Kc would be good if it was but I,m sure the Orns that do make the trip will be very Vocal! as an aside to MM If he had just gone on his way , I too would have wished him well, but to come back for players and backroom staff ,even when GT asked him to stop killed off all my good wishes towards him!
Norway I know that may be annoying but surely not unexpected. Do not most managers/coaches take their backroom staff with them? And would the board and SD want them if they had a longing for their boss? I'm sure I can remember in the past when Watford have happily allowed managers to bring the backroom staff over to us. I will agree that breaking contracts, and even contracts with breakability clauses (other than on health grounds), seems an odd way to do business to me. But then we are supporters and think with our hearts and not always with our brains But enjoy your day off up there and next week we can focus on something much more pleasant - 3 points from the Royals
True words I suppose Kc still extremely irksome ! I know they usually take one or two trusted members of staff with them when they move on ! MM seemed to have taken half of WD18 and transplanted it into wales! he also took a couple of our transfer targets as well! made BR look angelic!
I have less of a problem with MM than BR, but on that point I have to agree with you Norway. At least Rodgers primarily went after players who were leaving anyway, even if the offers were insulting.
Bas remains a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and will be so until the source and scale of his wealth , his motives for the takeover and his intentions for the club become clear. He has the handicap of a dreadful start--poor public relations, clumsy initial performance, panic over his declared "hands-on" role, obscure ownership/management structure. But he has improved since then. he has allowed himself to be guided by GT, made a decisive managerial appointment, followed through on the promise of funds for player replacements, and announced ground improvements. He has gained some credibility and has earned the "benefit of the doubt", which some were prepared to give him rather too cheaply. As others have said, there are sterner tests ahead, and it remains to be seen if his promises re ground improvements are delivered. One thing is for sure--his game plan must depend on staying in this division, and on finding another player to sell for a big fee. The first is down to Dyche and his newly assembled squad, The second is named Marvin Sordell.
I guess the likes of Scott Loach and Gifton Noel-Williams in different ways serve as reminders that player values can go down as well as up, and for that reason I do take the argument that selling Buckley was not stupidity, even if I don't agree with it. My view remains the same, and is a big part of the reason that I will take a wait-and-see approach on Bassini until I'm absolutely sure that he'll come up trumps. If we truly believe in these lads we should keep them until it is clear that they can develop no further at Watford, and that they are good enough to step into the first team of a bigger club. That was the case with Ashley Young, and absolutely everyone was a winner: the player, his agent, Watford, Villa, England and now United. If we sell these lads a year too early, the situation is a lot more unsettling for everyone. We're potentially shortchanging ourselves. The buying club is paying noticeable money for potential that might or might not materialise. The player is earning less money than he could have earned by waiting a year, and will often only get fleeting glimpses of first team football for a good 12-18 months. He might end up on loan at a Championship club which he might or might not fit into, or he might even end up leaving on a free in two or three years and scrapping to prove his worth in the lower leagues.
"The buying club is paying noticeable money for potential that might or might not materialise." I think you highlight there NNW that to sign any player is a chance that you take. We have now signed a number, some will kick on and prove to be good, others will for whatever reason fall by the wayside and go to lower leagues. I always remember that when GT was guiding us through the divisions, not every player he signed was a success. You pays your money and hope, which is where the low initial payment with add ons becomes very useful.
"You pays your money and hopes..." Well not really.John Stephenson described the system that Watford had put in place since the later days of the Boothroyd era, and that was applied by Rodgers and Mackay. It involved a detailed process to identify , assess, and recruit new players, according to a strict set of criteria, and then sought to develop them further, with the aim of turning the "typical" under 50% success rate for new recruits into an 80% success rate . It seemed to be working, since it brought in Williamson, Graham, Cowie, McGinn, Buckley... jury still out on Deeney , and Aldred and a couple of others must be put in the debit column. This system was also central to the business model devised by Winter. But are Dyche and Bas still following this system? The number and quality of recruits brought in this transfer window suggests not. It looks like we now have a more opportunistic recruitment policy, aimed at getting in experienced players and creating "competition for places" as a principle, rather than what we had before. I think i liked the more measured, evolutionary approach. myself. However, we should know in a month or two who, among the new recruits, is likely to add value to the squad , who will become a saleable asset , and who will prove a pig in a poke.
Again Roger I agree the more considered approach was more in keeping with our financial model! If the recruitment policy has changed , maybe the financial ideas have changed as well! which would suggest Baz has a wealthy backer or we are taking a big gamble!
I would agree with you Roowfc, there was a lot said that in retrospect looks wrong now. However I think that he has to go some way still to prove that his main aim is a successful WFC and not to somehow make a lot of money. Certainly if it is the money angle, many have tried and failed.
I for one was shall we say highly dubious, I still am , but since a bad start he hasnt put a foot wrong! I am still dubious of the motives , but credit where credit is due he is going well at the mo!
