It didn't take long did it? After a promising start, September promises to be the cruelest month after a 5-1 tonking at Derby County. When the wheels came off at Upton Park under Zola, they came off big time, but it took a season to arrive at catastrophe; the process seems to have accelerated at Watford.
Once again, the familiar pattern has emerged. Like the affable nodding dog that sat in the back windows of Cortinas in the 1970s, Zola is trying to appear upbeat, but the felt has worn thin and the plastic patches are already showing through. Whilst Mr Cones & Bibs Clark has got off to a flier at West Brom, GianFredo Zola is struggling already and nodding forlornly as the car is driven for him by Godfather Nani and Consiglieri Duxbury.
Poor Zola is already explaining how Nani recruits the players and putting the loss of a key member of his squad down to a policy of naked ageism. Then there is the familiar complaint of too many players in the squad - 42 at the last count apparently. But then how many of those are actually Watford players? The new recruits are all on loans!
As a Watford season ticket holder of 20+ years I'll roll out that time tested saying about those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
ReplyDeleteSo I won't knock you for pointing out the similarities.
Sad but also true, I had hoped that Zola had learn't a harsh footballing lesson after managing West Ham. I thought that relieving him of the job at West Ham was the correct decision as he was tactically naive and surrounded by all the wrong people.
ReplyDeleteTo my astonishment and surprise Zola turns up with the SAME team (minus Clarke)at Watford. Preaching football for the purists is one thing but ensuring the defensive foundations are solid is quite another. Zola should have learnt by his mistakes last time as he got his fingers burnt by not getting the basics right and by allowing others to make major player purchases for him.
Zola in my opinion will NEVER make a manager as that is a step too far, but a Tony Carr role at a club would be the role best suited to his character and personality. Sorry Zola!
As a watford fan I am sure the amount of players Zola has is not helping him,he can not for sure watch 42 pro's,but at a guess it wont be long before we field 10 loan players,except our keeper.Also I am informed that the wages is all being paid by the parent clubs,I do not know what to make of all this but it seems to me many are here to put in the shop window to sell.So far only 3 of the signings on loan look a class above,most of the others are bedding in and getting fit.This year is only a consolidation year as debts are being paid off and Zola instills his football game plan,and we wont do it with many that are already here as perms,they are not good enough for this kind of football.Zola is only on a 2 year deal himself which gives me a hint that he wont be here long.
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with you pointing out the similarities here but there is one key difference. Watford's prospects had the Pozzos along with Zola, Nani and Duxbury not rode into town were bleaker than a wet Wednesday in January. Therefore as a Watford season ticket holder I struggle to see too many negatives when it comes to being seemingly financially stable and in all likelihood entertained on the pitch. Going to be an interesting season but if Zola doesn't work out I have no doubt the Pozzos will quickly move to make the necessary changes. Not all bad eh!
ReplyDeleteRather this than what we had before.
ReplyDelete1. Yes the new players are loans, but I refer you to Granada of 4 years ago for a comparison, they still have players "on loan" from Udinese now who've amassed over 100 games since joining, the fact that they're on loan is purely an administrative formality. I don't blame you for thinking this, people simply don't know so assume. Also worth noting that people don't seem to realise, international loans are classed as permanent transfers by UEFA.
ReplyDelete2. We're 4 games into the season, 2 wins, 2 losses, and are looking like playing some decent football but need to gel as, as you mention a lot of new players, that's common in any side that makes a large amount of transfers, not just ours. When we have clicked we've looked very good, see us vs Birmingham for this, and at other times we look like a team of strangers, ala vs Derby. That's to be expected in the early days. Zola/Duxbury/Nani have been given one season by the owners to get the team gelled and the set up in place, and then next season to go for promotion.
I think the difference could be, you had a bankrupt egghead in charge at the time who let Duxbury loose to spend what he wanted, and finance his own lavish lifestyle with club money, the Pozzo's simply won't stand for that, they've shown before both at Udinese and at Granada that they'll do what they must with employees if things need to be changed, and I'm sure they will do so here if need be.
The reality is, before we had a team of journeymen, washed out ex-Prem stars, and lower league players that could prove good, now we have a team of Champions League experienced players not even in their peak, some of Europe's better younger talents, and the best players left from the old regime, as I say, once they get used to each other and click things should be smoother.
The point about Zola not signing players is obvious too, he's a 'Head Coach' not a manager, this would be expected as we're owned by a group from the continent who operate as the rest of Europe does. Managers rarely make their own signings anymore anyway, see Man City for examples of this.
A last minute decision to let Taylor leave at his request left us with a very makeshift defence and Derby exploited the hole. Fair play to them but it doesn't mean the wheels have come off and we should by now have the position covered. Taylor unfortunately is no-longer quick enough for Zola's preferred style but is still far too good to rot in the reserves, he deserves his move and it was right to let him leave for 1st team football.
ReplyDeleteGet used to the fact that virtually all continental team coaches are basically the nodding dogs you describe, they are there to get the best from the players they are given by DOF's who work under the constraints of a budget or in Nani's case, a choice of the many players under Pozzo's control. They may say they want someone in the Kompany mold but continental team coaches won't start throwing dollies when they don't get the man himself.
West Hams owners went bust and big cuts were needed in a hurry, there are no similarities. The bubble burst and still many of you blame it on this trio of middlemen yet the following their departure the club faired no better under a new regime. Why can't hammers fans just face up to the fact that they support a yo-yo club?
Yes we will react to it, cause you seem to continually moan about happenings at Watford, when you should solely talk about West Ham!
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There'll be loads of Watford fans blindly slating this, but so far all the evidence points to a scenario just as you have portrayed. Zola, loveable though he is, could well be N & D's fall guy. Again.
ReplyDeleteIt was just one game...lets see how Zola does over a few months if given a chance but yes he doesn't seem to be the one signing all the loan players.
ReplyDeleteGet your own team in order, rather have Gianfranco than Sam any day of the week
ReplyDeleteSpot on !!
ReplyDeleteWhy would a Watford fan react negatively to your blog.......well probably because any point you have or may not is lost in what has clearly become a rather sad obsession. Two won and two lost is hardly a crisis and you as always completely ignore the Pozzo family are not bankrupt Icelanders.
ReplyDeleteStill thanks for not giving us any odd pictures of children again.......
I have to wonder why you're so interested in a team from a league that you elevated yourself from last year. We will consolidate in the Champ this season and try and push-on for promotion next. If we end up just outside the play-off positions this year, I for one will be delighted. Beats administration any day, no? It all makes perfect sense to me and the huge pool of players that GZ has to weed out now is well within his capabilities, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteNever mind , Avram is waiting to take over .
ReplyDeleteI notice you don't feel moved to comment when Watford win under Zola. Only when they lose.
ReplyDeleteYour obsession with Zola failing is more tedious than Sam's style of football.
Please stop clogging up my Watford newsfeed.
Ha i love how watford fans only know about a quarter of what happened at west ham and even more funny is how clueless they are also to the guy who called west ham a yo yo club we have only been out of the premier league for 4 years out of the 21 years since the prem was created hardly a yo yo team is it.
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