Last season at Forest he apparently started slowly but ended it as one of their most influential players. I have seen enough so far to say he improves us. Always available for the ball from defenders, always nipping away at the opponent. His experience will help us see out games this season and that’s something we all agree we need
I watched and listened to him closely at the weekend and he was always organising and talking. Always. We havent had that sort of leader for years and he will come good...provided he doesn’t keep getting booked
Last season at Forest he apparently started slowly but ended it as one of their most influential players. I have seen enough so far to say he improves us. Always available for the ball from defenders, always nipping away at the opponent. His experience will help us see out games this season and that’s something we all agree we need
I watched and listened to him closely at the weekend and he was always organising and talking. Always. We havent had that sort of leader for years and he will come good...provided he doesn’t keep getting booked
First half he was the best player on the pitch, looked far too good for league 1. Have to say i've been unimpressed with his previous games before today though.
Last season at Forest he apparently started slowly but ended it as one of their most influential players. I have seen enough so far to say he improves us. Always available for the ball from defenders, always nipping away at the opponent. His experience will help us see out games this season and that’s something we all agree we need
I watched and listened to him closely at the weekend and he was always organising and talking. Always. We havent had that sort of leader for years and he will come good...provided he doesn’t keep getting booked
I'm sure Pratley has been doing that for the last 2 seasons (including the talking)
I thought he was very good tonight. Once everyone’s fit I see the midfield being a diamond with Watson, Gilbey, Shinnie and Maddison as the 4.
I was thinking the same, but where does that leave Doughty? I would say as an attacking LB but Maatsen has that covered on tonight's performance. Maybe Shinnie drops out when you have Gilbey and Maddison in the team, not 100% sure they can all fit in together.
You know what Bowyer's like ..... He'll start Shinnie for 60 mins, then sub him off for Maddison. Next game Maddison starts and gets the 60 minutes, before giving way to Shinnie coming on for the final 30 mins. He'll rotate Prats and Watson, "to keep them fresh".
And Williams will be a late sub, "to get some minutes into him". And so on.
Did anyone notice Watson shouting at Famewo to continue with his forward surge, when he brought the ball out & went on that lovely run? Watson urged him to carry on and fell back to cover Famewo's run.
If you want to see what Watson adds to the team, then watch him closely. He's also the player diving in to block many of the shots.
Did anyone notice Watson shouting at Famewo to continue with his forward surge, when he brought the ball out & went on that lovely run? Watson urged him to carry on and fell back to cover Famewo's run.
If you want to see what Watson adds to the team, then watch him closely. He's also the player diving in to block many of the shots.
Came on this thread to say pretty much exactly this. He’s doing just fine and clearly in an intelligent player and tactically astute. Not show or flashy but just what we need to anchor the midfield and help us manage games. We have other players to catch the eye, he’s there to make sure those players have a platform to play.
Thought it was his best game for us. Moved the ball around well. Was always there to cover in the spaces that needed to be covered. He'll win us games just by stopping the opposition from transitioning with his annoying niggling fouls that break up play. A very clever player, in the defensive sense.
If we're going to give a lot of credit to Inniss and Famewo for our three clean sheets, some has to go to Watson sitting in front of them.
I suspect Pratley will be spending more time on the bench once Gilbert and Maddison are fit. With Pearce injured, Pratley was the obvious choice for Bowyer as skipper. However, as many have said, our midfield looks a little bit pedestrian with both Pratley and Watson in the side performing very similar roles. In my opinion Watson has a better range of passing out of the two of them and is a good choice of captain if Pearce is absent.
Did anyone notice Watson shouting at Famewo to continue with his forward surge, when he brought the ball out & went on that lovely run? Watson urged him to carry on and fell back to cover Famewo's run.
If you want to see what Watson adds to the team, then watch him closely. He's also the player diving in to block many of the shots.
