Walter Mazzarri has now left his post at Watford following the final game of the season – despite securing the Hornets another year in England’s top flight – which initiates the club’s search for their ninth manager in five seasons.
Mazzarri reportedly polarised the group with his old-fashioned disciplinarian approach where his struggle to get to grips with the English language also posed as an issue for those in the changing room.
With Watford effectively a revolving door for managers, stability is needed for the club who has not been able to hold onto a manager for longer than 11 months, and here are the potential candidates to take the reigns at Vicarage Road:
1. Marco Silva
With half a year of Premier League experience under his belt Silva is primed for another campaign in the top flight and is a free agent this summer following Hull City’s relegation.
The 39-year-old was lauded by the Hull faithful after coming so close to securing the Tigers Premier League status, after taking over a side which looked lost under Mike Phelan. Victories recorded over Liverpool, Manchester United and West Ham showcase the Portuguese mangers’ ability to contest clubs in the top half of the table.
However, Silva did not successfully manage to save Hull from the drop which could raise questions for the Watford hierarchy, but with an arguably better squad at his disposal at the Hornets – Silva could prosper by having a full pre-season to prepare.
2. Claudio Ranieri
The former Leicester City manager’s heroics at the Foxes is well documented but following what was considered one of the harshest sackings of all time, the Italian is yet to find a new home and could transition nicely into the Watford set-up.
The 65-year-old is a firm favourite to land the job and he is known to be a friend of the Pozzo family, but could be put off by the owners trigger-happy approach which has seen eight managers come and go in five years.
However, Ranieri has been linked with a move back to his native Italy and his wage demand could put the Hornets owners off.
3. Leonid Slutsky
Leonid Slutsky has long expressed his desire to manage in England’s top flight where he could be the first Russian manager in the Premier League.
The 46-year-old has had intense English lessons for the past three months and has resided in London since January as he seeks to get his English skills to a level which is needed to manage in the country.
Slutsky led CSKA to three Russian titles in four seasons with a win percentage of 57.58% and guided the Russian national team to four straight victories which secured qualification for Euro 2016, and his hatred of losing could translate into Watford who need to find stability under the Pozzo ownership.
4. Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew has been without a job since Christmas last year after being sacked by Crystal Palace but impressive stints at the Eagles, Newcastle and Southampton have returned relative periods of success for the 55-year-old who admits he is looking for the right project.
Pardew has reached the FA Cup Final twice as a manager and led Newcastle back to European football after a five year absence, where his wealth of experience within English football could offer the stability the Hornets are looking for, in both the managerial position and the changing rooms.
5. Nigel Pearson
The former Derby County and Leicester City manager has been without a club since leaving Championship side Derby just five months into his three-year contract after reportedly falling out with owner Mel Morris.
With controversy never too far away from the 53-year-old, Pearson may not be the best fit for the Watford ownership but with over eleven years of managerial experience and Premier League know-how Pearson is capable of keeping the Hornets core group of players together as they look to move further up the league table.
6. Stefano Pioli
In the job for only seven months, Pioli was sacked by Inter Milan recently after seven games without a win, despite winning 12 of his first 16 matches at the club.
The 51-year-old led Lazio to their third Serie A title two years ago and has averaged 1.67 points per game in his last three seasons as a manager.
Despite the Italian overseeing more than 500 games as a manager in Italy – and is also a target for Serie A side Fiorentina – a lack of experience across Europe may cause his name to be pushed down the pecking order but the Watford owners are known to blood managers without experience of the Premier League.
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