VIDEO: Watford boss Gianfranco Zola responds to criticism by Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway

8:00am Friday 15th February 2013 in Sport By Frank Smith and Tom Allnutt

Gianfranco Zola sat down with deputy sports editor Frank Smith this week. Gianfranco Zola sat down with deputy sports editor Frank Smith this week.

Watford's loan policy has been heavily criticised in some sections of the media following recent outbursts by Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway.

Holloway described the loophole as "wrong" and called on the football authorities to make changes. His comments have led to a number of newspapers, radio stations and websites expressing their views.

This week head coach Gianfranco Zola discussed the issue with deputy sports editor Frank Smith.

An article on the Hornets' loan policy is featured in today's Watford Observer.

Comments(17)

Ronny oh Ronny Ronny says...
8:27am Fri 15 Feb 13

Haha he didn't really respond to
The criticism, nor should he need to. Very good political response!
I love that little man, keep up the good work

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PhilippineOrn says...
8:34am Fri 15 Feb 13

Subtle and diplomatic to the end. This man oozes more class than Durham/Holloway et al collectively would never have in a million years.

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MINTYHORNET says...
8:37am Fri 15 Feb 13

TBF other clubs are just jealous leave it so what if they change it ,theres other ways of doing this.

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A Capello says...
8:42am Fri 15 Feb 13

It's not a "loophole" ? We are simply following the rules. Since we are in the same (ownership) group as the Little Zebras then surely we could have just signed them for a nominal fee if the rules did not allow the current arrangement? Probably some sensible accounting reason for keeping them off the balance sheet as assets at WFC for the time being.

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oxheypaul says...
8:46am Fri 15 Feb 13

And if we get Palace in the play-offs, halfwit Holloway has already done our team talk for us....

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Bringe says...
9:17am Fri 15 Feb 13

How easy is it for the Football League to change Fifa regulations? that might need a vote from every affiliated league in the world!!!

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Harry's Bar says...
9:57am Fri 15 Feb 13

oxheypaul wrote:
And if we get Palace in the play-offs, halfwit Holloway has already done our team talk for us....
I have a feeling this will happen.

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Only 2 Ross Jenkins says...
10:00am Fri 15 Feb 13

If the Pozzos had bought a different club, eg Palace, and they had all of these players from Udinese, we'd all be claiming unfairness. Be honest, we would. However, the crux of the matter is that it is completely within the law and therefore other teams just need to get over it and move on. We are just the lucky beneficiaries and other clubs are their fans are most likely thinking why the hell they didn't think of it first. Fans don't care whether their players come from just round the corner or from Mongolia. As long as the players that do wear the shirt give their all and treat the fans with respect it matters not one jot. Further, this way of doing things will have zero bearing on the development of English players. If anything, it will inspire our young English players to be even better, which can only be a good thing.

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mellow yellow says...
10:00am Fri 15 Feb 13

A class player, and becoming a class manager. A very dignified and considered response. It would have been so easy to comment on the Zaha situation and whether or not that's fair, but by avoiding any direct attack on anyone else he just wins the Hollow debate hands down. And yes, if we get Palace in the play-offs the team talk is written already...

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Harry's Bar says...
10:01am Fri 15 Feb 13

Could we see a text of these interviews. Some of us are at work!

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PeteBogHorrorHornet says...
10:04am Fri 15 Feb 13

FourFourTwo at it now...it's so boring reading the same old re-gurgitated drivel from these so-called journalists.
http://fourfourtwo.c
om/blogs/upthefootba
llleaguewego/archive
/2013/02/14/watford-
loans-add-up-to-borr
owed-time-for-englis
h-football.aspx

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Paul Gadd says...
10:06am Fri 15 Feb 13

Shuuuut up Olly....from what little I can understand from his appalling accent, he neither makes sense nor is funny, but is somehow lorded as an expert on the game ( are you listening Southgate?)
Jealously already diggin' in.....but who cares?
When we get promoted, this is what we'll sing
We got Pozzo's, We got Pozzo's, We got Pozzo's bling!

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G_Whiz says...
10:08am Fri 15 Feb 13

Jealousy masked all sense in Holloway - he likes a loan too!

Given the chance they would all do it and we all know it!

Hypocrisy pure and simple!

I'm sure Adrian Durham would be happy if Peterborough survived with a few more loanees!

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micksolly says...
10:18am Fri 15 Feb 13

As stated before surely a bigger 'loophole' is selling your best player for 15 million and getting him back on loan.

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Holly68 says...
10:52am Fri 15 Feb 13

All this fuss, in future if rules were changed the Pozzo's will just transfer the registrations rather than "loan" then transfer registrations back again if needed ....

If you own something and wish to sell/transfer it to someone else, it's a free world ..... If then they wish to transfer it back again or on to someone else, it's a free world

I don't care what any other club or manager thinks, I am just pleased the Pozzo's chose Watford, like a fairy godfather !!!


I am getting slightly worried about the Wobby though, in the last week we've started getting Audio and now Video clips, what happened to good old paper and print, must be something in the rules about this .......

ring ring, ring ring, "Hello, Mr Holloway, yes, well how can they call themselves a newspaper, with all these outside influences, it wasn't like this back in our day, it can't be right, bloody audio and video, this can't be in the newspaper rules, I'm seething, the authorities will have to take a close look at this"

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Mohandas says...
10:54am Fri 15 Feb 13

G_Whiz wrote:
Jealousy masked all sense in Holloway - he likes a loan too!

Given the chance they would all do it and we all know it!

Hypocrisy pure and simple!

I'm sure Adrian Durham would be happy if Peterborough survived with a few more loanees!
Are Palace or any other team on the level with their own squad as far as how they treat their own players? We've got a team spirit and a decent manager which is what he isn't.

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lutondown says...
12:38pm Fri 15 Feb 13

Bringe wrote:
How easy is it for the Football League to change Fifa regulations? that might need a vote from every affiliated league in the world!!!
Spot on Brian, not as easy as our biased national media would suggest.

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