Watford sack Rob Edwards after 10 games in charge; Slaven Bilic named replacement

Watford have sacked manager Rob Edwards after just 11 games in charge of the club. Watford have endured a difficult to their season, currently sitting 10th in the Championship after 10 games.

A statement from the club read: "Watford FC has relieved Rob Edwards of his duties as Head Coach. The Board of Watford Football Club wishes to place on record its thanks to Rob for all of his work since his appointment and wish him and his assistant Richie Kyle – who will also leave the club – all the very best for their future careers in coaching and management.

"The Hornets will confirm its newly-appointed Head Coach in due course."

But just 16 minutes after releasing this statement, the club appointed former West Ham and West Brom head coach Slaven Bilic as the manager of the club.

Watford were relegated from the Premier League last season and could only muster 23 points, finishing 19th. The Hornets had three managers over the course of the season in Xisco Munoz, Claudio Ranieri and Roy Hodgson.

Rob Edwards was brought in at the start of the season in controversial circumstances from Forest Green Rovers, whom Edwards led to a League Two title. He won just three of his first 10 games in charge, with 5 draws in two defeats. Watford were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League One side MK Dons.

Edwards' last game in charge at Vicarage Road was a 2-2 draw against Sunderland where the players were booed off the pitch by the home supporters.

“As with all decisions taken by the Board, I believe this change to be in the best interests of the club,” says Hornets’ owner Gino Pozzo of the move. We felt Rob had enough time to show us the identity of his team, however performances haven’t reflected our hopes and ambitions."

The club's owner Gino Pozzo said: "As with all decisions taken by the Board, I believe this change to be in the best interests of the club. We felt Rob had enough time to show us the identity of his team, however performances haven’t reflected our hopes and ambitions."

“Now we must move forward, and, in Slaven Bilic, we have secured the services of an experienced coach who has recent experience of promotion to the Premier League.”

Slaven Bilic will become the 5th manager at Vicarage Road in the past 12 months and the 17th permanent boss of the last decade. After Sean Dyche left the club in 2012, Gianfranco Zola, Giuseppe Sannino, Oscar Garcia, Slavisa Jokanovic, Quique Sanchez Flores, Walter Mazzarri, Marco Silva, Javi Gracia, Nigel Pearson, Vladimir Ivic, Xisco Munoz, Claudio Ranieri, Hodgson and now Edwards have all been in the top job at Vicarage Road.

Bilic has a track record of managing in 6 different countries, while his notable achievements in England are guiding West Ham to a 7th-place finish in 2015/16 and leading West Brom into the Championship in 2019/20.

The Croatian manager has signed an 18-month deal and will likely take charge of the Hornets on their trip to Stoke on Sunday.