Nathaniel Chalobah

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I didn't I had such influence round here to raise everyone's expectations so high.

No reason for us to be snidey cunts to one another on the internet though now is there. We can always do that over a friendly drink on the Fulham Road.

It wasn't just you. Most of our fans tend to over-hype our youngsters and it always leads to us writing them off before they're even 20. Maybe we should think about that before we hype another youngster next time.

And yes, yes, we get it, you live in London and go to games so your opinion counts for more than mine

[themightyblue 443]

Nope. More than that this year, and in his previous jobs.

Wow you went headlong into assuming I'd just watched three games of his this year. Well done on that. Have a cookie.

My honest view is that he's a decent manager with good players and that if the opposition team is stupid enough to allow them to play their game, then they will probably overrun them. His problem is that when his team is somewhat stifled then they don't have any other ideas. They were very lucky to progress from the last round of the playoffs and for all that I dislike Holloway, he has sent his Palace team out there perfectly equipped to win a match.

Or I just took it from the fact that you just said 'but Zola has shown in this game, the Leicester away game and the Leeds game that he's not got many ideas' - So you've just said he hasn't got many ideas based on those three games. You can keep your cookie.

[The only place to be 11,313]

It wasn't just you. Most of our fans tend to over-hype our youngsters and it always leads to us writing them off before they're even 20. Maybe we should think about that before we hype another youngster next time.

Sorry, but I think you're confusing two separate groups here - the people writing players off don't tend to be the same people who were hyping them (or even following their progress). There are some people who actually watch the NextGen games and the Youth Cup games and understand how young players develop. There are also people who watch players when they're on loan and get suitably excited at those who have such a high level of composure.

Then there's this other group who bowl into threads having read my gushings about Nat and expect him to be a world-beater. I'm sorry to disappoint those people - I underestimated my influence ( ignoring the ex-pros and current managers who have praised him to the rafters and suggested he could play for England now) and for that I apologise.

As for the last bit, you've got the wrong end of that particular stick.

[Yeboii 1,844]

Zaha faking a knock earlyer

Now goes to run everywhere to celebrate.

[ja1 1,166]

Watford

[killer1257 3,282]

So Mou watched Chalobah playing bad?

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,919]

Another London club for us to beat up on next year

They are already better than Spuds in the table

[Jusek 2,031]

What a thriller ending. So sad for Nate and Zola...

[AndersonBLUE 819]

Nvm, better team won on the day

[The only place to be 11,313]

Palace thoroughly deserved that and Zaha has a lot of raw potential for United to work with. Holloway just stopped Watford from playing their normal game and Zola had no answer.

As for Chalobah, time to come back home for pre-season and try and win a spot in the squad next season. Didn't have a good game but no-one on the Watford team did apart from Almunia, but he can look back on a great first season of first-team football and he's shown a lot of promise. Exciting to see what Jose can do with him.

[Stats 7,053]

Zola done well to reach with Watford here but tactically he needs to be better. Some of the football Watford played was very enjoyable to watch but did not have a back up plan. Palace set up well for them and even near the end, he stuck with same formation, he should change formation or something but that is a weakness he needs to improve on IMO. Interesting for Chalobah next season...

[SinineUltra 1,170]

Zaha class above the rest. In my mind it was a fair penalty, the right back was a bit naive not to predict the toe poke in the end and just smashed his foot against Zaha's shin pad. Calm finish by Phillips, last time I remember him in the EPL is his Birmingham City days.

[lucio 5,418]

he had a rubbish game but what watford player didnt? they all decided to be garbage at the same time and it cost them

[didierforever 7,349]

Yep. :lol2:

Sums up a lot of the criticism in this thread over the last few hours.

were u not the guy who said chalobah>>>> mikel... seems about right... :lol2:

i have seen ake play only four times (aston villa final in next gen+villa in the PL, and a couple of europa league matches+ 5 mins here and there as a sub). seen chalobah just once and he was mightily disappointing. and i say this because i expect our board's judgement about him being a good player to be true (the part of my post which u very easily neglected to suit your convinience). hence there is not much reference for me or most of the chelsea fans. by what i have seen ake>> chalobah.

as i said in my previous post, i hope he had an off-day and he is as good as people claim him to be.

[yuvala 2,167]

Nathaniel Chalobah ‏@chalobah2m

This year has been by far the best year in my footballing career so far, n I'm grateful for all the support I've had from everyone.

Nathaniel Chalobah ‏@chalobah4m

Would like to say a very big thank you to Watford, Gianfranco Zola and his team, the back room staff,my team mates and the fans

Nathaniel Chalobah ‏@chalobah1m

Today wasn't meant to be. I hope and pray that Watford can push and make it to the prem next year.i will never forget my time here.thankyou

[Stats 7,053]

Chalobah joined Watford at bloody 17 years old and now at 18 has been considered not just one of the best midfielders; but one of the best players in the Championship this season - period.

Sorry he doesn't have the finishing of Messi, tackling of Makelele and consistency of Juan Mata yet.

But what he does have is better finishing than Mikel, better tackling than Mikel, and the consistency of Rami/Mikel/Lampard/whoever.

Even if he does have that, we can never say he has more consistency than anyone because he has not played a game in the hardest game in the world. Big difference. If Mikel was playing for Watford right now, he would look much better as well.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Chalobah had a very good season and has a bright future, but short-term expectations for him were always insane. He's still a fairly raw Championship player with only one year's experience and still some doubt about his final position and the jump to even the bottom of the Premier League is enormous. You could take the best team in the Championship and they'd be a poor side in the Premier League. The jump to any sort of meaningful playing time with a team like Chelsea is almost insurmountable. Let the lad develop at the pace he should. Hopefully, he'll be loaned to a Premier League side where he will force himself into some regular playing time and show that he can hold his own at the top level.

[Tomo 21,733]

If Watford want to keep him, he should spend another season there.

There's no real rush for him, is there?