Bilic discusses what he’s looking for in the January transfer window watfordfc
When asked after yesterday's draw with Hull where his priorities were in the upcoming January transfer window, Slaven Bilic answered almost before the question had been completed.“I have four great centre backs now: we had a point where we had only one senior centre back fit.
Today we had two senior centre backs on the bench. “But in midfield we are extremely short, so short that we had to put Joao Pedro there. Don’t get me wrong, he can do the job there and in many other positions. But you don’t want to be moving your best player further away from the goal.”One big plus from the game with Hull, and for the midfield situation as a whole, was the performance of Tom Dele-Bashiru. The midfielder was starting his first Watford game since October 2020 away at Reading, when he sustained the injury that curtailed his season. Having spent last season on loan with the Royals, Dele-Bashiru’s season so far has again been blighted by injuries and before yesterday, he had been limited to two brief substitute outings. “When I came, Tom was injured and I knew he had played last season on loan at Reading. When he came back we had a talk, and I saw him improve in training,” said Bilic. “In the World Cup break it was kind of like a pre-season for him, and he did really well. I told him he was there now, and with the situation in midfield you are definitely going to get your chance. Be ready for it. “I had no fear putting him in from the start because he has looked good in training. For a player that hasn’t played, it looked like he had always been there. “He played with such maturity, with forward passing, holding his position, good touches, good intentions and on the front foot. He was very, very good. Well done to him.” Captain Craig Cathcart was also making his first start since the 4-0 win over Luton in October, and drew praise from his head coach.“What he does is simple and pragmatic in a good way. His passes aren’t always the safe ones, he’s happy to go beyond that and passes on the front foot. He’s happy to switch the play, or to chip the ball forward.” Joseph Hungbo was one of two Watford substitutes to then later be substituted but, unlike Rey Manaj, Bilic explained the switch was a tactical one and not because of injury. “Hungbo was a tactical switch. We were searching for a goal and he had come on really early in the game. Sometimes when that happens the player is struggling to get into the game. “He did some things well, he has quality and I know he will always give everything. He is young and has time to improve his game.“Manaj is a typical goalscorer, and that is all he is interested in. That was the plan. But then Manaj does his hamstring again.”
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