Filippo Giraldi - Head Of Player Recruitment

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by Robert Peel, Feb 8, 2020.

  1. Robert Peel

    Robert Peel Squad Player

    https://media.*****images.com/photos/watford-chief-scout-filippo-giraldi-picture-id700503570
    Here's the mastermind behind our transfer strategy.

    I'd never looked him up before, but he's basically an estate agent mixed with a used car salesman.

    If you can't control your own waistline, how do you expect to control a premier league football club.

    The throbbing heartbeat in our transfer nerve centre. A lot of people have said they could do better, and when you weigh it up, they really could.
     
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  2. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    What happened to that French bloke who came in not so long ago ?
     
  3. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    He's about as useful as us playing Success and Gray as a two up front. Get rid.
     
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  4. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    The whole thing is bizarre. Giraldi has little pedigree (6 months as chief scout for Brescia and a decade at a Serie D club) and yet while highly experienced managers are fired extremely quickly at the first sign of problems, Giraldi is allowed to plod through the transfer windows either being incapable of identifying affordable targets or failing to understand long-standing weaknesses in the squad. He’s bulletproof. Very strange.
     
  5. Guy

    Guy Squad Player

    Even more bizarre is that he is allowed in and around the squad and able to go pitchside on game day
     
  6. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Can we ban the use of the phrase “in and around” on the forum? We all know it was copyrighted years ago by Andy Townsend and to use it without due deference/acknowledgement/payment is simply disrespectful.
     
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  7. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

  8. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Sorry chaps, had to dump the photo. That particular agency gets lawyery quickly.
     
  9. USAHornet

    USAHornet Academy Graduate

    Have been asking questions about Giraldi for some time.

    Yes, our scouts unearthed Richarlison, Sarr, etc. But we've had a load of flops with our approach of throwing darts and hoping for the best. And Giraldi has failed to address our consistent areas of weakness for several years in a row - no alternative to Deeney up top, and a defence that simply cannot be counted on.

    All the while, he interferes by being on the pitch, has hired Eric Roy as a shadowy player support role and so on.

    Convinced there's something rotten with this guy.
     
    wfcmoog likes this.
  10. Robert Peel

    Robert Peel Squad Player

    Not sure Sarr was "unearthed". He was tearing up the the French league and scored against Arsenal. Not exactly digging deep and using an extensive network.
     
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  11. "Beep beep Nigel"

    "They all float down here"
     
  12. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    Other clubs wouldn't put up with it. Newcastle fans, whilst not getting the biggest fish yet, have got quite a few unqualified people dumped off at their club.

    Us? More interested in moaning about a club badge choice or the walk-out music being changed.

    Levels.
     
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  13. RS2

    RS2 Squad Player

    As I've said before, just organise a protest if it'll make you feel better. Something tells me you won't though.
     
  14. wfcwarehouse

    wfcwarehouse First Team Captain

    Filippo clearly knows where the bodies are buried.
     
  15. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    I think when the players and owners looked up during the cup final embarrassment and saw our fans waving their flags frantically at 0-6, they realised what an easy life they had. No need to bother investing time bolstering the defence which had disgraced itself. No need for players to push themselves to get fit during pre-season. The mugs will just lap up what we serve them even if we get hammered. Take the wages and have an easy life. Relegation obviously not the plan but you can see how complacency sets in given the fan base.
     
  16. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    To be fair, I listened to your opinion even less this time.
     
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  17. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    He obviously made Gino an offer he could not refuse; I always wondered where "Shergar" (spelling)? went :D
     
  18. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    The buck stops with Gino. Giraldi is inept, yes, but like Mariappa and Gray, he's our problem because he's allowed to be.

    Gino has had more than enough time and reason to sack this charlatan, but he hasn't. That either shows a lack of judgement or, more worryingly, a deeper reason why he won't act to remove a cancerous polyp.

    Gino is the head of the snake that needs to be cut off. Thanks for 7 years ago, but time for the Pozzos to take a break from Football ownership. I dare say udinese fans would agree.
     
  19. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Correct spelling but no need for the inverted commas.

    You’re welcome.
     
  20. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Thanks teacher, do you want an apple :D
     
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  21. R4E

    R4E Reservist

    Name me a football club where every transfer is successful.

    Does Giraldi control the transfer budget?

    Is he responsible for keeping the players fit?

    Do you actually know what his role is at the club and what is expected of him by the the owner?

    Who should we be signing that would be an improvement on what we have (100% guaranteed success and would want to come to us)?
     
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  22. Relegation Certs

    Relegation Certs Squad Player


    Come off it, there are loads of ace italian defenders who would come here as soon as we wave our willy at them that are miles better than what we've got for a start.
     
