Watford fans realise that we are not, at this point in time, able to attract or afford the quality of player that Premier League sides are able to. The absence of parachute payments now means that we have to ‘cut our cloth’ and this means that the players we seek to bring in are young players who have been released from academies, free transfer opportunities, players who have for one reason or another seen their valuation reduced, and Premier League loans to try to sprinkle some quality into our squad.
There is, however, one more category of player that we can seek to attract. Players who are too old for their London-based club but who do not wish to move away from London. Angelo Ogbonna clearly falls into this category. It’s quite refreshing getting a player who is seemingly still popular with the club that they have left, and he is clearly very much still in love with the Irons, because typically in the past, we have offered respite care for the emotionally battered rejects of Arsenal and Spurs.
Ogbonna joined us in the final days of the transfer window and, as I write, has only just started playing football for us taking the first three weeks to get some fitness in his legs. Watford have needed a solid centre back for many years, and 18 months ago we signed Wesley Hoedt, once of Lazio and Southampton, and he has been that rare thing at Watford – a left-footed centre back with a bit of quality, solidity and experience.
Last season Wes won the player of the season, scored the goal of the season and so he is now earning a fortune in Saudi. Enter Mr Ogbonna and he seems to fit very well indeed to the point where no one is missing Mr Hoedt whatsoever.
Throwing him in against Manchester City didn’t really start well as playing out from the back – why does everyone think they can play like Man City at Man City?! – Ogbonna played centrally in a back three, played the ball to his right-sided colleague Ryan Porteous who woefully under hit a pass to the keeper and we were 1-0 down inside of four minutes, for the fifth consecutive game.
The performance thereafter from the team was better than anyone could have expected and Oggy was the foundation for it – calm, good with distribution and seemingly talking and organising from his sweeper position. The following Saturday, after three defeats and a draw, we got a win at home to Sunderland who were top of the table before the game.
Again, he was solid in all things and stepping out with the ball on a couple of occasions he oozed quality – well on the current Watford scale of quality. A goal was conceded but that’s more to do with us having a left wing back who considers ‘defending’ to be beneath him.
At Preston, we collapsed after 53 minutes when having gone a goal down, Ogbonna was removed, presumably for fitness reasons and we conceded another two goals against a team who had only managed four goals all season. Everyone is impressed with what Ogbonna has bought to our backline.
Calmness has been a commodity in short supply, but he has it in abundance. He always has time on the ball and best of all, he appears to be an old wise head and that will help some of the undoubtedly promising young defenders and teammates alongside him. We’re very pleased he’s here – now if you have a decent centre forward you could lend us.
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