Brought in as sporting director towards the end of the 2019 calendar year, Éric Roy has done a good job at Watford in the short amount of time he has been in office.
With Nigel Pearson, the mission was fairly simple in saving the Hornets from relegation, which they were on course to do, currently sitting 17th in the Premier League.
However, with Aston Villa sat behind them with a game in hand that would see them jump ahead of Watford were they to win it, there is a lot of controversy over whether or not the table should remain as is in case of an early finish, and Roy understands the frustration and why some clubs want to continue and others don’t.
Speaking to Le Parisien, he said: “The economic question is very preoccupying, but it shouldn’t condition the competition’s restart. When you don’t know, you have to respect due diligence. If you tell us tomorrow or in ten days that we need to restart, those who decide will assume the responsibility. For now, I’ll repeat it, we’re some way off restarting”.
A lot comes down to the players, who definitely aren’t all comfortable at the idea of going back to work in the current conditions, as well as fears they could injure themselves by rushing back into games with very little training after a long time at home.
Roy explained: “There are worries being expressed. Some are open about their fear of being infected. It’s not that easy to remove those doubts. Their questions regarding the pandemic are perfectly understandable.
“They want to do their job in complete serenity, but the hygiene and social distancing measures, as strict as they are, won’t 100% guarantee them of not catching Covid-19 and therefore potentially putting their whole entourage at risk”.
As for his job, having signed a contract only until the end of the current season, Roy didn’t deny that extending his time with Watford would be nice.
He said: “The Premier League has an incomparable power of attraction. It’s the biggest league in the world. You get the impression of turning up in another world. This type of immersion is very rewarding and exciting. My first mission was to put the team back on track.
“We were last when I arrived. We managed to steady the ship with Nigel Pearson and get out of the relegation zone. The whole thing was a bit precarious, but this job feeds off challenges. A new history is being written. I have the desire to continue the adventure. I don’t know my board’s intention, but it was the deal when I was brought in”.
For now, however, the Watford director is trying to do his job as best he can with the resources at his disposal, but admitted it was hard seeing as everyone was scattered around Europe.
He explained: “Gino Pozzo is in Spain where he decided to quarantine. Filippo Giraldi, the technical director, is in Italy. I’m in Nice. Only Scott Duxbury, the chairman, is in London. The phone is hot. We’re in an irrational period. It’s hard to deal on a day to day basis, even if it’s important to keep in touch, especially with the players, and keep moving forward”.
