Graham Taylor's message to Watford fans regarding season tickets (From This Is Local London)

I'm sorry but this smacks of a board who realise relegation is a real possibility. "Quick, lets try and sell as many season tickets as possible before we fall through the trap door into league one".

I wrote a very strong letter to the Watford Observer this week. Their refusal to publish it only confirms in my mind that the days when this paper held the club to task are long gone; instead they are now fast becoming the official propaganda department of the club. Here is an edited version of that letter:

"I am writing this letter on the back of a fourth consecutive defeat, a third straight defeat at home, a third game in which the team have failed to score a goal, and a run of only two wins in 14 league games, just 8 points out of a possible 38. Indeed the much lauded home form, on a closer inspection, is not particularly impressive, just 7 wins out of 17 matches, 4 draws and 6 defeats; that is just 25 points from a possible 52. The away form does, of course, speak for itself; no away win since October, just 3 away wins all season, and 9 defeats. It is clear to see that confidence is at an all time low, and that the manager has run out of ideas and is slowly losing the dressing room.

The point I am making is simple. The team are currently in free fall and relegation, unless this form is arrested, is inevitable. There are many supporters at this very moment who are trying to pinpoint when it all went so wrong, but they are bereft of answers for the simple reason that they are asking the wrong question. For the truth of the matter is that management set up at the club has been grossly inadequate since the start of the season; it is not a case of things going wrong all of a sudden, rather, they have been wrong for some considerable time, and now this is beginning to manifest itself with increasing regularity on the pitch.

It is no coincidence that the form of the team has crumbled since the removal of the Russo’s from the board. I, like many supporters, had serious reservations about their plans for the football club, but no one can doubt that they provided strong and robust leadership. The current leadership structure is, quite simply, inadequate. The appointment of Graham Taylor as chairman was a decision based around a nostalgia and longing for a golden era long gone. Graham Taylor has been a fantastic servant to this football club and without him we wouldn’t enjoy the rich history that we do. However, the job of chairman at a football club is absolutely essential and cannot be undertaken on a part time and ad hoc basis. Indeed the current set up is unhealthy and, I would argue, is a significant contributing factor to the current decline in results. Given Taylor’s background, it is understandable that he wants to be a “non interfering” chairman. However it is clear that this approach is currently unacceptable and a more robust and high profile figure is needed. Tough decisions need to be made and it is clear given Taylor’s comments regarding how long football managers should be given that he hasn’t got the stomach for the job. In which case he needs to step down.

I cannot think of any other football club where a run of results like this would not provoke at least some reaction from the board. Continuity is all well and good, but surely there must come a point where firm action needs to be taken. How is Mackay line managed? Is there a dialogue between him and the board regarding results? Has he been given any targets? He does not appear to be under any pressure and, I suspect, even if relegation becomes a reality, he will still be manager next season. Indeed I suspect the current board will even try to put a positive spin on relegation should it happen. They will argue that it will give the club time in which to “rebuild”; that the club is in a period of “transition”. That historically we have “punched above our weight” for remaining in the second tier so long. This is all nonsense of course. We have been in the second tier, albeit for two seasons, for thirty years".

My message is this: give the fans something genuine to cheer about, show at least a modicum of ambition, stop hidiing behind the "little watford" alibi, and put together a management team who are capable of moving the playing side forward. I strongly suspect season ticket sales, on the other hand, will plummet if supporters are faced with the prospect of paying more to watch a team of kids struggle to consolidate itself in League 1 with a manager clearly out of his depth.

Whilst your comments and opinions have areas of validity, the overall complete negativity of your post is so dissapointing. Last season tickets were reduced up to 20%, no club in the current climate can expect to maintain or grow without opportunities for financial growth, in this case season tickets. As for on the field, everyone knew this season was going to be a challenge, losing our experienced and 'best' players, then using loans to balance the squad. Admittedly the team started so well and the second half of the season has been dissapointing, but also harsh at times. Things tend to even themselves out over a full season and if you looked at how other teams look at us you will see that we are not only respected put still create a degree of caution from the opposition.
I struggle to see why people like yourself take the time to write nothing but a negative post, I genuinely hope that you do not purchase a season ticket, because you sound like the type of 'fan' who spends ninety minutes berating the players. I am quite sure that Watford FC now and in the future will survive without your glass half-empty approach.
You clearly do not see the big picture, how the club has greatly reduced losses and is trying peice by peice to build a stable, forward thinking club.

No wonder they didn't print it...probably too long!?

I guess they ought to give you the fair chance to let others read your view point...they seem to allow many MPs to bicker in the letter pages.

