Perhaps he felt like trying at Forest. He's a 35-year-old who can take responsibility for his own performances.
Perhaps Bowyer isn't 'using' him correctly, but he's also not trying at all, and laughing and joking when we're losing at home, and his general carelessness has cost us goals this season.
Bowyer selects the team and motivates the players. If players are so bad why does he keep selecting them?
It's funny how so many players don't seem to 'care' under his management?
That must be the 14th time you've made that point in the past 24 hours. I think everyone has read it now!
Bowyer seems to love Watson and Pratley for some reason and I can't explain that. Their faults are invisible to him. As for the other players, I'd expect them to have a baseline of professionalism no matter who the manager is. But this is a thread about Ben Watson.
Other posters keep making the same point over and over again which I'm replying to. My point is relevant as it refers to motivation which people are questioning when it comes to Ben Watson.
Glad you're keeping count.
Apologies for that, I am just a bit wound up today. You can obviously post whatever you like, I'm not the CL Post Police.
Was disgusted to see that he was wearing the armband today after Pratley went off. Just goes to show what crap we’ve got in this team if he’s the one who is the ‘leader’ in the camp.
Or does it just highlight the weird obsession Bowyer has with the old guard.
Remember how he used them in examples of great pros in an angry post match rant? Now he's not even annoyed at Pratley's second yellow, 2 mins after HT. They're also the only 2 players publically backing him.
It's an old boy's club, and the 3 of them are at the head of it.
I’ll assume that he was actually alright for Forest last season, however the 1-1 game at the valley he was terrible. Couldn’t move for toffee and got booked. That’s not the Watson we know...
He was aweful/missing in the first half. He moved 10 yards up the pitch in the second half and was a key component of them getting back in the game.
If you can watch the highlights of the Wimbledon second half, he looks a different player with movement in front of him.
People reach the end of their shelf life and sometimes fall off a cliff . I remember Andy Hughes playing brilliantly at the end of 12/13 and when he came back for the start of next season, he was awful. Watson has been slow and off the pace whenever I have seen him. At the start of the season, it seemed like an ok signing, particularly given where we were shopping and some Forest fans were sad to see him go.
Looks like his contract extension is about to be triggered........
Some might think this is a good thing. Personally I think we need a younger more mobile type of player if we want promotion next season.
I think we need a mixture... Dont think it hurts having the likes of Watson, Pratley, Gunter, even Pearce if all can replicate the current form that we're seeing from all of them when they're required.
Whether we'd want to rely on experience to start so often is the question, or whether we'd want them more as squad players, offering their experience to those coming in
2-3 OK recent performances haven’t changed my opinion that his signing has been a let down.
Doesn’t seem as though there’s much we can do about it though, so he’ll be here next season. Hopefully we’ll have some better players through the door to ensure he’s not still playing every bloody week though.
Looks like his contract extension is about to be triggered........
Some might think this is a good thing. Personally I think we need a younger more mobile type of player if we want promotion next season.
We do need more mobile types, we also need more diversity. I have never seen so many midfielders who so similar. No wonder we chop and change every week they are all, near enough, the same.
As we have seen after the last few games Watson and JFC could be the basis of a good midfield for this level if you get the right 2 along side them.
In defence of Ben Watson. I think, when he joined, he wasn't fit and was definitely rusty. He now seems to be fitter and being played in a position that suits him well. Playing just ahead of defence is probably a position where his experience of reading the game is more important than out and out pace and he seems to be able to pick a good pass. We look more solid at the back with him in the team. I think he's probably got another season in him - but will need managing.
Watson at the base of a midfield 3 or diamond is absolutely fine, he reads the game very well and offers good protection to the CBs. He is a bit of a liability in a middle two as he hasn't got the legs and gets caught out far too often.
2-3 OK recent performances haven’t changed my opinion that his signing has been a let down.
Doesn’t seem as though there’s much we can do about it though, so he’ll be here next season. Hopefully we’ll have some better players through the door to ensure he’s not still playing every bloody week though.
Out of interest - if he maintained current performance levels (top 4 in the team for the last few games by the statbank) would that change your mind?
I remember he was the target for a lot of criticism at the start of the season when we were getting results because he didn't seem to offer much on the ball. I think it does go to show that he brings a lot in terms of positional nous and ability to break up play that we're starting slowly to get back to grinding out results and he's come in to be a part of that. We can do better. He can't cover for poorer defenders and he's less good on the ball than I thought he'd be, but with the defence playing alright he's essential based on what we have now. Hopefully in the summer we'll be able to trade up for a player like him with more mobility and talent, but at the moment he's doing the job we need him to, and he needs to keep doing it for the rest of the season. If we can keep Famewo fit, get Inniss back and be solid like we were earlier in the season then we could come away from the matches with the teams around us with some results and we could sneak in
Can’t see how this is good news to be honest. I think you have to look at how he’s been this season as a whole, and despite a few good games recently, he’s still been disappointing. Next season top 2 has to be the aim, and a 36 year old Watson by the time August comes around doesn’t inspire me with any confidence.
If we extend Watson, Pratley, maybe Pearce.......how do we actually improve the spine of our team in these crucial positions.
We have got a 24 man squad (by the old salary cap definition). 5 of which are on loan, 3 of which we have zero chance of signing on perms. Bowyer and Gallen have said we can't keep signing 10+ players a summer.
Even if we keep all our current players and sign Stockley we would probably be looking at 6 more, minimum, already.
If we kept 18 plus Stockley and got in 6 players significantly better than the ones we have now that would be more than enough.
Can’t see how this is good news to be honest. I think you have to look at how he’s been this season as a whole, and despite a few good games recently, he’s still been disappointing. Next season top 2 has to be the aim, and a 36 year old Watson by the time August comes around doesn’t inspire me with any confidence.
Think he'll do a job for us and at this level, being 36 isn't the end of the world if you can keep up. Would be good to have around the place, even if he's not starting as many games
I actually think Pratley will have more to offer as a player next season, especially as a CB reserve. Watson is clearly fading and is hardly going to be any more mobile next season
He'll do a job in L1, but I can't say he's over impressed me this season. Indeed one of the biggest disappointments really considering he was a regular for a decent Forest side last season, and doesn't have "the living in a hotel away from family" which affected the likes of Maddison
Comments
Remember how he used them in examples of great pros in an angry post match rant? Now he's not even annoyed at Pratley's second yellow, 2 mins after HT. They're also the only 2 players publically backing him.
It's an old boy's club, and the 3 of them are at the head of it.
If you can watch the highlights of the Wimbledon second half, he looks a different player with movement in front of him.
Lol
He has largely been awful this season. But he has played well the last two games. So let's hope this form continues now.
Personally I think we need a younger more mobile type of player if we want promotion next season.
Whether we'd want to rely on experience to start so often is the question, or whether we'd want them more as squad players, offering their experience to those coming in
Doesn’t seem as though there’s much we can do about it though, so he’ll be here next season. Hopefully we’ll have some better players through the door to ensure he’s not still playing every bloody week though.
As we have seen after the last few games Watson and JFC could be the basis of a good midfield for this level if you get the right 2 along side them.
He's not a patch on Cullen or Bielik. It's a real shame Lapslie left as I would consider him to be a younger version of Watson.
Even if we keep all our current players and sign Stockley we would probably be looking at 6 more, minimum, already.
If we kept 18 plus Stockley and got in 6 players significantly better than the ones we have now that would be more than enough.
if it comes to the summer and bowyer/gallen and co decide he isnt wanted or needed a pay off / agreement hes better off leaving will be settled
i personally cant see him here next year and playing if we want top 2