Nigel Pearson and his assistant Craig Shakespeare have been sacked by Watford, according to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath and Jonathan Percy. The decision comes with the Hornets still battling against relegation from the Premier League. Themselves, Aston Villa and Bournemouth know that only one of them will survive.
According to a report from Mail Online’s Sami Mokbel, officials at the club were enraged by the defeat to West Ham United, which appears to have prompted the decision.
The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal reports that Hayden Mullins and Graham Stack will take charge for the final two matches.
Nigel Pearson Sacked By Watford
One Season, Four Managers
Watford started the season with Javi Gracia in charge after he had taken them to the FA Cup final in 2018/19. However, a horrendous start to the campaign saw him sacked by the start of September.
Upon his departure, former boss Quique Sanchez Flores was reappointed, and although there looked to be an improvement after his first game ended in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal, his side were quickly brought back down to earth with an 8-0 thumping at Manchester City.
Sanchez Flores lasted just ten matches back at the helm, and after two games in charge for caretaker Hayden Mullins, Pearson was brought in to try and get the survival charge going.
He got his first win in his second game in charge, a 2-0 home success against Manchester United, and a draw at Sheffield United and a comfortable win over Aston Villa got Watford fans hopeful of survival.
Wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth continued the charge, and although a brief dip occurred, they roared back with a 3-0 success against Liverpool, ending the Reds’ magnificent unbeaten start to the season.
Since the Premier League restart, though, the Hornets have been in dire form. They’ve won just twice, against bottom side Norwich City and against Newcastle United, and are now one of the main candidates to go down.
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