He really really was. His overall game play was utter ***** as was his workrate. People looked past it because he got a few poxy goals in a team that was constantly attacking. Playing him and tedic so much was Duffs biggest failing and the reason we didn't go up. Cole and Norwood had an excellent understanding in the second half of the season and would have tore any team apart but they were split up to accommodate the ***** twins and it just didn't work. Giving Watters a 3/4 year deal after witnessing that shitshow of a 5 month trial was the worst signing since Flitcroft was allowed to sign his close personal friend Mike Pollitt to try to get rid of Luke Steele
I always find that a very weird stat because occasionally you'll get a young academy lad who's come off the bench 20 times and got a couple of goals during those 10/15 minute appearances. In the meantime he's started one game in the cup in which he didn't score but the stats say he's scored 2 in 1 start which he hasn't. In reality hasn't Watters scored 3 in 17 starts and 5 in 32 sub appearances?
Don't disagree re: Tedic but you are just plain wrong in applying that point about Watters. We won 4 out of 5 league games that Watters started last season and drew the other which was a tough one at Portsmouth when Norwood was injured at Oxford the previous Tuesday and not available anyway. Watters played well in that Fratton Park game and we'd have won that too but for some eccentric refereeing.
We had automatic promotion form from about November onwards. To go up automatic we would’ve had to find an extra 13 points. That’s a hell of a stretch. Watters didn’t join until January either. It was the games in the early part of the season that made the difference long before he joined. After 16 games we were already 12 points behind Ipswich & 14 behind Plymouth. We kept pace with the best sides in the league whilst Watters was here. It was recovering from relegation & gelling together a new side that stopped us from competing for automatic promotion. You can’t play the same front two every game especially when ones in his 30’s & has a questionable injury record.
Long may it continue, I hope he proves to be the signing of the season. He needs the consistency now ( if selected of course)