He speaks very good English. I know how strange seeing so many positive comments about a manager that It was hardly a terrible season in Greece, he took over PAOK in March and they were hardly favourites to win the league anyhow, they had not won the league since the mid 80's, he also won the Greek cup. Hapoel had won the league in Israel for 3 years in a row befor Ivic took over at Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem have also been regular challengers for the title. Whatever way you look at it losing 2 games in 2 years is a magnificent record. He does not seem like a bizarre appointment to me going on what Scott Duxbury said we were looking for Ivic seems to tick a lot of boxes. From the research I have done it seems that he works closely with young players and likes to give them game time and he demands exceptional discipline, he is supposedly hard as nails as well.[/QUOTE] Have you been whooshed?
But is going to be another "yes man" to Giraldhi and Co.? Let's hope he is given full control over the side selection, transfers and formations. If he is what people say - I can see a much fresher and youthful looking side developing this season, and hopefully one we can look forward to getting behind again.
Should also be noted that the publication that first broke ‘Ilic’ all those weeks ago was derided as a tinpot source in some quarters. Seems they knew their stuff!
Get rid of the bad smells in the dressing room who think they are above training and not putting effort in. Pick players on how they perform and train and make Hughes captain. Vladimir needs to be given complete control of the on pitch side of things. Gino would do well to leave his cubby hole at LC and address the squad when they reconvene. This is the man we believe will take us back to the PL. I have given him complete control and I expect you all to follow and implement his instructions to the letter. Anyone who doesn't like it or thinks it restricts their style can leave now.
For me, the biggest difference here is that Pearson was clearly brought in as a firefighter, whose aim was to save us from relegation. While there were some noises about him staying on, even if we’d avoided relegation, nobody would have been shocked to see him replaced this summer. The players knew this too. On the other hand, Ivic has been brought in on the back of the club recognizing our issues publicly, and is surely coming in with the intention that he rebuild the culture of the dressing room in his own image. Pearson always had the air of a dead man walking, whereas Ivic carries the air of man who makes walking people dead.
In the manager odds thread last week you suggested you weren't "a betting man", while encouraging others to lump on Struber based on your secret sauce. Did you not bet on Struber as well?
To be fair, the zombies in the AMC show would of shown more "bite" than some of our displays last season. Even a zombified Hershal Greene would of been more of a threat in the six yard box over Deeney at times.
I’m not a betting man. I didn’t say I was against betting? I didn’t ‘encourage’ anyone to do anything. I said it was the first time the info given to me made me confident if I were to bet on it - which I did. And have lost. That’s the way it goes! But at no stage was I told anyone categorically had the job either and I never said as much on here? I was given some info that, knowing the person who told me it, I firmly am confident was true. Just because the results of that info didn’t equate to a different appointment, that doesn’t make it false? I said all along that there was contact with Ivic as well, as well as provisional secondary meetings. The reason I put some money on Ivic was because Leventhal has said he HAS the job and there was one bookie still offering decent odds. That’s all there is to it. Don’t worry, I’m not coming for your ‘Know it all’ crown!
Have the club actually made an announcement yet? Or is the kit release a bigger deal for them?! Maybe its a betting scam, and just as the odds for Ivic are suspended and Puel drifts to 100/1, Ginos going in with 500k on Puel.
I hope that’s what it is . I could lose £50 . I meant to put on Ivic bit out on Pule instead . Hope this turns round . Can’t afford to lose that sort of money
Even professional organisations can't help themselves from having a little dig. Optus Sport @OptusSport · 1h Watford are set to appoint a new manager. More news on who will replace him in October when we get it. #OptusSport | #WatfordFC
I stand corrected, our new manager had a few good seasons in obscure leagues and has no experience of english football. We've gone for the cheapest option This time last year we were excited how we were pushing for top 10. Now we're in the championship with this guy who we describe as fantastic after failing to get the supposed Israeli giants Tel Aviv through europa league qualifiers against a team from mighty Lithuania To put it into perspective, his experience is in a league ranked lower on the eufa coeffecient than Scotland, Wales, Albania, Montenegro, NI, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, ROI, and people are describing it as fantastic
" the info I’ve been given would give me confidence were I a betting man" That quote implies that those who are "betting men" should have a go. Anyway, I was more curious if you'd also backed Struber yourself, than interested in criticising you for passing on the info. Good to know you weren't hypocritical there.
When I first made this point quite a few pages ago, I snuck Mullins into the list of past Watford managers he spoke better English than but it either wasn't as funny as I thought it was or slipped past people as only one person liked the post!
The longer it goes without confirmation, the more I’m fearing a Leventhal tweet about talks breaking down at the 11th hour...
Jason Burt also ran a story on it and he’s supposedly close to Duxbury. Meant to be announced by Monday
His article in the telegraph says ‘imminently’ and that he should be starting work on Monday/next week...can’t see an announcement happening on the same day he starts. Plus he’s in Greece which could be put on the quarantine list at any moment so given that we are back training in a few days, I’m sure the club are pretty apprehensive to get him over ASAP.
Pretty sure he came 2nd in his only full season in charge (2016-17), 6 points behind Olympiacos. Finished 2015-16 40 points back but was only in charge for the last five league games, winning three and then winning the domestic play-offs for the European spots. So that team that had finished 40 points back the previous season then had a very competitive title challenge.
