Watford; Once ahead of the curve, now behind the times. Gino Pozzo: It's time to go

Watford were once a club that other clubs with a low budget wanted to follow — buying cheap gems from obscure leagues, or unearthed players from a top five league. From 2012-2017, the club was run extremely well, every Head Coach appointment made sense, and almost most of the transfers fitted what we were trying to do, and it brought success. The reason I leave out Javi Gracia, who in my opinion is the best appointment have made under the Pozzo tenure; is because I thought he gave us success in spite of Pozzo. I’m building all this up to give you four big reasons why I think Gino should put the club up for sale. I obviously don’t speak for the fanbase, this is just my opinion on the matter; but unless the hierarchy realise the situation, we’re and they’re in, this club is only going one way. The response to some of those like myself saying Pozzo out is, well be careful what you wish for — an Alan Curbishley and Charlton reference, or comparison to Bury, Sunderland etc. Is that the Sunderland who have really good owners? This isn’t 1987, there are far more good owners than bad owners. Do I think Gino will sell? I don’t but I at least at the bare minimum want him to change his ways, which brings me to my first issue.

Recruitment:

The recruitment at the club since Marco Silva in the 17/18 season has been outright rotten. Forget Mogi Bayat for a moment, I’ll get to him later on. But the joined-up thinking is categorically not there. The club spent £18m on Andre Gray who Marco Silva just didn’t want, we all know he wanted a target man in Islam Slimani, given how he likes to play. If it wasn’t for Silva, we’d have never signed Richarlison either. Previously at other clubs and today with his use of Mitrovic; Silva has used a mobile big man up front; and we said you know what, we’ll do the complete opposite and sign arguably the worst deal in our history. Fast forward to the 19/20 season, we spent a record fee of around £32m on Ismaila Sarr; and gave him to someone who outright doesn’t use wingers in his system, and never did throughout his time as a manager/head coach. This was all after Javi led us to our most successful season in the modern era. Instead of backing a head coach, they’ve decided to make a huge transaction which has put the club at financial risk to this day. What happens when you aren’t aligned with the most important person at the club? you fail sooner rather than later. From not backing two head coaches to relegation and three more head coaches in just under two years. Also, what on earth is Cristano Giaretta doing at the club? he was universally hated by Udinese fans due to his inability to recruit properly, yet he’s somehow ended up at Watford because he knows Gino? It can’t be from the job he did at CSKA because all they did was loan players like Jerome Sinclair and Adalberto Penaranda. It’s jobs for the boys, it’s not serious, it’s embarrassing to have the squad we have with the money we’ve spent over the course of the Premier League. £500m+ spent and we’ve still got players like Kabasele, Cathcart, Cleverley starting; amongst spending most of the money on our favourite agents’ clients who aren’t any good. That’s not even including other dross we’ve signed consistently. Even in terms of this season, it was in my opinion the worst transfer window in the Pozzo tenure, mainly because no issues were addressed, didn’t back the new Head Coach in Rob Edwards, and I’m sorry, you can’t credit the club for keeping players they already own — even in Sarr’s case, he’s here by luck as a fee was agreed. We knew Rob had flying wingbacks and quick ball carrying centre backs for his system to fully flourish — what do we do? sign the slowest, legs have gone right back in Mario Gaspar, didn’t bring in any defenders that fit his style, well the one we brought in doesn’t, and yes, I’m referring to Hause. Rey Manaj was signed for what reason? and we know the process for Bayo. It’s all nonsense, it’s all for favours for other people and not to the benefit of the club. The only logical signing we made this summer was Keinan Davis.

Mogi Bayat:

I won’t go too much into Mogi Bayat as I already went in depth with him, which you can read here:

Watford and Mogi Bayat. A match made in corruption

Why have we hamstrung ourselves to someone who’s quite obviously dodgy? you can’t portray yourselves as a community club and a family club when your main source for recruitment and transaction is someone who’s ruined many people’s lives. I’d understand if it was for a few players and they’re on cheaper deals — but we’ve paid £15m in total for Kalu, Kayembe, Bayo and Sissoko. £15m!!! it’s outrageously bad transfer dealing. It reminds me of the scene in Only Fools when Del tricks Rodney and Mickey Pearce to buy the lawnmowers. We think we’re getting these unreal players but what we’re actually getting is something that barely works and nobody else would touch but us.

Udinese:

How the tables have turned eh Udinese fans? since you protested about the running of your club and the idea from your point of view that Watford are the love of the family, it’s Udinese’ turn to now reap the benefits of knowing what a good club can look like. Sensible head coach appointments, no interference from Gino or Giaretta — just appointing one of the best technical directors in the country in Pepe Marino; who helped Napoli and Atalanta be settled for their strategies. My question is this, why hasn’t Gino appointed someone of that calibre at Watford? there’s people out there in the lower divisions: Liam Sweeting at MK Dons for example. Shit, even me on a free would be a better option than the shite we’ve got now. I spoke to a few different Udinese fans just for perspective, and they’ve had two protests; one in 2016 due to neglect of the team and the name change of the stadium from Fruili to Dacia Arena. Then a second protest in 2018 due to again team neglect and losing 11 straight games in Serie A. They also said Giaretta was atrocious, and most intriguingly that Giampaolo is adored by the fanbase, but they aren’t keen on Gino due to his decision making and rash thought process. Giampaolo was the one who brought in Marino, and the only thing the Pozzo’s are there for at Udinese is giving Marino the budget and closing deals; Marino is the one who runs the club as he has the trust from Papa Pozzo. If you can change an entire club culture and feeling around a place within 18 months due to an appointment of a Technical Director with the credentials, surely, you’d do the same for Watford? Both clubs should be running the same way, and that’s evidently not happening.

Communication:

My final point is communication, or lack thereof, or let’s face it, horse shite from Duxbury. Did they pull the rule of 11 spiel from the same book that the Monarchy got their tax rule from? we sold Cucho and Zinckernagel because Rob want’s no more than 11 non homegrown players in the squad. What do we do? sign two non-homegrown players, which as things stand, on the 14th of September, we have 14 non-homegrown players; a job well done lads. Rob also said he wanted another forward, didn’t get one; or a right-wing back; which was so painfully obvious. The club can brief the media that we never wanted a right-wing back, but I know for a fact we tried to sign Dujon Sterling on deadline day, but he was already having a medical at Stoke City. “We will be supporting Rob Edwards come hell or high water” — well a tsunami has hit, and the squad is burning out rapidly. It’s just another long list of promises and quotes the club has come out with and not delivered; it’s been four years’ worth, and it’s tiring. My conclusion is I can pick apart the recruitment, Scott Duxbury, Mogi Bayat etc, but the buck stops with Gino Pozzo — they all act on his orders, and they’re making this club a laughingstock. Other clubs aren’t happy with how we handle things, players are suing us for unfair contractual obligations, employees are leaving the club due to toxic atmospheres, not paying players their promised bonuses, every employee signing NDAs — it’s just not what I want from my club. Us fans back the club through hell or high water, it’s us who has to endure the endless mockery and bullshit from the media, but I think it’s got to the point where we actually, or I certainly agree now. We aren’t the ones giving ourselves a pay raise for doing a terrible job, Scott. In simple terms, fix up or fuck off. Ciao, ti saluto, Ai mali estremi, estremi rimedi.