Troy Deeney is apparently being interviewed on Absolute Radios Rock n Roll Football show at 5pm today with Ian Wright.
How was it.... I ... of course... forgot all about it... .we have just had a monsoon storm here in Leeds...
Wasn't bad at all. Not sure where he was being interviewed but I think there were children mucking about in the background. What can I say? He seemed to Valon Behrami's surname, lol. It was the usual stuff but he impressed when talking about discipline and so on. Wrighty enjoyed the interview and said as much. Probably a transcript somewhere...
This made an interesting and refreshing read http://www.discountfootballkits.com/blog/will-they-survive-relegation/? from a peculiar source. AFC Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich – Will they survive Relegation? POSTED ON AUGUST 27, 2015 BY RYAN BYRNE please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image (1votes, average:5.00out of 5) Final Standings – The Championship 2014/15 Season 1 – AFCBournemouth(90 Points) 2 –Watford(89 Points) 3 –NorwichCity(86 Points) AFC Bournemouth please log in to view this image Four points separated the three promoted sides from last seasons’ championship. Deservedly the winners were AFC Bournemouth, a small club on the South Coast with one of the smallest budgets in the league, managed byEddie Howe. At 37 he’s gathering a reputation as one of the country’s best managerial prospects. Scoring the highest amount of goals in the division last season (98), with more of them coming away from Home (50), Bournemouth’s’ principles and philosophy is built on attacking, free flowing football, which is very attractive on the eye. Defensively, more vulnerable at home, Bournemouth fared better away from home, conceding only 20 on the road last season, which resulted in only 5 defeats and 13 wins, which in the hustle and bustle of the Championship is very impressive. The stats are already eye opening, a solid defence combined with a dangerous attack, shows balance, organisation and creativity – a healthy blend. The question is, can they replicate their style and success in the Premier League – can they survive? YES Attune to their managers philosophy and methods, combined with their fearless approach in fixtures, AFC Bournemouth can go toe to toe with most sides in the Premier League on their day. A possession based game plan, with the squad full of players with high levels of technique, there is no doubt Bournemouth will dominate the ball in 70% of the matches they play. InMatt Ritchie, they have a creative spark on who can be a game changer, cutting in from the right hand side; he has the ability to score from long range, link with the forward players and provide a cutting edge play with his clever assists. Survival will be dependant on a former Coventry City academy Graduate –Callum Wilson. Blessed with ferocious speed and acute finishing,Wilsonwill be a threat behind Premier League defences and will help his side slide up the pitch on the counter attack. If he accomplishes this Bournemouth will avoid the drop. NO With the vast majority of the playing squad untested at Premier League level, doubts surface as to whether the players can adapt to the speed and intelligence of the Premier League. The Centre Back pairing ofSteve CookandTommy Elphickwill need to play their maximum, every game for Bournemouth to compete. The Premier League is ruthless, one small mistake will be punished by Elite Players at any given moment. IfEddie Howepersists with a 4-4-2 formation, AFC Bournemouth could find themselves outnumbered in Central Midfield, which against the top sides, could prove crucial.ArterandSurmanare not specialists in the holding role so it’s an area for concern. The Signings ofMax GradelandChristion Atsuincrease depth but neither will terrify defences in my opinion. The signing ofDistinwill add experience and knowledge but the last 18 months proved a difficult time forDistinand his legs are on the way out.Lee Tomlinwill add creativity but he lacks pace and stamina, crucial attributes in the Premier League. IfCallum Wilsonstruggles to adapt to Premier League life and the defence is left isolated, it could be a repeat of Blackpool’s first season in 2010/11, winning plenty of admirers but just falling short at the final hurdle. PREDICTION: 19TH– RELEGATION WatfordFC please log in to view this image Runners up in the Championship table, Scoring 91 goals and conceding 50 in 46 games. A healthy return on what was a very successful season for the football club amid a managerial merry-go-round, which resulted in 5 different first team managers in 18 months. With such instability it is a miracle Watford achieved promotion and full credit to the players for adapting so well to many different changes. Blessed with a wealth of attacking talents, flair , and a more direct style, Watford have weapons ready to attack the Premier League and under the watchful eye of a new manager,Quique Flores, Watford have a tactically astute manager who will continue the good work left behind bySalvisa Jokanovic– can they survive? YES Not short on numbers, Watford have a deep squad with the with the recent additions ofVala BehramiandEttiene Capoue, who both have Premier League experience. They have a solid foundation to build upon. With a flux of foreign talent flooding the squad, they are not short on technical ability, players likeAbdi,Anya,Vydra, supply the lethal frontline ofIghalo, and CaptainTroy Deeney. The Birmingham born striker provides power, pace and aggression. His strengths are his hold up play. Penalty area movement and finishing pieces from within 25 yards, Watford FC play with high tempo, can play direct toDeeneybut are also comfortable probing teams in and around the penalty area. The mixture of styles will enable them to adapt tactfully. Playing on the weakness of the opposition will see Watford safe, entertaining neutrals with lots of goals along the way. NO With a mix of personalities and nations in one dressing room, players being imported from all over Europe and the fact that most of the squad have little playing Premier League experience, the first season could be a mixed bag for Watford FC. Could the instability of changing managers finally catch up on the club and divide opinion in the dressing room? The new signings could find it hard