Watford to sack 15th manager in 10 years with ex-boss lined up to return

Watford are set to sack manager Paulo Pezzolano with the Hornets sitting 11th in the Championship. Sky Sports reports that former boss Javi Gracia is being lined up for a return to the Vicarage Road dugout.

The Hornets have won three, drawn three and lost three of their nine games thus far and only sit three points off the play-off places at this early stage. But the club, who have become renowned for moving managers on, are due to have crunch talks with their current boss, who is expected to leave.

The ex-Real Valladolid boss was only appointed in May but is set to depart after just a matter of months in England. Watford have picked up seven points from their last nine games, beating Oxford at the weekend.

Gracia is tipped for a return to the Hertfordshire club, whom he previously had a spell in charge of when they were in the top flight.

His last job in England was his short-lived spell in charge of Leeds, which came during the year in which they were relegated. However Gracia did enjoy one of his more successful tenures when he was in charge at Vicarage Road, taking Watford to the FA Cup final in 2019.

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He won 25 of his 66 games in charge but was dismissed just months after leading out Watford at Wembley, a game in which they were hammered 6-0 by Manchester City.

Not since Aidy Boothroyd, who was in charge from 2005 to 2008 and led them to promotion via the play-offs, has any Watford boss managed to reach 100 games. Since his dismissal the club have seen 23 different managers come and go across a period that has seen them play in the top two tiers.

During that time they have axed several managers who have gone on to achieve big things. Sean Dyche was briefly in charge at Watford before being appointed by Burnley. He twice led them to promotion and stabilised them in the Premier League.

They also landed Rob Edwards, but sacked him after just 11 games. That same season he was hired by Luton Town and he led the Hatters to an unlikely play-off final victory, allowing them to play in the Premier League for the first time despite their lack of financial backing.

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