Watford boss Valerien Ismael has revealed he was “not happy” with the lack of communication he had with the West Bromwich Albion ownership during his time at The Hawthorns.

 

The French coach views the presence of the Hornets’ club chiefs at the training as “a big advantage” and said he could “only speak positively” about the way things were set up at Vicarage Road.

Watford 2023 pre-season

Ismael was named as the permanent replacement for Chris Wilder back in May and will be tasked with leading the Watford promotion charge in 2023/24.

It looks set to be a very competitive Championship campaign, with three big clubs dropping down from the Premier League and some of the sides promoted from League One also arriving with high expectations.

The 47-year-old has promised intensity from his side this term and will be looking to make the most of pre-season to ensure they’re able to deliver.

The Hornets stepped up their preparations for the new season, which is now less than a month away, with a friendly against non-league Boreham Wood in midweek and are due to face both Crystal Palace (22/07) and Stevenage (29/07) before the 2023/24 campaign gets underway.

Valerien Ismael reveals Watford, West Brom comparison

Ismael has had success in the Championship in the past, defying the odds to reach the play-offs with Barnsley, but a failed spell at West Brom is testament to just how tough the second tier can be.

The Frenchman lasted just seven months in the job at The Hawthorns before being sacked and replaced by Steve Bruce.

A lack of communication with Baggies owner Lai Guochuan appears to have been one of the issues that hampered him during his time with the West Midlands club and he’s made it clear he prefers the more hands-on approach at Watford.

Speaking to The Watford Observer about the club chiefs having offices at the training ground and playing more of a present role, Ismael said: “I think it’s good. I have no issue with it. I know this way from Germany.

“I think it is actually an advantage, and I’ll tell you why: at least everyone can feel the intensity of training, the way we train, the work we put in on a daily basis and they can have an understanding of what we do quickly.

 

“As well as that, we can also have a chat very easily. We don’t have to wait two or three weeks or even months to meet each other. That gap is too big.

“It’s always an action situation when we can chat with each other at any time, and talk about training, transfers, the club in general, other things we need.

“I see the owner being here at the training ground as a big advantage.”

Ismael added: “Yes it was the opposite at West Brom and I was not happy. It was difficult to have that communication.

“You need to communicate and have that understanding between everyone, and if someone has a question then you can get an answer straight away. If I have a question, I would like an answer straight away and not wait.

“I had a good experience at Besiktas as we had the same situation as we have here, and I can only speak positively about this set-up. It is good for the manager.”