Almen Abdi confident Watford can secure automatic promotion
8:00am Monday 11th February 2013 in Latest Sport
By Frank Smith, Deputy Group Sports Editor
Picture: Holly Cant
Almen Abdi has confirmed he does want to sign for Watford permanently and believes the club can secure automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.
Abdi joined the Hornets on loan in the summer and became an immediate fans favourite.
Watford are keen to sign the Swiss international permanently and the 26-year-old confirmed he also wants to stay long term.
But he stressed: “Yes [talks have started] but I can’t say anything about it at the moment. We have talked a little bit.
“Of course I like the football, I like being near London, I like the club and the guys here but I can’t say anything [about the discussions] because it is too early.”
Despite Watford and the midfielder’s parent club Udinese having the same owners, the likes of Abdi, Matej Vydra and Daniel Pudil will be unable to formally conclude any potential moves before the transfer window reopens in the summer.
The Hornets’ excellent form in recent months has seen the club mount a serious challenge for not only a play-off spot but an automatic place.
Speaking last week, Abdi said: “Yes we believe we can [finish in the top two]. It is a long way to go and a lot can happen in 16 or 17 games but we believe we can do it.”
One of the main reasons for Watford’s rise up the table is the form of fellow Udinese loanee Vydra.
Abdi played with Vydra for two years in Italy and believes the Golden Boys are benefiting from so many of their loan players already having a good relationship, on and off the field.
Abdi explained: “I have known Matej for two-and-a-half years now. I know how he runs and how he works. We know each other well and it is an advantage for us.”
“Of course [we are delighted he stayed at the club in January],” Abdi continued. “He now has 19 goals and in the last six or seven games he has scored in every match he has started. We are delighted he is still here and I hope we will see him beyond the summer.”
Ten players joined Watford on loan from Udinese in the summer, although two of those, Jean-Alain Fanchone and Steve Leo Beleck, left the club in January.
Abdi admitted it took the players time to adjust initially but believes they have now “grown up as a team”.
One of the players who has shown the most improvement of late is Abdi’s fellow Udinese loanee Cristian Battocchio.
The Argentine-born midfielder has excelled in recent weeks as part of an exciting trio, which also includes Abdi and Nathaniel Chalobah.
Abdi said: “You become confident from playing; this is normal. Cristian has played the last few games and he is getting better. I like playing with him because I have also known him for two-and-a-half years.
“I am enjoying my football at the moment and I think the whole team are.”
Abdi scored his seventh goal for the Golden Boys at the weekend and is on track to reach double figures, but the midfielder is keen to improve his tally even further The Professor, as Zola affectionately calls him, was born in Yugoslavia in 1986 but left the area at the age of three.
His family moved to Switzerland and he grew up in Zurich. Abdi was in the FC Zurich first team for seven years and helped the club win three league titles in four years between 2006 and 2009.
The midfielder, who played in the Champions League and Europa League during his time in Switzerland, had finished the 2009 title-winning season as top scorer but the club decided to relegate the player, and one of his team-mates, to the reserves due to their expected departures during the winter transfer window.
A deal with Udinese could not be agreed in time so Abdi joined French strugglers Le Mans in January 2010 on a short-term contract and when the club were relegated from Ligue 1 that summer, he joined the Italian club on a free transfer.
Abdi, who was in the latest Championship Team of the Week, was a squad player for much of his time at Udinese but he did feature regularly and played in European competitions once again for the Little Zebras.
His footballing career has contributed to the player learning four languages – English, French, German and Italian – and he enjoys moving to new countries and adapting to different cultures.
Abdi says he always wanted to play in the Premier League and now he has the realistic possibility of achieving his dream at Watford.
“I have watched the Premier League since I was a kid,” Abdi said. “For every football player, it is a dream to play there.
“We have 16 games to go and you never know. We have a chance because we have a lot of quality in this team and we just need to keep going and believing.”
Comments(38)
mellow yellow
says...
8:44am Mon 11 Feb 13
holtonian
says...
8:52am Mon 11 Feb 13
jimbowfc
says...
8:58am Mon 11 Feb 13
Dollyhat
says...
9:07am Mon 11 Feb 13
Hampshire hornet
says...
9:14am Mon 11 Feb 13
mellow yellow wrote:Totally agree.. We need to support him in Midfield to help him become the game changer
Great news. THE most important player on the field. Bar none.
Mickey Quinn, not so thin
says...