All clubs put spin on their current situation TBH although you have a very valid to pint out we've only been in the bottom 2 divs twice over 30 years...and even GT himself said we ought to be a top 30 (so top 10 Championship at least) club.

Ofcourse nobody should aim for relegation and just accept it as such (unlike getting relegation from the Prem)

I would point out in someways the big money spending Mr Boothroyd/Ashton undertook was "showing ambition"...sadly that failed badly and us fans have to pay for that (players still get their nice wages and directors the cosy seats in the Rous..)

It would be daft to aim for something which cannot really be done without money...

As for managers..well we've had a long season debate and clearly Malky isn't perfect but when legends like Kenny Jackett and Andy Hessy would rather stay at their own clubs than even consider us it says something about what people think of us outside of the club.

Hold the back page! Rick Hampton has written a letter! You utter bell-end.

Tricky Rick wrote:
I'm sorry but this smacks of a board who realise relegation is a real possibility. "Quick, lets try and sell as many season tickets as possible before we fall through the trap door into league one". I wrote a very strong letter to the Watford Observer this week. Their refusal to publish it only confirms in my mind that the days when this paper held the club to task are long gone; instead they are now fast becoming the official propaganda department of the club. Here is an edited version of that letter: "I am writing this letter on the back of a fourth consecutive defeat, a third straight defeat at home, a third game in which the team have failed to score a goal, and a run of only two wins in 14 league games, just 8 points out of a possible 38. Indeed the much lauded home form, on a closer inspection, is not particularly impressive, just 7 wins out of 17 matches, 4 draws and 6 defeats; that is just 25 points from a possible 52. The away form does, of course, speak for itself; no away win since October, just 3 away wins all season, and 9 defeats. It is clear to see that confidence is at an all time low, and that the manager has run out of ideas and is slowly losing the dressing room. The point I am making is simple. The team are currently in free fall and relegation, unless this form is arrested, is inevitable. There are many supporters at this very moment who are trying to pinpoint when it all went so wrong, but they are bereft of answers for the simple reason that they are asking the wrong question. For the truth of the matter is that management set up at the club has been grossly inadequate since the start of the season; it is not a case of things going wrong all of a sudden, rather, they have been wrong for some considerable time, and now this is beginning to manifest itself with increasing regularity on the pitch. It is no coincidence that the form of the team has crumbled since the removal of the Russo’s from the board. I, like many supporters, had serious reservations about their plans for the football club, but no one can doubt that they provided strong and robust leadership. The current leadership structure is, quite simply, inadequate. The appointment of Graham Taylor as chairman was a decision based around a nostalgia and longing for a golden era long gone. Graham Taylor has been a fantastic servant to this football club and without him we wouldn’t enjoy the rich history that we do. However, the job of chairman at a football club is absolutely essential and cannot be undertaken on a part time and ad hoc basis. Indeed the current set up is unhealthy and, I would argue, is a significant contributing factor to the current decline in results. Given Taylor’s background, it is understandable that he wants to be a “non interfering” chairman. However it is clear that this approach is currently unacceptable and a more robust and high profile figure is needed. Tough decisions need to be made and it is clear given Taylor’s comments regarding how long football managers should be given that he hasn’t got the stomach for the job. In which case he needs to step down. I cannot think of any other football club where a run of results like this would not provoke at least some reaction from the board. Continuity is all well and good, but surely there must come a point where firm action needs to be taken. How is Mackay line managed? Is there a dialogue between him and the board regarding results? Has he been given any targets? He does not appear to be under any pressure and, I suspect, even if relegation becomes a reality, he will still be manager next season. Indeed I suspect the current board will even try to put a positive spin on relegation should it happen. They will argue that it will give the club time in which to “rebuild”; that the club is in a period of “transition”. That historically we have “punched above our weight” for remaining in the second tier so long. This is all nonsense of course. We have been in the second tier, albeit for two seasons, for thirty years". My message is this: give the fans something genuine to cheer about, show at least a modicum of ambition, stop hidiing behind the "little watford" alibi, and put together a management team who are capable of moving the playing side forward. I strongly suspect season ticket sales, on the other hand, will plummet if supporters are faced with the prospect of paying more to watch a team of kids struggle to consolidate itself in League 1 with a manager clearly out of his depth.

Yawn

What an opinionated negative dougnut. Did you get a calculator for Christmas?

Graham Taylor doesn't even want to be chairman TBF but he decided to take control as such when everyone else was bickering and not really doing anything to try and help the club.

I am sure if there was somebody really prepared to be chairman and put their input into the club GT would move aside..but there isn't it seems for now.