So the 12th longest serving manager in the football league is finally given the push after a poor start to the season. However despite the Hornets currently languishing in 20th position is Aidy Boothroyd being made a scapegoat for the Watford board’s imcompetance?
After finishing rock bottom of the Premier League in 2007 the club found themselves back in the Championship. However the normally cash-strapped club were no longer in a position where they were afraid to check their bank balance. As many people know the Premier League now gives relegated sides a £30million parachute payment to cope with the drop in income. Now whilst some of that will go to cover the drop in television revenues and gate receipts Boothroyd saw precious little of the cash.
He spent just under £5million the season after they were relegated and made it into the play-offs, albeit tasting defeat at the hands of Hull in the semi-final. This season however the club have imposed a number of financial cutbacks on Boothroyd which has meant he had to sell the likes of Darius Henderson and Danny Shittu whilst being unable to bring anyone in permanently apart from Jon Harley on a free transfer which clearly has hampered their Championship odds.
Now whilst the parachute payments do stop at the end of this season and Watford are right to take precautions my question is where all the money has gone? The stadium redevelopment have stopped, combined with the lack of transfers into the club, would point to the fact the club have failed to invest the money there were given and made from selling the likes of Ashley Young and Marlon King very wisely.
Whilst Boothroyd record of 12 win in the last 50 league games is not a good one I would also like to know who the club believe they can get in to do a better job with the board unlikely to invest in the squad anytime soon. Boothroyd is a very good young manager who took Watford into the Premier League when there football odds made them more likely to be relegated.
The Watford chairman Graham Simpson has given the excuse that Boothroyd needs a break from management but I imagine that he only needs a break because of the treatment he has received at Watford. The Hornets board will regret their decision because Boothroyd is a good manager and with the right backing will do very well at which club who take him on.
