Never mind 'hardly down to us' Mark - it most certainly is not down to us. We never started the trend, that was down to the top tier years ago - and it is now at the stage that, if any club aspires to success, they have to follow suit. That is simply down to the fact that, currently, the numbers of young English players who are good enough are simply not there. Cream always rises to the top but unfortunately there's only so much room at the top, and by far the bulk of the volume of cream up there is from overseas. At least we are trying a mix in our Academy, and the youngsters are improving because of it. Many Premier League teams are not even doing that - and that isn't our fault as everyone outside of Watford seems to think. We ourselves have made that very point frequently thanks to recent events at the club. The difference of course is the context in which we have asked the question - ie in house. Others have bandied the expression around without proper thought, making unwarranted accusations where the only reasons for doing so are their own jealousy and lack of understanding.
ditto, i wish the fl would apply a proper fit and proper persons test but they're too self interested to do so...
I do find the argument of us ruining the English game quite amusing. I wonder if anyone can name the last 3 players to have come through our academy and play for England. If English football has all of a sudden become reliant on Watford, then it is truly in a dreadful state. Saying all that... The import of these players has actually been a good thing for our youngsters. They've had not only to up their game to make the team, but just by playing with such good, technical players, and under such a manager, they will improve their skills.
Agreed our game has improved so much since Zola came... look at Doyley for example. and it is great football to watch as opposed to the beautiful football Vialli promised years back....First time I saw us live last season was at Huddersfield and straight away I realised we really had potential...... and to play football not seen since God was at the Vic.
Quite true - mind you Scott Loach and Marvin Sordell did play for the Under 21s of course which maybe sums up the lack of options - hardly set the world alight since. Even Bond has now been called up without playing too much albeit impressing when he has. Ironically our best youth products have come in an era where we were accused of doing nothing but playing long ball stuff - under GT (Barnes/Blissett/Jackett/Gibbs) and Aidy (Young - ok he started under Lewington but Boothroyd really made him a top player and even Mariappa)! I think its actually our fault in a way because under Winter and co we really did go to town in terms of promoting our Youth system and making it public how great that was so people think we've just given up on it which naturally isn't true. Remember the big fuss made over Britt becoming our 50th Academy player...when as you suggest the majority had actually gone onto achieve very little for whatever reason.
Leicester 0 Leeds 0 - a whole two shots on target during the game, describe by the BBC as "....stuttered to a draw in an uninspiring game of few chances...." Says it all really.....
What do we have to do though to get on the FL show other than last & a couple of minutes whilst a 0-0 would probably get higher billing?
Apparenly the matches were played in alphabetical order. But I dont get why they cant look at the results and just edit the show so that it shows the most exciting first!?
Also, and no disrespect to Bond here, how many good young English keepers are there if the first U-21 squad of the new season includes someone who until a couple of months ago, if his development continued, would probably have become a full Welsh international? I'm beginning to think that Bond had been approached by someone to ask if he would change his allegiance on the basis that he was being considered for that squad.
Totally agree - exactly the point I wanted to make but didn't do it very clearly. Bond has clearly been tapped as you suggest but unless Joe Hart or Ben Foster get a bad injury I cannot see them past the 2 top goalkeepers for England. I read he could have played for Spain/USA! No wonder Bond has a very nice tan if one of his parents is of Spanish origin.
Can someone explain the rules for international representation? Is bond still allowed to choose who he plays for at full international level or are you only allowed one change - in his case, Wales to England. I've just had a wonderful thought. Wouldn't it be good if Bond was picked for Spain and Almunia for England? How would the Daily Mail cope with that?
He can choose whichever country he is eligible to play for up until he plays a 'competitive' match, say a WC Qualifier. He could play a friendly for the full England side and still revert to Wales, Spain or USA. Utter f*****g madness if you ask me!
All a matter of opinion I suppose, but England's best goalkeeper currently plays in Scotland - Celtic's Fraser Forster...
John Ruddy is a much better all round Keeper than Frazer Foster, an awful lot of our fans were disappointed we couldn't get Frazer back and gave Ruddy a hard time at first, but now, I promise you, not one of us would want Frazer back! John Ruddy is immense and very close to overtaking Joe Hart as England's number one!
I very rarely watch it as I think it's such a poor representation of the FL in general and Claridge, when he was on, was the most irritating pundit of all times. With a 6-1 win under our belts I did tune in this time and it only confirmed my view that the programme is put together by someone with absolutely no interest in the game outside the PL. It hould showcase the qualities of the FL, and yesterday the best of them were on view at Vicarage Road. I'm biased, but it would have made a better show for anyone watching...
yes crap show...... the regional version was a bit better..... do we know if it is coming back this season?
We were actually joking a couple of days ago about how we would be last on the FLS despite winning 6-1 and topping the league, but who seriously thought that would be the case? The BBC never cease to astound me with their ineptitude!! And yes Yorkie, Late Kick Off is apparently returning at some point this season
