MATCHWATCH : Watford (h)

[Sutekh]

Would have thought Watford have a squad size in excess of 25 players with 3+ championship (or equiv.) appearances but obviously they can’t have.

Sorry, can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic with that comment, but that rule only applied to us due to breaching FFP rules. While everyone is restricted to a 25 man squad, U21 players (not on loan at the club) don't have to be included in that 25 man squad while we had to include any U21 player with 3+ championship starts, something the likes of Dejan Tetek and maybe others fall foul of.

Sarcastic actually. All the more credit to the management this season in getting Reading where they are in the table, just shame the double jeopardy rule doesn't apply off the field, you can see some logic in what Ince has been saying about the league seemingly do all they can to get FFP failing clubs relegated. Meanwhile clubs promoted to the PL can spend way beyond their means and get rewarded when they fail with parachute payments but that's a whole other story. Can't wait for the "fan led review" to finally get that one sorted out

[tidus_mi2]

Would have thought Watford have a squad size in excess of 25 players with 3+ championship (or equiv.) appearances but obviously they can’t have.

Sorry, can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic with that comment, but that rule only applied to us due to breaching FFP rules. While everyone is restricted to a 25 man squad, U21 players (not on loan at the club) don't have to be included in that 25 man squad while we had to include any U21 player with 3+ championship starts, something the likes of Dejan Tetek and maybe others fall foul of.

Sarcastic actually. All the more credit to the management this season in getting Reading where they are in the table, just shame the double jeopardy rule doesn't apply off the field, you can see some logic in what Ince has been saying about the league seemingly do all they can to get FFP failing clubs relegated. Meanwhile clubs promoted to the PL can spend way beyond their means and get rewarded when they fail with parachute payments but that's a whole other story. Can't wait for the "fan led review" to finally get that one sorted out

Yeah, had a feeling it was sarcastic but wasn't sure. It is a pretty shitty rule, I understand the need to ensure clubs in embargo have a sensibly sized squad but it then seems to punish teams further seemingly for trying to give young players game time.

[Hound]

So sounds like Holmes is out. Moore will play. Hutch should be fit. Ejaria back in training next week so won’t play this one

[Snowflake Royal]

Reckon it might actually be a decent game and not a bad watch if hopefully we get a few of the injured players back for it

Kick off time massively inconvenient for me so i won’t be there to see it l though I doubt

Would be nice for something like the following but suspect a few are still injured

Bouzanis
Abrefa Dann Mbengue Moore NGW
Azeez Hutchinson Ejaria
Joao Long

CBC, ehibhatiomhan, Abbey + some others

Would push Mbengue to RWB, Moore to CB and bring Rahman in at LCB, otherwise would go with that

Possibly Fornah in if available, not too sure about his/Ejaria’s/Hutchinson’s condition

But Mbengue was dreadful at wing back.

[Zip]

Ejaria is back in training next week so won't be available for this game.

[Stranded]

Reckon it might actually be a decent game and not a bad watch if hopefully we get a few of the injured players back for it

Kick off time massively inconvenient for me so i won’t be there to see it l though I doubt

Would be nice for something like the following but suspect a few are still injured

Bouzanis
Abrefa Dann Mbengue Moore NGW
Azeez Hutchinson Ejaria
Joao Long

CBC, ehibhatiomhan, Abbey + some others

That won't be far off I'm sure but wouldn't surprise me to see someone like Michael Craig get a start esp as Ejaria isn't fit. Hutchinson may start on the bench as arguably he came back too soon last time and with no u23 mins, half an hour of the bench would make the most sense with an eye on being more involved v QPR next week.

Assuming we play the same formation we've been doing so essentially 3-5-2 - I think we may see Loum play and a couple of experienced names on the bench.

Bouzanis
Dann Mbengue Moore
Abrefa Azeez Craig Loum NGW
Joao Long

Bench: CBC, Abbey, McIntyre, Ince, Ehibhatiomhan, Scott, Hutchinson

[Hound]

Ince suggesting Sarr will play some part - needs to keep getting games into him

‘One or two academy players on the bench’ suggests he won’t be bringing anyone much in from there. Expect Ehib, Abbey and maybe Abrefa if they are all fit. Craig possibly though not seen much of him recently - may be injured

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I don't mind that, wouldn't mind giving the academy lads a chance obviously, but also wouldn't mind a decent run in the FA Cup either. A chance for a decent run or a good draw and potentially TV depending on who we get and when so it can be a decent source of income for us.

Especially with most FA Cup ties being on a weekend as well, it doesn't exactly bloat our fixture list either and we aren't going to be reaching the latter stages I wouldn't have thought, so we will eventually be getting some free weekends at the back end of the season as well.

[Sutekh]

Bouzanis
Mbengue Sarr Moore Obi-Wan Abrefa
Azeez Hutchinson Loum
Long Ehibhatiomhan

Subs

CBC, McIntyre, Scott, Craig, Abbey, Ince, Carroll

[Snowflake Royal]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

[YorkshireRoyal99]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

Take it that's your preferred team? No Ejaria and Moore will be involved I believe Ince has confirmed.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

Dont think you are too far off here. Moore on bench at least and swap Ejaria for Azeez.

