Will We Make The Play Offs?

Worrying if true.

 

This is a project, so probably better we don’t go up this year, otherwise we will go straight back down. Instead give Bilic 2/3 years to build something really special

 

Get behind the team you purport to support

 

A 1/10th model of the Starship Enterprise? Available in 97 weekly parts.

 

Can’t tell if serious.

 

I think not !

 

Surely if it’s 1/10 model shouldn’t it be available in 10 weekly parts ?

yes I’m kidding.

 

All we need is Deeney to get injured and our unbeaten run will begin.

 

Prospect of a Pozzo 3 year plan. Made my chuckle.

 

Very true. Stick two banks of four, sitting behind the ball and we tend to lack the creativity to break those teams down. Hopefully with JP fit again, and with Louza, Sema etc. in the team we can improve on that aspect.

 

I agree that it would be better if we didn't go up this year. I don't think Bilic has found the right blend yet. It's going to take time. We should stick with Bilic and maybe make a better challenge for promotion next season. I don't want us to go up this season via the play-off and have an embarrassingly awful season like the last time in the Premier League. TBH, I'd be quite happy if we finished 9th or 10th this season.

 

We'll finish 9th I reckon, with about 67 points.

 

You realise we will have a poorer and cheaper side next season and so be likely to finish lower than this season ? This idea that an extra season or two will allow us to build a better team, and one that will be able to survive in the prem is nonsense. We have to sell players and somehow pay off a huge loan. We will just be another Reading/QPR/Swansea/Cardiff etc.

 

It really is a bizarre concept, the idea that us becoming weaker, having worse players and less money will better equip us to firstly go up, and secondly stay up is just perverse. In terms of the clubs future, we’re still far better off going up this season and getting humped all over the place and coming straight back down, than another year in the championship on reduced parachute payments and with all of the decent players (that everyone has been saying will miraculously change our fortunes this season by coming back from injury whenever they’ve been out of the side) being sold off.

The only time clubs have faired better in their second season after relegation is if they have significant financial backing, like Bournemouth as an example, whose owner a) had the money to bridge the gap in PP payments for another year for another push at promotion, and b) was willing to take the risk it didn’t work out and be clobbered by FFP. We don’t have any of that, we just have an awful lot of debt.

All that aside, the idea that Bilic could also somehow do better with a weaker side is complete fantasy. People have been blaming his poor results on injuries, what on earth do they think our side will look like next season? It will just be a similar if not worse side than the one with all our supposedly good players injured. The only chance we would have of somehow over performing next season would be to find a manger who could make a team greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Bit of a lose lose really…if we don’t then the concern will be about our financials and I would expect to lose a number of our squad to be replaced with names picked from a hat

if we win then I expect our squad to be upgraded with better names picked from a hat…and a long and soulless season of unlucky 1-0 losses

 

That's not true at all. There will also be some 4-0 humpings and the obligatory 8-0 massacre at the Etihad to look forward to!

 

I agree. This season is clearly the best chance we have of going up with quality players in the ranks. If, as expected, we don't make it, then we will have to sell our "star" players, although I can see us keeping Louza for another season.

The obvious ones to go would be Pedro and Sarr. They will probably bring in over £50m combined, which with the parachute payments, should bridge the gap for one more push next season.

I think that is going to be the likely plan now. Hopefully the rumour of some outside investment, plus involvement from SEJ on some level, will also help make us a viable challenger next season. I think if Manga is the real deal, then he should be able to wave his magic wand and bring in some unlikely talent, be it on loan or a young kid of high potential.

I can see all that happening. But next season is not going to be any easier. Look at the likely relegation candidates. It does look like a big fish will go down this year, be it Everton or West Ham. If one/both of those sides go down, they will dominate next season, just like Burnley have.

So, I think our slim hopes this season represent our best chance of promotion, however, I wouldn't be quite so doom and gloom over our chances next season just yet. I could make a case we could build a very capable squad, which is a little more Championship ready with a dash of quality in key areas. I'm hoping that will be the case anyway, and for this to happen I'm relying on Managa and Costa to really upgrade our recruitment choice selection, as Gino and co have proved very incapable over the past 4 years.

