Expectations for the season.

As we await the start of the season. What do want from it?

Personally I would like a tighter defence, more consistenccy and a smidge more flair. I don't think that is too much to ask for given our signings.

Sarr should add a bit more flair and creativity. Welbeck might add a few more goals and if not the supposed arrivial of João Pedro in January might spice things up a bit too. Dawson should lead a better line too. We've managed to keep our "stars" is seems, which is also good news.

I'd like to see Qunia and Dele-Bashiru given a bit more game time as well. These two could be our future in midfield.

Honestly, we still have a bit of dead wood in the squad as I guess most clubs do. I seriously doubt now that Prödl, Okaka, Success or maybe even Peñaranda will have much impact in first team affairs now. To a certain extent, the same goes for Chalobah, Sema and Kabasele although at least these three add a bit of depth to the squad.

I'd happily take a top ten finish. Javi Gracia has learnt the ropes now, he has a decent enough squad of players to work with and he knows the league. I reckon a top ten finish would be very pleasing and should be our aim. Not too shabby for little old Watford really!

Give it to ten games in and let's see what is what.

¡¡COYH COYH COYH!!

 

Survival secured for Xmas. Top ten finish and a decent cup run or, even, two. Keep hold of our star players again into next season. Europe? Probably a step too far but, after coming so close last season and with the transfer window we've just had, who knows what Gino's brief to JG is????

 

GT once said that his goal was to confirm Watford as one of the top 30 teams in the country. We now have reasonable expectations of being in the top 10. I am pleased that we have a club leadership that is very pragmatic. In the present climate I think that it is unlikely that we will go the way of Charlton, where expectations became unrealistic

 

So what is the first choice team if all fit (ha ha) after the signings made

Foster

Kiko
Dawson
Cathcart
Holebas

Sarr
Doucoure
Capoue
Geri D.

Welbeck
Deeney

Deeney always plays although Gray might be an option?

 

I'd only swap Janmaat for Kiko but I reckon you are along the lines there if Welbeck is fit.

 

I am hoping for top ten...

I would like to see Pererya be as good as he has been again.. And the arrival of Sarr and Welbeck will add to our attacking options.
We need to be much more tight defensively..

Realistically though.. A lot of teams at our level have been investing so I would take top twelve and two or three wins against the top six

 

Who plays instead of Holebas when he is serving suspensions?

 

Masina.

 

Expectation and hope are two different things. I do not really know what to expect, but I hope for quite a lot. On paper we look stronger than last season, but so do other clubs. I don't expect us to finish in the top six, but it would be good to be in there fighting with the 'big six'. I hope that we collect points with attractive entertaining football rapidly enough so that at no point do we flirt with the trapdoor. It is not good for my wine store or health to be at the wrong end of the table.. I hope that Welbeck can be kept injury free and show that he really is an England class player. Reports say that Sarr will be a real star, and I hope that we can get to see why he was thought to be worth spending so much to get him. I also hope that having had a bit of a rest some of the team from last season will find their best form, and can once again give us movement and goals that we can remember. My expectation is that we will finish mid-table, but I hope to finish up as the best of the rest.

 

Win or lose, the team give 100%+ and entertain us.
50 points or more. Top 10 Finished.
Good runs in both cups.
In my dreams in the top six so we can no longer be ignored and get more than 2mins of our opposition on MOTD.

 

It's really odd - staying up is great but I only get one ticket. If we go down I get to take my nieces. But for this season I hope for a cup win and for the fringe players to stand up.
And I'll steal cologne's thunder as he is bang on - I want us to go out and fight against the bigger teams. We do it now and again but not often enough.

 

The other thing I expect is to have a proper go at the top 6. City and Liverpool may well still be a step too far, let's not go there with defeat in mind - taking advantage of any chance we have is key. Spurs are always vulnerable. Chelsea are too, inexperienced coach and transfer embargo to boot.
Quite how we lost twice to Man Utd and Arsenal (no silliness please Troy) is a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Those last four are there to be shot at this season.

 

At the present moment. :
Just to be out of the bottom three...

 

i think today’s game says more about Brighton than it does about us.

 

They have always defended well but lacked sharpness in attack which they did today with the 2 well taken goals.

We gave them the boost of scoring an own goal and thereafter generally lacked ideas.

 

Yes, Mark. Don’t you think they used the width brilliantly, though? That really created gaps where we are usually so tight. I don’t know the OPTA stats, but last season we intercepted so many plays, but their width meant our players were spread to cover them and our usually narrow midfield didn’t intercept so much.
I thought Hughes was superb. How did he come across ‘live’?

 

My fear is Sarr won’t be any better than Success.

 

The 3-5-2 system was very effective.

Hughes was good but sadly isn't a wide player so might be dropped when Sarr comes in,

 

I hope he might come inside, his workrate is so good. Sarr has his work cut out taking a place from GD or RP. Was really unconvinced by his Youtube highlights. Nice trickery but final ball was poor. Very like early Success. Pace is great but you need than speed at this level.
I love Hughes’ workrate, though. I think it must intimidate opposing teams.