Watford Fans Not Happy: Can the Owners Win Them Back?

Watford fans

Watford have famously acquired a habit of firing managers, so in many ways it was not a surprise they gave Tom Cleverley the axe shortly after this season ended. While many saw it coming, do not think this means it was a popular decision. Most Watford fans, who are sick of the managerial merry-go-round, were disappointed, if not angry, at the decision to sack a man who had been at the club since 2017.

This is not to say nobody supported the decision. After all, the club’s form since Christmas was the worst in the entire division. In the Hornets’ last 23 matches, they collected a mere 20 points – relegation form. Nevertheless, most fans were able to overlook this, as they longed for some stability, especially with a manager with a genuine connection to the club.

A poll in a local Watford newspaper closed with 93% of respondents believing it was the wrong decision to sack Cleverley. Given that many fans were not keen on Gino Pozzo before the sacking, they are even less fond of him now. Does the Italian have any hope of improving his reputation at Vicarage Road or will the strong ‘Pozzo Out’ sentiment remain throughout the 2025-26 season?

Could Udinese Sale Lead to Watford Investment?


One thing that has been holding back Watford for many years is their financial situation. The club have sold well, and made some hefty profits, but rarely has any of this money been allocated for incoming transfers. Over the last three seasons, according to Transfermarkt, the Hornets have registered almost €128m in net transfer profit.

Admittedly, this is a slightly inflated figure given that Watford have been able to sell to sister club Udinese, as well as get many players from the Italian club on favourable loan deals. If Pozzo were to sell the Italian club, Watford would no longer have such easy and cheap access to players from the Serie A outfit.

Forced to Sell Star Players

But back to the original point, which is that Watford have been operating on shoe-string budget and virtually forced to sell any star player whenever a decent offer has come along. If Pozzo can find a buyer for Udinese, which commands an asking price of around £125m, there is reason to think this will change.

It is not believed that a nine-figure sale of the Serie A side would turn Watford into big spenders, but it would put them in a position where they do not have to keep selling their best players. They still might, if an offer is good enough, but it becomes a choice rather than a necessity. Pozzo stressed how important this is in a statement posted a day after Cleverley was sacked. The Italian said:

Going forward, we will do everything in our power to keep those more experienced players in our squad to help the younger members in their development… We recognise the need to keep this current squad together and build on it if we want to be successful.

The riches of the Premier League are thought to be the reason for Pozzo wanting to focus his attention on Watford. If this is indeed his goal, him devoting more time and money to achieving this aim could prove to be a good thing for the team, although this is far from a guarantee.

Could Paulo Pezzolano Lead a Promotion Charge?


After finishing 11th, 15th and 14th, across the last three seasons, Watford appear to be just a stable mid-table Championship side. Owner Pozzo has loftier ambitions than this, though, and this fed into his decision to sack Cleverley. Explaining his decision he said “I felt, to achieve our immediate aims next season, we need a more experienced coach to get the best out of our squad.”

The fact that he went on to quickly appoint ‘promotion specialist’ Paulo Pezzolano gives you some indication as to what he is referring to by these ‘immediate aims’. Despite being a relatively young manager at just 42 years of age, the Uruguayan has already secured promotion with three different clubs across three different leagues.

Although he arrives at Vicarage Road as a complete unknown to many, his promotion record may instil a bit of optimism for next season. Other supporters may be unconvinced but it will take time before Pozzo either receives praise or criticism for the appointment. If Pezzolano does well, sacking Cleverley will seem like a masterstroke, but if he ends up stuck in a relegation battle, fan fury will reach new heights.

Kyprianou Signing Offers Some Promise


One thing that the club’s owner can do to regain a little more favour with the Watford faithful in the short term is to oversee a good transfer window. He will be working alongside chief executive Scott Duxbury and sporting director Gina Luca Nani to make this happen, and already the club have moved in the market. In mid-May, they announced the signature of Cyprus international Hector Kyprianou on a five-year deal.

This is not the marquee signing fans most want to see, but signing a talented young midfielder on a free transfer is a solid bit of business. He was not as impressive for Peterborough during 2024-25 as he was the season before, but he should still have what it takes to be a serviceable squad player at the very least. Given he is only 23 years old too, there is reason to think he will only get better.

Watford will be hoping for more signatures over the summer, as there are many positions they could do with strengthening. Should the club manage this, even without spending much, Pozzo may be able to move the needle on his popularity rating.

Conclusion


Gino Pozzo is not a popular figure among Watford fans and he has a tough task trying to change this. He can start, however, by making some shrewd signings in the summer transfer window and strengthening in the most needed areas. After this, he will need to hope that Pezzolano proves to be a significant upgrade on Cleverley. This will mean at least staying within relatively close distance of the play-off places.

Some fans are so solidly Pozzo-out at this stage that nothing would change their mind but the best thing he can do, to earn favour with the rest, is by securing promotion. The only trouble for him is that this will represent a big overachievement with the current squad. Pre-season odds have Watford listed around 10/1 to go up so Pozzo’s dream of the Premier League and a possible redemption story for him may have to wait a little while longer.