Is it just me or are there others beginning to seriously worry about what is happening in the club? Baz was rightly criticised for no communicating with the club - but has there really been any change? We have lost a good manager, closely followed by our best defender and now our number 1 choice of goal keeper seems to be on his way for a knock down price. Add to this massive changes behind the scenes plus our top striker is in prison. Yet there are only rumours about people coming in and this despite us being promised the wonderful world wide network of scouts that would bring in talent - all we seem to be being offered in the rumours are old players at the end of their career. I know it is early days but the season isn't that far ahead and there seems to be very little information coming out of the new regime about bringing people in to replace those going out at an alarming rate! Any other thoughts or should I not be worried?
It will turn out fine, I am reassured by what has happened at the other clubs the Pozzos own. The future is bright the future is yellow.
i agree, i'm a little concerned that it's all one way traffic at the moment..though the loanees did look good the other night, so hopefully they will be with us for the year.
I'm not really too worried. They seem to know what they are doing, and they wait to make their statements rather than rush it. I would also suggest they will only really comment on anything concrete. There will be a Mariappa interview forthcoming, Loach hasn't signed for anyone yet, and these older players are just rumours that I don't think anything will come of. We are probably so used to comments on every little rumour that we want statements. I think we will have to start getting used to a lot of rumours involving us and just have to ignore most. We will be used to create interest for players from their agents. I don't the club should have to release a statement every time we are linked with someone. I'd ratehr they do their business in private, then make a statement once something has actually happened, with a clear, concise and thought-out response.
I would say it is far too early to start worrying. Every year we see comments around this time of the year concerned about 'the lack of activity' with transfers, but the simple fact is the majority of activity is two weeks before the season starts. Clubs often don't allow sales until they have lined up replacements. Coupled with that the fact that any transfers take time, and the new regime have only been in place a few weeks. With regards to players 'at the end of their career', where does the end of their career start? is it over 30, over 33, over 35? Martin Taylor and Nyron Nosworthy came to us around their 30's and were good signings. Goalkeepers can play until late 30's, so where is 'the end' of their career starting? We always knew Mariappa was likely to go, and Loach potentially. No major surprises there. Troy Deeney was a curve ball, and the new regime have not had time yet to deal with the issues that causes us. We have three loanees that have come in, that on paper seem decent, and have lost three players. We have a decent supply of young players that are now a year older. Let's give it a bit longer before being worried...
You're right Kev, listening to the rumours is bonkers, but Loach has gone, and we need a goalkeeper...it would be nice to know that someone is lined up and ready to venture in between the poles!
I really don't think that they would let SL go without having at least one keeper ready to sign Keep the Faith
However, at the moment they've probably paid Baz a pittance for the shares, they still owe the bonds, they have spent very little (and appear to be only spending money that they are already committed to spending (loanees). Hence they have little to lose (in their terms) if the 'project' does not work and they decide to walk away. Which could leave us in the doo-doo, with massive, unsustainable overheads. Worst case scenario! Now, if they actually committed some money to the infrastructure rather than taking on an army of coaches and apparatchiks those worries might dissappear.
I see nothing from their past record to suggest that they will walk away. Clearly if they did we would be up the river etc. but they took on Granada when they were close to going bust and seem to think that by applying the same principles at Watford they will bring success. That may or may not work, but I think that the management team would go long before the Pozzos quit.
Bassini or not, mariappa would've still left, Loach might have left as well. The pozzos have money, so no more worrying about players wages and transfers. we might sign some legends on the way as well
It is "wait and see" time. When Bas took over we were right to worry because of his background and lack of business credibility. These chaps are very different--serious business men with a plan, so there is not anxiety on that score. We are not going to go into administration anytime soon. The fact that Loach was sold for a low figure confirms that we are not now selling players to fund the overdraft, raise working capital or pay back the bonds. The Pozzo's can let players go if they think they are not essential in football terms, or have no greater future value.They have probably taken over the outstanding bonds (an investment for them) and can meet the working capital requirements from their own resources, so they can concentrate on developing players for big money sale at the optimum moment. The new coaching/scouting appointments are a bit startling, but consistent with the Pozzo's statement that they would support the club technically and financially while "the project" gets under way. The appointments are all of experienced and accomplished people, not Zola's mates--nothing to be worried about there. The rumours surrounding elderly Italian players coming in can be ignored--it is the time of year when agents start rumours around players looking for clubs. Given our suddenly raised profile, we can expect more such agent driven media speculation. Forget it--not a cause of worry. It is not likely that the Pozzo's would not send us 4 or 5 loan players before the season starts, and they will not be duff players. It is Zola's job to turn them into a proper team, which is competitive in the rough and tumble Championship. That is the main thing to worry about--is he up to that task? He has never tried it before (at WH he took over an established side) so it remains to be seen.
Not sure where you're coming from with that - we have three comparatively young prospective loanees, at least one of whom has apparently signed today - and Fitz Hall, none of whom can be termed "at the end of their career". Since the takeover, we have lost Loach and Mapps (am scratching my head to think of any others) - so that suggest four in and two out to me. The other names we have rumoured to be signing are simply that - rumours from the media desparately looking for something with which to fill column inches IMO. So, yes - i suspect that it is just you.
For goodness sake give the Pozzos, Zola etc. a chance! They've been at the club five minutes and you're "seriously worried". Of course there are no guarantees that the future will be bright - but just look at what the Pozzos have done at their other clubs. It is you - so just stop whinging and give it time.....
I'll answer on the first day of the season. Completely understand why they're less keen on talking about staff than about players. Below the manager and his assistants, we might be upset about who is leaving but are very unlikely to care who is coming in, unless they have a bad reputation. So it's lose-lose for them to say much about it. Other than that, communication has been slow but not unacceptable. As bloody frustrating as it is, you can't officially announce a deal involving a person before it is done. Dyche's departure for example: if they announced that he was going before the i's were dotted and t's crossed, it might have caused a financial hit, or (very unlikely, but for all they knew) it might have been the straw that tipped someone at the heart of the deal into talking about the situation publicly.
Yep its you, we've now got owners who think and do before opening their gobs as opposed to opening gobs, not thinking and doing next to nothing. Its a change and you've got to get used to it.
okay fine - thanks for those with reassuring words - I'll wait and see what happens and I really really hope Watford emerge as a strong club again.
yellotoyou, I can understand why on paper you may be a bit worried, if you look at the incomings and outgoings since the Pozzi's took charge. However, it is the larger picture that needs to be taken into account. Whether Bas or the Pozzi's were in charge, I really feel that Loach and Mariappa would have left anyway. Loach has felt mistreated by the fans and Mariappa wanted to take the step up the Premier League, which he nearly did back in January. The speculation is ridiculous about the likes of Del Piero, Inzaghi and Iaquinta. The Pozzi's have run a tight ship at Udinese and Granada, with no big-name signings on big wages. They pick obscure players, develop them, and then sell them on for a profit. That's how we have run Watford for a while, and that's why I continue to see us being run under the Pozzi's. Hopefully some quality loanees from Udinese will help put us above most teams, as well this famed Pozzi scouting network being put into work.
We had 10 players on trial I read on other forums so presume Zola is going to get some of them in on loan. Maybe we are waiting for international clearance?