9:35am Mon 11 Feb 13
Will be interesting to see what happens to him, Matty and Troy this summer if we don't go up.
Troy can of of course walk away for nothing (Aston V interested per the sun). A prem league salary must be tempting, and while i doubt he'd make the grade, he'd be a free signing so lower prem league teams may be tempted for a cheap gamble.
AMP4WFC
says...
9:36am Mon 11 Feb 13
Harry's Bar
says...
9:53am Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin wrote:Maybe being linked with Villa was the reason on Friday Deeney played like his mind was elsewhwere.
Great news if he does stay. Will be interesting to see what happens to him, Matty and Troy this summer if we don't go up. Troy can of of course walk away for nothing (Aston V interested per the sun). A prem league salary must be tempting, and while i doubt he'd make the grade, he'd be a free signing so lower prem league teams may be tempted for a cheap gamble.
KeithMercer
says...
10:06am Mon 11 Feb 13
Quality on and off the pitch thats our Almen Abdi !
hornet88
says...
10:32am Mon 11 Feb 13
pete50
says...
10:48am Mon 11 Feb 13
DuffmanWFC
says...
10:52am Mon 11 Feb 13
If we can keep winning games and especially the big ones vs Cardiff and Leicester we can go up!
Then there's no reason why we can't tie down Abdi, Vydra, Ekstrand and Pudil on good contracts!
Things are looking good, come on you horns!
lutondown
says...
11:03am Mon 11 Feb 13
Hampshire hornet wrote:To me Battocchio Abdi and Chalobah in midfield we have Premier class.
mellow yellow wrote:Totally agree.. We need to support him in Midfield to help him become the game changer
Great news. THE most important player on the field. Bar none.
When we come unstuck it's usually when our midfield is overrun.
In regards to whose the most important, I would add Cassetti to the mix. It's very apparent when he's not there ala Bristol.
lutondown
says...
11:06am Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin wrote:And he could be swapping for another championship if Villa don't improve.
Great news if he does stay.
Will be interesting to see what happens to him, Matty and Troy this summer if we don't go up.
Troy can of of course walk away for nothing (Aston V interested per the sun). A prem league salary must be tempting, and while i doubt he'd make the grade, he'd be a free signing so lower prem league teams may be tempted for a cheap gamble.
Hey ho, one door opens and all that, one thing for sure the Owners want us up there, it will happen its just a case of when.
May will do nicely
PeteBogHorrorHornet
says...
11:19am Mon 11 Feb 13
PhilippineOrn
says...
11:28am Mon 11 Feb 13
willia6692
says...
11:44am Mon 11 Feb 13
dorothyparker12
says...
11:57am Mon 11 Feb 13
peter10531089
says...
12:13pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Before anyone asks I was a huge Ramage fan for all his faults and foibles but agree Abdi is quite superb, as is Vydra, as is Pudil, as is Casetti, etc... repeat to fade
paultheshrink
says...
12:14pm Mon 11 Feb 13
DuffmanWFC wrote:Good to know that if we keep winning we can go up. I had a feeling that was how it worked, but nice to have it confirmed.
Top player and what I love about our best loan players is that they are so committed and hard working! They've really helped others improve ie Deeney, Doyley, Hoban and the team is so together!
If we can keep winning games and especially the big ones vs Cardiff and Leicester we can go up!
Then there's no reason why we can't tie down Abdi, Vydra, Ekstrand and Pudil on good contracts!
Things are looking good, come on you horns!
What are the chances we may get Chalobah for a second season if we do get there, like we did with Foster?
For me thegreat thing is that
a) we almost expect promotion now - quite unlike previous forays to the giddy heights of the PL.
b) we expect to stay up when (not if) we get there.
Changed times, and how good is it?
mellow yellow
says...
12:19pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Also nice to see McGinn score at the weekend. A player who still may have a future with us.
Andrew1963
says...
12:25pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin
says...
12:35pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Andrew1963 wrote:....you forgot Gary Fisken !
I can't believe people rate Abdi better than our own academy products - Jamie Hand; Dominic Blizzard......
Bringe
says...
12:41pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin wrote:I think Villa will have scouted him purely on a relegation scenario and it's doubtful they would sign him if they stay up.
Great news if he does stay.
Will be interesting to see what happens to him, Matty and Troy this summer if we don't go up.
