If a week is a long time in politics, two months is an eternity in football.
Back in late November, Watford were riding high in eighth place, a 3-0 victory at Newcastle United moving them to within three points of the top four. Marco Silva’s stock was high, and Watford fans were still rejoicing in the fact the club’s board had put their foot down and resisted Everton’s attempts to prise the Portuguese away from Vicarage Road.
The Hornets may have only slipped two places in the table since then, but the picture is suddenly very different in this corner of Hertfordshire. Silva was sacked on Sunday and replaced by ex-Malaga and Rubin Kazan boss Javi Gracia; in a statement explaining the former’s departure, Watford made their reasoning very clear.
“This has been a difficult decision and one not taken lightly. The club is convinced the appointment of Silva was the right one and had it not been for the unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival for his services we would have continued to prosper under his leadership.
“The catalyst for this decision is that unwarranted approach, something which the board believes has seen a significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford FC has been jeopardised. For the security and success of the football club, the board believes it has to make a change.”
Watford, of course, are no strangers to managerial upheaval, and many have expressed the view that the club cannot complain about a lack of loyalty given they have been so trigger-happy in recent years. It is also worth bearing in mind that there are two sides to every story.
Regarded by so many in the game as one of the brightest young managers around and given the bullet so quickly by Watford. Good luck in finding anyone better.....
Nevertheless, this is not a decision Watford will have taken lightly, particularly as they rejected £10m from Everton in compensation and will now have to pay off their former manager. Results have dipped since that Newcastle win – the Hornets took four points from a possible 24 in Silva’s last eight games – and the club hierarchy clearly felt the 40-year-old had taken his eye off the ball after failing to secure a switch to Everton.
It will be interesting to see where Silva ends up. He is a talented coach and will not be short of suitors, but the Portuguese needs to choose his next destination carefully and ensure he remains there for at least a couple of seasons. Since a three-year spell at Estoril between 2011 and 2014, Silva has held four jobs and stayed for an average of just over nine months, something which will not have escaped the attention of prospective employers.
