Relegation-threatened Watford opted for a managerial change just three-and-a-half months after appointing Claudio Ranieri to the job. The sacking comes following a 3-0 home defeat to Norwich City over the weekend. Watford is now 18th in the Premier League table with 15 points, one below safety.
Owner Gino Pozzo previously fired Spanish coach Xisco Munoz in October when Watford was 14th in the league.
The highlight in Ranieri’s short stint as Watford boss was the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester United in November. The 70-year-old Italian has only won seven points during his time at Vicarage Road. Since beating United, Watford has only won a point following a draw with Newcastle on Jan. 15.
Ranieri previously worked in the Premier League for Chelsea, Leicester City, and Fulham. His highest performance was winning the league with Leicester in 2016, despite taking over a team that was the odds favorite for relegation before the season started.
Watford has a reputation for letting managers go easily under Pozzo, with six permanent managers getting sacked over the past four years.
Odds don’t favor Watford’s survival
The Hornets still have 18 games to play during the current campaign. The bookies have another Italian as their favorite to replace Ranieri. Fabio Cannavaro, who was also a target for Everton, is now at +200 to take over at Warford. Frank Lampart is behind at +400, while Paulo Fonseca and Diego Martinez Penas are tied at +600.
Watford sits at -300 to get relegated. Only Norwich at -500 is doing worse in the odds race. Watford is also the second-favorite to finish bottom of the Premier League table this season, at +250. Norwich is now at +110. A bet on Watford conserving their Premier League status is at +200.
