GRAHAM TAYLOR has to make a decision on the £325,000 Modovan striker Serghei Clescenco, who has been on a three-week trial at Watford and played in the Reserves on Wednesday.

The nippy striker goes back to Moldova with his wife on Monday.

"He is a busy player with goalscoring instincts. He made a goal but the problem I have is that we have to get a work permit and, while they make allowances for the fact that there will not be much left to the season, the basic principal is that he must be involved in 75 per cent of first team games," Taylor explained.

"He is very enthusiastic and he has something."

One of the problems with signing foreign players which may not have been widely publicised before is that apart from being involved in 75 per cent of first team games, they also have to be among the top three or top five earners.

"That depends on where he comes from. With Moldova, he would have to be in the top five," the manager explained.

Trio doubtful

for Bees trip

WATFORD go into the first of two successive away games with injury doubts surrounding three players.

Peter Kennedy, Tommy Mooney and Nigel Gibbs are all battling for fitness as the Hornets prepare for the short trip to Brentford.

Kennedy is still feeling his dead leg, picked up in the dying minutes of Saturday's match. Gibbs has had a problem at the back of his knee in recent weeks.

"That has nothing to do with his previous knee problem. It is unconnected," said Taylor.

The full back has been resting this week in an attempt to settle the joint and unless there is an unexpected setback here, Gibbs looks the most likely of the trio to make the Griffin Park date.

He has had a problem in recent weeks, it transpires, but his displays have been among his best since his lengthy lay-off.

"Tommy Mooney has a very sore big toe which he picked up in a tackle in training," said the manager.

"As it is his left foot, it is a very important big toe for us."

Steve Palmer will cover this situation, as indeed he would if Gibbs were unable to make the grade, but Darren Ward is also in the frame.

"Brentford is one of those again. We are expected to go there and win. I hope we have all learnt our lesson," said Taylor.

"I have looked at the Burnley video and there is no doubt that there is no system that compensates for you not being first to the ball. Be first to the ball and then it is up to us to score the goals.

"It is not an easy task for Mickey Adams to take over. I believe there is not much money about. He has taken Warren Aspinall from Carlisle but there are no easy matches.

"People are thinking in terms of the play-offs and lower clubs fighting for points and you have to out-fight them.

"Lets hope by drawing two and losing one, that's our wobble."

Dropped on Saturday, Noel-Williams will be 18 next week.

"He did not play in the reserves. He is still part of the first-team squad," said Taylor.

"He has missed the stage of development that a lad of 16 to 17 would normally experience and he has taken the bulk of the physical work over the past two seasons. It may not be a bad time for him to step out and have a look.

"Not scoring goals has been getting to him and I don't want a quick burn-out situation to develop.

"He would be one we would be normally discussing around now, whether we should consider giving him professional terms.

"That is what we are doing with our second-year youth trainees and he was one of those."

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