Quique Sanchez Flores to leave Watford

[AFCB_Mark]

Club statement says Quique Sanchez Flores will leave Watford at the end of the season. That's despite achieving safety with minimal fuss or stress.

 

[merseyboyred]

Not surprising, given the Pozzos history and Watford's post-Christmas form, they've been utterly dire to watch too. Still, he'd done decent enough job with them and he's hardly harmed his reputation. Would be worth a few other clubs looking at him.

I've seen talk of Mazzari being his replacement.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

I gather that they aren't happy with the style of play, but Mazzari's Inter side was garbage to watch.

TalkSport reports that "there had been a disagreement with the owners as to how the season has gone" so they've parted ways.

 

[Pagnell]

A team in their first top flight season for nearly a decade and they're 10 points above the drop zone with one game to play. Madness to force him out for me if it's true.

To an extent, we're back to the old question we had with Stoke and Pulis, although he had long experience of it where this season could have been a one off for Sanchez. What's more important, football that's not particularly appealing to watch but will keep you in the top flight and that TV money rolling in, or take a chance on another manager and the drop?

Perhaps they have someone like Rodgers or Moyes already lined up though, in which case it makes more sense.

 

[MagpieBee]

Club statement says Quique Sanchez Flores will leave Watford at the end of the season. That's despite achieving safety with minimal fuss or stress.

And an FA Cup Semi final. Absolute joke of a dismissal, he won't struggle to find another job, probably a better one, and quickly.

 

[You Orns]

Baffaling tactical decisions, winning only four league games in 2016.

It's a decision I can understand, we were worked out in late December/January when we lost to Southampton and have played awful football without the results since, he's been tactically stubborn, playing four across the middle with four central midfielders and despite the club bringing in wide players in January he hasn't played them.

The last 3 games (villa, Liverpool, Norwich) have all gone similar ways, we start with the same team, we're very poor and with about half an hour to go the wide players come on and we improve as a result. We should have lost all three games because are early performance was so poor and it was only because it was Villa we got anything out of that game.

It's been obvious things had to change tactically all year and he hasn't. If he kept being stubborn we were going down next season.

It's harsh but very understandable.

 

[Mustard]

It's strange to see teams change manager from a position of strength. I think Watford's performances the past few months have suggested that everyone involved knew this was coming though. Flores will get a decent job somewhere else, I actually think he could be a good left field choice for Everton for a couple of seasons to get their tragic defense in shape whilst benefiting from a Martinez attack (albeit they have been poor on that front recently too). Might be too tactically inflexible in the long term - seems like he never stays at any one club for a substantial amount of time anyway though.

As for Watford, it's a risk, with the league being so tight they could easily lurch forward or fall back from this point. But they could still finish 11th in the league this season and it will be hard for them to come higher than that next season.

 

[Ablur]

He'll go to Everton.

Watford are stupid. They're punching above their weight this season and to think another manager could've done any better is complete madness. Not surprising from the owners though, they're like the Real Madrid of England. Nothing is ever enough.

 

[Pagnell]

He'll go to Everton.

No chance, Everton will be looking for a bigger name with more experience.

 

[Super_horns]

Sounds like its going to be Walter Mazzarri - once of Inter and Napoli.
It is a bit weird because clearly on the face of it coming mid-table and getting to the FA Cup semis should represent a very solid season but most of the fans really aren't that disappointed.

Our form post Christmas has been awful and the Pozzos/fans have been concerned about the style of football and tactics used - also the same old players being picked (but then all managers have their favourites)

Also he made 2/3 signings in January that haven't paid off (yet) and not really used some of the younger more attacking players the Pozzos brought in.

Think Flores was safety first and the Pozzos want a bit more than that.

Of course its a risk getting another manager - probably with a whole host of new players but I guess that is the risk the Pozzos are prepared to take.

Quite what happens if we start next season badly goodness knows!

 

[Munkiki]

It's easy for fans of other clubs to criticise when they're not the ones having to watch you every week.

Only West Brom (Pulis... snore) and Aston Villa have scored fewer goals. Also before Norwich had the decency to give them a six-goal thriller Wednesday night, no side had seen fewer goals in total. And even after that only really, really boring sides - Palace, United, West Brom - have seen less. Someone will inevitably trot out the "it's not about entertainment" bullshit but fuck you, yes it is. If you wanted to be bored out of your mind, there are a lot more cheaper ways to go about it.

 

[SALTIRE]

Flores will walk into another job easily enough here or abroad, he's done it for years. Water off a duck's back to him.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

Seems strange to look at the last few months in isolation. Over the course of the season it's difficult not to conclude that they've comfortably surpassed expectations (they're level on points with Everton and five adrift of Chelsea ffs). Granted, the Pozzos trigger happy approach doesn't appear to be doing them an awful lot of harm, but I think there probably will come a point where fans start to wonder exactly what the plan is.

 

[JoshBCFC]

I gather that they aren't happy with the style of play, but Mazzari's Inter side was garbage to watch.

TalkShite reports that "there had been a disagreement with the owners as to how the season has gone" so they've parted ways.

fixed

 

[Smally]

Just read that Walter Mazzarri will be Watford's new coach for next season. Hope he sticks to a back 3 like his Napoli side he had a few years ago

 

[Super_horns]

Well that is what Zola played so an Italian thing?

 

[Smally]

They seem more open to a back 3 than most other managers. Mazzarri used a back 3 at Napoli and Inter so it seems to be his preferred style

 

[Super_horns]

3 year deal agreed - must be confident he is the right man (or the Pozzos have the money to pay him off in 6 months..)

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Walter Mazzarri has a fairly solid CV and has managed 2 of Italy's biggest clubs in the last 6 years so his experience from that could be huge. I think this could be a great coup for Watford, he'll be able to attract some quality players and can see him improving their style of play.

 

[mistermagic]

Really don't think it's a good move. Guy's got no Premiership experience but I don't think he speaks the language. Looks very stubborn in his ways and he is not highly regarded at Inter. He did ok at Napoli but he had great players but not much to show for it all said and done.

Watford to go down next season.