After we got promoted with Joka I was pretty sure he would leave and that it would be the right decision - his general approach was far too gung-ho and simply would not have worked for us in the PL. With Xisco I'm really not sure whether he should stay or not. My main criticism is similar to those above about him being too slow to make subs or tactical shifts in game when things aren't working. He is still pretty new to management though, and maybe it's something he could still learn from and improve on. Aside from that criticism, the way he has set us up tactically, and his seeming popularity in the dressing room, means that I'm not sure he'd be a disaster in the PL if given better players to work with. Overall though, one area in which the Pozzos have generally got things spot on is with their managerial appointments. Occasionally they make minor mis-steps but they always seem to get things right eventually. If they decide to replace Munoz then I expect it would be for someone with pedigree who'd be a clear upgrade, so I'm not hugely concerned either way. Now, if only they could get back to being as savvy and ruthless with their player recruitment as they have been with their managerial appointments...
https://theathletic.com/2525710/202...luton-smothering-out-of-their-system-quickly/ It was a Scout at the game. "His poor backpass led to the vital penalty award and one scout that watched his performance described him as “being away with the fairies for most of the game.”
Home record P 12 W 11 D 0 L 1 F 23 A 3 Pts 22 Gd +20 Clean Sheets 10 Away record P 12 W 6 D 3 L 3 F 14 A 8 Pts Gd +6 Clean Sheets 4 The only blot on the home record was the QPR game. Other than that we won the lot and the only other team to score against us was Derby, with their consolation. It was an incredible run. Away from wasn't too shabby either. Scoring goals away was the only thing we struggled with all season, which is something we need to rectify next season.
I’m not saying I disagree. But giving Gracia that timeframe last time set us off to a terrible start that we never recovered from. It’s a massive risk.
Elliot Murray @Elliot__Murray· 1m Following #watfordfc's promotion to the Premier League, it has been confirmed that The Hornets' Head Coach Xisco Muñoz CAN manage in the top-flight, having started his UEFA Pro Licence.
And he had proven himself more in this job than he would on some coaching course - and would have learnt a lot more I suspect.
I hope XM stays, love the guy and his tears after we clinched it yesterday sealed it for me. Some of the football we have played since we went 433 has been superb and I hope to see us play the same next season. Would ratter go down playing the XM way than go down playing it too safe.
This morning he rocked up to cheer on the u10 and u12 teams. Just an excellent appointment all around https://twitter.com/WatfordFCAcad/status/1386268022093008901?s=19
Agree with first bit of this. But the romantic notion of teams that play good football and go down sticking to the principle is a bit of nonsense. Norwich were woeful last season once the reality of the PL kicked in, with their ‘pure’ football getting rarer as the season wore on. And no manager who might stubbornly stick with a principle at the expense of success will last as a Watford coach. I hope the Xisco rhetoric about winning and being winners translates to beating the best and keeps him in the job. Like you, I love the style of football under XM compared with Ivic. But if we can grind out an ugly 1-0 against Pep’s Arabian army then give him the freedom of the town.
True, but there did not seem to have been any instruction to go longer on a more regular basis to fit in with the change. Although that might have been down to the players.
One would argue that if his family were over here with him, that he may not be finding so much time to do this.... But it certainly doesn't hurt his image and he's clearly a fine bloke regardless.