  23. Jack5

    Jack5 Academy Graduate

    Sorry, Filippo.
     
  24. nisman94

    nisman94 International Man of Mystery

    Bingo. People are way too happy to shout and swear at Giraldi (not in person of course, despite him being suspiciously present on the touchline for a lot of our home games) without realising why we don't spend much money on players- we don't have the money. Third poorest owners in the league, with the fourth (Sheff Utd's owners) having double what Gino has). Add into that our debt and we're not in that a good financial position as we'd like to be. Of course, some of that is propagated by stupid scenarios we've put ourselves in (e.g. extending the contract of players like Holebas). Giraldi is also obviously partly responsible for this, but let's also look at Gino. He has done plenty of positive and amazing things for this club. There are, however, drawbacks to having him at the helm, and in a footballing landscape where more clubs are getting rich owners and spending more money (both in the Championship and in the Prem), him not having enough money and being tight has not helped us.

    This witch-hunt for Giraldi is just stupid is the point of my rant- as if he's the one who makes the final decisions on transfers
     
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  25. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    I don't argue that we should have the budget to match our competitors, however, I do think the way we've used that budget (see, for instance, the massive imbalance in defensive spending) is why we are where we are. Also, there's little/no evidence of any clever use of scouting or sensible risk taking (eg. young champ players apart from Will Hughes).

    I just think our whole transfer policy stinks and yes, I agree with you, that stops with Gino.
     
    3000 likes this.
  26. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    Same could be said of any player I dare say you will have criticised over the years...

    Did said player make us pay a transfer fee for them?
    Did said player make us agree to their wages?
    Do you know what the manager asked of them each week?

    The answer to all of the above is obviously no. But you will have criticised under the idea that you have a fairly decent idea of what is asked of them.
    The same is said of Giraldi - at this juncture it seems odd to question the people who are asking questions that it’s more than for to ask.
     
    Chumlax likes this.
  27. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Giraldi is another who gets a lot of stick, but for me there are a lot of assumptions people are making without any real knowledge.

    Clearly Gino trusts him and even though we can all see we've not done well and addressed obvious issues, how much say does Giraldi actually have in it? He has a budget the club give him, he identifies players that fit the profile for what we are looking for but this is all agreed with the club owner and chairman.

    I think the thing that grinds people's gears is his presence on pitch-side, as if he part of the first team set-up. The head shaking when things are going wrong and that type of image is not exactly appealing to the observing fan.

    But I think he's done a good job overall. We've signed some very good players with his involvement. Of course we've had our fair share of duds too, but, up until now, we cannot really complain too much as the players we signed have been good enough to stay in the league.

    I think his main job is to get deals done. Thrash out the legalities and to communicate with agents and swim in that very murky pond. It's not a job I'd be particularly interested in doing.

    I think the biggest issue fans have is with his apparent high profile. On the pitch with the players when we win, and head shaking when we lose. If he didn't do this, then I think he'd have a much easier ride with supporters.
     
  28. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    The work on the defence in terms of recruitment has been negligent over 4 transfer windows. Perhaps Giraldi is offering good options to Pozzo and the owner isn’t interested because he just wants to player trade his offensive players. Between the pair of them I think they have done a poor job in this area.

    The other annoyance of mine is the endless contract extensions for deteriorating ageing players. Again hard to know if it is Pozzo driving this or Giraldi has licence to renew as he sees fit. Again given that players just fall obsolete and leave without fees after being useless for months and sometimes years (Prodl/Britos/Holebas) then it’s another poorly managed area.

    Our player development is also poor. Loans largely don’t work out and when they do the player is sold to cash in (Assombalonga/Lukebakio) and we end up left with the players who don’t develop or like Peneranda.

    Pozzo or Giraldi? Who knows the share of blame but there are weakness all over this legendary Pozzo model.
     
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  29. BusheyOrn

    BusheyOrn Reservist

    The perfect example of my issue with recruitment is Sarr - I really like him and now with Pearson we see him playing in his best position - however, why did we buy him, spending 30+m on him when we had a manager that doesn't employ out and out wingers? This is a nonsense. We see this time and time again, take Will Hughes, he is a left footed midfielder who can be a creative pivot or he has even proved this season he can do the dirty spade work in a deeper position; where did he play? He was shoe-horned into a right 'wing / narrow' position to suit the coaches requirement, it is irrelevant whether Hughes made a success of that, the point is we are not buying the right positional players for the expected formation of the current coach leaving him with one arm tied behind his back and also overloading in other positions. When we had Matzarri who favours a back 3 Mariappa was 6th cab off the rank for a CB berth, now he is first back up for CB and RB, crazy. less than 5% of transfer money spent on the defence. elsewhere, when we have spent money it is to add good technical players who end up playing out of position. Wasted money, wasted talent.
     
