After such an abject performance by Watford against fellow relegation strugglers, Norwich City, it was always going to be a matter of time before Claudio Ranieri was relieved of his duties.
Sure enough, on Monday evening, after having the weekend to assess the fall out of the defeat against the Canaries, the axe has fallen on the Italian after just three months.
It can’t really have come as any surprise, given that after 13 games and a possible 39 points at stake, Ranieri only amassed seven, the same total as his predecessor, Xisco Munoz, who achieved that total in six games less than Ranieri.
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What it does mean of course is that the Hornets are now on the lookout for their third manager of the season and we are still only in January.
Is it any wonder that Gino Pozzo and his board never seem to see Watford hit the heights, precisely because of the trigger happy nature of the way that they hire and fire managers.
Whomever comes in next will have different ideas, a different way of playing and, if they’re hired quickly enough, may even want different playing staff in situ.
Once again Watford are in a desperate situation, and it’s all of their own making.
Ranieri is a free agent again, and despite not being able to make his mark, he’s unlikely to be out of work for too long.
Claudio Ranieri has been sacked by Watford after just three months in charge, with the club lying 19th in the Premier League ? pic.twitter.com/0VBD1PAbjr
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 24, 2022