Most liked posts in thread: Elliot Watt

And one who didnt disappear during our dreadful run of losses - a few picked up 'injuries' but he never shirked getting out there. I think he will go on to be a success at our club

 

If Watt stays he starts every game. Alongside Smallwood. Its that simple.

 

Totally agree with you, the General and many others. I speak in a purely PERSONAL capacity and FAN as I have no idea what has gone on but several things stand out to me.
1. EW always had a high opinion of himself that he generally failed to live up to on the pitch.
2. His form last season regressed quite significantly in my view. He went from a quite skilled dead ball man around the penalty area and an accurate corner taker to not being able to hit a barn door or clear the first defender. Often caught in possession when show boating resulting in a desperate foul and sometimes a yellow. Trying and often failing with the glamour pass, leading to trouble.
3. I think I watched all bar 10 of his games home and away in his time and last season I can honestly say his loss of possession or mis placed passes directly lead to goals which cost us between 8 and 10 points. That would of itself not made us a promotion candidate but the knock on effect to confidence of the points losses, if reversed may have lead to better results in other games and a different end of season but that's all gone now.
4. In my view he has gone at this late stage as he hung around to see our incomers and has realised he may not feature and his parting salvo about coaching sums him up for me. Joining a Club with a record of higher and fire is a huge gamble and as Fordy and many others have said it must be money.
Equally where has the other alleged interest gone?, or was it there in the first place. Finally agree with the proposition he has been outsmarted by MH although like Crankshaw and Canavan his travel costs will be less.

 

Doubt it, if he stays he’ll start along side Smallwood. Both started over 40 league games for their respective clubs last season, which with our history with injuries is an asset in itself in such a key area of the park.

I’d like him to stay and for me watching Sparky’s 13 games in charge so far he is the one I most wanted to stay, he was a big miss when not playing. Smallwood and Watt behind Walker would be better than anything anyone in the league could bring to the table in midfield.

 

I can understand the Paudie and Vernham moves but this one ................ got to be down to money and nothing else

 

I dunno if Watt has signed elsewhere and we’re are just delaying announcing it (most likely) but I tell you what, he must look at Smallwood signing and surely think about wanting to partner him in the middle. That would be a fantastic central pairing that would be better than anything else in the league.

you could understand if he’s ready to move up a division like the Lincoln lads but this is Mark Hughes you are working with and a Championship midfielder partner. Could slip in a few release clauses and sign for another few years.

 

Jeeze… I thought he had aspirations?. I can understand a step up….but on paper for me this is backwards?

 

It was mooted on here by some that he would get in to the Norwich first team after they were relegated.
I pissed myself laughing at the time and now he’s gone to Salford I’m still laughing.

 

Nothing will ever beat that long ball ian Banks played to Micky Kennedy to play into Leigh Palins path fir the third v Everton in 1988.

 

I think he’d shine if we sign Songo and let him sit deep and watt just in front as a link man towards the wingers/attack. He’s very good on the ball for this level and particularly at home we will need someone to unlock teams. Too often we find ourselves devoid of ideas in the past

 

If he does end up renewing it will all be forgotten by most as soon as he plays a few games and does well like it was when Meredith originally turned down a deal.

 

Watt was the best passer at the club. Linked play well. Suffered due to a lack of movement ahead of him. I believe the youth and pace we have signed would benefit Watt significantly. He is still young and capable of developing significantly under Hughes’ wing. I would want to keep him for 2 years like many of the others have been offered. If he goes it would be a blow for how Hughes has stated he wants to play.

 

There's a site called playmakerstats that has a lot of data available that isn't hidden behind a paywall.

The last three games of the season, Elliot Watt played more passes than anyone else for either team in every single game.

His pass completion was in the 70%'s every game, which is not always particularly high, it's probably mid-range or average, however you want to define it. In the Sutton game (4-1 win) it was one of the highest, however.

I reckon that's probably representative of Watt. He's the most active playmaker on the pitch virtually every game, and completes between 7 to 8 of every 10 passes. That's not low, like I say, it's about average - but when he's playing more passes than every other player on the pitch, you have to consider that.

Focussing on Watt misplacing passes does seem pretty silly, all things considered.

Focussing on why he has the ball so much, why he's playing more passes than everyone else, and what that might suggest is more important: he's always wanting the ball, he presses intelligently (he's not running around like a headless chicken), and he's extremely confident - he's a 'real' playmaking midfielder who is almost always more active than his opposite number.

 

I'd like to keep Watt, in doing so I believe the upside potential is higher than him leaving this year.

If he does go though, it's not disastrous because, as we've seen with Paudie and Vernam, we are capable of signing players who, on paper at least, look like they are not only as good but actually could be upgrades.

 

I just hope we aren't going to be silly about spending a large amount of the budget on going all out to keep him, POC and Vernam. I don't think any of them are worth us breaking the bank, and if they are being offered more than 3.5k a week elsewhere, let them go and we move on. If we are going to be spending more than that a week on a player, we need better value for money imo.

 

What a strange move that is and clearly one that's made with only money in mind.

He'll have had better footballing opportunities on the table, us being one of them but he's gone to make a quick quid instead of trying to further his career.

 

At last he's out of the door.
Money talks, certainly not ambition in my opinion.

 

Very much so. I accepted he might go, but to go and toss that insult over his shoulder is unforgivable. Off you go Watt, take your money and bugger off.

 

Elliot Watt in sideways move? Why are ppl shocked? That’s pretty much what he did for 90 mins each game.

 

I'm not getting the Watt love in. He was part of a failing team and has gone, where and why are irrelevant. We offered him a deal, nobody knows if that was £500 pw more or £50 per week more.

Was he any better than Callum Cooke who we released ? I don't think he was.

During the covid season, when we could see more of his play through replays etc, he gave away silly free kicks two/ three times a match, almost always in the same position and on a few occassions we conceded from those.

He's a decent player, but back in that covid season I would have been benching him, and the only real progress he has made is since deluded Derek left under Hughes. He's a loss, as is Cooke, but I honestly believe Mark Hughes will not be waking up in the night in a cold sweat over him leaving.

Gilliead and Smallwood in CM are a better combination.