  30. simpleMASH

    simpleMASH Reservist

    Gino’s reluctance to sack him almost seems like an admission that the transfer failings are his own fault.
     
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  31. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    I don't like his involvement in the first team. He shouldn't be at training and if at the game he should sit with the directors, not right by the dug outs. He has bought some decent players in Sarr, Delefeou, Femenia (who was a free transfer I think), Foster etc. There have been some duds as well but everybody has them.
    What we don't know is what he's been told to go and get. I'm sure central defenders were on the agenda but was he told to look for a cheaper option so we could spend big on Sarr so we got Dawson.
    The contract extensions are certainly a bit strange
    I'm not defending him but we just don't know the facts
     
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  32. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Mariappa is 3rd choice for right back
     
  33. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot


    I don't agree that we've signed good players. I think the whole policy stinks. How much of that is Grimaldi and how much is Gino is speculation, but Gino bears the ultimate responsibility. Even when we sign "good" players, it's with baggage. Either they have clearly been sold the move on the basis of using us as a stepping stone, they're injury prone, or they have failed to kick on at every previous club. Understandably we have to compromise somewhere in our dealings, but for me we've too many players who, from the stands, it seems either have a stinking attitude or lack the fortitude needed to do anything more than show glimpses of promise.

    Pereyra for example. Technically superb as a player, but in practical terms, mostly useless to us, because his mind is elsewhere and he has no guts. Isaac Success - shipped around Europe since he was a young man and now seemingly wasted as a potential talent as he has no connection with any club or cause.

    And as for our defence - and our expensive flop Andre Gray, well, we've all debated those to death.

    Whilst signings like Sarr and Jao Pedro are exciting (well, JP hasn't shown any reason to get excited yet, but potentially) they aren't what a club in our circumstances needs. If we'd spent half the money we spent on them on shoring up our defence, I dare say we'd be nowhere near relegation. OK, we'd probably not have seen some of the joyful play Sarr's given us, but mid table security would make up for that I'm sure.
     
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  34. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    It's not that straightforward though.

    Janmaat may be '1st choice' but he's been regularly injured since he's been here (that may be my incorrect recollection, but I seem to recall him being regularly out of action). Kiko may be back up RB but he was also, very recently, first choice left back and, then, not long before that, utterly unplayable as a total farce of a player.

    Building a squad is not as simple as assembling 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice for each position. It's about adding quality and improving in areas when you can. What we've done, especially with our defence, is recruit from the bottom - finding weaker and weaker players to fill in and hope that somehow we scrape by with our substandard first choices, who wouldn't be considered even squad players at most of our rivals.
     
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  35. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    We've signed plenty of good players over the years. We signed players to get us out of the Championship, then we signed players to keep us in the Premier League. I know it's an old saying, but we really are transformed from the club we were before the Pozzo's took over. The quality we now have at the club is the best I've ever known it and that includes those halcyon days of the eighties.

    Where we've gone wrong, and badly wrong, was not improving the defence with a couple of astute signings. I believe the plan for Watford is to chip away season after season, signing one player of real quality, with a couple of bargains if we could get them. That policy has worked well up until now.

    We can never forget the type of club we are. We are one of the smallest clubs in the Premier League. We're not even a big club in the Championship. This is the realisation we must have as fans. A club like Watford not only getting promoted, but staying up for 5 seasons is remarkable. We cannot afford to throw money at it, as others do. We have to be smart about who we sign. We can only attract Geri because he was a misfit at other clubs, we can only sign Welbeck because of his injury record, we can only sign Sarr because we are a stepping stone. This is our reality. We're nothing more than that and cannot pretend to be otherwise.

    I know where the frustration comes from and there is a lack of communication from the club. This season has been the worst for events like 'At Your Place'. There has not been a single event. I know we're having a difficult season, but this is when fans need that reassurance and that comes from the top. When's the last time Duxbury spoke to anyone officially? When's the last time Gino gave an interview?

    There is a feeling that the owner just wants to make money and nothing else. Well I think that's unfair. He has improved the ground, training facilities and our stature as a club. Our profile is much higher now.

    Our owner is not a multi-billion pound consortium. We are a small town team, with an owner of modest means (in football terms). We suit each other. We have to do things differently in order to compete.

    I think where we fail as a club is there in not enough communication from the top. We don't necessarily need a day-to-day update, but every now and then confirmation as to where we're heading, what is our ambition and what are we trying to achieve.
     

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