 

Exactly. So much will depend on Manga's team finding some really cheap gems. Maybe he will pull it off, but the odds will be against him and the 3 relegated sides will be strong favourites to go back up. I still don't understand what attracted Manga to come here.

 

Maybe he likes a challenge.

 

Money I guess. I say that completely unsarcastically but I should think we pay well. Probably the prospect of a move to Udinese at some point too.

 

I can't think of anything else either though I would be surprised if we pay better than other options he'd have had. Either that or we have kidnapped a family member.

 

This is the one thing that keeps me onside with Gino right now. Time will tell if Manga really is what we think he is going to be, but regardless of that, we appointed him when his stock was high. For me that shows ambition. He must have been sold a dream, as this guy is extremely ambitious from what I can gather. He must have been given promises to run the footballing side how he sees fit. The fact he's still here, and I've not heard any rumblings to the contrary, he must be happy with the situation in regards to his role.

It's the only thing that stops me from giving up on Watford completely. I'm putting a lot of faith in his abilities. This next comment could be tin hat time but I feel Gino, Duxbury and Giaretta are probably decent in their individual roles, but they cannot expand from that. Duxbury can perform the daily tasks of running a club. I think he actually does that quite well. All the bills seem to be paid and there's not often a lot of scandal that follows us around in this area (although there have been obviously some issues in the past). I see Giaretta as the guy (apart from being a butterfly enthusiast) as negotiating contracts and all the legal stuff that goes with that. Someone's got to do it, and I don't think that's really Manga's forte. Gino, he's the moneyman and visionary, but that's where his involvement should stop.

In the past these guys have made all the crucial decisions. In which head coach to appoint, which players to sign and all the high level stuff like that. They are clearly not very good at it. Now we have Manga, I'm hoping against hope, some kind of quality reasoning happens. Where we sign good players for a purpose and that purpose is to improve the first team. I hope we get a head coach (if it's not going to be Bilic) to align with Manga and will fit into the vision the club will be taking.

To coin a Duxbury phrase, if we really do get "best in class" doing their own particular roles well, then I think we could well see an upturn in the club.

 

The Owner has blown away our hopes of promotion with awful signings and employing rank Head Coaches.
We will be in the Wilderness for the 10+ years if we fail to achieve Promotion by the of Season 2023/24. Next season will be far harder for us to gain promotion if Everton Bournemouth, Forest, Wolves, Leeds, Leicester, West Ham or Southampton go down.
The money will run out, the evidence of further investment has yet to be shown. Players will be sold the end of this season or be released. Pedro, Sarr, Okoye, Bachmann, Kalu, Kayembe, Bayo, Manaj, Davis* will all go. Louza will go if the price is right.
The future is rather grim. We will come good again, but not for a long time.

 

I don’t think most of those will be missed!

If we can get money for them good some might say .

The question will be how much if any will be reinvested back into player recruiting and how successful will that be?

 

This chap doesn’t fancy our chances - very much says we are relying on Pedro.

https://mobile.twitter.com/secondtierpod/status/1630961592996347906

 

Ben Manga

 

not sure Pedro has contributed as much as his ability should have this season. Him and Sarr obviously have talent but not sure either have shone this season. Just Pedro looks more interested than sarr does

 

Pedro is a fine young player, but he's not the Messiah, there really is only so much he can do when he's forced to drop into midfield so often. I'm really not sure what the issue is with Sarr, I don't think he's lazy, but I think he's severely lacking in confidence even at this level

 

Been playing in midfield too much as @Hogg-DEENEY!!! says.

Well when fit...

 

A

 

We could have a successful season next season and make a realistic attempt at promotion, but only if we're able to keep our best players, including Sarr, Pedro, Louza etc. We need to Keep Bilic and our best players and bring some stability to the club. We should aim to be the next Brentford or Fulham, they've shown how it can be done.

 

Are you new to Watford? None of these things will be happening.

 

Well actually Brentford for example have sold key players in the past but also recruited well to replace them which we haven’t done .

 

April 1st is in a month.

We've already not had a successful season this season with all those components, none of those players will be here next season and neither will the manager for guiding us to mediocrity once already (if we lose to Preston he won’t be here next week) with the players you are suggesting should produce a successful season.

Please make it make sense.

 

I wonder what the stargazers will cling to once it's quietly announced that Manga has left us in about a year/18 months.