Xisco Munoz turned a blind eye at the full-time whistle after bringing Watford back to the Premier League. The win over Millwall in April 2021 was their eighth in a row at home. It should have been a moment of pure joy but his feelings were mixed.
“Part of me was really happy because the Premier League was the goal, but another part was sad,” Munoz said. sky sports. “If we had had 25 more games together, we would have enjoyed them all because the team was ready for all situations.
“We could play on transition, low block, medium block, high press, we could do everything. I was a little sad because I knew that in two weeks everything would be over and we would have to start from scratch because the competition in the Premier League is totally different. »
Seven games into this Premier League season, with Watford sitting 14th in the table on seven points, Munoz has been sacked. Four other managers have been and have since departed. Not that the Spaniard needs to recall the ephemeral nature of his profession.
He talks to sky sports from Cyprus where he is awaiting severance pay after his last job at Anorthosis was cut short after just a few months due to events beyond his control. “They changed owners and fired me. It’s a bit surreal,” he explains.
“I don’t want to leave yet because they only sent me one email saying they don’t want my services. The new owners say the contract is with the old owners and don’t talk to us, so we might have to go to FIFA. I was told it was a good project.
“I think it was a big mistake. »
Munoz is in good spirits given the circumstances. He got used to the unpredictability of his chosen career, an eclectic journey that saw him start in management with a title in Georgia. He is now busy preparing for the next challenge.
” It is time. We are preparing new training sessions, working on how to improve our processes because with owners now you don’t have time. If you don’t have results initially, there’s no time to improve so you need to communicate ideas quickly.
“When we arrive, we have 10 ideas. Think of them as 10 balls to throw at you. But you only have two hands, so maybe you can only catch two. Eventually, you’ll handle all 10 balls but it takes time, so it’s best to only communicate one or two simple messages. »
Munoz speaks to coaches across Europe, exchanges ideas and watches football in England and abroad. Now 43, he says there is ‘no right way in football, you have to decide for yourself what works for you’, but a man’s influence on him is clear.
Rafa Benitez was his coach at Valencia where Munoz was part of the title-winning side in 2004 who also lifted the UEFA Cup that season. Real Madrid had Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos and Raul. Valencia had something else.
“Real Madrid had the best players in the world, so we only had one way to beat them. More teamwork, more power, more organization, more focus, more combat. We had to have better values. We had this winning mentality. Everyone had it in their blood.
“Nobody is going to give you anything for free. I remember those years, I learned that. I became addicted. You know you have to work hard for what you want. That’s what Rafa taught us on and off the pitch. I started to really think about the game.
Xisco Munoz during his time at Valencia where he won the title under Rafa Benitez
“Rafa started giving me different ideas. Until that moment, we had only played for ourselves. Maybe not for ourselves, but for our own characteristics. Rafa taught me how to handle different situations, offensively and defensively.
“Every coach knows the tactics. Every coach knows the game. The difference is your level of detail. You need a lot of things as a manager, but you need to communicate that detail. I think that’s the secret – how do we define teaming up to bring out the best in you?
“For example, at Watford, with Ismaila Sarr, how could we find space for him? We know that when Sarr has space he is a top player. So how do you get the ball to Sarr with him in a good body form to attack space? We needed a plan to get into this situation. »
Ismaila Sarr and Nathaniel Chalobah celebrate promotion from Watford in 2021
It worked. Sarr scored the winner that day against Millwall, just as he did in Munoz’s first game in charge against Norwich. It was a difficult start. “Norwich then Swansea, the top two teams, then the FA Cup against Manchester United. wow. It was difficult,” he says.
“But it was an incredible experience. We looked at what we could change immediately. We tried to give better individual training because the championship is very difficult and they had a lot of injuries. We were conceding goals, so we worked on clean sheets at the start. .
“Over time, we started to find more solutions on the ball and do more counter-pressing. Players got the message. I felt that if we were organized defensively, we could attack better. Every week, we tried to put the back line a little higher. »
And then it was all over.
“I remember the day they fired me, it was a day off. Players and staff were off but I was there at 8am because for me there are no days off and (sporting director) Christian (Giaretta) met me there because that he knew I would be there. He told me.
“For me, it was a surprise, of course. The team was with me. We were within our target. Seven points in seven games. But you have to understand that someone else is making the decision. made the decision to appoint me.
“Normally, when someone fires you, it’s because something bad happened. But when you have everyone’s support, all you can say is thank you. I enjoyed from the first to the last day. I have nothing but good words for Watford and especially the fans. »
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Watch the highlights of Watford’s recent 3-0 win over Birmingham City
He was replaced by Claudio Ranieri – ironically the man who replaced Benitez at Valencia all those years ago. Ranieri lasted three months. Watford have been relegated under Roy Hodgson, having won more games this season under Munoz than his two successors.
It’s easy to see why he feels worthy of another opportunity in England. He hopes to return soon. “Right now, that’s the priority. It’s time to come back. I miss the level of the Championship players. We’ll see what happens next season,” he said.
“There are a lot of teams at the same level in the league, the difference is only a few points between success and failure. So it’s a matter of details. Sometimes you can play well and sometimes you can play badly, but you need to be the team that takes the spoils.
“It’s about the psychology, the management of the group in the championship. Players need to know what is required, convince them to go again and again every three days. It’s a part of football that people don’t see but it’s an important part. »
Munoz has shown he can do it. He just wants the chance to close his eyes again in silent celebration.
