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Yessssss!!!!!
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An hour away from the new top flight season kicking off.
What are your hopes/dreams/beliefs for your team?
I'm quietly optimistic about Watford's chances.
A good Summer signing players more typical of the type our Italian owners went for in years gone by before buying us. Young and/or with a bit of a point to prove. Those who are likely to be successful will make us a lot of money in the next 24-36 months. Those who aren't will be sold without too much of a loss on the basis other clubs will still see tham as players with potential who just didn't work for Watford.
We've gone English for a change too. Nathaniel Chalobah and Will Hughes are exciting young midfield talents and Tom Cleverley complements them well. We've got the pace up front we've lacked in Andre Gray, though I'm not sure £18.5m and 95k a week is money that well spent on a bloke who's scored 9 PL goals so the jury is out on him. I for one hope it's not the end for Troy Deeney though some fans think it's time to let him go.
There's a bit of unknown in there too. Richarlison was apparently wanted by Chelsea but we beat them to this skillful but raw 20 year old Brazilian, and we've also got cover at right back with a bloke called Kiko Fermenia.
There's still work to do though. We need a new keeper as, although I have total faith in Heurelho Gomes, I think he's just beginning to show his age so a younger model wouldn't be a bad thing. We also need a new left back and at least one more centre back and one more winger.
Then there's the new manager. The jury is also out on him. No doubt Marco Silva did a decent job with a wreck of a club in Hull last season. But he didn't keep them up. So is his reputation enhanced? Or did he fail to do his job? For my money Hull looked fitter under him and had an identity which had previously been lacking. At a far more settled club with supportive owners (whatever you believe to be the case, that IS that case at Watford), he can surely do a good job. He must firstly reconnect the fans with the players and management (already working with English signings and him speaking fluent English), then give the team an identity (pretty sure that's already on its way too), and find a way to keep those who don't play all the time (especially if that's Troy Deeney), happy.
In terms of my hopes I still think staying in the league is the main aim. On the pitch we must be more competitive in all games. Too often in the past we've gone behind and that's been that. Capitulation. It can't happen any more. More fight and more ambition within each given match is vital. That, in turn, will see us climb the league.
We finished 17th last season, 6 points off the bottom 3. What people don't realise is that we were also 6 points off 8th. Two draws into wins and two losses into draws and that's 8th. That's not too much to ask, is it?
We start at home to Liverpool and I'm not totally sure we're ready for the season yet. I'm expecting us to get nothing from that one but don't count us out going forward. Things are slowly falling into place and I'm going to predict a healthy 11th place this season. Though if you ask me to name 9 teams who'll finish below us, I can't. I just think they will!
Yessssss!!!!!
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Originally Posted by Franco81
That didn't last long! Leicester look like the team from 2 years ago
Bring on the World Cup in June! Typical Arsenal!!! FfsThat didn't last long! Leicester look like the team from 2 years ago
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2-2 at half time
As a CFC supporter would like to know why we spend a fortune on the academy and then let the best product go out on loan while our manager bangs on about strengthening? also the situation with Da Costa is a joke the guy wants to go but the club of choice cannot do business until Jan 18 so why not agree with Athletico to use the player he gets match time we get a first class striker and leave him out of CL games.
Reckon our manager will be gone before the season ends.
Last edited by mart broad; 12th August 2017 at 12:34.
At least it is 2-2 now. Looking forward to another exciting half of football.
Premier League on a Friday night is superb.
Well that nearly gave me a heart attack on day one!! I love football!!
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Currently waiting for train to go to Albion game, another lack of signings which is becoming the norm now.
Megson returning is good but the game has moved on a lot and I get he's been bought in as part of a PR stunt to appease fans.
Obviously pleased with the result, but zonal marking (or lack of any marking in the case of the 3rd goal!) is doing my head in!!
Same old, same old......
Goals all over the shop!
Seven at Arse and six at Watford.
Cheers,
Neil.
Burnley top of the table on day 1 ???
z
And Burnley are now 3-0 up at Chelsea!
Rooneeeey, Rooneeeey..
1-0
Come on you blue boys.
What a crazy start to the season.
Always gonna happen. Well done Wayne COYB
Love to be in the Chelsea dressing room at half time.
Mind you, my Man City still have the potential embarrassment of Brighton and Hove Albion...
Loved Watford yesterday! What an effort. Still much to work on but, as I said in my OP, we had to work on not letting our heads drop when behind and, boy, did we keep fighting!
On the balance, a well earned point. Even if the equaliser at the death was offside!
Liverpool must learn to defend corners. What gives with zonal marking? Pretty sure fresh air never scored a goal...
