Insider sources have told the Watford Observer Marco Silva's relationship with Hornets owner Gino Pozzo has soured as a result of public comments from the head coach and his frustration over player investment.

It is understood Silva's relationship with Pozzo has now deteriorated to the extent of being nearly non-existant, despite the close quarters with which the pair both work.

But the 40-year-old was glowing in his comments about Pozzo and recruitment chief Filippo Giraldi when asked about their respective stances.

Silva's has not seen eye-to-eye with the club's owner since August, when Nordin Amrabat was loaned to Leganes without his knowledge, and he spoke publicly about his frustration over the decision.

Reports this week suggested the Italian owner was considering bringing in Jose Gonzales from Malaga only two days after he was appointed to lead the La Liga club.

While these are wide of the mark, it is far from a secret that Silva is unlikely to remain at Vicarage Road beyond the end of this season.

Pozzo was also left angered at his head coach's public apathy towards Everton's approach for him, while behind the scenes his agent, Carlos Gonclaves, briefed the media that he wanted to speak to the Toffees.

But Gonclaves today told the Watford Observer a Times article from last weekend which stated Watford players had admitted to having lost focus since that Everton approach , and that others had asked the head coach to take them with him, was “ridiculous”.

As recently as last week, Silva's opinion was clearly at odds with Giraldi's over the state of Watford's squad, with eight first-team players missing and only Tom Cleverley likely to return to fitness in the near future.

And he has previously shown his annoyance with the club's inability to strengthen sufficiently in certain areas, notably at left-back and in attacking wide positions.

Despite this, he maintained today that his disagreements with Giraldi were healthy.

"My relationship with Filippo, personally and professionally, is very good," he said. "I don’t agree with everything he says, but that’s the same from every sporting director I have worked with too.

"What Gino and the board asked me when I came in is to improve the club, I am not here to agree with everything.

"He knows my opinion of everything around the club and the squad, because we speak everyday. That’s my job here, and Gino and him know my opinion about everything and my feelings."