Match Day Thread Watford v Southampton Sat 4/3/17 3.00 PM

Compared to our whippets, Watford have some chubsters.

 

Simply we don't. We are where we are in the football food chain and it would take a seismic shift for that to change. We would have to finish top 4 for about 10 years in a row, win a few trophies in that time and start operating like a big club in terms of wages if we want to keep our best players.

 

If I saw it correctly, this is the second consecutive game in which the honesty of a Saints player has prevented an opponent from being sent off, for a second yellow.
Last week it was Redmond, tripped from behind.
Today, Romeu was pulled back by Bahremi, already on a yellow, but shrugged him off and continued his run.
We really are Saints.

 

Hang on, Rom's tasted Chelsea & Barca, he knows the deal, and he'd rather be playing week in & week out, while reaching those levels, than being part of a squad and not getting the chance. Credit to him.

 

Exactly.

 

It's all about the contracts people, they change everything.

 

What do you mean?

 

Yeah because it is really comparable to a 25 year old coming into his prime to when he was 18 at Barca and at Chelsea when he was 21. He is starting to realise the potential that those clubs saw in him as a youth, and if he continues he will be more than just a fringe player at a bigger club than Saints

 

The players we have lost up to now have mainly had 2 years left on their contracts. Most of the squad now is on 3-5. So now we have a big chance to keep everyone together. 6th could be an ambitious but realistic aim for next year.

 

Or perhaps magic, you are just a miserable bugger who expects the worse.

 

Not 100% sure that makes a huge difference to be honest, bar dictate the price we recieve.

For me a player will leave when the following 2 questions are answered with a yes:

Have the bidding club offered a price acceptable to our board?

Does the player want the move?

If the answer to both those questions are yes, then it's irrelevant whether they've got 1 year, or 20 years on their contract, they will go.

 

What? What have I said that is "miserable"? The situation with Romeu now is not comparable to him being a youth player at Barca and Chelsea, that is just obvious

 

I'm not getting my hopes up too much in terms of League position.

April is going to be really tough, take a look at the fixtures and then remember there's 2 more still to fit in against Arsenal and Man Utd.

It'll be back to rotation and playing a lot of top teams close together

 

I'll type up a mini list of players you need to worry about leaving that are very much in front of our happy Oriol if you like.

 

We don't let everyone go who wants to leave, mainly because you can at least get another season out of a would-be leaver. Not all footballers are willing to turn ugly to get what they want. And as for price, we know we can sell the player when it suits us better....they don't suddenly lose all their value if you miss the one window of opportunity. The trouble is that the media accuse us of fire sales when we are only doing what every team does....sell a couple, buy a couple.

 

Good thing Bahremi returned the favour by rolling around injured every time a Saint breathed on him...

 

By the way [where's Tom when you need him.?] did anyone spot the foul throw for Watford's opening goal today.? Feet BEHIND the line, not on it or in front.

Picky, I know, but laws of the game and all that.

 

Watching the highlights, Romeu looked knackered 2nd half.

 

Picky, I know, but laws of the game and all that.
--------------------------------------------------------
Yep, looked like there was MM's if anything.

 

Yep, Davis kept pushing forward too much. Not saying he was beyond crap, but it just doesn't suit him. It's why Watford had so much time in midfield.