(Football news) Premier League club Watford have sacked manager Claudio Ranieri after less than four months in charge as recent results at the club have left them fighting for relegation. The decision to part ways came after the club dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season after losing 3-0 to Norwich City and losing seven of their last eight league matches under the Italian manager.
It was evident that results weren’t going the way neither the manager nor the club’s board wanted as Watford are without a win in their last nine matches, having lost eight and drawn 1, the longest run without a win since December 2013. The 3-0 result against Norwich City was the biggest win for the Canaries since defeating West Brom 4-0 in May 2013 and their biggest away victory since September 1993 when they defeated Everton 5-1. Watford’s last win came against Manchester United (4-1) at Vicarage Road which led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In a statement confirming Ranieri's departure on Monday evening, Watford said: "The Hornets' board recognises Claudio as a man of great integrity and honor, who will always be respected here at Vicarage Road for his efforts in leading the team with dignity. However, the board feels that, with nearly half of the Premier League campaign remaining, a change in the head coach position now will give a new appointment sufficient time to work with a talented squad to achieve the immediate goal of retaining Premier League status. No further club comment will be made until this new appointment is confirmed in due course."
The sacking comes at a good time for Watford whose next match is against Burnley on February 5th, which means they have plenty of time to find a successor. Roy Hodgson is amongst the names that have been linked to the job and would be the 15th managerial appointment for Watford since the Pozzo family’s takeover in 2012. After his final match against Norwich, Ranieri said “I'm not worried about the future. I'm calm and want to react – me and my players. I have the passion, I want players with the heart and to think about what Watford is for the people of Watford.” When asked if he was confident of turning the situation around, the Italian said “Yes I'm very confident."
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