I’ve been very pro Xisco since day one (bar one tiny wobble after Coventry) and would be delighted if he led us in the PL next season. I do accept the arguments from those who think it would be a big risk. I get the criticisms of him tactically. I’ve spent the past few months reading informed opinions from those who think he’s been a poor appointment, a limited tactician, a one-trick pony etc. Some of those people expressing those opinions have at least been big enough to give him credit now for his achievements, one or two stubborn people still refuse to, which is their right of course but a pity nevertheless. Maybe I’m naive but I just perceive football to be like any other workplace. If the employees are happy and content in their daily duties, that’s a massive advantage. You can have the best boss in the world in the sense of their strategies and money making abilities, but if they fail to motivate or stimulate the staff, then work becomes an unhappy experience. Ivic was a decent tactical coach. He knew his stuff. He set us up well. And yet everything seemed so joyless under him. Ditto Mazzarazi. Ditto Sannino after his honeymoon period. I was totally wrong about Gracia because I made the stupid mistake of judging him on his CV not his character. He took the players along with him and we achieved things under him. Ditto Zola, again not the best tactician but a wonderful man manager and inspiration. And now Muñoz too. For all the obsessions some have about his tactics and X over Y or whatever the current day jargon is, he arrived at a club many of us feared was broken and seems from the outside at least to have united everybody. As a workplace, Watford seems a good place to be once more. He probably won’t be able to out smart Pep or Klopp or Tuchel next season, and I’d not put my mortgage on him lasting the season, but I don’t think we should underestimate the positive effect happy team spirit will have on us next campaign.
Oh one would, would one? One would also say he could have chosen to get maccies breakfast to ease his hangover but chose to rock up to the London Colney Dome
Remember too we haven’t gone up by fluking a place in the play-offs on the final day. We haven’t gone up under a Head Coach whose record is patchy. This was nothing like the end of the AB season back in the Championship. We’ve gone up as the form side of 2021. More points than anybody else since Christmas. In my opinion it’s illogical to think that a coach who comes in and gets 54 points out of 72 must therefore automatically be doomed to fail at a higher level.
Meanwhile Paul Cook also joined a side mid season, in the play offs (5th) and achieved...2 wins in 13 games! Taking them down to 11th. Maybe Gino mostly knows what he's doing after all...
Even if we get some experience around him, it’s vital he’s part of the club moving forward. People like him don’t grow on trees and we seem to have unearthed a gem
Not quite sure why the criticism of Xisco’s subsitions. That suggests we have a bench blessed with talent? Managers always get blamed when the team aren’t winning a game, with the assumption that they either picked the wrong team to start with, or the wrong subs were made. The assumption being that if only they had played X,Y or Z then it would have all been different. Personally I agree with Xisco in giving Success chances as he has the talent, but accept that yet again the player hasn’t taken numerous opportunities. Xisco half season in charge should have give him a much better understanding of what players can do, and what players need shipping out e.g Success. I thought yesterday he got the substitutions spot on. We were rocking before Gray and Chalobah came on.
Maybe I should express myself better. I wouldn't say anyone is unlikable but few of them are actively likeable. Even fewer lovable. Maybe Gray was unlikable around the time he came out with that pathetic video but at least he's since tried I suppose, despite him simply not having the ability any more. I don't know whether it's partly my age or partly covid but I just haven't bonded with this team. Whilst I like the formation and it's been effective, I don't have the same levels of fellowship with them as previous squads. Put it this way...If I was 11 watching this squad, who's poster would I have on the wall? Sarr and Sierralta are the obvious candidates. Hughes potentially in with a shout. Maybe King Ken for cult hero status. I like what Xisco has done and his impact. I won't discredit him but Deeney getting injured was the catalyst.
Various comments have been made as to how he and his coaching team have made training 'very enjoyable and varied', which I think is a major part of keeping modern players 'engaged' and so more likely to deliver in matches.
He said that wasn't the case when asked at a press conference shortly after he arrived. This season & next season I think. There could be a break clause though.
You go on to any fans forum site any day after a defeat, the number one criticism of the average fan is "the manager got the substitutions wrong". It's like a scratched record up and down the country, the manager, whoever they are, is more qualified than an internet know-it-all.
That's now three promotions to the Premier league with managers who were first timers in the English game. While some clubs are happy with your Warnocks who have done it on many occasions, there are a lot of journeymen managers with "experience" but sometimes it takes a new and up-and-coming man with fresh ideas. Despite his subsequent career, Boothroyd had a drive and determinism with fresh ideas and got us up, Jokanovic was a machine (albeit the pre-season preparations done by Beppe) and Xisco seemingly knows how to tap into a players' psyche and get the best out of them
Yes I guess it’s one of those scenarios that Gino has done before. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
