Favourites to become next Watford boss; club sack manager after just seven games

The favourites to become next Watford boss has been revealed as the club sack their manager after just seven games in charge.

Watford have won seven points from their opening seven league games, with Xisco Munoz’s last match in charge a 1-0 defeat against Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Spaniard replaced Vladimir Ivic in December 2020 and guided the club to automatic promotion from the Championship last season. The Hornets currently sit 14th in the table prior to Sunday’s action.

ℹ Watford FC confirms Xisco Muñoz has left his post as the club’s Head Coach.

— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) October 3, 2021

CLUB STATEMENT:

Watford FC confirms Xisco Muñoz has left his post as the club’s Head Coach.

The Board feels recent performances strongly indicate a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving.

The Hornets will always be grateful to Xisco for the part he played in securing last season’s promotion and wish him well for his future career in football.

No further club comment will be available until the imminent announcement of a new Head Coach.

Diego Llorente returned to the Leeds starting lineup and helped them win their first Premier League game of the season; Christian Kabasele poked home an equaliser in the second half, but it was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.

Player ratings

Leeds: Meslier (6), Firpo (7), Cooper (7), Llorente (7), Dallas (8), Shackleton (7), Phillips (7), Klich (7), Raphinha (8), James (8), Rodrigo (7).

Subs used: Roberts (6), Struijk (n/a).

Watford: Foster (7), Rose (7), Troost-Ekong (6), Tufan (6), Sissoko (5), Femenia (5), Sarr (5), Dennis (5), Sierralta (5), Kucka (6), King (5).

Subs used: Sema (5), Joao Pedro (5), Kabasele (6).

Man of the match: Raphinha.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa: “The amount of chances, the amount of balls we had to attack, made us think we could have scored more goals. But as we defended well, the triumph was never in danger.

“It’s a detail that is very necessary to build victories [clean sheets] and today we avoided that so it didn’t create any danger.”

On Watford’s disallowed goal: “It’s not a benefit [of the doubt], it is an application of a rule.”

Watford manager Xisco: “I don’t think about this [the disallowed goal], I’m thinking about the performance.

“I’m disappointed with the performance. In the first half, it was not on our level, we were a little disordered, we leave big spaces and I don’t agree with the first half. But the second half, there was a little more order, but the capacity for our team was attacking poorly in situations.

“We need to improve. We need to know exactly what is one point in the Premier League, what is difficult about getting the points here and giving more consistency in the performance.

“We can be more ordered, we can stay more compact, we can play more with the same idea. We can give better every day, we can train better, we can improve faster and with the level of the Premier League, this is the moment to take that step forward.”

As mentioned, the top six favourites to become next Watford boss is revealed as the club sack their manager after just seven games…

6) Frank Lampard – 14/1

5) Chris Wilder – 12/1

4) Chris Hughton – 10/1

3) Eddie Howe – 8/1

2) Diego Martinez – 2/1

1) Claudio Ranieri – 1/2

Others listed Paulo Fonseca, Sam Allardyce, Gianfranco Zola, Laurent Blanc and Jagoba Arrasate.

Fans have reacted as the favourites to become next Watford boss are revealed with the club choosing to sack their manager after just seven games…

@Hirtschy: Can a Watford fan explain this decision, 7 points and just promoted, currently in 14th.. not a bad return so far surely? Have I missed something?

@Lcollins99: The players run this club and decide to down tools when they don’t like a manager exactly what happen last few weeks. For a player to come out and say yesterday we had a plan but just didn’t bother doing it saids a lot.

@Iufcliam: That Leeds effect

@AmBigSerge: Is the Leeds effect also getting yourselves relegated again because you still bizarrely think Bielsa is done kind of genius?

@samturner1875: Surely 7 points from 7 isn’t bad what do you expect

@JamesOnTheMic1: You can have Bruce if you’s want?

@Cameronsmart_: Sad to see such a nice guy go, but that’s football. Tactically one of the worst I’ve seen at Championship level, nevermind the Premier League. All the best to him

@TaistoFCB: Surely they are doing it as a joke by now

@GW_94: 3 certainties in life: Death, Taxes and Watford having a new manager every season

@Danny1Lewis: Good. Yesterday was genuinely the worst I have ever seen Watford play, and that includes some pretty dire performances in the early 90’s. Next appointment needs to be right though.

@Stephen_2610: Stinks of panic already. What were the club expecting being back in premier league. So glad @lufc have a plan and are sticking to it. Good luck Watford it might be a long old struggle this season.

@TheTrickyReds20: Hire Ole I beg @WatfordFC

@hornetraider: Thank you @28xisco28 for bringing this club together when it was needed most. You got us back to the top flight and we will be forever grateful. You can be proud of the last 10 month

@AlanLathwell: Gutted for the bloke. I really wanted it to work out.

@ornschaz: The man who got us back to the Premier League, we have that to be grateful for. May of been out of his depth when we arrived there but put some respect on this guys name. Always positive, always smiling, wish him all the best

@RJFox91: Such a weird club

@FI_Blade: Don’t understand Watford. They always get to a point where it looks like they’ve built a solid squad, and then they go and sack the manager. Then the process has to start all over again.

@Jarvo297: i swear they’ve started off the season well though?

@L_BHAFC: What is wrong with your board? He’s got you in 14th with 7 points, couple of bad performances but that happens, you’ve come up with a very different squad then the last prem stint and still doing okay!? Madness

@willreyner: Give John Terry the job

@Joelkeeper1: Deserves a huge amount of credit for rejuvenating the entire club following Ivic, bringing a real togetherness to the playing side and giving us fans something to cheer…. Does seem his lack of experience has been obvious since the start of the new season but wish him well.

@EseaHornets: Thank you @28xisco28 you came in last season and got us promoted. For that you deserve our thanks and respect! Wishing all the best going forward.

Watford have now changed manager in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (three times), 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2019 (twice), 2020 (twice) and 2021. https://t.co/eULqCRC8QO

— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) October 3, 2021

Looking for a new manager eh?? We have one😉 pic.twitter.com/C0Fgj3izrw

— Lil_Top🐍🈯 (@Jr_4KTUTD) October 3, 2021