Watford Best International Xi With A Twist

I almost added in you had to have a manager.

Blissett, Barnes & God himself.

I’m guessing 99% choose GT there.

 

L

Liked for just how bad it is. Although Gayle was alright wasn’t he?

 

Man City 16/17 at home under Mazzarri I think he did.

Edit: He did. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39912032

 

I'd go for Barnes, one of his Liverpool team mates said he was briefly the best player in the world. Even if that's an exaggeration how many English let alone Watford players has that ever been said about? For my non English manager I'd pick Joka.

 

Going for only players from my time of watching Watford, as well as a team which might actually function:

Gomes (Brazil)

Holebas (Greece)
Sierralta (Chile)
Prodl (Austria)
Janmaat (Netherlands)

Deulefeou (Spain)
Behrami (Denmark)
Capoue (France)
Sarr (Senegal)

Helguson (Iceland)
Ighalo (Nigeria)


Can't believe how many here have selected Vydra over Ighalo, considering Ighalo was basically our most prolific ever goalscorer in the PL.

 

Gomes
Cassetti
Jackett
Britos
McClelland
Nielson
Abdi
Sarr
Helguson
Johnston
Barnes

 

I see a couple of mentions of Richard Johnson, a player who was largely before my time as a fan (early 2000). Even so I should remember him, because he scored in the near comeback against Liverpool and was a key player in the double promotion under GT and I've read all the reports on BSaD from that era. Basically, what was so great about him? Was he an attacking midfielder with lots of assists? What player from the Pozzo era would you say is closest in style to him?

 

Johnno was a classic example of a player that improved hugely under GT. In his early years as a young player he was enthusiastic but limited, with fairly poor ball control and dubious passing but once GT returned and paired him with Micah Hyde he blossomed. He was the more defensive of the two but we didn’t play with a DM-type that people are familiar with today. He was more of an all-action ball winner dominating the middle and of course had that cannonball shot. To carry his form through from the third tier to the PL was a great achievement and it was a great shame that injury prevented him from making more appearances after 99/2000.
He also holds the distinction of being Mrs Willis’s favourite-ever Hornet!

 

He was the first player I remember fans shouting out ‘shoooot’ to whenever he got the ball in the opponents half. Scored one of my favourite goals. Home v Wolves, they had equalised late on, their fans were giving it the ‘your not signing anymore’ and moments later he hit a thunder blaster! Lovely stuff.

 

Fair play not using any players from before your era. Interesting it’s meant no English player!

 

My memories are hard working midfielder, but with a bullet shot. Absolute cannon of a foot. His passing range seemed to also improve over the years.

 

A lot of people seem to be showing Jacket as a defender, but he was a midfielder

 

I suppose you're referring to this?

"...there were some spectacular moments [in those early performances], and I can still bring up a mental image of a savagely-struck ball dipping over the keeper and underneath the crossbar to win an emotional encounter with Graham Taylor's Wolves." (Ian Grant, BSaD)

 

No mention of Ngonge ?

Surely a shout for the exotic XI coming from the Republic of Congo I think .

 

Foster

Doyley
McClellan
Demerit
Holebas

Kucho
Capoue
Behrami

Deulefeu
Helguson
Sarr


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

His best position should've been left back so I'm basing my pick on that. He even siad it himself on the Watford Legends interview.

 

Think you’ve got your red and white flags mixed up with Behrami

 

Ha, good spot. It's because I initially c+ped BusheyOrn's post then edited it, but after swapping Nielsen for Behrami in central midfield forgot to also change the countries.

 

You of all people should be happy people have changed his natural position! From memory, he played quite a few games as a left back

 

Really Knight GT!!! I'm surprised you of all people would finally admit that that sort of thing is at all possible

 

Gomes

Jackett
McClelland
Sierralta
Cassetti

Sarr
Abdi
Kucko
Barnes

Johnston
Helguson

I know he has only played a couple of games, but Kucko is awesome. I can't remember instantly liking a player so much since Tommy Mooney started playing for us. Absolute quality.

Although not strictly a right back (could play anywhere) I also think Cassetti is one of the best players to play for Watford. Not many read the game like him. Hardly broke sweat because he didn't need to. A bit like McClelland and Roeder.

 

I think not having him in the team for the most part was one of the key reasons why the 2000/01 season ultimately was so disappointing. We missed his mental toughness, energy, authority and experience of all kinds of opponents at that level. Even so, in his place we had Nielsen or Vernazza alongside Hyde, two technically better players, so we should’ve at least got to the play-offs.

 

Can't take that seriously, since the name Ramon Vega fails to appear.

 

Vega paid me a significant amount of 50 pound notes to leave him off

 

Spurs were going to sign him before that injury for quite a hefty fee if I remember correctly

 

In my memory it was Leeds who were after him. I think he was briefly at Spurs as a youngster before he came to Watford.

 

Here is an African team. I had problems finding a goalkeeper.

Makabu-Makalemby Congo

Djedje Ivory Coast
Belkalem Algeria
Oelofse or Issa South Africa
Massina Morocco

Diakite Mali
Beleck Cameroon
Bangura Sierra Leone
Buaben Ghana

Sarr Senegal
Ighalo Nigeria

I would rather have Shittu in for one of the South Africans but then Ighalo would have to be dropped and replaced with Ikpeazu (Uganda). Ndong (Gabon) could also play in midfield.

Here is an Eastern European team
Kuszczak Poland

Stepanov Estonia
Savic Serbia
Tamas Romania
Janvea Kosovo (in current youth team)

Merkal Kazakhstan
Tozser Hungary
Kucko Slovakia
Cauna Latvia

Vydra Czech
Perica Croatia

If place of birth is allowed, rather than the country represented, I would put Behrami (Kosovo) in midfield and drop Janvea.

We have had a number of Eastern European goalkeepers:
Poom Estonia
Pantilimon Romania
Antal Hungary
Arlauskis Lithuania

 

Incredible work - I salute this effort!

 

Gomes ( BRA)

Kenny Jackett (WAL) Jay DeMerrit (USA) Sir Lloyd of Doyley (JAM)

John Barnes (ENG) Richard Johnson (AUS) Almen Abdi (SWI) Ikechi Anya (SCO)

Heidar Helgusson (ICE) Matej Vydra (CZE) Nordin Wooter (NED)

 

Don't think anyone could argue against the attacking intent of this side!