Tag Archives: Management Change

26th September 2022- Rob Edwards departs and Slaven Bilic is appointed Head Coach.

BBC Sport: Championship club Watford have named Slaven Bilic as their new boss on an 18-month deal after sacking Rob Edwards just 11 games into his tenure.

Sky Sports: Bilic has signed an 18-month contract at Vicarage Road, replacing Edwards who took charge of just 11 matches during a three-month stint at Watford.

Watford Observer

Watford sack Edwards but sporting director Giaretta stays

Watford appoint Bilic as head coach after Edwards sacking

LIVE REACTION: Bilic new Watford head coach, Edwards sacked

11th May 2022- Premier League, Watford 0 Everton 0 (and Rob Edwards is appointed our new Head Coach)

Before the game it was announced that Rob Edwards, who had just secured promotion to League One with Forest Green Rovers would become our new Head Coach at the end of the season.

BBC Sport: Rob Edwards: Watford appoint former Forest Green boss as manager from 2022-23

Sky Sports: Forest Green chairman Dale Vince accused Watford of “doubling down on deceit” after Edwards left the club earlier on Wednesday; Watford say Edwards “had a contractual provision allowing him to leave Forest Green Rovers at any time to discuss employment opportunities at other clubs”

The Guardian: Edwards is to take over from Roy Hodgson, who will leave at the end of this season. The selection of the 39-year-old former Wales defender marks a significant change in the type of appointment typically made by Watford’s owners, the Pozzo family. He becomes the club’s ninth permanent manager in five years.

Attendance: 20,653

BBC Sport: Watford ended a club record run of 11 successive home defeats and Everton moved a point closer to Premier League safety after a dismal game at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: Chances were at a premium with Ben Foster’s fine save to deny Richarlison in the second period the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock – but Leeds’ 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea edges Everton further away from the danger zone.

The Guardian: After a turgid first half, the most likely source of a goal seemed to come from Watford’s João Pedro, who, like Richarlison, joined the club from Fluminense but has yet to make quite the same impact. Pickford was off his line quickly to beat the lively Brazilian forward to a long through ball a few minutes after the restart. Richarlison then called Ben Foster into serious action for the first time when his goalbound shot deflected off Christian Kabasele.

BHappy: There’s a stoicism about our play. Not much more than stoicism, admittedly, but let’s be realistic… we’ve been falling quickly and any kind of foothold, anything to stay the momentum is welcome. On WhatsApp, my co-editor asks why the League Cup first round is being played in May – and there’s something of that annual landmark’s curiosity about the return to view of some fringe players. Former Evertonian Dan Gosling – whose ability to time runs into the box must surely owe something to having spent two years playing with Tim Cahill – does an inconspicuously disciplined job… scrapping, scraping, getting a foot in. For someone who’s not played all season he’s straight back on his game. So too is Jeremy Ngakia, who is bold and assertive while Samuel Kalu is far more convincing than during his most recent cameo at Molineux. The world doesn’t collapse. We’re doing OK. It is, however, a monumentally terrible game. Quite epically banal stuff, the 1970s supermarket own brand corn flakes of Premier League football. If you’re here for entertainment you’re going to be sorely disappointed

Fran’s Watford Blog: At this point the 1881 had started singing, “We’ve got the ball/We’ve lost the ball”, the latter being a bit on the negative side for me until they followed it up with “We’ll win it back” and, suddenly, everyone joined in and there was a really fun atmosphere. This song went on for about 15-20 minutes. The visitors continued to attack as Gordon tried a shot from distance, but it was an easy catch for Foster. Then a cross from Richarlison bounced off Kalu and into the air, coming down into Foster’s arms. Gordon won a free kick, which he took himself, but his effort was straight at Foster. Lampard made a second substitution replacing Delph with Allan. Doucouré really should have done better after receiving a pass from Iwobi in a dangerous position, but he hit a very soft shot straight at Foster. I must say that it was the first time that I noticed he was playing. Hodgson made his first change bringing Cathcart on for Kalu, who was exhausted. The visitors threatened yet again as Mykolenko got himself into space, but his shot was straight at Foster. The next Watford change involved a surprise appearance by Etebo, “back from injury”, who came on in place of Kayembe. In time added on, the Hornets won a corner which was taken by Sema whose delivery was met by the head of Kabasele, but Pickford was equal to it. Kabasele was then in action at the other end blocking a cross from Gordon. That was the last action of note, so the game ended goalless.

25th January 2022- Roy Hodgson is appointed Manager

Official site: The ex-England national team boss is joined by his trusted assistant Ray Lewington, who managed the Hornets so admirably from 2002 until 2005.

BBC Sport: The club have not announced the length of Hodgson’s contract.

Sky Sports: All parties will assess Hodgson’s future at Watford at the end of the current campaign.

The wonderful football cartoonist David Squires featured Roy’s return in his weekly Guardian strip.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2022/feb/01/david-squires-on-sexy-beast-roy-hodgson-reboot-watford-job

24th January 2022- Claudio Ranieri sacked

Official site club statement

Sky Sports: Ranieri has failed to turn around the team’s fortunes since being appointed in October, with the Hornets dropping into the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season after Friday’s 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Norwich.

Watford Observer: The embarrassing loss was the final straw for club chiefs, who had become increasingly concerned about the Italian’s record, which ends with just two wins and a draw from 14 games in all competitions.

4th October 2021- Claudio Ranieri is appointed Head Coach

Official site: Watford FC is delighted to confirm the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as the club’s new Head Coach, on a two-year contract.

