Yes, congrats to all at Watford and their fans. Good to see ex-Potter Ben Foster do such a great job in goal all season. Does he go back to ManUre for the new season, or do you have hopes of extending the loan? I suspect with Howard loaned to Everton, Sir Alec will want Foster at Old Trafford.
Cheers claret50 >>> just getting over the post match celebs ..... just hope we can emulate your achievements of last season. Jay Jay for the USA ..... if you leave it too long then England may nab him under residency rules !!!!
Well done the Orn's for making it back to the premiership where they belong after that easy victory over Leeds United in Cardiff.............Top 4 for next season Watford....
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be lying if I said I had just got over cardiff....still loving every minute of the whole season (except maybe Burnley away!!). Jay Demerit should be in the USA squad - Arena has no idea what he is missing out on. Roll on August, I will still be smiling for sure!!
Can't believe there's actually another twatter around, still most likely another inbred from shedfordshire..... haven't heard any more whinning crap from newell lately lolololololo YOU ORNS PREMIERSHIP
you guys just love that internet warrior shit, go on up to the prem... but happy trails right back down.
Come on ZacRWE don't get all upset ya big tart it's only a bit of banter!! but at least we made it to the prem (again) and yeh maybe we will come back down, (but don't under estimate boothie) seeing the likes of chelsea,Liverpool, Man u and Arsenal at the vic for one season sure beats seeing the likes of Preston,Cardiff,Hull.and Plymouth.
Anybody have a lead on the following? A gif of Demerit scoring the header vs Leeds? Where to get an 05-06 Diadora Watford FC kit?
You know what, your are right... but you never know... It may be next year we meet in the Prem! up the Hatters
http://soccernet-att.espn.go.com/design05/images/domr/demerit275_e.jpg Good jpeg of Jay heading it past durtyleeds!!!
Jay will most definitely get his shot now that the world cup is over. Arena missed out on a player who showed great form playing in the best 2nd division in the world. He definitely would have been an improvement over an aging Eddie Pope, who didn't even look at the great in MLS.
I just hope my mother doesnt do the same as she did when Watford were last at Upton Park, there we were, shaffling along the seats, sit down and turns to the biggest geezer I have ever seen and says "I hope you dont mind when watford score I might cheer' , at which point my bowels clench and fully expect a good kicking, even though Im there in my west ham shirt and hat. and I live in watford, so have a great season (apart from the two games against us)
Damien Francis signed, Ben Foster loan extended. Gavin Mahon, Al Bangura, and Super Jay Demerit given an extension to reward their promotion game performance. So...What's next? Boothroyd says "no sexy names", so I suppose that counts out Brad and Angelina. Who else? Hey Mods: Shouldn't this thread be moved to the Premiership section?
The case of Jay is pretty interesting and very unique and it tells you a great deal about the level of American soccer. Americans have a major inferiority complex, and perhaps deservedly so, but it's not the athlete's...it's the system surrounding them that identifies talent that is holding us back. You see, I'm not sure he improved so much over the years. In fact, he didn't succeed with the Fire, else he'd still be there. But he didn't take NO for an answer, and found a way to succeed. Actually, I think he's been this good for a long time, and so have many many more guys like him that you don't hear about, because they quit the game already. Most soccer athletes work hard for years and years, but even if they make an MLS team at a reserve level, they can't make a living. Many starters barely make $40,000/year. At some point many of these guys conclude it's better to just give up soccer and get a job, and just play on the weekend for fun. Jay didn't do that. For some reason, he took his wallet and bag, and flew to London with the what has to be the dumbest plan for professional footballing success in the world...play soccer in the parks of the birthplace of Soccer, the very cradle of the game, until he got on at a club. Why should he think he could play better than the guys in England already? Nevertheless, he did get on at Northwood, and got signed to Watford, earned promotion to the EPL and the rest is history yet to be made. I think you are right though...he is not much different than the guys who gave it up and play on Sunday at the park with fat old guys like me who deliver nasty slide tackles and piss poor passes. What he had was the capability of legally working in England (thanks to his grandparents being born there granting him a visa) and the desire to find some way to just keep playing. Most guys conclude that leaving the US to go to England to play soccer professionally would more likely result in falling off the flat edge of the earth than taking the field against EPL teams, and would therefore choose to stay at home and give it up. The sucky thing is if he came back home today and tried out anonymously for DC United or whatever, the coaches and scouts here would still think he isn't good enough to play for an MLS team. They'd have some idea in their head about what constitutes a successful American soccer player, and using the same crappy skillsets to assess his talent, conclude he ain't got it. It's the coaches and talent assessment apparatus that is broken here, not so much the players and their capability. Jay and the Watford Hornets may go back down again next season, but he has already shown there is an avenue for certain American's to success in footballing abroad. Ya just gotta believe (and have the right passport).
Headlines form Hertfordshire: Watford FC Manager Adrian Boothroyd admits ignorance of foreign players in overseas markets... It's sad. Now that the club has made it to the Prem, Boothroyd needs to at least have scouts he trusts who can counsel him as to what is out there that he himself hasn't seen. His lack of knowledge in this regard is going to come back to haunt the team. It's already causing problems insofar as Watford has only signed a couple new players, and keeps missing out as players they are targetting go to other clubs for more money. Boothroyd has to get it together or they will go straight to the bottom of the table. Mods: Consider moving this thread out of Lower Divisions and to the Premiership area?
Watford should be getting it's own forum before the season starts.. At least in the "England: More Club Forums" area.. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1077
Watford - Fulham today...home for the match by chance. Watford pressing hard as usual. Hopefully not in vain as usual!