Comments on: The Boothroyd Strategy http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/ It's always football season somewhere. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:50:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Will http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32590 Will Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:18:02 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32590 @Tybalt Saw your Hornets play my Cardiff City boys at Ninian Park earlier this season when the wife and I went to the UK for a wedding. Unfortunately for me, Watford looked very good indeed that day. @Tybalt

Saw your Hornets play my Cardiff City boys at Ninian Park earlier this season when the wife and I went to the UK for a wedding. Unfortunately for me, Watford looked very good indeed that day.

]]> By: a different Dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32443 a different Dave Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:11:40 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32443 "Don’t you have to pay those parachute payments back if you get promoted within two years or so?" I'm not sure; they may get to keep the one year's payment if they go right back up. In any case they get the use of that money while they are competing in the Championship. “Don’t you have to pay those parachute payments back if you get promoted within two years or so?”

I’m not sure; they may get to keep the one year’s payment if they go right back up. In any case they get the use of that money while they are competing in the Championship.

]]> By: Tybalt http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32387 Tybalt Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:50:46 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32387 As a Watford supporter living in Canada, I read this with a great deal of interest. Nice to see the Golden Boys attract some attention! "Watford is joining that group - right now including Birmingham, Sunderland, and West Brom to some extent. " The aim all along has been to establish the club as a Top 10 Premiership side in three years - i.e. next season. I frankly think that's not going to work - the side looks a reasonably good bet so far for automatic promotion (knock wood - our record's fantastic but it's better than our play so far) but still lacks the midfield quality that will be necessary to win consistently in the Premiership. (Adam Johnson's been a rip-roaring success so far but he's a loanee... I can't believe that Boro would prefer to continue to trot out the miserable Stewart Downing rather than give Jonno a chance.) However, if promotion is gained I think survival for one or two more years is a possibility, with a breakthrough into being a top side coming in 2010 or so. Survival will depend on getting a good season from the strike force and finding a world-class 'keeper like Watford had in Ben Foster last season (and even then, we still went down). I agree that it's more likely Watford will become a bounce club, separating itself from the bulk of the Championship (thanks to relatively rude financial health - how far the club has come since the ITV Digital fiasco and a disastrous flirtation with Luca Vialli as manager almost sent the club to the wall just a few years ago) but not being able to crack the top of the Premiership at least until the Academy starts producing top-notch players. That's about four years away, if you're optimistic. Of course, if you ask the supporters, many want absolutely no part of the "not, not" (not Premier, not a ship), but as an overseas fan I would embrace being able to see the Yellow Army on TV much more often. So I'm hopeful that Aidy Boothroyd's endless audacity will continue to pan out. In reality, the club has come so far since Vialli's days in charge (I shudder to remember them) that it's barely recognizable. Not long ago, I was convinced that we were headed into the Third (i.e. League One) so to have had a season in the Prem and to be flying at the head of The Real Division Two... it's wonderful. As a Watford supporter living in Canada, I read this with a great deal of interest. Nice to see the Golden Boys attract some attention!

“Watford is joining that group - right now including Birmingham, Sunderland, and West Brom to some extent. ”

The aim all along has been to establish the club as a Top 10 Premiership side in three years - i.e. next season. I frankly think that’s not going to work - the side looks a reasonably good bet so far for automatic promotion (knock wood - our record’s fantastic but it’s better than our play so far) but still lacks the midfield quality that will be necessary to win consistently in the Premiership. (Adam Johnson’s been a rip-roaring success so far but he’s a loanee… I can’t believe that Boro would prefer to continue to trot out the miserable Stewart Downing rather than give Jonno a chance.)

However, if promotion is gained I think survival for one or two more years is a possibility, with a breakthrough into being a top side coming in 2010 or so. Survival will depend on getting a good season from the strike force and finding a world-class ‘keeper like Watford had in Ben Foster last season (and even then, we still went down).

I agree that it’s more likely Watford will become a bounce club, separating itself from the bulk of the Championship (thanks to relatively rude financial health - how far the club has come since the ITV Digital fiasco and a disastrous flirtation with Luca Vialli as manager almost sent the club to the wall just a few years ago) but not being able to crack the top of the Premiership at least until the Academy starts producing top-notch players. That’s about four years away, if you’re optimistic.

Of course, if you ask the supporters, many want absolutely no part of the “not, not” (not Premier, not a ship), but as an overseas fan I would embrace being able to see the Yellow Army on TV much more often. So I’m hopeful that Aidy Boothroyd’s endless audacity will continue to pan out.

In reality, the club has come so far since Vialli’s days in charge (I shudder to remember them) that it’s barely recognizable. Not long ago, I was convinced that we were headed into the Third (i.e. League One) so to have had a season in the Prem and to be flying at the head of The Real Division Two… it’s wonderful.

]]> By: Will http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32318 Will Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:32:02 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32318 I sometimes wonder if the EPL, which I understand to be duly impressed by the marketing acumen of the NFL, wouldn't LOVE to have a core group of 'tweener clubs endlessly cycling from the Championship to the Top Flight and back. Would make things much more predictable for the suits. European soccer, and especially English soccer, remind me a lot of College gridiron here in the states, in ways that are both good (passion, history, relative club stability) and bad (haves & have-nots, powers that be who pretend to standards of fairness they can't meet). I sometimes wonder if the EPL, which I understand to be duly impressed by the marketing acumen of the NFL, wouldn’t LOVE to have a core group of ‘tweener clubs endlessly cycling from the Championship to the Top Flight and back. Would make things much more predictable for the suits.

European soccer, and especially English soccer, remind me a lot of College gridiron here in the states, in ways that are both good (passion, history, relative club stability) and bad (haves & have-nots, powers that be who pretend to standards of fairness they can’t meet).

]]> By: Dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32313 Dave Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:31:40 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32313 Don't you have to pay those parachute payments back if you get promoted within two years or so? Don’t you have to pay those parachute payments back if you get promoted within two years or so?

]]> By: a different Dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32307 a different Dave Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:30:43 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32307 Might as well grab some of those parachute payments from the Premier League every other year. Might as well grab some of those parachute payments from the Premier League every other year.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32292 Jeff Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:38:53 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/10/31/the-boothroyd-strategy/#comment-32292 I think this strategy, rather than making it easier for promoted clubs to stay afloat, will end up solidifying the existence of a class of clubs that are too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premiership. Watford is joining that group - right now including Birmingham, Sunderland, and West Brom to some extent. We may not be seeing too many interlopers like Derby in the Premiership if that group solidifies. This may or may not be a bad thing. I think this strategy, rather than making it easier for promoted clubs to stay afloat, will end up solidifying the existence of a class of clubs that are too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premiership. Watford is joining that group - right now including Birmingham, Sunderland, and West Brom to some extent. We may not be seeing too many interlopers like Derby in the Premiership if that group solidifies. This may or may not be a bad thing.

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