Prior to the start of the 2019-20 Premier League season, Watford looked far from an outfit that would end up battling relegation. However, just four months into the season, they are on the lookout for a third manager.
Javi Gracia was sacked after a dismal start to the season, following which former manager Quique Sánchez Flores was reappointed as the boss with the hope that he would revive Watford’s fortunes. But having secured just one win in 10 games in charge, he too has been sacked.
According to Sky Sports, former Brighton manager Chris Hughton has been touted as the next manager to help Watford beat the drop.
Having made a name for themselves as a mid-table club, a shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton on opening day served as a reality check. They had an extremely quiet transfer window as Ismaïla Sarr finally joined the club and they also poached free agent Danny Welbeck.
Craig Dawson once again found a way back into the league as the ex-Rochdale defender was brought in by Javi Gracia. Captain and talisman Troy Deeney’s knee surgery and midfielder Étienne Capoue’s back problem only added to their vows.
Chris Hughton has loads of experience in managing Premier League teams. He has secured promotions with Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion. Now, he has been touted as a frontrunner for the job (h/t Sky Sports).
Although he was sacked by Brighton, Hughton helped the Seagulls stay up in their first year back in the English top tier. After a strong start to the 2019-20 campaign, a string of poor performances post-Christmas resulted in Brighton finishing 17th.
With a calm head and previous experience in managing relegation-threatened clubs, Hughton seems like a safe bet.
Right now, Watford must aim to just stay up in the Premier League and after sacking two managers in four months, the board must appoint a manager who has been in a similar position in the past and managed to come out on the right side of the grass.
Verdict
The club are in dire straits and it requires a calm head to get them through it. Obviously, Chris Hughton may not bring about an instant change of fortunes but after being in a similar situation with Brighton and managing to keep them up, he would be the right man to get Watford out of this mess.