Official: Will Hughes joins Watford

[Philmycock]

Not been this gutted at a player leaving since Mark Wright left us

[LittleoverRam]

Think the obvious thing here is that Will Hughes was in his last year as an u21 international. If he wants to be in with a chance of the senior team he needs to be playing premiership football.

Also, with our midfielder options, I'm not overly fussed at him leaving. His goals and assists record isn't the greatest. He is a great technical footballer though. 

I'm sure he will flourish in the premiership and we will have Glenn Whelan smashing Ben Osborn in the Derby to keep us happy.

[Woodley Ram]

2 hours ago, Kernow said:

He only has fond memories of the last 10 years at the club? Are we sure that Will Hughes actually played for the same club that we all support?

Ok keep the knives in the draw, he still loves the Rams. We need to move on now 

[Jayram]

1 hour ago, Warren Hobhead said:

Strange choice of game. I was there. In his time on the pitch, Will was horrendous.

As was Rowetts team selection and tactics' on the day, which is why we suffered our heaviest defeat of the season and ended our very slim playoff hopes there.

[lrm14]

6 minutes ago, McLovin said:

You can pick out many examples for either side, football isn't that black and white. Palace, West Ham, West Brom and Stoke played percentage football but have made themselves premier league regulars.

I am interested where this suggestion that we are going to hoof the ball has come from. Just because we will have less of the ball, doesn't mean it will be less entertaining. 

It's not my opinion though, it's a statistic fact. There are anomaly's (I only count Palace and Stoke out of those you mentioned, the other 2 were prolific) but statistically, if you prioritise goals over defence you are more likely to stay up in the prem. In fact the only reason we're making a mad dash for it this year is because the influx of TV money has made it an issue of time as the rich are going to get richer. 

The suggestion that we're going to hoof it has probably come from the fact that Birmingham under Rowett were one of the most boring teams we've seen in a long time. It's a little unfair because they had significantly worse squad than what we have now, but I doubt he'll change his style too much.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

Nice to see the old crowd wish him well.

[LesterRam]

I hope him all the best for the future, cracking lad with a lot of talent at his disposal, let's hope we see him again.

[RamNut]

1 hour ago, feisty said:

But he said he wouldn't be signing ex-Prem players over 30 didn't he?  Does he have a strategy or not? 

Answered your own question.

[MackworthRamIsGod]

Good riddance ?

Thank god we sacked McClaren or we would have had to put up with Hughes for another year. 

Hopefully we can get shot of Ince next.

I'll lose my **** if we sell Blackman, Pearce and butterfield, any day now they are gonna come good, I can feel it.

Gary Rowetts crazy barmy army ?

[cannable]

1 hour ago, McLovin said:

I guarantee we won't be playing hoof ball like some scare mongers are suggesting. The games we beat Fulham and wolves were very exciting to watch. Rowett said he's a fan of Klopp's Dortmund team which were one of the most EXCITING teams in recent years. I repeat again, not having possession doesn't mean we are going to play boring long balls all game.

He also said he was a fan of Karanka's Boro. 

[Spanish]

23 minutes ago, McLovin said:

We don't know the ins and outs of the deal, there might have been a clause in his contract when he signed a new one earlier this season that allowed him to leave on the cheap if we didn't go up. Rowett might not have had a choice, similar to the Baird and Bent deals because of clauses in their contracts, which were out of Rowett's hands. Think we should just give Rowett at least a couple months before deciding whether the football is complete rubbish.

Even though it was apparent to everybody that we were selling  Will cheaply the expected bidding war failed to arrive. We must rate him higher than he deserves

[Sexydadbod]

10 minutes ago, cannable said:

He also said he was a fan of Karanka's Boro. 

McClaren said he's a fan of the way Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce set up their teams.

Let's just wait and see before everyone sharpens their pitchforks.

[RamNut]

2 hours ago, Jayram said:

This is the straw that breaks the camels back for me. I have no faith in Rowett; I was at Brentford on Good Friday when the team he put out got outclassed by the mighty Brentford and since then I've had my reservations. This transfer confirms to me that he's just another lower league 'meat & potatoes' manager who values work rate over creativity, quality or class. Absolutely disgusted with DCFC over this.

