Elliot Watt

I rated his ability, but I'm not certain we need his type of attacking midfield play

I always thought when we were getting over-run by the likes of Vale, Mansfield and Swindon - but also showing plenty of attacking intent ourselves, that we need two disciplined 'bite yer ankles' midfielders then we can have that creative 'front four'.

Even though I think another midfielder might join, I've no issue with the central two been Songo and Smallwood. They get the ball and give it to Walker and Co.

 

I won't applaud or boo him. He's replaceable and to me a bit of a meh type player, pretty much as I would have no feelings towards a Devitt, a Mellor, or a Miller. Came, achieved nowt, went.

 

I would have preferred to keep Watt but we need to move on. His reasons dont sound convincing. Move away from an established premier league manager to an under23 coach?
I do think he took a lot of stick under Adams management as his style wasn’t conducive of an Adams team. He suffered for it and perhaps that’s part of the reason but the football under Hughes was far more attractive and progressive. I think Watt suffered because of the results and style of Adams but to be a pro baller you need serious strength of character. Shame because if city take off next season he won’t witness the good times at this club. And when it’s rocking here, it is something to behold.

 

If you want to be positive Watt helped pay for Smallwood and a centre back (I haven't learnt to spell his name yet)

 

You beat me to it....200% a sideways and in many ways a step backwards. We have an amazing Manager, good quality new squad additions plus stadium and support far too good for Div 2.

Joint second favourites to go up for a reason.

 

Good post. The manager thing did have me thinking.

Obviously I'm only guessing but maybe EW does not rate MH the manager, quite the same as the fanbase, here at VP?

Money may talk but maybe EW is just saying what he genuinely believes.

 

It's probably 50-50 who finishes higher anyway. They've got some good players, but Bowyer crippled all their forwards in terms of individual statistics.

Ian Henderson and Conor McAleny dropped off a cliff, Thomas-Asante and Matt Smith were the only players that could score goals.

Matt Smith's going to be a big player next season if he continues to score 1 in 3.

 

And he signs for Salford......another side who go through managers!

Looks to be he was touting himself to L1 clubs but no interest. Salford a last resort.

 

Many league one clubs will have ran the rule over him.
However, once they checked video evidence of his play, and seen how readily he gives possession away even trying playing simple 20yard passes through the thirds, they soon lost interest.
Leaving L2 his only option
A former under 23's coach may well be able to put a bit more thought to his game, looking at his final 3games under MH, he started to produce more slightly more accomplished performances, it's a pity for him that some influences took charge of his decisions to make this backward move.
But good coaches are coaches and good managers are managers, not very often they successfully change hats.
Look at our own Stu McCall for instance.
Before long Salford will be looking for another manager, as they sit 14th in L2, with a large over paid and underachieving squad of players. And Watt will be stagnating in his career, when he could have been looking forward to L1 football with us in 12 short months time.

We're one good signing ( striker) short of the final jigsaw piece, get that and come xmas we'll be challenging right up there, and Watt will be looking across the Pennine's envious of what could have been.

 

Look,

Now show me the real reason for his move.

Show me his old and compared to new basic wage.

 

Admire your confidence but we are not in the position to be that highly confident at all.

Don’t think any team will be scared of us.

 

You do understand how the bookies work don’t you?

 

It's the nature of the football fan to be confident at the on-set of every season, the reality of this and expectation are usually re-adjusted by early September to a much more realistic level.
I try to look at things at the dawn of each season slightly more objectively, this time last year whilst many were thinking we'd walk L2, my expectations were at a mid-table finish.
However, putting all bravado and pride in the club to one side, and the variables of injury, loss of form, suspensions ( we get more of our fair share) I genuinely believe we're going to have a very strong season.

 

Why arent we? Decent manager, 12 new recruits and a very obvious transfer strategy in place.

I think we can be confident - optimistic at worst. Whether it pans out as planned is another thing. Nobody can predict that.

Other teams wint be scared, nor should they be. Its L2 football ffs!!!! A few will be looking on with envy though. We have done the best business in L2 and I challenge you to prove otherwise...

 

We need a drastic improvement on last seasons points haul so, quite rightly, the transfer policy has been more revolutionary than evolutionary.

We’ve cut loose several perennial underachievers and recruited heavily.

Getting them in so early was key, given the numbers brought in.

the friendlies will tell us more, of course, and we need the group to have a good bonding session in Spain to set us up for the year.

we must have lowered the average age of the squad. Hopefully we’re fitter and more energetic and the players buy into what MH and GH are asking of them.

 

Are you suggesting that footballers have normal feelings and emotions similar to other human beings?

 

I am thinking that if MH wanted Watt to stay, he would have gone all out to keep him. Something tells me there was something about him that didn’t fit with what MH wanted. It may well be he didn’t pass the character test. Maybe he is not a team player. There could be many reasons above and beyond his skill level as to why he has not been signed up.

 

We offered him a new contract to get compo but I feel hes joined Salford because of the vast wage increase he will be getting.

 

We do have a decent manager but one that isn't use to Div 2 football.

We have a great crowd at home but recently we have become a team that is scared and don't use the crowd to our advantage.

We have an owner with no real ambition for the club.

We have lost 3 of our best players and not kept them to build around.

Look, I am not saying we won't do well but I do think some are getting ahead of themselves on here at the moment.