Santa arrives in Watford as Malky's lot avoid administration

Christmas came early to Malky Mackay as a cheque for almost £5m from Lord Ashcroft saved Watford from going into administration.

Internal politics are part and parcel of football with Liverpool the classic example where even the joint owners of the club are at war with each other as the club plunges down the Premiership.

The sums involved at Watford are much smaller but after nine months in charge Jimmy Russo demanded the return of a £4.88m loan after stepping down from the board ahead of the club's recent AGM.

The threat of administration was very real with a ten point penalty likely to drop Watford in at the deep end of a relegation scrap.

With the dark cloud of administration removed Mackay needs his players to rediscover their form after a worrying run of one win in five games.

The festive period is non-stop in England with Watford facing Nottingham Forest and Bristol City on the 26th and 28th of this month before starting the new year away to Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Casting a Scrooge-like professional eye at the fixtures coming up Mackay has issued a business as usual message to his players over the festive period.

He said: "The players have a game Boxing Day so they will be in training Christmas morning.

"Then we are in all the way through as we have a game Boxing Day and then another game again two days later.

“We are travelling down there to Bristol so we have to make sure we are in all the time now.

“Christmas is a busy time for footballers and it is not a time of the year for taking time off. Martyn Pert (head of conditioning) gauges the rest they need and the recovery they need but, in the main, they just work all the way through."

The first six months in management have taught the former Celtic centre-half all that he'll ever need to know in terms of crisis management- the areas of the game that aren't covered in coaching courses or licenses.

Watford have been unable to pay a transfer fee for any players this year whilst trying to shift out the highest earners sometimes to rivals within their own division.

Throw in the resignation of the chairman that appointed him, the return of legendary manager Graham Taylor onto the board and the threat of administration and it all adds up to far from boring introduction to management.

Mackay however will be judged by results on the park, and sounding quite like Tony Mowbray, believes that Watford aren't far away from achieving the results that their play deserves.

He added: "We have got to make sure we get back to winning ways. I would be concerned if we weren’t actually playing well in games and creating chances.

"We are doing that and looking still as if we are in games and will win more than we lose. I think for the players to be where they are at the moment with so much going on is great credit to the boys.

"But we need to get back to winning ways and making sure we do not get beat, especially away from home.

"We have got to make sure we turn the defeats away from home into something better than that."

Watford Observor article

Daja-vu for Mackay as Graham Taylor moves in at Watford

Watford's financial stalemate must seem like a worrying case of deja-vu for Malky Mackay.

The Watford boss was a Celtic player in 1994 when the power struggle that ousted the bad guys was completed with Fergus McCann coming to power after a long drawn out saga that put the club on it's knees.

Mackay has worked wonders at Watford, putting the club in contention for a play-off spot against a board room battle that last night saw Jimmy Russo resign as chairman in anticipation of being voted off at the club's AGM.

Shades of Brian Dempsey, 'the pact' and the other shenanigans that was a feature of the Celtic boardroom in the early nineties.

It was Russo that appointed Mackay as manager in the summer and provided the club with funding to remain in business although a further £5m is required to keep the club in afloat until the end of the season.

Russo was about to be ousted by some former directors but clearly still has a major role to play at the club having guaranteed £4.88m since returning as chairman in March 2009.

Despite a recent season in the Premiership and having Elton John as a club patron Watford seem totally unable to balance the books.

Former England manager Graham Taylor has once again become involved, taking over as chairman last night, and will hopefully broker a deal to keep all parties happy.

Taylor was the manager that took Watford to the 1984 FA Cup Final after climbing the divisions but unless their current problems are resolved they could follow local rivals Luton Town out of the Football League.

“We are at a very crucial time in this club's future, it goes without saying,” Taylor admitted.

“We have to face up to it, we are threatened with administration and the demand from Jimmy and Vince (the Russo brothers) for their money to be returned will put us into administration.

“I make no bones about saying that because that is a reality. They did put the money into the club and they will have their side of the argument but at the present time, by demanding their secured loans, unless somebody comes to our rescue, Watford will go into administration.”

In the meantime Mackay must get on with managing the club without the chairman that appointed him.

The sale of players that he undertook during the summer will be continued next month with goalkeeper Scott Loach, an England u-21 international, expected to fetch £3m.

CLICK HERE for official Watford club statement.