Watford looking for entirely new backroom team

WATFORD are again looking for an almost an entirely new first-team coaching staff following the sacking of Walter Mazzarri.

The former Napoli and Inter Milan manager brought a big backroom team with him when he was appointed last May: assistants Nicola Frustalupi, Claudio Nippi and Luca Vigiani; analyst Fabio Corradini, fitness coach Giuseppe Pondrelli and scout Roberto Miggiano.

Admittedly, most managers bring their own staff when they get a new job, but it is unusual to come with as many as six. Mazzarri said his struggle to learn English had hampered his progress with the Hornets - a matter hardly helped by having an all-Italian back-up team.

In his book Quiet Leadership, Carlo Ancelotti said he prefers to appoint an assistant from within a new club, because it aids his assimilation and helps him quickly get the inside track on the culture and players. This strategy can also help a club to ensure continuity when a manager is inevitably sacked.

Mazzarri has worked with Pondrelli throughout his managerial career and said: "Our teams have never suffered from drops in fitness levels - they might have had the odd blip but they’ve never stopped running and have always been in good shape.”

But injuries proved a big problem in the second half of the season for Watford and their form suffered badly as a result.