Watford FA Cup 3rd Round Pre Match Thread

[sacreblueits442]

25 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

Could Maswanhise be an option to feature? I think Rodgers will go with Perez and then any youngsters that feature will come on off of the bench, but heard Maswanhise has played in that false 9 role a few times this season and seen he’s scored a few goals + looked good in pre-season.

 

I don’t really follow the u23s too much so don’t know if he’s available for selection at the moment? 

....he seems to have dropped out of view!!!

Not sure if it is injury or loss of form, like Wakeling not being picked for the U23s. KDH could actually play upfront, he has that quality in him.

[Ric Flair]

43 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

Could Maswanhise be an option to feature? I think Rodgers will go with Perez and then any youngsters that feature will come on off of the bench, but heard Maswanhise has played in that false 9 role a few times this season and seen he’s scored a few goals + looked good in pre-season.

 

I don’t really follow the u23s too much so don’t know if he’s available for selection at the moment? 

Been our best U23 player this season and yet somehow seems to be further from Brendan's consideration than he was last summer.

[lcfcsnow]

Can see Barnes playing as the striker, I believe the only other time he did was against Wigan a few years ago also in the third round.

[Reg Vardy]

23 minutes ago, lcfcsnow said:

Can see Barnes playing as the striker, I believe the only other time he did was against Wigan a few years ago also in the third round.

Agree, and with what we have in terms of Youri, Madders, Lookman, Perez,KDH,Albrighton & Soumare we have enough quality at the front end to beat these….Soumare to take DM 4-1-4-1……think we have enough to win…..

[tickler28]

4 hours ago, lcfcsnow said:

Can see Barnes playing as the striker, I believe the only other time he did was against Wigan a few years ago also in the third round.

Started there away at Arsenal last season in the first half and was next to useless.

[smudger63]

21 minutes ago, tickler28 said:

Started there away at Arsenal last season in the first half and was next to useless.

No he can`t have been next to Vestagard, he wasn`t with us then!  

[Jobyfox]

48 minutes ago, tickler28 said:

Started there away at Arsenal last season in the first half and was next to useless.

To be honest I'd forgotten he'd ever played as a striker. I'd always thought he was only picked in that position on Foxestalk. 

[davieG]

Leicester City to soldier on – even with only 13 fit senior outfield players - https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-soldier--even-6441363?fbclid=IwAR19-95F73a9fz_JB2ekUljq_Y9VQl-_liiCgpxKScKmOZ5TyItZTTnhb8A

 

The 13 senior outfield players due to be available for City this weekend are Timothy Castagne, Jannik Vestergaard, Ryan Bertrand, Luke Thomas, Hamza Choudhury, Boubakary Soumare, Youri Tielemans, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Maddison, Marc Albrighton, Ademola Lookman, Harvey Barnes, and Ayoze Perez.

[eblair]

15 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Been our best U23 player this season and yet somehow seems to be further from Brendan's consideration than he was last summer.

Feels like Brendan plays a lot of kids from academy as box ticking exercise to show on CV. It feels like to me he’s played some of the more ordinary players from academy like his compiling a list. Like when he played George Hirst. 

 

I don't follow the u23 that closely but seems to me Pennant, Maswanhise & Wakeling been their stand out players yet McAteer is one who gets to play in the PL 

Edited 5 January 2022 by eblair

[KrefelderFox666]

We really need to mix in some younger players and get them vital experience. We cannot afford to pick up more injuries with Everton and Burnley round the corner. We should be more than capable of beating Watford's youth/second string. They have more important games in the next week or two to avoid relegation.

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

37 minutes ago, eblair said:

Feels like Brendan plays a lot of kids from academy as box ticking exercise to show on CV. It feels like to me he’s played some of the more ordinary players from academy like his compiling a list. Like when he played George Hirst. 

 

I don't follow the u23 that closely but seems to me Pennant, Maswanhise & Wakeling been their stand out players yet McAteer is one who gets to play in the PL 

I'm not sure that's fair. A lot has to do with what U23's have been training with the senior team, and that often has to do with what spots need to be filled -- not only where we are lacking in depth, but also who best matches up with opposing teams style of play.

 

We have also been less likely to need attacking players from the U23s on the bench. Rodgers has been clear that he is concerned about the effects of throwing really young players into Premier League football before they are ready. In any event, needs must, and I expect to see some of these kids making an appearance. Sadly, the injury crisis means a few won't be getting loans that they probably need.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

16 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Been our best U23 player this season and yet somehow seems to be further from Brendan's consideration than he was last summer.

Has he? He's been on the bench since about October? Started the season well

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

47 minutes ago, eblair said:

Feels like Brendan plays a lot of kids from academy as box ticking exercise to show on CV. It feels like to me he’s played some of the more ordinary players from academy like his compiling a list. Like when he played George Hirst. 

 

I don't follow the u23 that closely but seems to me Pennant, Maswanhise & Wakeling been their stand out players yet McAteer is one who gets to play in the PL 

Of all the things to criticise him for this is quite a bizarre one.

 

Not sure thomas and kdh just tick a box?

 

Wakeling is miles off PL level, might make a decent league one striker.

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Has he? He's been on the bench since about October? Started the season well

Yes he was our best player in the opening few months, then we decided ro opt to go 3 at the back and drop our striker in Wakeling and play Maswanhise up front or even bench him. It was odd as he was comfortably our best player. Since then he's still managed to score and assist up front but it's quite clear from the players available we don't really suit 3-5-2 but the day the U23's make sense will be the day I stop chuntering on and on and on.

