Sean Dyche has no grudges against Watford owners despite 2012 dismissal
Sunday 25 September 2016 18:49, UK
Burnley boss Sean Dyche holds no grudges against his former club Watford and believes the Pozzo family's methods are yielding success.
The Italians took over at Vicarage Road in 2012 and quickly made Dyche an early casualty, immediately after he led the side to their highest league finish in four seasons.
They are currently on their seventh manager since Dyche's dismissal, incumbent Walter Mazzarri following in the footsteps of Gianfranco Zola, Giuseppe Sannino, Oscar Garcia, Billy McKinlay, Slavisa Jokanovic and Quique Sanchez Flores.
That revolving door policy has raised plenty of eyebrows but ahead of his first Premier League encounter against the Hornets, live on Monday Night Football, Dyche sounded a conciliatory note.
"It's well-documented I've always had respect for the club," he said. "The situation, the business changed etc etc but I mean every word when I say I had a fantastic time there as player, youth coach, assistant manager and manager.
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"Because business changes and you lose your job it doesn't mean I hold any baggage at all, I certainly don't. It's a lot of water under the bridge and they've gone on to become a Premier League club so their model of working has worked for them.
"They're a different animal yet again because they've changed their manager yet again. Their model is completely different to most in football but so far they've got a good start so it seems to be working for them."
Another feature of the Pozzo regime is the cross-continental nature of their operation.
Giampaolo Pozzo has owned Serie A side Udinese since 1986, with his son Gino owning Watford and Spanish outfit Granada until selling the latter earlier this summer.
Resources have been split between the assets at various points, with Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo having played for all three teams before settling in Hertfordshire.
While that is also an atypical approach, Dyche thinks it has proved beneficial to his successors.
"I think the thing that is good about their model is the amount of scouting they do, they've got a massive scouting system because they've had three clubs don't forget," he said.
"You've got scouts everywhere who can get players from not the globe necessarily, but all over Europe certainly.
"That helps them add players to the club. They carry a massive staff, a massive squad of players but they make it work. They get all kinds of players that give them different ways of attacking and defending."