So pleased for you both 🙁
I was out all day so didn't watch the match. As a Liverpool fan it seems that the manager (and the one before him) must either be in denial or believe that this is the Brazil 1982 World Cup team reborn - i.e. who cares about defence, we'll just score more goals than the other team. I'm not surprised Watford scored late, or scored 3 goals. The teabag defence is well known and I can see more teams trying to get set pieces. I honestly don't know what's wrong with the club. There are excellent players out there, including good defenders, who could be bought. Klopp says we already have 4 defenders. Maybe, but none of them are that good, mate. So far we have bought two players in the transfer window....ridiculous. Do managers see something different to what the fans see? We let in goals for fun, so either we need better defenders, or they need to be taught how to defend better and work as a unit.
If Klopp doesn't strengthen the team by the end of August I can see us finishing out of the top 4. If he does manage to buy wisely, and the team starts playing as a unit, then we can mount a challenge, although with the injuries we've been getting and the lack of strength in depth, it will be difficult (and goes back to the fault of the club for not strengthening the squad).
I'm a bit underwhelmed by football now and more excited about the egg-chasing starting again next month. I still want West Ham to do well but can't see them getting far today without Lanzini, Kouyate and Antonio and think they still need another recognised striker.
Last edited by bonzo697; 13th August 2017 at 11:20.
The issue with this is that it wasn't defenders at fault for the 1st and 3rd goals. A better defender, say van Dijk, would take the place of one of Lovren or Matip at set pieces. Yet take the 3rd goal. It was the entire fault of Wijnaldum who pathetically ducked and looked away from the ball as first man. Put your head on it properly and the danger is gone. It's the system that's the problem. Nobody attacking the ball which you have to do when you mark zonally at corners. As I say neither goal from corners was the fault of a centre back so, purely in those terms, the defensive record wouldn't be improved.
That said VVD is considerably better than what you've got so I still agree you should go for it.
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Some footballers are just not brave enough. I remember Glen Johnson doing a similar thing with a corner a few years ago - the guy's 6ft 2 and not skinny either, he should be going through the ball, player, whatever. Klavan was also at fault last year for ducking out of a 50/50 with an attacker. FFS - you're a big guy and paid well, just man up and smash the ball out.
If I were the manager and someone did that I'd fine the ****er.
West Ham were terrible. Calamitous in defence and totally lacking pace and creativity upfront.
What a totally B awful start
Watching Spuds,Manure,City and Arsenal win was bad but my team yesterday just made me angry with the manager who i feel has had his one good season and lately just comes across as a whinger though i agree selling Matic to another PL team was a total mistake and letting some of our talent go on loan or sold like Solanke again a mistake but who's ? and the handling of the Diego Costa saga
We will bounce back but IMO top four at best and the CL no way.
Dearly wanted the "irons" to win today but agree they were awful a lot of money spent but a lot of work to do.
Utd fan, thought we were superb today and started to exhibit the swagger under Fergusons teams years ago. I think a winger like Perisic will complete the picture and make Utd a good bet for the title. Pogba for me was man of the match above Matic but the pair of them together are a good combo. Matic is reminiscent of Scholes but with tackling ability.
I think it's going to be a good season irrespective with some twists and turns.
West Ham's new signings are doing well: Hart 7 goals conceded, Zabalata 1 penalty conceded and Arnautovic 1 red card. At least Hernandez is doing his job.
Shocking isn't it?
I must admit I was never a fan of Hart, he always looks a bit dodgy and no better than what we had IMO.
At least there was a bit of fight when we were down to ten men to overcome a two goal deficit but that pen at the end was a killer.
Cheers,
Neil.
Taxi for Arsene?
Slaven is first in the queue.
I have to say that Middlesbrough fans are very happy with Darren Randolph.
They were absolutely awful problems abound and Wenger looked lost, LFC two decent results and looking full of pace and running, Man U also looking strong, Surs at Wembley? lots of questions,my mob CFC seems like our "car crash" is over and really liking Morata as to Man City getting results but something is still missing but it is "early doors"
We weren't THAT good!!
Apart from looking lost, Wenger also looks ill. Surely this can't be good for his health? I know he has a two year contract but it's not like he needs the money. He should bow out before the majority of supporters turn on him. It's painful to watch a great managerial career end on this note.
Im still not sure about Morata, he looks a great player but either we need to change our play to suit him or he's going to have to adapt and learn to hold to ball up a lot better. Like Costa used to...
Llorente? what are your thoughts and what have we done with Loric Remy? as to Morata a different player to the usual old fashioned No9 and with Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Kante, Cesc,Moses,Alonso the attacking options are more varied similar to the way Barca play.
Bilic has been given four games to save his job. It's a shame they can't sack the players too as most of them just don't seem interested.
Conte obviously knows Llorente well so no surprise there but is he any better than Battshui? I alway liked Remy but he's been a bit like Sturridge and made of glass! We're probably all holding out hope that Tammy Abrahams is going to break through and that we don't flog him as soon as he gets over the hill, like they all do at the age of 22!
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