Category Archives: Javi Gracia

1st November 2025- Championship, Watford 3 Middlesbrough 0

Watford Observer: Team news: Gracia on niggles, Maamma, Chakvetadze and centre-back options

‘Take care of the details’ – Gracia on how Watford can become consistent force

Gracia knows young players need time but warns competition is on

Rob Edwards reflects on ‘frustrating’ Watford spell but believes exit was right

Gracia: Vicarage Road has to be our ‘extra power’

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: Watford 3-0 Middlesbrough

Match Report: Watford beat Middlesbrough 3-0 with clinical display

Vata injury the ‘only bad thing’ to come from Middlesbrough win

Gracia on Middlesbrough win: ‘We showed a hunger, an attitude’

Louza: ‘Gracia has brought the spirit we’ve missed for years’

Scoring first and strong vibes: Five talking points from Watford 3-0 Middlesbrough

Edwards reveals Middlesbrough worked to stop exactly what led to Watford goals

BBC: Rob Edwards left Vicarage Road frustrated again after Middlesbrough’s promotion hopes were dented by his old club Watford. Edwards was back at Vicarage Road for the first time since his sacking in 2022 after just 11 matches. And the Boro boss left disappointed again as the Teessiders missed a great chance to move level on points with Coventry City at the top of the Championship.

Sky: Pacy winger Kwadwo Baah ran 60 yards with the ball, beat Matt Targett down the outside and his cut-back was fired home by Watford captain Louza, whose pass had instigated the breakaway, for his fifth goal in seven games.

BHappy: There’s nowhere to hide with a formation that’s less 4-4-2 than 4-2-4. The excitement at the prospect was tempered by the memory of the flimsy defending that contributed to at least two of the goals last weekend and the knowledge that we were again up against one of the division’s strongest sides the like of whom we’ve largely gotten away without playing thus far thanks to a quirk of the fixture list.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The main criticism last week against Coventry was that the Hornets were not clinical enough in front of goal, and the defence was porous. Neither was the case in this game. The Hornets took their chances brilliantly and gave Middlesbrough no space to play. The defence looked well organised and when the visitors did create chances, Selvik was superb. Baah was back to his best, belting down the right wing and putting in some great balls, particularly for Louza’s goal. Ngakia also found space down the right and his cross for Kjerrumgaard’s goal was sublime. Luca had his best game for some time and capped it with a brace, even if he didn’t know much about the second goal. Pollock was very solid and the defence looked like a unit, finally keeping a clean sheet. In fact, Gracia has got us looking like a team again rather than the group of individuals that we saw under Pezzolano. That and the attacking approach has been very pleasing. The only negative was the injury to Vata. He has been a joy to watch in recent weeks, so I hope he is not out for long.

From the Rookery End: On this weekend’s FTRE, Jon, Jason, Kieran and Jordi shelter from the rain as they stand outside Vicarage Road to celebrate a dominant 3–0 win over Middlesbrough — and Rob Edwards’ return. The team unpack a near-perfect display under Javi, from Selvik’s superb save to Bola’s standout performance against his old club, Louza’s growing influence, and a front line that finally clicked.

22nd October 2025- Championship, Watford 2 West Bromwich Albion 1

Watford Observer: West Brom preview: Gracia knows sentimentality is not enough ahead of ‘homecoming’

https://www.watfordfc.com/supporters/digital-digests

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY RECAP: Watford 2-1 West Brom

Five talking points as Gracia wins his first game back at Vicarage Road

Match Report: Vata winner earns Watford 2-1 win over West Brom

Gracia pleased Watford found a ‘better balance’ to beat West Brom

Vata reveals Watford players met to discuss being a ‘real team’ before West Brom win

Doumbia changes the dynamic as old-school Watford beat West Brom

Gracia on why Watford started West Brom win cautiously and playing direct football

Vata: ‘My dad told me off for missing chances so I kept it hard and low’

Gracia: ‘This is the Rocco Vata I like to see’

Pollock: ‘On our day we’re as good as anyone’

BBC: Rocco Vata scored a second-half winner to gift-wrap a victory for Javi Gracia on his return to Watford against West Bromwich Albion.

Sky: Isaac Price’s fine strike after 34 minutes put Albion ahead but Imran Louza cancelled that out – four minutes later – to set the stage for Republic of Ireland international Rocco Vata, 20, to seal victory after the break.

From the Rookery End: Three points, a proper performance, and a sense that something’s finally clicking. In a extra midweek podcast, Jon, The Brigadier and Adam Drury, from the Watford Observer, relive Watford’s home win over West Brom — from Imran Louza running the show to Rocco Vata’s fearless flair. There’s talk of tactical tweaks, defensive grit, and the all-important question: is this the start of a real Watford revival? Coventry awaits, and optimism’s creeping back into the stands.

