Has the Times got it wrong again?

[Wycombe Royal]

Much as I hate to say it, we're already screwed. Spending £1.85m will not keep you in the Premiership.

Has the transfer deadline passed? I could have sworn it wasn't until the end of this month?

[79Royal]

Two weeks or so left. Still can't see us staying up though.

Watford have a better chance than us. I sincerely hope and pray I am wrong, but I just don't see it.

[Wycombe Royal]

I was being sarcastic.

[Stranded]

Two weeks or so left. Still can't see us staying up though.

Watford have a better chance than us. I sincerely hope and pray I am wrong, but I just don't see it.

Oh dear. Really? Is that based soley on the fact that they have bought more players than us? As I'm struggling to see any other reason why anybody could think that.

[wehateoxford]

Two weeks or so left. Still can't see us staying up though.

Watford have a better chance than us. I sincerely hope and pray I am wrong, but I just don't see it.

what drives you to this well informed opinion?

theres still time, we're not screwed, a lot of clubs are still active in the tranfer market

[79Royal]

Two weeks or so left. Still can't see us staying up though.

Watford have a better chance than us. I sincerely hope and pray I am wrong, but I just don't see it.

Oh dear. Really? Is that based soley on the fact that they have bought more players than us? As I'm struggling to see any other reason why anybody could think that.

They have bought a good mix of youth and pPremiership experienced players. We've bought Soel who looks good and Sodje who is a gamble.

Watford have been better in the transfer market than we have. Nothing to do with quantity, it's quality.

[Royal Lady]

in that case, it could be argued 79Royal that we already have the quality!

[papereyes]

Watford's transfers this Summer

INS
Claude Seanla: 18-year-old striker joins the Hornets from Spurs after a succesful trial earlier this month.
Sheku Kamara: 18-year-old defender signs from Charlton after a successful trial last season.
Chris Powell: 36-year-old England international left-back signs a one-year deal after leaving Charlton for the second time.
Damien Francis: 27-year-old midfielder joins from Wigan for a fee that could rise to £1.5m after just a year in Lancashire.
Danny Shittu: 25-year-old defender joins from QPR for £1.6m, potentially rising to £3m.
Tamas Priskin: 20-year-old Hungary striker signs from Gyori ETO on a four-year deal.
Ben Foster: Young goalkeeper returns to Watford for a second season on loan from ManYoo.

Will ignore Foster as they had him last season.

Two kids and one Hungarian who I'm not even going to pretend to know.
Danny Shittu - similar to Sodje? Perhaps a touch better.
Chris Powell - 36 years old. Nice.

And that leaves Damien Francis - who has had two reasonably impressive Premiership seasons.
So, again - mediocre. More mediocre or less mediocre than us?

Nothing to do with quantity, it's quality.

I'm genuinely struggling to find the quality there. Not saying it makes ours OK, but don't kid yourself that their effort is OK.

[southbank1871]

Watford players in:

Claude Seanla
Chris Powell
Damien Francis
Dan Shittu
Scott Loach
Ben Foster
Tamas Priskin

Damien Francis is a decent signing. Other than that I'm a bit shocked that you think that the above signings make their team better than ours, bearing in mind how much better we were than them last year.

[Gentleman Jim]

Are you suggesting that Emile Heskey was solely responsible for Birmingham being relegated?

Well Maybe not SOLELY!! But add Chris Sutton to that list and i think Brum can feel a tad aggrieved at their severe lack of anything last season.

[Gentleman Jim]

(My quoting skills are laughable)

[79Royal]

in that case, it could be argued 79Royal that we already have the quality!

A glass half full kind of person. I like that.


I really hope you are all right and I hope to be proven wrong.

[Stranded]

Watford players in:

Claude Seanla
Chris Powell
Damien Francis
Dan Shittu
Scott Loach
Ben Foster
Tamas Priskin

Damien Francis is a decent signing. Other than that I'm a bit shocked that you think that the above signings make their team better than ours, bearing in mind how much better we were than them last year.

Exactly, they were a good 25 points worse off than us so needed to strenghten more than we did. Of that list Francis is the only one I would have liked to see us move for. The rest would just boost numbers, which is pointless - we need players who will push the current team for they're places, can't see that any of those would.

[papereyes]

suppose time will only tell, but one of the following is happening:-

1) The newspapers are being very naive about our chances, and are just writing us off because we're an easy target, without really putting any thought into it.

2) We are being very naive about our chances, we havent signed enough backup, and as soon as we get some injuries we'll be easy pickings.

My heart says that number one is true, I cannot comment on what my head thinks, because I'll be biased!

Its a mixture of 1 and 2.

People who come up with rubbish statements and factual errors (like Watford have signed quality) and say we're doomed - I'll either ignore or point out their errors. If they don't want to listen, then that's their perogative. Most of the newspapers seem to be falling into the crass generalisation area - no idea what our squad is like + relatively low spend (would point out that several Premiership clubs have spent less, or porly imo) = the next Sunderland. Its a bit worrying when fans fall into this category.

But we have a thin squad and injuries will be what kills us. We have a lot of potential that we don't know how it will adapt. We have question marks over nearly every player in the side.

But to say that signing Damien Francis means that Watford catch up significantly in quantity on us gets a minor

[papereyes]

For comparison

Chris Lucketti: 34-year-old defender has signed for £300,000 from Preston after a successful loan spell at the end of the Blades' promotion push.
David Sommeil: 31-year-old French defender has signed on a free transfer after being released by Manchester City.
Claude Davis: 27-year-old Jamaican international defender has signed from Championship club Preston. The fee could rise up to £3m.
Christian Nade: 21-year-old French Under-21 striker signs a three-year deal after leaving Troyes.
Mikele Leigertwood: 23-year-old utility player signs from Crystal Palace for a fee of around £600,000.
Li Tie: 28-year-old Chinese international defender joins after being released by Everton.

Again, nothing that really stands out.

Teams like Middlesboro', Villa, Fulham - maybe Charlton but they seem to have aimed a touch harder - have bought at about that level. Yes, they have an advantage in the squads they have but most of the sides below 8th are all a much of a muchness and its comfidence, form and the ability of the coaching staff to get the best out of players that will be key.

I'm not saying we won't sttruggle, but I simply don't believe it will be as bad as some (and 90% of the papers) are saying.

[Gordons Cumming]

(My quoting skills are laughable)

Agreed

[Gordons Cumming]

The real difference between us that Watford and Sheffield have added bodies to there squads. Maybe the quality isn't there but are good back-up.

Defensively we lack back-up in numbers, and other areas for that matter.

[blade 1]

thats what all the promoted teams will face, journos that have never seen them play but have heard of one of thier players and hopes that saying he is there key man will qualify as a insightfull peice of writing.

We will need to rely on the new signings doing well and players like jags tonge webber etc our best players making the grade. One watching the pre season i think legiertwood and nade definatly have something to offernext yar and could surprise a lot of people I also think hulse and davies are players that could fit well into our team

watford will need to rely of king being able to step up, beacuse shittu won't. francis is a good solid signing though. Adiey will have to work his magic again but it could be a step too far.

you will need to avoid injuries to key players, because you dont have the same number of bodies in the squad and to see how the players adapt to loosing a few games in a row.

My tips for those that will strugle are ,fulham, wigan? maybe, man city watford boro

[TBM]

ffs i haven't even read my paper yet, and you;ve ruined the best bit.

Did the title of the thread not give it away slightly!?

[Gordons Cumming]

you will need to avoid injuries to key players, because you dont have the same number of bodies in the squad and to see how the players adapt to loosing a few games in a row.

I think many Reading fans would agree with these comments.