A 5-Point Plan to get Watford back on the 'straight and narrow'.
By Joe·
Since their relegation from the Premier League, Watford have found themselves in a bit of a 'rut'.
Supporter confidence is as low as it has ever been under the Pozzo family's ownership. Recruitment has been well wide of the mark for a long while, with the squad composition imbalanced and seemingly under-strength for the Championship.
While The Hornets have been able to attract some good individual talent to the football club during recent seasons - namely Othmane Maamma, Rocco Vata, Imran Louza and Giorgi Chakvatadze - they still lack the synergy and focus at boardroom level to operate as an efficient Championship outfit.
Add into the mix the now well documented 'Managerial Roulette' that has seen 10 permanent managers since their relegation back into the EFL (in 2022), their ability to put together a coherent playing identity has been troublesome at best and they lack the cohesion to be able to challenge at the top end of the Championship.
As such, The Hornets find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Calls for The Pozzo Family to 'sell up' are as intense as they have ever been. Disappointment regarding on-field performance has now largely been directed at boardroom level - notably chairman Scott Duxbury, and Sporting Directors Richard Ainsley and Luke Dowling - instead of at manager Alessio Dionisi.
Complete a Review of the Footballing Operations
The first step to trying to enact change has to be about accepting responsibility, and identifying what is not working and what has got to change.
It has been clear for a long time that while The Hornets have managed to successfully retain their Championship status up to this point, the footballing operations as a whole are not operating as efficiently as they could and that there are a number of factors that have been a contributing factor in their relative underachievement.
The Review of the club will be a top-to-bottom review of all departments that have a direct input into the Footballing Department. This includes:
Recruitment Processes
Squad Composition
Sporting Operational Staff (e.g. Sporting Director, Manager, Coaching Staff, Chairman)
Sporting Budgets (transfer costs, wages, infrastructure CapEx)
As a result of this review, the club will generate a list of action items which they can address both short and long-term and where they are able to attain 'instant wins'.
Undertake a Sporting Review of Sporting Identity and define a 'Watford DNA'.
I could not tell you what Watford's 'style of play is'.
I may have an idea of how coaches want their team to play based off previous achievements prior to joining Watford, but I couldn't say for definite what they're trying to do as a team. There doesn't seem to be a defined philosophy of how they want the team to set-up and their often accelerated transition from coaches with contrasting philosophies has done little to offer continuity, not least in giving the Football Department the remit to sensibly recruit the players required.
As such, I think that they need to strip it back to basics, and decide - as a collective - what they want to be. What style of football do they want to play? What style is going to work best for both the players in the building, and what they feel will work for getting them success in the Championship?
I would conduct a Sporting Review with the aim of defining a 'Watford DNA'. That will act as the baseline for Watford, with a managerial appointment made aligned to this philosophy. Recruitment will be made for this system, to ensure that the club are aligned in terms of the system that they employ and in ensuring the players recruited are suited to that system.
Make a Managerial Change (if required)
Depending on the outcome of the Sporting Review, The Hornets may well feel that a change in the manager is required.
There is a certain irony to that given that the approach for much of The Pozzo's reign has been to operate a 'revolving door' of managers. The complete reset of the football club may represent sensible timing to 'part ways', and to bring in a club which is better aligned for the philosophy they opt to implement.
Personally, I think that the club needs a complete refresh. Boardroom football structure. Management. Playing squad. Strip it right back to basics, establish a baseline and go from there.
Appoint a new Sporting Director.
The Hornets' off-field structure at boardroom level is confusing. I've never quite understood the logic or rationale behind a club having two Sporting Directors. Richard Ainsley and Luke Dowling.
The best Sporting Directors are able to delegate and draw on other peoples' experience, but they are afforded a certain autonomy in the decision-making. When you've got two Sporting Directors, I don't feel you get the conviction and focus in decision-making that you can with just the one. Having a single Sporting Director put a lot of emphasis of ensuring you get a qualified and experienced operator into the role to begin with, but I feel you need that definition to make clear decisions under pressure.
Appoint a Footballing Advisory Board
In recent seasons, the majority of decision-making on a football front has been to a combination of Sporting Directors Richard Ainsley and Luke Dowling, chairman Scott Duxbury and Group Technical Director Gian Luca Nani.
Looking in from the outside as a neutral, I would question whether or not they've got the level of logistical and technical acumen to be able to consistently make good footballing decisions and ensure a strong operational structure. When I compare the infrastructure of The Hornets at boardroom level, I definitely feel that there is scope for The Pozzo's to bring in a better standard of footballing 'people' into the club.
I feel this would dissolve autonomy from The Pozzo's operationally in making those important footballing decisions, and empowering a group of individuals with the relevant experience to take ownership.
As such, I would look at appointing an Advisory Board. This board would consist of experienced individuals within the game that have got the requisite knowledge of being in the game. Ideally, this would be a combination of ex-managers and players at the level, people that have got experience of being in positions of recruitment responsibility, and people with experience at boardroom level.
This Advisory Board would operate in support of the Sporting Director, and be on hand to provide them with additional information or expertise to ensure that they make good decisions.
So, these five measures would - I feel - give Watford a much better 'base' to work from going forward.
The club has been lacking strong football decision-making for a long time under The Pozzo's, and the changes outlined above would give The Hornets better off-field process, autonomy in decision-making supported by experienced, and ensure that they are better-equipped with the tools to succeed at Championship level.