MATCHWATCH : Watford (h) sponsored by Chris Armstrong

[Zip]

For the first time since the pandemic I’m really missing not going to the game today. Typical football weather as well.

[Zip]

Ejaria apparently not in the squad. Not sure whether this and Swift’s injury were picked up in training or on match days.

[Snowflake Royal]

With the exception of centre back and maybe up front, this is a smaller squad than fifteen years ago.

This squad would look much more balanced if we could add equivalents to Hunt, Brynjar, and Makin.

Cabral - Hahnemann
Walker - Stack
Southwood - Federici
Andresson - Young?

Yiadom - Murty
Araruna - Makin
Watson - ?

Richards - Shorey
Gibson - Gordon?

Moore - Ingimarsson
Morrison - Sonko
McIntyre - Brown?
Holmes - ?

Rinomhota - Harper
Laurent - Gunnarsson
Swift - Sidwell
Aluko - Baradji

Meite - Little
Olise - Oster

Ejaria - Convey
???? - Hunt

Joao - Kitson
Puscas - Doyle
Baldock - Lita
McNulty - Long

I'm sure I've missed a few.

How can you put Baradji but ignore Eric Obbina Chuckwenyelu

Because Baradji put in the immortal freekick that Brynjar glanced in to defeat Warnock's Sheff U and give us the ascendancy we used to romp the league.

[Simmops]

Cabral - Hahnemann
Walker - Stack
Southwood - Federici
Andresson - Young?

Yiadom - Murty
Araruna - Makin
Watson - ?

Richards - Shorey
Gibson - Gordon?

Moore - Ingimarsson
Morrison - Sonko
McIntyre - Brown?
Holmes - ?

Rinomhota - Harper
Laurent - Gunnarsson
Swift - Sidwell
Aluko - Baradji

Meite - Little
Olise - Oster

Ejaria - Convey
???? - Hunt

Joao - Kitson
Puscas - Doyle
Baldock - Lita
McNulty - Long

I'm sure I've missed a few.

How can you put Baradji but ignore Eric Obbina Chuckwenyelu

Because Baradji put in the immortal freekick that Brynjar glanced in to defeat Warnock's Sheff U and give us the ascendancy we used to romp the league.

But Eric Obbina Chuckwenyelu was part of the squad aswell

[Simmops]

And you left out Dobson aswell

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm sure I've missed a few.

Well done for spotting this and then googling the squad.

[windermereROYAL]

Rumour is that Ejaria is injured now too, could be Aluko in, one more injury and we are f*cked.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Maybe ALUKO to the rescue

[SCIAG]

Based on their performances in the cup I would much prefer Sackey to Aluko. More realistically, Baldock should be an option.

[Simon's Church]

Could be a real struggle today, no swift and ejaria really limits our ability to play it around and keep the ball, and if Joao doesn't start we can't really go more direct either.
Hopefully Sarr doesn't start for them.

[Sutekh]

Rumour is that Ejaria is injured now too, could be Aluko in, one more injury and we are f*cked.

So things are looking bright and rosy then. Only the keeper position left that hasn’t YET been wrecked by injury.

Defence has no experienced right back
Midfield is shot of arguably the best two creative midfielders
Striking department is likely to be without the key player that links up and poses any kind of threat

And this is well before the games really start hitting the club at an incessant rate

Really hope something positive happens in the transfer window before the ‘boro game to give much needed cover.

Team today is anyone’s guess but I’ll go for

Rafael
Watson
Morrison
Moore
Richards
Rinomhota
Laurent
Olise
Meite
Puscas
Aluko

[Snowflake Royal]

Rumour is that Ejaria is injured now too, could be Aluko in, one more injury and we are f*cked.

So things are looking bright and rosy then. Only the keeper position left that hasn’t YET been wrecked by injury.

Defence has no experienced right back
Midfield is shot of arguably the best two creative midfielders
Striking department is likely to be without the key player that links up and poses any kind of threat

And this is well before the games really start hitting the club at an incessant rate

Really hope something positive happens in the transfer window before the ‘boro game to give much needed cover.

Team today is anyone’s guess but I’ll go for

Rafael
Watson
Morrison
Moore
Richards
Rinomhota
Laurent
Olise
Meite
Puscas
Aluko

Olise's got the most assists and key passes per game, neither Swift or Ejaria have really been that close to their best, so it shouldn't be too big a problem. Joao the big miss, but not worth risking him IMO. Obviously no proven RB is a bit of a concern, but I'm comfortable with Watson or Holmes in there to see how they do for a game.

Four on the bounce strikes me as having been fairly unlikely even with a fully fit team, so given Watford are the biggest challenge we'll face in the first seven games, it doesn't feel too bad to be missing players for this one providing we can get some back for Middlesbrough, Wycombe and Rotherham. A good haul of points from those three would see us looking very comfortable.

[The Royal Forester]

Any chance of the match being called off for a waterlogged pitch?

Pitch is OK but safety of spectators may be an issue

Can't they just put the cardborad cutouts further back then? Or even treat them to a hospitality box to make sure they keep dry.................... I'm getting my coat now.

[Simon's Church]

Team today is anyone’s guess but I’ll go for

Rafael
Watson
Morrison
Moore
Richards
Rinomhota
Laurent
Olise
Meite
Puscas
Aluko

Yeah that would be my guess too, bench of Southwood, Gibson, McIntyre, Tetek, Joao, Baldock, and one other, maybe Ajose?

[SCIAG]

Think Sackey is the next off the rank. Based on his cup cameo I’d probably rather have him than Aluko...

[Simon's Church]

Think Sackey is the next off the rank. Based on his cup cameo I’d probably rather have him than Aluko...

He's apparently playing for the U18s at the moment, along with Melvin Lambert

[SCIAG]

Pretty poor planning by the club.

Could we see the dramatic return of Thierry Nevers?

[Sutekh]

No Ejaria and no Baldock either...

[Snowflake Royal]

No Ejaria and no Baldock either...

Aluko.

NOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

[Zip]

Hmmm. Four key players missing. In fairness Watford have a fair few missing including Deeney