Walter Mazzarri happy with Watford squad

Omnisports

September 9, 2016 2:03 AM

The late signings of Kenedy, Adrian Mariappa and Stefano Okaka have left Watford manager Walter Mazzarri content with his squad.

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Watford manager Walter Mazzarri has declared himself happy with the state of his squad after late additions were made during the transfer window.

Adrian Mariappa and Stefano Okaka joined the club, while Kenedy signed a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.

Mazzarri accepted it would have been preferable to have his squad in place before the start of the Premier League campaign, but is pleased with the group he has available.

"It feels like everything has started now, the training that I want and the group that I want," Mazzarri told reporters ahead of Saturday's Premier League game at West Ham.

"We can say that from this week the job that I perform can be judged. I like to work with a group that I choose myself, and I’m very happy with this one.

"I will work with them tactically and mentally, not only on the pitch. Now I feel like this is my group and I’m very happy with it.

"Of course if I could I would have wanted them on the first day of pre-season. This is the team and group I wanted from the first day.

"But speaking with the club, they know this is something which takes time, and we have been talking with them and made the decisions which had to be made by the end of the transfer deadline."

Mazzarri revealed he does not have full control of transfers at Watford but added he is pleased striker Odion Ighalo was retained at Vicarage Road despite a big-money offer from Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.

"I want to say the truth: the club decides on the transfer market," Mazzarri said. "I’m not the one deciding on if a player stays or not.

"I decide on the team I have but I'm very happy that Ighalo stayed with us because he's an extremely important player for the team.

"I am very sad to see players that perform very well in the past in a Watford shirt leave. But if a club wants to grow we need to look to the future.

"They are great professionals, but in football you play only 11, unfortunately if they had stayed there wouldn't have been a place for them."

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