Sporting Director Cristiano Giaretta believes creating the right mentality among the Hornets’ playing staff was key to their immediate return to the Premier League.
Speaking in his first UK interview since arriving at Vicarage Road last summer, the Italian said it was important the players understood talent alone would not be enough to secure promotion following last season’s relegation to the Championship.
“It was a great challenge,” said Giaretta. “This mission was tough because after relegation is the worst moment for a club, so you have to reset the mind of the players to build up a new mindset and a sense of belonging.
“Over the season they showed to be a really mature group, starting with the senior players but also the young players played a really big part.
“Mentality is the key. It’s not about quality and potential, if you don’t have the right mindset, the right perseverance and love for your job, it’s difficult to succeed. We proved we have a very strong mentality and this was very important.
“We are very happy because we achieved a very important goal in what has been a really tough season. I am pleased for the players and for the club, because we deserve to be in the Premier League.”
Giaretta is an experienced operator, working in his native Italy and Bulgaria before moving to England last August, but little could have prepared him for the unprecedented circumstances Watford have faced during 2020/21.
The 53-year-old has had to help reshape a recently relegated squad in the midst of a global pandemic, all while adapting to life in a new country and with a new club.
“During pre-season we started to train with only a few players, due to the pandemic,” he explained. “With the [transfer] market open to October 5, it was also difficult to keep everybody motivated and focused on the pitch.
“To be fair, in the end everyone played a good part. We struggled in the beginning, we weren’t so regular in getting the results on the pitch, but by working hard every day and taking care of the details, we succeeded and arrived where we are.
“I think the environment improved. [Promotion] is a consequence of the great job that everyone, the players and the staff, has done.”
Maintaining that strength of mentality is now crucial to the Hornets’ hopes of prospering in the Premier League, believes Giaretta, who says the character of any new additions to the squad must be considered as well as their technical ability.
“It is very important to create chemistry in the group,” he said. “We succeeded in the Championship through this kind of mentality and spirit, not just because of the potential of the players. By working hard on the details of the player, this was the way we had to go.
“We need to strengthen in some positions because even though the squad was amazing, the level is going to radically change. We have a good base for the squad, but we have to add some players in some positions.
“We are not going to change the whole team, but we are going to strengthen some positions with the condition that players we sign for Watford must be better than what we have, otherwise it doesn’t make sense.”
Having worked closely with owner Gino Pozzo this season, and previously during a three-year period at Udinese, Giaretta knows the Hornets are extremely fortunate to be under the care of such hard-working, ambitious ownership.
“I know how [the Pozzo family] work,” he said. “They are really forward-looking and we are seeing what they did for this club.
“Watford were born in 1881 and in 140 years, they have been for 13 years in the top level. Five of these were with this family, so they have done something important.”
