Watford sporting director gives full support to Cleverley

Watford sporting director gives full support to Cleverley

Watford sporting director gives full support to Cleverley

This week, Gian Luca Nani, the sporting director of Watford, spoke exclusively to The Watford Observer for the first time in a year in the United Kingdom.

In this last section, he talks about how players are chosen, what the season’s goals were, and whether he believes Tom Cleverley has so far surpassed them.

The club has always emphasised that the owner, chairman, sporting director, and head coach work together when it comes to player acquisition. Whose voice is the louder, though? Who gets to make the final decision?

Gian Luca Nani: Scott is not really involved in the technical decisions. He is running the club, but he is not the one who says this left back is better than that one.

He leaves the technical decisions to Tom, and to us.

I believe that everyone is always on board. You want this and I want that, therefore we’ve never fought.

We always make the right choice in the end.

The board must, of course, take the economy into account, and technically, we do what Tom says.

The head coach is completely involved with every player who comes here, unless it’s an investment player that Tom doesn’t need right away.

We show the head coach any player before we bring them to discuss, and sometimes a player is his suggestion, sometimes it might be a scout suggestion.

We all gather and ask each other, “What do we think?” We consider how we might like to play and what we can afford.

We work pretty well with Tom, therefore I don’t recall many challenging or divergent viewpoints between us.

Personally, I think he’s a great coach and person, and I appreciate working with him.

He is in charge on the pitch, even though we may have different opinions. Since he is the head coach and must decide who and how to play, I support him if he has different views.

At the start of the season, what was the target for the team? Without knowing that, it is very difficult to know if we are successful?

GLN: Our target was to create a good environment and to play good football.

I think I said the last time you interviewed me that I don’t like making proclamations, saying we will go there or we can reach there.

In the Championship, you can be fighting for promotion or to avoid relegation.

Once relegation is out of the question, then you have to fight to try and go to the play-offs. A club like Watford needs to be fighting for that.

Last season I was scared, because at the centre point of the season we could have been heading to a relegation battle. I couldn’t sleep at night.

That is something I would like to avoid always. That is the starting point.

• Part three of this interview
• Part four of this interview

At the moment we are not far from the play-offs, so it’s our commitment to try and win every game.

I don’t want to say we should go to the play-offs, we should go to the Premier League: I want us to win the next game.

And if we do that then we create a good environment where everyone is on board and people are smiling.

I watched training today, and it was a good, positive session. It was the same yesterday. The environment is good.

Is it fair to say then, with the squad Tom had at the start of the season and considering where we were when he was first appointed, that he is exceeding expectations by having us in and around the play-off places?

GLN: The season is not over first of all.

We started really well and to say that Tom was doing a good job was not just because of the way that we played, it was the way he took training, the way he handled the team.

That is why we are happy with Tom, and I know that speculation has come recently but we are happy with Tom and we want to support him.

I think that is quite clear. I said it in the programme and I say it to you now.

But when you are on a bad run everybody gets down, so I am not happy at the moment, but nor is Tom, the players or the fans.

We want to win, or at the very least we want to perform.

That is why I think we have to decide at the end of the season.

For sure, though, we are happy with what we are doing. And for sure we are not happy when the supporters are not happy.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t trust Tom. It’s the opposite.

For me, the perfect person to stay here and to deliver to us the best results is Tom.

We have no doubt about that.

As sporting director your role encompasses far more than two transfer windows. Avoiding cliches and platitudes, what can you say to Watford fans about the rest of this season and beyond?

GLN: I would like to say many things, but the first thing I say is thanks for supporting us, for travelling long journeys to be with the team.

I also can’t guarantee that I’ll bring you this player or that person. However, I can assure you that we always put in a lot of effort because we share your goals.

I believe that when we work together, we can create a positive atmosphere, and if we all work towards the same goal, we can succeed.

I appreciate the enthusiasm of our supporters as well as the enthusiasm of the club’s employees.

Arriving at the training site makes me pleased because it’s a pleasant environment.

It’s important that I feel happy and content when I work with Tom. He is someone I enjoy talking to.

My goal is to keep the mood upbeat and everyone on board while I’m

I want to create a fantastic environment that maximises our chances of success.

For this reason, I express my gratitude to the supporters and apologise if we don’t always meet their expectations or goals.

However, I think we are not too far away, and if we all stick together, I think we can do it.

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