8th October 2025- Paulo Pezzolano is sacked and Javi Gracia returns as Head Coach

Watford Observer: Stories emerge that Watford are lining up Gracia with Pezzolano exit likely

Deeney: ‘Pezzolano has fallen out with everybody’

Watford confirm departure of Pezzolano and the appointment of returning Gracia

Duxbury: ”We are sure many supporters wish Gracia had never left’

‘Unfinished business’: First Javi Gracia quotes as he returns to Vicarage Road

‘We were building’ – Pezzolano releases statement after leaving Watford

The inside story of why Watford sacked Paulo Pezzolano and rehired Javi Gracia

BBC: Watford have sacked head coach Paulo Pezzolano after just 10 games in charge of the Championship club and replaced him with former boss Javi Gracia.

Sky: Crunch talks were being held on Tuesday and the club hierarchy have now parted ways with Pezzolano, who becomes the 12th manager Watford have sacked in just five years.

Guardian: The Uruguayan is said to have left dismayed by the decision to sack him having guided Watford to a three-match unbeaten run that also included a home win over Hull and a draw at Portsmouth and means they are three points off the playoff places.

7th September 2019- Javi departs and Quique Sanchez Flores returns

Watford appoint Quique Sanchez Flores as head coach following Javi Gracia’s departure

Where did it go wrong for Javi Gracia at Watford?

Gerard Deulofeu and Kiko Femenia thank former Watford boss Javi Gracia

Javi Gracia claims Watford sacking was unexpected

Watford: Quique Sanchez Flores reappointed after Javi Gracia exit

Watford sack Javi Gracia, Quique Sanchez Flores returns

Watford sack Javi Gracia and reappoint Quique Sánchez Flores

Whatever your reaction, to Javi’s departure, it’s surely not surprise.  As countless pub-bore pundits have no doubt already reminded you, this is What Watford Do.  (One might be forgiven for thinking that this is ALL Watford have done, since getting promoted, such is the limited range of opinion of such pundits.  Chelsea, Huddersfield, Fulham, Southampton and West Brom have all had three managers during Javi’s Watford reign, incidentally).

27th August 2019- League Cup Second Round, Watford 3 Coventry City 0

Javi Gracia’s final programme notes.

Goal 1  2  3

Watford beat Coventry City in the second round of the Carabao Cup

Ismaila Sarr helps Watford beat Coventry City in Carabao Cup

Javi Gracia was not surprised by the quality of Watford’s goals against Coventry City

Watford players rated after their Carabao Cup win over Coventry City

Tom Dele-Bashiru insists the Watford players are firmly behind head coach Javi Gracia

Club record signing Ismaila Sarr marked his first Watford start with a goal to help the Premier League’s bottom club overcome League One Coventry in the Carabao Cup second round.

 If there’s something fundamentally wrong at the club then it clearly hasn’t extended to this lot, who made up for a little rawness and rustiness with a performance of refreshing positivity.

Coventry had been given the whole end and their fans had come in droves, which was great to see.

10th August 2019- Premier League, Watford 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 3

Referee: Craig Pawson
Attendance: 20,245

Watford beaten comfortably by Brighton and Hove Albion on the opening day of the 2019/20 season

Poor Watford slump to Brighton & Hove Albion defeat

No excuses from Javi Gracia following Watford’s defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion

Watford players rated after sloppy defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion

A selection of images from Watford’s defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion

Craig Cathcart labels Watford’s defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion as a wake up call

New Brighton manager Graham Potter said his side’s winning start to the Premier League season was a “dream” as the Seagulls put three past a stunned Watford.

Watford – well below their usual standards – had no answers as Potter’s second-half substitutes Florin Andone (65) and new signing Neal Maupay (77) netted in what was a very comfortable opening day success.

If Brighton were not flawless, then Watford barely got anything right. They could not blame the swirling winds, which if anything should have played greater havoc with Brighton’s possession-based approach. After a brisk start they became maddeningly imprecise and it was no shock when they fell behind.

The ground, as is becoming traditional, looks ever smarter after a summer’s work – seats in the Rookery/SEJ corner now, and big screens mounted high on the roof of the stand at each end of the pitch.  New signings Sarr and “England international” Welbeck are presented to the crowd and hysterically received, the former making his way slowly across the pitch without breaking his applause to the stands.  There are new montages on the screens, and then Z-Cars chimes in back in it’s traditional place and the cheer as the teams enter is peppered with grins and high fives and a particularly guttural roar.  Fair play to the club for being honest and brave enough to reverse a bad decision.

The final whistle went to boos from the Watford faithful and, while the Brighton players spent some time celebrating with their fans, the Watford players disappeared pretty quickly.  But, fair play to Deeney, he did his usual lap of the pitch to applaud the fans in each stand and, despite the anger and disappointment in the crowd, he was warmly applauded for it.