Compare the resources and the squads of the two clubs and there should be no contest. Watford have benefited hugely from the Pozzo takeover, mopping up surplus Udinese players and finding the means to pay them, irrespective of the impending Financial Fair Play rules. Quite what happens if Watford don't achieve promotion before the penalties cut in is another matter; but for now, every wasp in the garden is a hornet.
Burnley, on the other hand, are the archetypical "homely" club - smallish gates, smallish ground, smallish club, smallish squad, smallish ambition. It is true that the club has "history" but as I keep telling Leeds fans, history counts for nothing.
So the fact that Dyche has taken Burnley to the top of the division must surely be a cause for some embarrassment down Vicarage Road. The man axed to pave the way for Zola's appointment has done a brilliant job, assembling a decent bunch of players and motivating them to play out of their proverbial skins so far this season.
It makes you wonder what might have happened had Pozzo followed Tammy Wynette's advice and stood by his man. True Dyche does not look the part and does not sound the part either, and probably wouldn't have been able to make himself understood in any conversation that may have taken place with the new owner, but on the evidence of what he has done since joining Burnley, he may well have won promotion with Watford last season.
Personally I expect Burnley to burn out as injuries and tiredness take their toll over a 46 game league season, but Dyche deserves all the accolades for what he has achieved so far this season, with the Clarets sitting above QPR despite losing their best player to the Hula Hoops in the summer. And Zola meanwhile? Well he is doing no better than par by even the most generous assessment of his performance.
How exactly is Dyche making Watford look stupid?? Dyche did a brilliant job when he was at Watford taking us to an 11th place finish with a really poor squad. Burnley have a better squad than we did and Dyche is a very good manager and him doing well is of no surprise to me or most other Watford fans. The chances are that if the changes weren't made at Watford when they were we would probably be in League 1 now with massive financial problems.. So before you write stupid articles you should probably do some research first!
ReplyDeleteyour talking garbage,there is no reason why Burnley cannot go on and gt promoted this season...!!!
ReplyDeleteI think 'embarrassed' is perhaps the wrong word. Everyone I know who supports Watford would love see Dyche do well and get Burnley promoted. I don't think anyone will be embarrassed if that happens and we don't get promoted... I'm not 'expecting' promotion this season. We're still a club very much in a transitional period and still finding our best team. I agree though that Burnley may burn out around Christmas, but as you say, that doesn't take anything away from what Dyche is achieving. I think they will be around 8th place come the business end of the season with serious hopes for the final 6th place.
ReplyDeleteI'm unclear on what you mean by "Quite what happens if Watford don't achieve promotion before the penalties cut in is another matter"... What 'penalties'?
Clearly a man who paid no attention to what SD did at Vicarage Road. I'd take a closer look at home if I were you- merely a tad over 1 point per game ? Keep that up and you'll be paying Sean and his boys a visit sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeletepiss off burnley are as bigger club than most potentially massive you dont know much about football if you think burnley are a small club
ReplyDeleteburnley a small club ? i dont think so clown
ReplyDeletepiss off burnley are as bigger club than most potentially massive you dont know much about football if you think burnley are a small club
ReplyDeleteAs always, a poorly constructed article from this blogger. Dyche has proved he is a very good manager, firstly at Watford and now at Burnley, but why would that cause anyone embarrassment?
ReplyDeleteDyche did not leave Watford because he was doing a bad job, he was just not the right fit for the new owners and Zola is a much better choice in dealing with all the international characters that now play for the club.
Dyche was always going to be successful and had he remained at Watford, under the old ownership, he probably would have left to join a more progressive club just as Rogers and Mackay did previously.
You clearly are just a kneejerk reactionist that doesn't really understand how things work, or you wouldn't have written this piece.
Bottom line is Watford are very happy with Zola (which I know greatly upsets you) and Watford fans are delighted to see Dyche doing so well at Burnley.
None of Watford's imported players can speak Gravel so surely that would've been a disaster and they seem to be gelling much better this season. Other things to consider though: Burnley's small squad size is likely to see them struggle at some point the season despite the good job SD is doing there. They play QPR in a weeks time, how will Rangers cope against a team not in the bottom half because so far it's only been Ipswich at home - one nil what else?
ReplyDelete"Burnley, on the other hand, are the archetypical "homely" club "
ReplyDelete- Obviously never been there then?!!
Dyche's a Watford man through and through. Everyone at the club regrets how that situation worked out (I think it was the right decision but a massive shame). We're all also very proud of him - that's how Watford fans treat our former players and managers because we're a proper family club with proper values.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested though - how exactly is FFP going to impact Watford? You're clearly very well informed on the subject.
How do you know Watford have overspent? The annual accounts for last season have not been released and until they you have no way of knowing. You have equated the signing of foreign players with spending lots of money on wages. That is not necessarily the case - especially if you look at how the Pozzo's run their other football clubs.
ReplyDeleteAll Watford fans do know is that the club was 30 minutes away from administration before the Pozzo family stepped in and saved the club. Yes it is a shame what happened to Dyche, but he was appropriately compensated and found another job soon enough and, as many of us hoped, has done very well for them.
One final point...Zola doing no better than par?? Well I bet if I went back through your posts and the comments in the national press from last season everyone expected him to fail. The fact that we reached the playoffs last year was more than most of us dared to hope and most definitely more than most pundits thought at the outset. This season has started quietly, but we are in contention. Short of winning every match - what more could be done?
No.
ReplyDeleteDoes your obsession with Watford make you look stupid?
Not sure how you know Watford have spent a fortune. Just because they have foreign players does not necessarily mean the club has overspent.
ReplyDeleteDyche was unfortunate to lose his post at Watford, but at the time of the Pozzo takeover we were 30 minutes from administration and they had the right to bring in their own man. And, as you rightly point out, it hasn't done him any harm.
Zola is doing better than par. Last season you and many others wrote Watford off and said Zola would never get the team to gel and we would struggle. Reaching the playoffs was a considerable achievement. This season Watford have started better than last, are in contention and on their day scoring goals for fun. Short of winning every match what more could be done?
Oh and finally I think you'll find Watford is still very much just a homely club as Burnley is.
No surprise that this is written by a West Ham fan.................bitter much?!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good point and I don't think you should dismiss other people's views as stupid - have a bit of respect. I don't think the argument is that the old regime should have stayed the same, this was clearly not possible; but that it might have been better to have a manager such as Dyche who has a better grounding in lower-league football. Seems sensible to me.
ReplyDeleteOn Jees the bitter little Hammers comes up from under his stone..............as always an article so twisted and wrong on so many levels one can only assume it's an attempt at ironic humour.
ReplyDeleteHaha you must have been sitting there for ages trying to thing up this article. Fishing for angry comments from Watford fans again. If you look into what you've written it doesn't actually make any sense. It's poor, disjointed, there is no logic. In fact I'm embarrassed I've responded. I've lowered myself to this level. Shame on me!
ReplyDeleteso getting watford to a final and losing is no better than par? 11 games in and Watford are in the top 6 and thats no better than par? Tad harsh me thinks
ReplyDeleteLots of new players to bed in again this season but remember this time last year Watford were only 16th ... juxtapose that if you know what it means!
ReplyDeleteThat "Citeh" made Wham look stupid is nearer the mark...
ReplyDeleteBurnley to fade by xmas. Its March now and we sit in 2nd 10points clear. We are not over the line but way above all doubters expectations.
ReplyDelete