Troy can of of course walk away for nothing (Aston V interested per the sun). A prem league salary must be tempting, and while i doubt he'd make the grade, he'd be a free signing so lower prem league teams may be tempted for a cheap gamble.
Every threatened club works from two lists otherwise they could be caught cold at the end of the season.
Feff
says...
12:57pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Stoney77
says...
1:33pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Feff wrote:Its wrong to judge a player before he has had the chance to prove himself, particularly considering (I presume) that you are not really qualified to make such a judgement. Look at players like Adam le Fondre, set the lower leagues alight, was fairly average in the championsip, and now doing an awesome 'super sub' job in the Premier league. 2nd top english scorer in the prem I believe. I'm not sure that Deeney is good enough for the premiership too, but I'd be happy for him to sign a new contract and seem him in our premiership squad and hopefully he can prove us all wrong. If he doesnt he'll move on
Sorry, folks, but Deeney is a good Championship player but definitely not good enough for the Premier League. If we go up, sell him. If we stay where we are, sell him, because Vydra will be off and it is Vydra that makes Deeney look so good. I too would like to see Geijo given a chance next to Vydra.
Stoney77
says...
1:36pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin
says...
2:32pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Feff wrote:We can't sell him - he can leave for nothing in the summer can't he ??
Sorry, folks, but Deeney is a good Championship player but definitely not good enough for the Premier League. If we go up, sell him. If we stay where we are, sell him, because Vydra will be off and it is Vydra that makes Deeney look so good. I too would like to see Geijo given a chance next to Vydra.
PhilippineOrn
says...
2:41pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Boosey
says...
3:21pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin
says...
3:39pm Mon 11 Feb 13
PhilippineOrn wrote:so assuming we lose matty if we don't go up, you are saying we ditch the guy who scored 9 in 9 was it a month or two ago ?? He's no Vydra but has done a pretty good job for us since leaving prison, albeit not so much the last couple of games.
He is a free agent in the summer, but he hasn't signed a new contract yet - maybe he (ie his agent) is rating him higher than the club do since I agree with Feff....whether we go up or stay where we are I find it hard to see a place for him.
DuffmanWFC
says...
5:41pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Deeney will only get a good shot at the Premiership with us as he has a great on field partnership with Vydra!
Abbots hornet
says...
7:58pm Mon 11 Feb 13
PhilippineOrn
says...
1:04am Tue 12 Feb 13
Mickey Quinn, not so thin wrote:I'm guessing if we don't get promoted we may lose more than Vydra hence a whole new group of players will arrive. Whether there will be room for Deeney, especially without Vydra remains to be seen.
PhilippineOrn wrote:so assuming we lose matty if we don't go up, you are saying we ditch the guy who scored 9 in 9 was it a month or two ago ?? He's no Vydra but has done a pretty good job for us since leaving prison, albeit not so much the last couple of games.
He is a free agent in the summer, but he hasn't signed a new contract yet - maybe he (ie his agent) is rating him higher than the club do since I agree with Feff....whether we go up or stay where we are I find it hard to see a place for him.
Of course this is all hypothetical since we are going up...I'm just wondering which of our current first team squad won't make the cut in the Premiership.
watford1881
says...
5:53am Tue 12 Feb 13
lutondown
says...
8:05am Tue 12 Feb 13
watford1881 wrote:This league is full of paradoxes, so why use Friday night as a gauge? We had players clearly tired, and a midfield overrun in second half, perhaps because one of the better midfielders was sat on bench until last few minutes. But, this is the team that people called for after Bristol, so perhaps GFZ knows a bit more than us all, having spent the week with his players.
We haven't done a thing yet.. We are still a Championship club. Let's not get too carried away.. The rest of the season is gonna be very tough.. Palace game second half proves we're are not as great as we all seam to think.. Please don't get beyond the facts... Still a lot of minutes of football to be played
I do think we are as good we say we are, possibly better, this is still a new squad after all.
Harry's Bar
says...
1:53pm Tue 12 Feb 13
DuffmanWFC wrote:I think Deeney and, or his agent think he could do a Danny Graham. I'm not sure, if Villa stay up and Watford go up he could find himself out of work. Get real son! Sign your contract before you get a nasty shock (again).
For me I can't understand why Villa would want Deeney? Maybe they are looking at options if they go down! Deeney will only get a good shot at the Premiership with us as he has a great on field partnership with Vydra!
Mohandas says...
8:36am Mon 11 Feb 13