Excitement rising at Vicarage Road

There’s something very exciting about the new Italian revolution, so says our editor

The playing staff only returned to training on Monday and Gianfranco Zola only took training for the first time on Tuesday. However, sat in the club’s corporate lounge just feet away from Zola with the luscious green of the pitch behind the new boss, it all felt slightly surreal.

Irrespective of the fact that Zola has only presided over a club for two seasons in his managerial career, it’s exciting to see the diminutive Italian at the helm.

With the greatest of respect to Sean Dyche, Malky Mackay, Brendan Rodgers, Aidy Boothroyd and Ray Lewington, none of them were box office – either as players or managers. How many of them would have been able to pull this off?



Not of course that box office brings success. We only need to hark back to Lewington’s predecessor, Gianluca Vialli to remember that big names and Watford F.C do not always mix.

There was certainly a lot of interest in Zola’s appointment yesterday with several members of the Italian press also attending his introductory press conference at the Vic’.

Zola’s message, much like the Pozzo family’s, is clear. As a player renowned for his technical ability, he wants to play football the right way and as his first address to the playing squad he has made that crystal clear.

The appointment of Gian Luca Nani as Technical Director not only brings somebody with a wealth of experience in alongside Zola, but it also provides someone with an intimate knowledge of many hundreds of players for Zola to dip into as well.

Yesterday’s news that a full Czech Republic international and another prospect are signing on-loan for the season is a far cry from a year ago when Craig Forsyth and Chris Iwelumo were rocking up at the Vic’.

And, to make quite clear once again, I’m certain not belittling the job done by either player or the previous management. Horses for courses; those were less ostentatious times and a job was very well done by Sean Dyche.

Now it is time to see if the excitement is with good cause or not…