 

I'd like to know what more Maswanhise needs to show for the U23's that would have kept him at what appeared to be the same standing in Brendan's mind as he had back end of last season and the summer, where Rodgers had him very much involved with the first team. Seems a little baffling but I'm sure Brendan has his reasons and maybe he's right. A loan move to a good League One team would be good to see.

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Of all the things to criticise him for this is quite a bizarre one.

 

Not sure thomas and kdh just tick a box?

 

Wakeling is miles off PL level, might make a decent league one striker.

Yeah I can't have that said about Rodgers, he has been our best manager to date in the last decade or more for involving the academy and I do believe he's played a part in trying to get it revamped as well. 

[coolhandfox]

53 minutes ago, eblair said:

Feels like Brendan plays a lot of kids from academy as box ticking exercise to show on CV. It feels like to me he’s played some of the more ordinary players from academy like his compiling a list. Like when he played George Hirst. 

 

I don't follow the u23 that closely but seems to me Pennant, Maswanhise & Wakeling been their stand out players yet McAteer is one who gets to play in the PL 

Talk about trying to search for a negative. 

 

Player development is individual and not just about shoving someone in the first team at the earliest opportunity. 

 

A player has to be technically, physically and mentally ready. 

 

[Lesta2014]

Did I see that the 23s have a game on Saturday? 18s usually play Saturday mornings too, could be interesting seeing the teams all the way down if people have to step up through the ages.

[Ric Flair]

13 minutes ago, Lesta2014 said:

Did I see that the 23s have a game on Saturday? 18s usually play Saturday mornings too, could be interesting seeing the teams all the way down if people have to step up through the ages.

It's going to be chaos

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

12 hours ago, davieG said:

Leicester City to soldier on – even with only 13 fit senior outfield players - https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-soldier--even-6441363?fbclid=IwAR19-95F73a9fz_JB2ekUljq_Y9VQl-_liiCgpxKScKmOZ5TyItZTTnhb8A

 

The 13 senior outfield players due to be available for City this weekend are Timothy Castagne, Jannik Vestergaard, Ryan Bertrand, Luke Thomas, Hamza Choudhury, Boubakary Soumare, Youri Tielemans, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Maddison, Marc Albrighton, Ademola Lookman, Harvey Barnes, and Ayoze Perez.

The scary thing about that list is I can only think of Daka & Soyuncu  who are anywhere close to returning. I’m worried we’ll end up rushing them back and breaking them too! 

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Ross 'LCFC' Turner said:

The scary thing about that list is I can only think of Daka & Soyuncu  who are anywhere close to returning. I’m worried we’ll end up rushing them back and breaking them too! 

Justin surely must be close to returning? What's going on?

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

6 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Justin surely must be close to returning? What's going on?

Just seems to be set back after set back doesn’t it. Until he’s played a couple of Under 23 games I can’t see him featuring for the first team. 
 

As long as we can keep Castagne & Thomas fit I’m happy to not rush him back like we did with Ricardo because he’s had nothing but niggles ever since. I’ve pretty much wrote this season off for him in the hope he can get a full & proper pre season in and come back firing next season. Any feature before would be a bonus but as we’ve seen with Ricardo it takes time to get back up to speed. 

Edited 5 January 2022 by Ross 'LCFC' Turner

[fazzyfox]

12 hours ago, davieG said:

Leicester City to soldier on – even with only 13 fit senior outfield players - https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-soldier--even-6441363?fbclid=IwAR19-95F73a9fz_JB2ekUljq_Y9VQl-_liiCgpxKScKmOZ5TyItZTTnhb8A

 

The 13 senior outfield players due to be available for City this weekend are Timothy Castagne, Jannik Vestergaard, Ryan Bertrand, Luke Thomas, Hamza Choudhury, Boubakary Soumare, Youri Tielemans, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Maddison, Marc Albrighton, Ademola Lookman, Harvey Barnes, and Ayoze Perez.

I could see us going with:-

                                                           Ward

Albrighton or Daley-Campbell  Castagne     Vestergaard           Thomas

                                                     Choudhury 

                        K DH                                                             Soumare

                                                        

Lookman                                             Perez                                 Barnes

 

Insurance on bench = Maddison, Tielemans

Filbert duty = Bertrand

 

Would prefer to start stronger and If we can get a 2 goal lead then get Madders, Tielemans and Barnes off into cotton wool storage ASAP or Perez, Castagne & Vestergaard (Positions where we'd have no viable cover in forthcoming PL games) but could see us having both Choudhury & Soumare start with Tielemans or Maddison on bench as insurance.  

Edited 5 January 2022 by fazzyfox

[moore_94]

10 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Justin surely must be close to returning? What's going on?

From his Norwich press conference

 

"JJ, we just need to get some games into him. He was due to play a game and then he was off for 10 days or so. He's going to be a few weeks away but he's back training which is good news for us."

 

I think we are more likely to see him play in the under 23 game at lunch time than being in the squad for Watford

Edited 5 January 2022 by moore_94

[Ric Flair]

9 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

From his Norwich press conference

 

"JJ, we just need to get some games into him. He was due to play a game and then he was off for 10 days or so. He's going to be a few weeks away but he's back training which is good news for us."

 

I think we are more likely to see him play in the under 23 game at lunch time than being in the squad for Watford

I hope so, if he doesn't feature in either then its a real worry. We're now pretty much at a year out.

[Sunbury Fox]

Any news on the likely Watford team?