It's time. It really is time. 5 home games in a row lost 9 games without a win This is unnacceptable in any era, regardless of the resources of the Pozzos. No Watford manager can defend such a run. He simply doesn't have the answers. He's had every chance to turn it around but come up empty. I don't think that sacking managers is ever pleasant, especially someone as loveable as Franco, but he has to go for the good of the club. Every hour he's staying on, our club gets a little worse.
Its time for Zola to go now lost faith in him now. Wrong starting 11 subs were too late shouldn't, have taken Battochio off. You can say the team lack confidence all you want but a managers job is to solve this problem.
I think that waiting now is a potentially harmful move. He's already managed to oversee a plunging of team confidence to absolute zero, but he needs to get out so that a new man has time to build before a busy Xmas period and a vital january. He has to go tonight. Just bite the bullet and say goodbye. I expect an announcement this evening.
[video=youtube;fMzf9CnFYOs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzf9CnFYOs[/video] feels a long time ago now
No tactical idea whatsoever when we're at home. Nothing beyond hitting teams on the break. How hard can it be? Gary Johnson can bring Yeovil here with a game plan, and completely outsmart us with the players he's got. It's time to go, Gianfranco. Sorry.
I've spent the last few weeks defending Zola and trying very hard to keep the faith. To avoid kneejerks. But even I'm now starting to feel the same. Here's my reasoning.. We're used to Zola's sides defending badly but compensating with brilliant attacking football. Last week at Leeds summed that up. But today? We became the only side so far this season NOT to score against Sheff Wed. And it wasn't as if their keeper had a blinder or we kept hitting the woodwork either. If a Zola side can't score, or even threaten to score, against the likes of Yeovil and Sheff Wed, maybe the end is nigh. A few weeks ago I drove home after Wigan, all well with the world. A win and clean sheet..18 points..top 2 position..only one defeat all season.. If you had told me that night that we'd then lose our next 5 home games, and fail to score in 4 of them, I'd have enquired as to your state of mind. What's happened since the Wigan day (and the victory at Huddersfield) has been simply incomphensible. Admit it..NOBODY here could have seen it coming quite so bad? Zola..or a-n-other..a big job awaits to halt this terrible run.
I really, really hope nobody comes on here to say that we have to stand by Zola. I know there are different opinions and all that, but frankly, it's an indefendible position right now. The fact speak for themselves. The best case under Zola is that our season is over. The worst is that we become genuine relegation candidates. We really are bad enough for that. We need to cut the rot out now and that starts with Zola and see if we can at least obtain comfortable mid table safety and show enough quality to build for next year. Who gives a **** if Zola was a draw for players to come here? THose players are doing **** all. I'd rather have an unglamourous manager who signed players to play for the club, not to meet a celebrity and who actually won games for us.
100% agree. He needs to leave immediately, he has had more than enough time to turn it around but it is not working. Thanks for the memories, but goodbye.
It's no good being a big name if you haven't the tactical awareness to get our players to get a result against the teams we've had at the Vic recently. You might as well have Posh Spice as manager.
I still think Zola's been let down too. Some of the players have to look at themselves recently. Nani must consider the wisdom of the summer signings he's made. And we'll never know how costly the ghost goal decision at Brighton might have been in nipping this bad run in the bud. But ultimately, the buck will always stop with the manager. While not desirable, a Zola 3-4 defeat at least entertained us all. Today was shameful.
Agreed. We are in a huge slump right now and need someone new to steady the ship before we drop any further. Thanks for the memories you'll always be remembered for "that" season but please leave before you destroy our season any further and destroy your managerial career.
This is fair, but look at the sides who have visited the Vic recently. We haven't even scored a goal against some of the worst sides this division has to offer. Our players are much better than this, and it boils down to weak ineffective management. I've never felt Zola gets enough out of his players, even when Vydra was papering over the cracks.
I really want him to go, partly because I want him to be remembered for the great times last season. The longer he stays the more damage he is doing to his reputation amongst our fans
It was a genuine question, say Zola goes sometime over the weekend. Who would you want as the new manager?
Somebody with a bit of tactical nous, and with an air of authority. Nobody on this board can defend the recent run at home, with the players we've had available against the sides who have come here. Zola's management has been pathetic, and even before this run, I've never felt he's been getting what he could out of the players he's had available.
I don't have a replacement in mind. I don't know who manages other football clubs and I don't care. I just hope that the Pozzos/Nani and Duckbri have learned a lesson and hire someone with some experience as a manager and not just a reputation as a great player.
Holloway walked out at Palace because he admitted he couldn't turn things round.... don't want him anywhere near our club
Looking at it objectively, Zola's stated aim for this season was to challenge for the title. Whether that's a target set by the owners or not, he said it himself and we can only therefore assume that this was the desired outcome by the end of the season. If we're basing his ability to do the job based on tangible, measurable factors, then he's woefully under performing as it stands. Automatic is out of the question and it will take quite some run to find ourselves back in contention for the play-offs. But it's not just the stats that are damming. Our performances have been significantly worse than last season, our tactics seem inept and stagnant and it's actually difficult to identify a first XI that the moment that you can have faith in. Abdi's influence is significant, but will not suddenly reserve our fortunes overnight. We look weak up front and impotent in front of goal- Deeney is just about keeping his head above water with the goals he has scored but I strongly believe he has an overtly negative influence upon the team. His petulance and lack of professionalism smacks of immaturity and he's a poor choice for captain. Everybody knows that Fessi tries hard but he's never, ever, going to be a prolific goal-scorer. Fab and Acuna both look more and more like real misfires from our recruitment team. Cassetti cannot continue to play in this team- I love the man but it's painfully obvious to everybody except Zola that he's a liability. Angella has gone from looking majestic and assured to shaky and unsure of himself. Nos is a decent Championship defender but realistically has no place in this side in the long term and poses as many problems as he solves. I can't help but feel like we've just reached an incredibly premature end to what I'd hoped would be many years with Zola at the helm. I'm gutted for him; a few months ago he was being touted for Chelsea and now he'd be extremely fortunate to find another managerial role in this country again. I want him to succeed, badly, but we're going rapidly backwards with him at the helm and some serious consideration needs to be given to wether an overhaul is needed. I'm up for a decent young foreign coach with some pedigree in the game as I think the players will do better with that continuity, but there needs to be some experienced back room staff who know the Championship, can organise a defence and can motivate a dejected and miserable team. It's the end of the line for me where Zola's concerned. I feel horrible saying it, but I know deep down that it will happen, whether today or in a few games' time.
