WHILE Watford try and pick up the financial pieces after the naiveity of the Vialli year, I thought it might be worth tracing how my own relationship with the Italian went through many stages. and how we adopted a policy of constantly turning the other cheek.

To be fair to the new management team, they had never had to deal with a local newspaper at their previous clubs. The concept was different and such was the awe and respect with which they were held, no one at the club pointed out they should make special accommodations for the local media, or so it seems.

From Vialli's viewpoint, he was aware that I had criticised the board for allowing Blissett and Jackett to be kicked out and I had questioned his experience of the First Division. I had also stated that it would be interesting to see how a man who had enjoyed such a large budget at Chelsea, would cope with a limited budget at Watford. However, I did commend the board for showing ambition and looked forward to the challenge ahead.

Now, Vialli and his men could have decided one of two courses of action. Either they could have decided that I needed wooing or that I should be ignored and kept at my distance.

I went on holiday, shortly after Vialli's appointment and, upon my return some four or five weeks later, I noted he had made several signings but he had not commented on any of them, explaining what the particualr recruit would bring to the party, or how he had come to make the signing.

I contacted Watford FC and it was arranged that Vialli would give me an interview at 5.30 on the Wednesday evening at the training ground.

I duly reported at London Colney and sat and waited, and waited, and waited. That in itself is not unusual. Graham Taylor and the rest had kept pressmen waiting in the past, but they invariably apologised and gave of their time generously so as you left feeling more than compensated for the inconvenience.

At 6.45, (75 minutes late) he entered the room without apology, sat down, lit a cigarette and replied to my questions. I was halfway through getting the low-down on the signings, when the prfess officer on duty came across and asked me "Alright Oli?"

I thought it strange at the time, but answered in the affirmative, and then continued with the interview.

It transpired that Vialli had arranged with the press officer to come and terminate the interview when he gave a sign. The fact he had kept me waiting for 75 minutes and then seemed to want to end the interview after 10 minutes, suggested that not only did he lack courtesy but he also had no idea as to how the Watford Observer worked.

This was his chance to communicate to fans on his first month's transfer activity and the recruitment of Glass, Hughes, Galli, Vega and Blondeau.

It seemed a strange way of going about his business and if he wanted to terminate an interview, surely he could do it himself, and not rely on others to break it up following a given sign.

Was it a deliberate snub? Was it ignorance, arrogance or just the Italian way of dealing with things? I had no way of knowing. Time would tell.

I left London Colney that night, feeling I had something of an uphill battle to face, but "bedding in" with a new manager has never been smooth. It takes time for a mutual understanding and trust to develop.

I had achieved this several times before and was confident that I could do so again.

(To be continued).

October 1, 2002 17:30