[Snowflake Royal]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

Take it that's your preferred team? No Ejaria and Moore will be involved I believe Ince has confirmed.

Yeah.... if no Ejaria then Azeez, I forgot about him. Or Camara and Azeez to bench.

I just don’t see any point in Moore.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

Take it that's your preferred team? No Ejaria and Moore will be involved I believe Ince has confirmed.

Yeah.... if no Ejaria then Azeez, I forgot about him. Or Camara and Azeez to bench.

I just don’t see any point in Moore.

I do for fitness and I think he can be used for the remaining part of the season because he's still a capable player, we just need to see how this injury has affected him and if he can be part of our squad for the remaining few months of the season.

[Nameless]

...................Bouzanis
...........Abbey, Dann, Sarr
Abrefa, Mbengue, Hendrick, NGW
.......................Ejaria
.................Long......Joao

CBC, McIntyre, Loum, Ince, Ehib, Camara, Hutch

Take it that's your preferred team? No Ejaria and Moore will be involved I believe Ince has confirmed.

Yeah.... if no Ejaria then Azeez, I forgot about him. Or Camara and Azeez to bench.

I just don’t see any point in Moore.

Surely you’d be daft to deliberately deprive yourself of a very decent 0layer who is part of our squad and being paid ! The only realistic attitude is to hope Moore stays fit and plays well.
Moore not playing is an utter waste, Moore playing is a huge boost.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I might be missing something pretty obvious but, will aspects like performance-related bonuses i.e. appearance fees, count towards any of our restrictions? Or is it just merely another cost that goes against the club's accounts when they are released?

That might be something that restricts Moore's appearances, if he is earning a sizeable appearance fee.

[Royals and Racers]

I don't mind that, wouldn't mind giving the academy lads a chance obviously, but also wouldn't mind a decent run in the FA Cup either. A chance for a decent run or a good draw and potentially TV depending on who we get and when so it can be a decent source of income for us.

Especially with most FA Cup ties being on a weekend as well, it doesn't exactly bloat our fixture list either and we aren't going to be reaching the latter stages I wouldn't have thought, so we will eventually be getting some free weekends at the back end of the season as well.

Not sure what you are meaning here- 4th round is Saturday January 28th so if us or Sheffield Utd get through that game will be re-arranged for midweek. The 5th round is midweek, so we should be playing every weekend until the end of the season with only a small number of midweek matches.

[Nameless]

I might be missing something pretty obvious but, will aspects like performance-related bonuses i.e. appearance fees, count towards any of our restrictions? Or is it just merely another cost that goes against the club's accounts when they are released?

That might be something that restricts Moore's appearances, if he is earning a sizeable appearance fee.

Yes, their whole salary has to be taken into account.
I’ve never really understood how this can be done fairly. Presumably we will have had to assume players will earn the maximum additional payments possible, which means we will almost certainly come in under budget. In that case Moore earning some appearance money shoukd already be factored in to our agreed budget.
As ever wehave no idea what certain players actually earn and how it is split between basic wage and performance based. Moore may have been on a fairly small basic for the last year if his reported salary has a big performance element.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I might be missing something pretty obvious but, will aspects like performance-related bonuses i.e. appearance fees, count towards any of our restrictions? Or is it just merely another cost that goes against the club's accounts when they are released?

That might be something that restricts Moore's appearances, if he is earning a sizeable appearance fee.

Yes, their whole salary has to be taken into account.
I’ve never really understood how this can be done fairly. Presumably we will have had to assume players will earn the maximum additional payments possible, which means we will almost certainly come in under budget. In that case Moore earning some appearance money shoukd already be factored in to our agreed budget.
As ever wehave no idea what certain players actually earn and how it is split between basic wage and performance based. Moore may have been on a fairly small basic for the last year if his reported salary has a big performance element.

I don't really see how the maximum additional payments would be possible because what happens in the events of goals bonuses, such as if Joao scores 15 goals this season he will earn x. I don't really think you can include something that hasn't happened. Surely it's just got to a case of weekly meetings to see where the club is at in respect to the budgets we need to stick by for the season.

I've always thought the assumption was that Moore was earning a basic wage of around £30k a week and anything else is added on top of that, although as you say, I suppose it's just an assumption.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I don't mind that, wouldn't mind giving the academy lads a chance obviously, but also wouldn't mind a decent run in the FA Cup either. A chance for a decent run or a good draw and potentially TV depending on who we get and when so it can be a decent source of income for us.

Especially with most FA Cup ties being on a weekend as well, it doesn't exactly bloat our fixture list either and we aren't going to be reaching the latter stages I wouldn't have thought, so we will eventually be getting some free weekends at the back end of the season as well.

Not sure what you are meaning here- 4th round is Saturday January 28th so if us or Sheffield Utd get through that game will be re-arranged for midweek. The 5th round is midweek, so we should be playing every weekend until the end of the season with only a small number of midweek matches.

I didn't know the 5th round is in midweek, apologies.