On the day after Ranieri’s appointment The Guardian’s football cartoonist David Squires took our ever changing managers and included them in a strip that also featured the big Netflix TV hit of the time Squid Game.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/oct/05/david-squires-on-squad-game-the-brutal-drama-featuring-watford-fc

3rd October 2021- Xisco Munoz is sacked.

https://www.watfordfc.com/news/club-statement-xisco-munoz

Sky Sports: Watford have sacked head coach Xisco Munoz after less than 10 months in charge, with the club 14th in the Premier League.

From the Rookery End: After another poor Premier League showing at Elland Road, Watford have parted company with their Head Coach Xisco Muñoz. Jon, Mike and DCW got together to discuss the departure, work out why it happened and try to get a handle on what needs to come next.

20th December 2020- Xisco Muñoz Appointed Head Coach

Official site: Watford FC is pleased to confirm the appointment of Xisco Muñoz as Head Coach.

BBC Sport: Former Valencia, Levante and Real Betis winger Xisco, 40, becomes the Hornets’ fifth manager in just over a year.

Sky Sports: Senior club figures have been hugely impressed with Munoz, despite a relative lack of managerial experience. They believe the club has the players necessary to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, but feel a new manager was needed to change tactics and formation, putting an emphasis on attack, rather than defence first. It is expected Munoz will revert to a 4-4-2 formation.

The Guardian: The 40-year-old Spaniard – with an attacking philosophy to his coaching – was most recently manager at Dinamo Tbilisi, where he guided the club to a second successive Georgian league title in 2020.

19th December 2020- Championship, Huddersfield Town 2 Watford 0 after which Vladimir Ivic was sacked as the Hornet’s Head Coach

BBC Sport: Huddersfield capitalised on first-half mistakes by former England goalkeeper Ben Foster and Etienne Capoue to beat Watford.

Sky Sports: Goalkeeper Foster dawdled on a backpass from Ben Wilmot, allowing Isaac Mbenza to chase him down in the box. The veteran’s attempted clearance only ricocheted off the shins of Mbenza and into the path of Campbell who gleefully tapped into the empty net.

Official site: Now, after defeat in West Yorkshire in the second tier of English football, the Hornets are down to fifth in the Championship in the depths of winter and the good folk of the town are facing further restrictions on their freedom amid the introduction of Tier 4 because of a spike in coronavirus cases. The outlook appears bleak, it always does after a defeat, but things will get better. They always do. There will be good times ahead. You have to take the rough with the smooth, put up with the rain to appreciate the rainbow.

BHappy: And then he was gone.

Watford Observer: Watford head coach Vladimir Ivic has been sacked this evening following the 2-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town.

BBC Sport: The Hornets, who have won nine of their 20 Championship games this season under Ivic, are fifth in the table, four points off second-placed Bournemouth and nine off leaders Norwich.

Sky Sports: Before arriving at Watford, Ivic had great success in Israel at Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning the Israeli Premier League in back-to-back years in 2019 and 2020 – ending a run of three seasons without the title for the most decorated club in the country. Before his arrival there, he had also won the Greek Cup with PAOK in 2017 in his first senior management role.

The Guardian: His overly defensive tactics have been unpopular with Watford fans, though, and the team’s style of play has not been easy on the eye.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55283941

15th August 2020- Vladimir Ivic appointed Head Coach

Vladimir Ivić is the new Head Coach of Watford, the club is delighted to confirm. A two-time league winner as manager of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, in both 2018/19 and 2019/20, Ivić also led PAOK to Greek Cup glory in 2016/17.

Official_-Ivić-Appointed-New-Head-Coach-Watford-FC Download

Vladimir Ivic: Watford confirm appointment of new head coach

Things are starting to happen at WD18, so naturally there is a new From the Rookery End podcast! With the arrival of Vladimir Ivić seemingly imminent, Mike and Jon spoke to a couple of experts on his career. Middle Eastern football expert Ben Jacobs and Israel based journalist Raphael Gellar joined the boys to provide fascinating insight into Ivić, his philosophy, career, methods and perhaps most importantly of all, to confirm whether or not Watford fans should be excited by the appointment!

19th July 2020- Nigel Pearson and Craig Shakespeare leave the club

https://www.watfordfc.com/news/club/club-statement-nigel-pearson

Nigel-Pearson-sacked-as-Watford-head-coach-_-Watford-Observer Download

Nigel Pearson has been sacked as Watford head coach with just two games of the Premier League season remaining. The Hornets hierarchy have acted following Friday’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham United which left the club three points above the relegation zone going into the final week of the season.

Watford sack Nigel Pearson and Craig Shakespeare – recap

Watford have confirmed the sacking of Nigel Pearson

Nigel Pearson thanks fans for support after Watford sack head coach

Watford taking a big gamble with Nigel Pearson sacking

Watford sack Nigel Pearson with club just above relegation zone

Nigel Pearson: Former Watford boss ‘overwhelmed’ by support messages

Nigel Pearson sacked after ‘frank exchange’ with Watford owner Gino Pozzo

Nigel Pearson sacked by Watford with two games of season remaining

While the Pozzo family have perhaps turned the club into a laughing stock, they have also turned it into one for whom relegation from the top flight is considered failure

Watford have taken the extraordinary decision of sacking Nigel Pearson with just two games remaining of the Premier League season after he had a disagreement with club owner Gino Pozzo.

Without Nigel Pearson, Watford might have been dead and buried by now – we’ll soon know if dismissal was right call

Nigel Pearson regrets not finishing the job he started at Watford

FTRE image After another seismic day at WD18, from the Rookery End is back, as we try to untangle the events that lead to Nigel Pearson departing Watford FC late on Sunday night. Jon and Mike are joined by David Cameron Walker and The Athletic’s Watford correspondent Adam Leventhal, who discuss what has happened and perhaps more importantly, what has to happen next.