Gus Poyet says former Chelsea team-mate Gianfranco Zola is starting from zero at Watford and needs time
5:19pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Latest Sport By Frank Smith
Gianfranco Zola says he admires the way Brighton play football. Picture: Holly Cant
Watford head coach Gianfranco Zola has suggested he could make a few changes for tonight's game with Brighton and Hove Albion, when he will come up against an old friend.
Zola said "you may expect some changes" when he spoke about the Brighton game, which comes three days after his side's 2-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Brighton will offer a very different threat to that of Bolton as they are a side who try to play a possession-based style of football.
Albion are managed by Zola's former Chelsea team-mate Gus Poyet and Watford's head coach believes the Uruguayan has done a "remarkable" job since he joined the club three years ago.
"Brighton are a team who play good football and it will be a completely different type of game to Bolton, but we are very prepared," Zola said.
"I do admire Brighton. I think Gus has done an excellent job over there and he has them not only playing football but winning. He has done quite remarkable."
"It will be a big pleasure to share the dugout with Gus and it will be really good to see him again," he added.
Brighton are third in the table after winning their last three games, and scoring 11 goals in the process.
Poyet has spoken fondly about Zola but he did blame the Italian for some occasional pain.
Poyet said: "It's going to be nice because I like Gianfranco a lot. My room-mate was Dan Petrescu and then our group was Gianfranco, Robbie (Di Matteo) and a few more, so we were very close.
"Gianfranco was the one that pushed me a lot to play golf, so he is responsible for me suffering on the golf course every now and then."
Poyet believes Zola has a tough job on his hands but says he hopes his friend can make Watford successful.
The Brighton boss said: "It is a job where, without any doubt, you need a bit of time because it's a big change. It's a totally different environment, so it's starting from zero really.
"It will need time like any other job, like mine here. That will depend on how he is doing and the players he has but he is definitely changing the mentality and the approach to games.
"Apart from one game, they have been there or thereabouts. That means they are competitive so for us it's going to be a difficult game for different reasons to the ones we've normally had at Watford.
"Before it was very, very physical. Now it's between two teams who want the ball, so let's see who imposes their game the best.
"His ideas are clear. I spent a little bit of time with him during the international weekend and we talked a little bit about football in general, not Brighton and Watford.
"He knows what he wants and it's nice when you see someone really convinced about what is the best way to play football. I hope he can do it - from Wednesday morning."
Click here to read about the two sides' injury news heading into the game.
Comments(9)
Hornet1970
says...
6:31pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Another disappointing performance and there will be more discontent in the stands.
jagman45
says...
6:53pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Hornet1970 wrote:Interesting comment. And who was going to pay for these new signings?
starting from 'zero' what crap. Dyche plus a few new signings and we would have been top six. Now who knows with the influx of italian reserves....
Another disappointing performance and there will be more discontent in the stands.
andyandyandy
says...
7:13pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Hornet1970 wrote:They say Liverpool fans are some of the most knowledgable in football.
starting from 'zero' what crap. Dyche plus a few new signings and we would have been top six. Now who knows with the influx of italian reserves....
Another disappointing performance and there will be more discontent in the stands.
Some of ours are the exact opposite. It's embarrassing.
The reality is we were hours from admin and about to follow Luton.
The Pozzos saved us. So what they bring in their people. Wouldn't you do the same? How many of those foreigners would come and play for Sean Dyche? Yes he did a great job. But it's time to move on.
Stop deluding yourself that we are anything other than a selling club. It's the reality of modern football. Not one single young player in the last 20 years has really wanted to be at Watford. As soon as a big club or even Reading sniff around they're off.
So it's not really any different having the Udinese reserves. We've always been a shop window. We are just now displaying better goods.
So stop whining like a spoilt little girl and embrace the future. It's saved us like it or not.
Or stay away when we do reach the Premier League and make room for fans who want to support their team. COYH
AngelHornet
says...
7:26pm Tue 18 Sep 12
CreteJoe
says...
9:06pm Tue 18 Sep 12
andyandyandy wrote:Hi There you say " The reality is we were hours from admin " .
Hornet1970 wrote:They say Liverpool fans are some of the most knowledgable in football.
starting from 'zero' what crap. Dyche plus a few new signings and we would have been top six. Now who knows with the influx of italian reserves....
Another disappointing performance and there will be more discontent in the stands.
Some of ours are the exact opposite. It's embarrassing.
The reality is we were hours from admin and about to follow Luton.
The Pozzos saved us. So what they bring in their people. Wouldn't you do the same? How many of those foreigners would come and play for Sean Dyche? Yes he did a great job. But it's time to move on.
Stop deluding yourself that we are anything other than a selling club. It's the reality of modern football. Not one single young player in the last 20 years has really wanted to be at Watford. As soon as a big club or even Reading sniff around they're off.
So it's not really any different having the Udinese reserves. We've always been a shop window. We are just now displaying better goods.
So stop whining like a spoilt little girl and embrace the future. It's saved us like it or not.
Or stay away when we do reach the Premier League and make room for fans who want to support their team. COYH
I have seen lots of comments like this on this site and other forums. I have tried but never found an article in a newspaper, on sky or the BBC saying that "we were hours from admin "
Please can you tell me how you know this and where you found this information.
Thanks
SAHornet
says...
9:14pm Tue 18 Sep 12
andyandyandy wrote:Really good post andy. Says it exactly how it is. I'm listening to the match live here in SA and we are 1-0 down but putting them under intense pressure which would not have been the case last season despite SD's honest efforts.
Hornet1970 wrote:They say Liverpool fans are some of the most knowledgable in football.
starting from 'zero' what crap. Dyche plus a few new signings and we would have been top six. Now who knows with the influx of italian reserves....
Another disappointing performance and there will be more discontent in the stands.
Some of ours are the exact opposite. It's embarrassing.
The reality is we were hours from admin and about to follow Luton.
The Pozzos saved us. So what they bring in their people. Wouldn't you do the same? How many of those foreigners would come and play for Sean Dyche? Yes he did a great job. But it's time to move on.
Stop deluding yourself that we are anything other than a selling club. It's the reality of modern football. Not one single young player in the last 20 years has really wanted to be at Watford. As soon as a big club or even Reading sniff around they're off.
So it's not really any different having the Udinese reserves. We've always been a shop window. We are just now displaying better goods.
So stop whining like a spoilt little girl and embrace the future. It's saved us like it or not.
Or stay away when we do reach the Premier League and make room for fans who want to support their team. COYH
amayesing
says...
9:51pm Tue 18 Sep 12
We want local talent not mercenaries.
Zola never has and never will be a good manager, just like Viali.
Early days but this rubbish does not bode well for the future
aefevans
says...
10:31am Wed 19 Sep 12
amayesing wrote:Even though we went through the exact same thing with Sean Dyche six games into the season?
Come back Sean Dyche all's forgiven!! We want local talent not mercenaries. Zola never has and never will be a good manager, just like Viali. Early days but this rubbish does not bode well for the future
I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure last year's evenual champions, Reading, were in the drop-zone afer this many matches.
saraman says...
5:42pm Tue 18 Sep 12