He lost credibility during the run in too. Describing it as a "slow death"(Very inspiring), and finishing with a very flat and lucky draw at already relegated rotherham. The lack of creativity - with hughes on the bench - was mind rotting.

 

 

[Parsnip]

20 minutes ago, cannable said:

He also said he was a fan of Karanka's Boro. 

Dirty Basterd!

[PistoldPete2]

18 minutes ago, MackworthRamIsGod said:

Good riddance ?

Thank god we sacked McClaren or we would have had to put up with Hughes for another year. 

Hopefully we can get shot of Ince next.

I'll lose my **** if we sell Blackman, Pearce and butterfield, any day now they are gonna come good, I can feel it.

Gary Rowetts crazy barmy army ?

Well there's crazy and there's certifiably insane.

or else you are joking.

one of the two.

[PistoldPete2]

1 hour ago, Bris Vegas said:

Every manager in the world, well most anyway, will want to play entertaining, winning football but you know certain method types and style of player will restrict the chances of that happening.

I don't begrudge Hughes a move to the PL, but for the amount we've sold him at (BBC quoted an £8m deal) it shows we never put up a fight and were happy to move him on.

In what world would you be happy to move on such a technically gifted player at 22 years of age who has come through your own acadmey? I just don't understand the reasoning behind it at all.

To rub salt into the wounds, Watford spent £12.5m on a relatively unknown 21-year-old in Isaac Success 12 months ago. A player who had only 49 senior appearances under his belt (scoring 7 goals).

Hughes has 170 appearances under his belt, has captained the England U21 side, is technically one of the best players outside the Premier League and has the ability to control games.

I just can't comprehend it at all.

If we were offered £15m and decided it was too good to refuse I wouldn't mind. But instead we've actively sold him without a fight. 

Well yes... Except I'm not sure that £15 million would be too good an offer to refuse, considering McGuire going for £17 million , and so on. £ 8 million as quoted is just criminal. 

[Highgate]

2 hours ago, DazzaRam said:

Hes played all them roles at Derby. Dont disagree on his talents but he has not done it often enough. Getting to the stage of a luxury player without the assists or goals. We need more if we are gonna get out this league than what Will Hughes was giving us. Time for him and Derby to part ways. Nicey football does not get you out this league.

Of course it can. If quality football could not succeed against the more direct Route 1 style, I wouldn't be a football fan at all. There is more than 1 way to succeed at football there is no denying, but why is it often implied that quality technical football has to be played by luxury players afraid of a bit of hard graft?

Will Hughes exemplified the fact that quality players can also work hard for the team.

[nfb]

Best home grown player who will wear an England shirt one day and some will say about him being a Derby lad.... if that appeases them fine. For me, Its another nail in Mel Morris's coffin, I was full of hope when he came with his talk of Prem football and wanting 2 or 3 academy players in the side, seems even less likely with deals like this.

 Good luck Will. A part of me has died with this sale, loved watching his skills knowing he was an academy product ?

As for GR, I wish him luck, and await to see what brand of football he brings us.

[DazzaRam]

1 hour ago, Bris Vegas said:

Billy Davies' side didn't produce good football. At times it was borederline horrific and it got exactly what it deserved in the Premier League.

With us selling Hughes and lining up the likes of Glenn Whealan, I can't describe just how disappointed I am.

If we're not going to win games, at least let us be entertained,

At this rate we're heading for a side of cloggers who don't win games and play rubbish percentage football to boot.

 

 

Ok Bris. What about Jim Smith midfield that went up? The point was to try and get a winning mentality and not just be looked at as "Derby are a nice side". Havent you had enough of being "entertained" and just be called "bottlers" after every seasons end? Glenn Whelan is a top central midfield player. How you can knock him for what hes done at Stoke is beyond me.

[Philmycock]

5 minutes ago, DazzaRam said:

Ok Bris. What about Jim Smith midfield that went up? The point was to try and get a winning mentality and not just be looked at as "Derby are a nice side". Havent you had enough of being "entertained" and just be called "bottlers" after every seasons end? Glenn Whelan is a top central midfield player. How you can knock him for what hes done at Stoke is beyond me.

Jim Smith played three at the back and had a lightning striker in Sturridge, with van der Laan and Daryl Powell supplying the midfield power, we don't have this right now