Watford football club is looking for a new manager, amidst the sack of Nigel Pearson and the club’s relegation from the Premier League after five seasons.
One of the names that are mentioned as a favourite to take the helm at Vicarage Road is Serbian Vladimir Ivić, the former gaffer of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israeli Premier League’s champions.
Ivić is an excellent and professional coach with a direct, robust character. In his two seasons in Tel Aviv, the football that Maccabi was playing wasn’t attractive, but very effective.
Under the Serb, Maccabi became a combative ‘unit’, who saw off all rivals in the local scene. Two league losses only in two years speak for themselves.
He guided Maccabi for the title after eating their Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s dust for three years. Previously, he had an impressive spell in PAOK Thessaloniki, winning the Greek Cup and setting the foundations for a great team who won the club its first league title since 1985.
Ivić is all aboutf hard work, not so much an outgoing character liked by fans or media. He is a very methodical manager, with no ‘sacred’ players in the line-up or a specific formation. During his reign at Maccabi, Ivić played mostly 4-3-3, but it was a flexible system that adapts according to the players he had each night.
He likes to constantly make changes, surprising the opponent’s managers.
In manners of style, Ivić’s football is mainly based on a defensive discipline by all players. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that his most valuable player during the past season was the defensive-midfielder, Dan Glazer. Glazer only passed three assists but was vital in the overall set up of the team.
Ivić can be a solid fit for a Championship side. If Watford hired Oscar García and Slavisa Jokanović, both worked at Maccabi as well - then there is no reason Ivić can’t compete at this level. One alert that the Hornets should pay attention to is the fact that Maccabi Tel Aviv under Ivić has failed in Europe. In 2018/19 they lost to Norwegian side Sarpsborg in the Europe League Playoffs and never made it to the group stage. In the season after, 2019/20, Ivić and Maccabi lost in the Champions League second qualification round to Romanian CFR Cluj. They later were knocked out the Europa League third qualification round, after a double 2-1 loss to Lithuanian side, Sūdova.
Different betting companies are tipping that Ivić is 4/1 to 2/1 to take the position in Hertfordshire. If this will materialize eventually, the Hornets’ fans and the Pozzo family can expect their team to become something completely different than what they are used to. A disciplined, sometimes cold and a highly organized attitude, can take them back to where the club belongs faster than what they think.
