The former United States National Team defender played more than 200 games for Watford between 2004 and 2010, two years before the Pozzo family, initially led by Gino’s father, Giampaolo, purchased the club.

Watford are currently in the relegation zone, and have lost their last two games by an aggregate score of 9-1, both against teams who were, at the time, below them in the Championship table.

Pressure from fans, former players, and even legendary former chairman Sir Elton John has mounted over their concerns about the direction the club is heading in, and DeMerit shares their worry.

In an interview with James Batchelor of TheWatfordWay, DeMerit agreed that after years of giving the club the benefit of the doubt, Watford fans must now make their point clear.

“Over the years, because Watford are a nice club and the people are communal, I think people will always give owners and managers the benefit of the doubt,” he admitted, “But I think any self-respecting club would now start putting some flags in the sand.

“I think it’s been years of trying to prove modelling, years of trying to prove squad people, letting people stay, building around leaders and captains and adding in youth.

“There’s been lots of different theories over the years that I’ve seen from afar. I’m not still in it like you guys are, but I do still pay attention and care very deeply about the club and would do anything for it.”

Unsurprisingly, DeMerit revealed that recent conversations have shown he is not alone in his concerns, as he slams the club’s ‘revolving door’ manager ‘policy’ for turning the club into a joke in the footballing world.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations over the years with people who are concerned, people who are confused about what’s going on,” he said, “How do you have 20 managers in however many years it is now?

“I tell people the real numbers, and they don’t even believe me, and that, in my opinion, is a problem, if you’re starting to become almost like a joke in the world of football when it comes to the revolving door of managers,

“Team dynamics start with the foundations of the players. The players need to feel safe, like they’re adding their own little spark to the team, and we need to feel like we’re part of something bigger than us.

“Those are the three keys that I don’t see consistently anymore. The only thing that I do see is that the fans are still consistent in the way that they care about the club.

“When it comes to managers, how are you going to have foundational support when the manager changes every six months, or even less than that now?”

On Friday, Roy Moore, founder of The 1881 Movement, has been granted rare access to Pozzo, whom he will meet with to discuss fans’ concerns.

The meeting comes at a time when DeMerit insists difficult questions need to be asked when the current model does not work.

“It’s time to ask some really hard questions, because the model isn’t working,” he insisted.