|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Articles: Cut-throat By Steve Marshall Watford look set to see the imminent departure of Brynjar Gunnarsson, who is set to sign for Reading. I for one have always had mixed feelings about the Icelandic midfielder. In some matches, we see a determined, unforgiving battler in the centre park, happy to distribute short, neat passes or even to attempt more adventurous long passes to cut open the opposition's defence. However, the next week I'd see a sluggish, immobile midfielder, trying to perform the same awkward turn, but yet again failing to pull it off. At times he was horribly unfashionable in the way he played. And that is my guess as to why Adrian Boothroyd is happy to sell Bryn after just one season at Vicarage Road. Here at WFC, we seem to be demanding the young, the fit, and the exciting performers. Ready to entertain and pull off show tricks at any point. And Bryn just isn't like that. Boothyroyd can find only room in the midfield for one solid, dependable fighter and that appears to be Gavin Mahon's role. Any other season and I'd be really quite optimistic that Watford have finally realised that passing the ball on the floor is not only more attractive but more effective as well. Yet there is a deep and dark cloud that has hung low over Vicarage Road all last season and continues to remain during pre-season. There is something shady, something more sinister, about WFC, which I haven't felt has been present before. We have a cut-throat edge to ourselves now. And nobody is safe. The beloved Nigel Gibbs was removed with just two lines of thanks on our website. I'm surprised we've found time to commemorate Alec Chamberlain. I feel that we have a board that has used underhand tactics. The removal of Lewington was callous and cold-hearted, unlike the family club that we promote ourselves as. It seems unfair on Adrian Boothroyd that he has been caught in a time when the club seems to be doing what it thinks best and is eluding supporters in the process. He seems to be taking some of the flak for it. When the outlook off the pitch is somewhat over-shadowing the on-field events. We seem to building a squad with a healthy mix of youth and experience. Adrian is more than comfortable using home-grown youngsters and he says he wants to "excite us". It sounds like we are gearing up for another rollercoaster of a year in the "Championship". It's a shame that off the field, our board are on that same rollercoaster, and at the moment they're making sure there are many dips and bumps in the ride. (21/07/05)
|