Will Watford be the dark horses of the Championship?

[cliveh27]

After a frenetic last day of the transfer window, it is clear that there are several clubs, ourselves included, who have serious chances of promotion this season.

I noticed that Watford have taken 5 players from Udinese on loan, meaning that they now have 10 players in their squad from the Italian Serie A side. Last season, Udinese finished 3rd in the league and took a Champions League place. They are co-owned with Watford, and it seems to me that their owners (the Pozzo family) have the ambition to see both sides playing at the highest level.

Will they be in the mix at the end of the season?

 

[Icy Gull]

Not convinced that their manager is that good tbh

 

[Barn Door Billy]

No. Watford won't. Udinese might though

 

[albion534]

No, too many players, not enough time to gel

Plus their ground come winter is a shithole!

Some homesick italian isn't gonna be up for it

 

[Bladders]

All of the above

 

[El Turi]

What are the rules on loan players? I thought you're only allowed 5 in a match day squad but am I right in thinking this doesn't count if they are from foreign sides? Doesn't seem quite right.

 

[willyfantastic]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watford_fc#Current_squad

look how many are on loan from Udinese!

absolute joke, is that even allowed? assume most are short term as i thought there was a limit on how many loans you could have....

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

No chance Zola is a bad manager, has the right ideas about football bit no idea how to execute it. And all those loans will only result in bad things. Total inexperience to deal with this league.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I guess their new owners would love them to be in the mix.

Normally having so many new players could be disruptive but in this case with them all coming in from one Club it will be just like them putting out the Udinese development squad so might work. On the other hand aren't the number of loanees you play limited? So they will have to integrate with the existing Watford players, maybe not quite the quick fix after all.

Whether or not it is right just to parachute in a whole new team from the other Club you own is another matter. Plus QPR went out and bought 12 new signings in the transfer window which is a bit different but still feels wrong. I feel sorry for the young players looking to break into Watford's first team seeing their hopes dashed because they are now at the back of a long queue.

There are too many questions around these arrangements plus the whole transfer window thing is ridiculous. £400m changed hands up to last night but how much of that will filter down to the smaller clubs compared for example that will go to players agents? Plus there is the parachute payments arrangement that just creates an artifical situation that benefits some clubs and compromises others. Clubs like Blackburn now get to spray money around for 2-3 seasons. It isn't a level playing field.

 

[T soprano]

No Zola sacked by Xmas

 

[stss30]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watford_fc#Current_squad

look how many are on loan from Udinese!

absolute joke, is that even allowed? assume most are short term as i thought there was a limit on how many loans you could have....

There are no restrictions on international loans I believe. So technically they could have all the Udinese reserves playing for them in the matchday squad. Ridiculous.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Hopefully they'll do shit as punishment for the way they treated Dyche. That was on a par with our treatment of Wilkins - and look how shit we were that season. Hopefully history repeats itself with Watford

 

[Notters]

doubt it.

 

[Albion Dan]

After a frenetic last day of the transfer window, it is clear that there are several clubs, ourselves included, who have serious chances of promotion this season.

I noticed that Watford have taken 5 players from Udinese on loan, meaning that they now have 10 players in their squad from the Italian Serie A side. Last season, Udinese finished 3rd in the league and took a Champions League place. They are co-owned with Watford, and it seems to me that their owners (the Pozzo family) have the ambition to see both sides playing at the highest level.

Will they be in the mix at the end of the season?

No chance. If you took even Barcelonas or Man Citys reserve side they would struggle to get promoted from this league.

 

[Pavilionaire]

No. Midtable for them.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

3-0 down today...

 

[TSB]

3-0 down today...

Think Derby may be the dark horses...

 

[Captain Sensible]

Watford sound like a right mess.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Lol @ Watford, their owners are clearly thick as shit!

 

[we hate palace]

i hope they struggle, i thought it was disgusting the way they treated sean dyche, he did a incredible job last season considering the limited resources he had.