So, my question is simple. Would you start with Troy Deeney? Personally it's a no from me. Last season he showed very little of the form he had three seasons ago, he was slow, he couldn't jump, and he flapped a lot. This season he's started on the bench...i wondered if it was due to the operation or simply because Marco isn't that impressed. I firmly believe he should have gone in this window, but since he's still here, unless he picks his game up, for me he's a bench player. I think Okaka offers far more and since we've managed to hold onto him, i'd start him over both Deeney and Gray. Thoughts?
I would start Okaka for sure. £11m + apparently buys a headless chicken. Deeney is not quite "there" yet.
I think you could find Okaka plays more home games and Gray more away to try and hit them on the break or Okaka holding up and lay off
I´d go with the above too. However, Okaka had one good game against Liverpool so wouldn´t put him ahead of Deeney just yet. Deeney had ****e service all last season. This season he won´t. Gray I am still unsure on, but it is good to have options up top and he has more pace than the other two, who are similar but I´d as far to say that Okaka is a poor man´s Deeney.
Gray is making runs at speed which allows the team to get behind the defence. Okaka holds up play well but doesn't seem to get into many positions for chances to be taken. Deeney despite what is said was still winning a lot of headers despite being double teamed; he has not got the Gray pace but he does create and score and in this team may find a niche for himself given time. He would be best suited to partner Gray but that is unlikely to happen often but in the meantime he seems to be happy to get fit and fight for a place in the team.
I still think he is a bit overweight, not as bad as last year but still too heavy. He needs to come and help me move my gravel!!
I think the striker issue will be made clearer on Saturday - not by who Silva plays up front, but who takes over from Amrabat. I know Zarate has taken his place in the 25, but I don't think that is a like for like.
Either way you look at it, it is 1 of 3 really. Between Okaka, Deeney and Gray something has to give. Given the strike rates, I´d go for Deeney over Okaka anyday and Gray offers pace. I doubt either of the 3 would want to play midfield, and the way Silva has the team set up one or two of them will be with splinters.
Good thread. And yes real issues here.. I am glad that we have this conundrum as we can mix it tactically...
Yorkie is spot on ,Any team we was playing would have planed to stop Troy (easier said than done) now it will be if Watford play OKaka then XYZ if they play Troy then ABC and then there is Gray or any 2 from 3 so its 6 poss unlike last year of 1
I have yet to be convinced by Gray. He is fast and may stretch a defence, which could help other players, but he needs to stay on side. I think Deeney is a better all round player than Okaka but Okaka shows a better instinct in front of goal. Deeney is only likely to score if he has time to think. Okaka will only score if he doesn't have time to think. They both hold up the ball well but Deeney is more likely to play a telling pass. I suspect that the choice of striker will depend on the opposition.
i have to disagree with a few of your comments about Deeney, i think you may be thinking of 2 or 3 seasons ago. I do agree with the reservations about Gray, but Okaka has far more about his game than Deeney, has a far better work rate, far more enthusiasm, and far more speed. If we could see Deeney of 3 seasons ago, a fit, fast Deeney who didn't moan about the ball not landing inch perfect at his feet, who ran for balls, and tried to make things happen, i'd have him over Okaka, but we haven't seen him in quite a while. Deeney is fast becoming a fans' frustration, as he proved at the Bristol City cup game. I would love to see him come back to being what he has been and maybe that game was a kick up the backside he needed. Not sure why Silva seems to have a problem with Okaka but i'd far rather see him start, judging on what we have seen of him. I think Brian is right about the home and away starters, which is why it seemed odd against Brighton as Fez said. Ah well, as long as we see the best for the game, and not the one 'who always gets picked' i'm happy. Last season Deeney got a season pass, not sure Silva will be as won over as Mazzarri was.
Deeney had a strike partner then. I think Okaka is the best as a lone striker, but if Silva ever decided to play 2 up front (I know it's unlikely), then I would go with Deeney and Gray.
Totally agree with these comments, even Mazzarri became frustrated with Troy towards the end of last season. I do also think there was resentment in the club that Deeney effectively became the spokesman for WFC. He is a great TV pundit, because he tells the truth, but no club can let one player have such a high profile. Silva seems to have put an end to this from day one. I would take £20m for him now.
Deeney will still be useful if you want to hold the ball up at the end of a game when in front etc which Gray isn't so good at. Okaka is probably better now but never seems able to complete games and is another injury risk. Strange that Silva has discarded him from the last 2 squads. Maybe he wanted Okaka to leave and not Amrabat.
It's funny how we all see things differently. I've yet to see anything from Gray that warrants the large fee we paid for him - about the only area he is ahead of TD in my book is pace. He's certainly not the workhorse that Troy is, doesn't seem to have the ability that Troy has to create goals for others, lacks his ability to pass accurately, lacks his ability to win headers, and doesn't seem too keen on scoring goals either. I suspect he'd be of more use as a winger - or a latter day-Vydra to work as Troy's strike partner. I think that, out of the three, only two can really stand up for comparison - Deeney and Okaka. And I view Okaka as a poor man's Deeney - has similar attributes, plays a similar game but just not as well.
