did seem coincidental that we happened to want a right-back from the very club from the same autonomous community that Kiko ended up at! I presume given the comments about the Laird deal falling apart that Gaspar, for better or worse, will be playing at RWB, but given the lack of feasible alternatives in the squad (ie, not Ngakia) that surely we have to be in for another?
I genuinely don’t know. @DrewH is pretty switched on with his knowledge and he’s suggested we are looking at Lavinier from Spurs, who he has noted ha just turned down a new deal. And with Spence, Emerson Royal in situ and Udogie joining next season, it’s easy to see him moving on. Maybe he’s one who would be happy to come and play more of a backup/rotation role. I can see it being difficult to get a PL side to lend us a youngster without a guarantee of a certain amount of games.
Yeah the numbers are only for the 25 man squad (where u21s don't count) rather than the rule of 11 for matchday squads.
I do not know whether Lavinier fits the profile for which Rob Edwards is looking, but he is a right back and is only 21 years old. He qualifies as home-grown (although holding dual nationality for England and Portugal). He has been capped by England at U-15, U-16 and U-17 level before featuring for Portugal Under-18s due to his dual nationality. His contract with Tottenham expires at the end of this season, but he has refused to sign a new contract and has been omitted from the opening two Premier League 2 matches of their Under-21s' campaign (against Everton and Leicester City) - probably as a result of his contract issues with the club. https://www.footballinsider247.com/...l-lavinier-axed-after-rejecting-new-contract/
1 senior career appearance at the age of 21, he might be mustard for all we know, he might have suffered some misfortune which prevented him from breaking into the Spurs first team, but surely if you were him you'd want assurances over playing time rather than having to compete with Gaspar?
Another Uncle Ron and Ed's Sunday Service / Louorns exclusive - we are interested in Jack Stephens of Southampton.
Right-footed apparently, so perhaps an indication that WTE is off? We've already rejected an offer from Turkey for him, and Stephens coming in would mean we don't lose a HG player
At last, the homegrown CB we've been waiting for. Shame he's right footed but Rob can't be greedy can he.
If we end up with Stephens and Hause, we’ve learnt nothing and Gino yet again goes cheap on defence. So infuriating that we could get Clarke or Greaves as our LCB, instead we’re apparently going for the worst of the three options in Hause. As for Stephens, good grief that would be shocking. Countless better CB’s out there than him.
Admittedly the longer it takes the more it looks like Hause. How long before he even gets up to speed with no preseason? Again is Stephens better than Kabs and WTE? It feels quite deflating after the last 2 signings.
It does feel deflating, and if true, just shows that Gino will never truly upgrade our defence and we will always be dealt with cheap punts and duds for defenders. Greaves is available for £5-7mil reportedly, go and get him. He will be worth £20+ mil in the next year or two. Or at the very least go and sign Clarke who is in his last year of his contract (I think) for £5mil, which is supposedly the fee. No not us, we want to sign Hause, who has been injured all summer, had no preseason, is the worst of the options, and according to Villa fans isn’t due back from his knee injury until the end of August. Getting angry at something that hasn’t even happened and probably won’t, but that’s what you do to me Watford!!!
Agreed Greaves to me looks like the best and most sensible option. Can see his value soaring as you said.