to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, especially in defensive areas. IfDeeneystruggles for service or has injuries, will the attacking threat dry up,Vydrastruggles to adapt during his spell at West Brom so the jury is out whether Watford can cope with their Captain. PREDICTION: 14TH– SAFE NorwichCity FC please log in to view this image Gained promotion via the playoffs with a dominant display against the failed Middlesbrough side. Changing the manager half way through the championship promotion campaign proved a masterstroke by the Norwich board. Replacing Neil Adams with the 34 year old ScotAlex Neil, saw Norwich charge up the table. The hardworking new manager added security and a presence to the football club. The playing squad quickly responded to the change becoming resilient defensively and producing a remarkable, unbeaten, away record on 27 successive games without defeat on the road. Scoring the most goals at home in the division last season (50) in parallel with the brilliant away from, Norwich City certainly have momentum and are expecting Survival – can they survive? YES The players clearly play for their manager. The squad in general is the same squad of players who played in the Premier League 2 seasons previous, they are familiar with one another’s games and attributes, and that makes it easier for partnerships to be struck up all over the pitch. Scoring goals from Midfield was a huge asset last season, with the hardworking duo ofBradley JohnsonandJonny Howsonchipping in and the livewire that isNathan Redmondbeing supplied by the creative sparkle ofWes Hoolahanmakes for an interesting yet productive mixture. Staying defensively compact is key to survival, if they can adjust to playing on the counter attack through Redmond and Jerome, Norwich can sneak over the line. NO Doubters will argue that the same group of players relegated the club 2 seasons previous, and the players are ageing – this is true, the playing staff are similar and have their limitations from a technical point of view. My worry for Norwich is do they have ammunition to pose a regular goal threat?Jerome,HooperandVon Wolfswinkelhave all been successful in lower divisions, but are yet to set the world alight. Without the goals from Midfield and the structured set pieces, I can see it being a very long season holding out for scrappy wins by the odd goal. The unreliable defence ofBassongandMartinagainst Premier League attacks doesn’t look promising. With inactivity in the transfer window to date, relying on team spirit and cohesive team play may not be enough come the last game of the season. PREDICTION: 20TH– RELEGATED
Not sure how these figures have been brought together, but they make interesting reading. please log in to view this image
It looks like transfers that are stated as being for an undisclosed sum are omitted - at the very least, Bond's transfer fee should be in the received column. I wonder how different that table might have been if Sterling had decided to stay at Liverpool as they wouldn't have bought Benteke and may have kept Lambert and Villa wouldn't have bought Ayew.
I am finding the complete turn from attacking to defending hard. The journalist who wrote this has the same thought. http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/watford/395/blog/post/2588573/watford-manchester-city-premier-league
I know Dániel Tőzsér chose to leave of his own accord, but with his and the departures of Lewis McGugan, Diego Fabbrini, Daniel Pudil, Gabriele Angella, Fernando Forestieri, Miguel Layún and seemingly Matěj Vydra on loan or otherwise I feel the heart has been ripped from the team . While I fully understand that the Pozzos have a business model and are doing what they believe to be the best for their enterprise; the almost complete replacement of a winning team is hard to take. A similar thing occured when they arrived, alright so the team that survived Sean Dyche's last game only lost two members before the start of the following season, and the new arrivals were phased in over a number of matches, it didn't feel quite the same as losing this many this quickly. Perhaps the excitement of getting rid of Lawrence Bassini, having the Pozzos assume control, being managed by a well know manager, in GFZ, for once and a host of exotic foreigners (who we had never heard of) papered over the loss of one team and the birth of another. This season's transfer window has seen Watford bringing in a new raft of players, with a huge number moving, or being moved, on. This is what the Pozzos do, but to see it in action for the first time is truly disconcerting. Even Harry Redknapp would be proud. From the first four league matches, to me, it seems as if what we have is another step up and away from what we had four years ago, and after the near death of the club, I am happy it is alive and well - even if it behaves in a completely different manner. What does worry me is that we had a team with a spirit and for whatever reason, and I don't believe for one minute Slaviša Jokanović's salary demands were the be all and end all of his departure, the team has been beheaded and now it is being drawn and dismembered. I am pleased to see most of the departures are loans, except I see Fessi's sale as an error, which enables us to get the players back as and when Sánchez Flores falls foul of the Pozzos, as he will. Our new legion may prove to be winners and delight us all, but I somehow doubt each and every one will be a success. They are heading into a new hard environment where mistakes are punished harshly; perhaps the club has the tools for this new adventure, perhaps it doesn't - but did the management acquire too much and did they allow enough time to see if what they had before could function at the higher level? They know their business and I am being sentimental, but I think the manager's style of play might prove more of a stumbling block than the players he has to deal with it. All the churn (a corporate management speak word, but the best option) at the club is disconcerting, but I am sure after a teething period everything will settle down and be alright in the end. And for the record one central striker might work for some of the clubs in the premiership I really don't think it will suit our team at all, irrespective of who is the front man - Troy, Odion or someone else....
