Mattie Pollock’s performances at Aberdeen have “got the conversation going” about the centre-back lining up for parent club Watford next season – with chances of a Reds loan return looking remote.
Pollock impressed in the Dons’ back-three with Angus MacDonald and Celtic loanee Liam Scales in the second half of the season as Barry Robson led a resurgence in form to deliver third place and likely European group stage football.
The 21-year-old, signed on loan in January, would certainly have been among the first names on boss Robson’s first summer transfer window wish-list ahead of a potentially blockbuster 2023-24 campaign.
The defensive trio solidified what had been a real problem area for the Reds in the first part of the campaign, delivering some startling defensive statistics over the past few months, including five straight clean sheets, 10.5 hours without conceding a goal from open play, and no goals against in April.
However, it is understood Watford have indicated Pollock will not be returning to Pittodrie for a second spell on loan next season, as things stand.
The commanding, aggressive centre-half – who has three years left on his deal at Vicarage Road – could instead be allowed to stake a claim for a place in the Watford side next term.
Following the 3-0 victory over St Mirren which sealed Aberdeen’s return to Europe, Pollock himself seemed to draw a line under his time in the Granite City, tweeting: “Massive thank you to everyone involved @AberdeenFC.
“Loved every minute of my time here, the players, staff and most importantly the fans.
“You have all been unbelievable. THANK YOU”
Massive Thankyou to everyone involved @AberdeenFC loved every minute of my time here , the players , staff and most importantly the fans. You have all been unbelievable THANKYOU ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yWSzMhW2ip
— Mattie Pollock (@Mattiepollock4) May 28, 2023
Sam Ucko – who knows Pollock personally and is co-host of the popular WD18 Watford fans’ podcast – believes the player’s performances for Aberdeen have lifted him into the Hornets’ plans for the season ahead, saying: “Everyone’s been aware of how good he’s been, and I think it’s got the conversation going about whether he should be involved next season.
“I’d assume so.”
He added: “I think he’s someone who can develop at Watford. I know Matty personally and he loves the club, he loves Watford and I think he really wants to flourish with it.
“The only thing is, with the amount of managerial changes and all of the things going on in the background at the club at the moment, is it the best place to develop? I’d say probably not, given the way other players have gone as well.”
Quality mate everyone go help out !! @Sam_ucko https://t.co/mFhRfxriKi
— Mattie Pollock (@Mattiepollock4) May 30, 2023
Watford had season of defensive turmoil and face rebuild under new boss Ismael
English Premier League regulars Watford finished a disappointing 11th in the Championship after appointing former Aberdeen managerial target Chris Wilder in March.
Podcaster Ucko – who attended 40 Hornets matches during the season – says the only consistent defensive solidity came during Slaven Bilic’s spell in charge in the middle of what he described as a “mess” of a campaign, with Rob Edwards (who took Luton up to the Premier League last weekend) leaving after just 10 matches at the start of the campaign.
Ucko said: “As I say, under Bilic we did get better defensively, but we were leaking far too many goals throughout the season, and we tried so many defensive combinations.
“We tried so many different defensive combinations, from (William) Troost-Ekong, (Francisco) Sierralta, (Craig) Cathcart, Pollock… Then, in January, we brought in Wesley Hoedt and Ryan Porteous.
“Porteous has been excellent and a lot of fans want him to be captain next season, while Hoedt was rotated out of the team for the likes of Cathcart and (Christian) Kabasele as well.
“So it’s been changing a lot and – for me – I think the goalkeeper and two centre-backs have to be the most secure positions in the team.”
While it is unclear which shape new boss Ismael will use (Watford favoured a back four in 2022-23), Ucko reckons the only two “guarantees” to remain after the rebuild required this summer from the central defenders listed above will be Hoedt and Porteous.
Pollock and Scotland international/ex-Hibs stopper Porteous are both right-sided centre-halves, so could be competing with each other for a place, with Ucko expecting further fresh options to be brought in.
‘It was a good move that he went out to Aberdeen’
Pollock was signed by Watford from Grimsby Town on a five-year deal in 2021, spending his first season on loan at English League One Cheltenham.
He made a disastrous Championship debut for the Hornets in the first half of the campaign, before being loaned back out to the Premiership and Aberdeen.
Ucko said: “Going back to when Mattie made his debut for Watford – a lot of fans were quite frustrated at that stage in the season as we were getting hammered every week.
“One of the areas that had been questioned was recruitment, and particularly the recruitment of young players. Mattie came in against Millwall away. We lost 3-0 and we were 3-0 down after half-an-hour/40 minutes.
“He was a mess all game really, he was really, really poor. And I felt quite sorry for him at the time getting thrown in there.
“In January, it was a good move that he went out to Aberdeen.”
Ucko revealed the Hornets supporters have been fully aware of the rave reviews received by Pollock – who has only made one start apiece for Watford in the league, FA Cup and EFL Cup – during his time north of the border, which has resulted in their interest in him being part of the club’s plans next season, adding: “I think you only had to look at the replies to his tweets or Aberdeen tweets to see how much the fans love him there.”
However, Watford fan Ucko also floated an alternative theory as to why the club would not sanction a repeat loan to Pittodrie or elsewhere, saying: “I think part of the club’s thinking would be that his stock has gone up following his time at Aberdeen and, if clubs are desperate for him, they’d probably have to put a couple of million down – rather than sending him out on loan again.
“We could make a bit of money from him from somewhere, even if it’s not Aberdeen.”
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