It wasnt just with Famewo... Greg Stubley was saying during commentary that he was shouting at Alfie to go on a run a few times
His experience is going to be so vital, especially when its a group of players who arent fully used to play together
I think Watson will stop getting booked quite so much when we get better as a team. At the moment he's throwing himself in front of shots and making cynical challenges to stop goals being scored and momentum being developed. Hopefully when we're a bit more fluid there will be less need for him to do it every game. There's a reason players like him and Pratley are always one card away from a suspension though, tactical fouling has a big place in the game and they're the players nominated to make sure that if they can stop the build to a goal they will
This guy is mustard, a real cultured pro, just what we need to do the water carrying like Didier Deschamps. Time will tell but in the big matches this guy could be the difference
Yep one of those players you will notice when he is out the team for sure. I'd like his attacking play to be a little bit better, and it was yesterday to be fair - if he was any better at actually being the pivot that can turn defense into attack then he would be a prem player I expect.
Yep one of those players you will notice when he is out the team for sure. I'd like his attacking play to be a little bit better, and it was yesterday to be fair - if he was any better at actually being the pivot that can turn defense into attack then he would be a prem player I expect.
Yep one of those players you will notice when he is out the team for sure. I'd like his attacking play to be a little bit better, and it was yesterday to be fair - if he was any better at actually being the pivot that can turn defense into attack then he would be a prem player I expect.
He was once!
Very true ha ha. My thinking was that if he was a little more 'dynamic' he wouldn't be playing at this level - but to be fair sounds like he chose to.
I guess another thing to point out is that Forest have not looked great since he left.
Yep one of those players you will notice when he is out the team for sure. I'd like his attacking play to be a little bit better, and it was yesterday to be fair - if he was any better at actually being the pivot that can turn defense into attack then he would be a prem player I expect.
He was once!
Very true ha ha. My thinking was that if he was a little more 'dynamic' he wouldn't be playing at this level - but to be fair sounds like he chose to.
I guess another thing to point out is that Forest have not looked great since he left.
That is because they are not scoring enough goals...........I wonder who their strikers are?
5 yellows in the first 19 matches = 1 match suspension. 10 yellows in the first 37 matches = 2 match suspension. 15 yellows in the whole season = 3 match suspension.
Watson has a plan... 15 by Christmas then can't get suspended for the rest of the season
I was watching footage of Charlton's Premier League years today. I had no idea that Ben Watson was in the lineups for Palace in both the Dennis in the last minute and the We put the Palace down games!
Been around a long time and yesterday shows he still has plenty to offer.
I was watching footage of Charlton's Premier League years today. I had no idea that Ben Watson was in the lineups for Palace in both the Dennis in the last minute and the We put the Palace down games!
Been around a long time and yesterday shows he still has plenty to offer.
Looking at the lineups for the Fortune game, Wayne Routledge was also in the Palace team, another player who's been around playing forever
Lloyd Sam is the only Charlton player still playing, for Miami in the US
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Lapslie is the good comparison.
I watched and listened to him closely at the weekend and he was always organising and talking. Always. We havent had that sort of leader for years and he will come good...provided he doesn’t keep getting booked
And Williams will be a late sub, "to get some minutes into him". And so on.
Watson urged him to carry on and fell back to cover Famewo's run.
If you want to see what Watson adds to the team, then watch him closely.
He's also the player diving in to block many of the shots.
If we're going to give a lot of credit to Inniss and Famewo for our three clean sheets, some has to go to Watson sitting in front of them.
His experience is going to be so vital, especially when its a group of players who arent fully used to play together
I guess another thing to point out is that Forest have not looked great since he left.
10 yellows in the first 37 matches = 2 match suspension.
15 yellows in the whole season = 3 match suspension.
Watson has a plan... 15 by Christmas then can't get suspended for the rest of the season
Watson, Gilbey, Shinnie and Maddison as a midfield diamond
Lloyd Sam is the only Charlton player still playing, for Miami in the US