Watford have confirmed the departure of manager Marco Silva following the club’s 2-0 defeat away at Leicester City.

The Hornets have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games following a fantastic start to life under the former Hull City boss that saw them win four of their first eight games.

They now sit 10th in the Premier League table, five points above the drop zone with games against possible relegation rivals Stoke City and West Ham United to come in the near future.

In a statement posted on the clubs website, the club stated that letting Silva go has been a “difficult decision” and “one not taken lightly.”

They added: “The club is convinced the appointment of Silva was the right one and had it not been for the unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival for his services we would have continued to prosper under his leadership." 

Everton to blame?

Silva had been linked with a possible move to Everton after the Toffees sacked former boss Ronald Koeman but the two clubs had been unable to agree upon a compensation fee.

To many, the Portuguese boss had already had his head turned by the allure of coaching the Goodison Park side and that had an impact on his side's fortunes.

Recent reports that aimed to analyse the downturn in Watford's form suggested that a number of players had also been distracted by possibly following Silva out of the club - both with him to Merseyside and others further afield.

That was reflected in the club statement.

The club stated: “The catalyst for this decision is that unwarranted approach, something which the board believes has seen a significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford FC has been jeopardised.

“For the security and success of the football club, the board believes it has to make a change.” 

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Replacing Silva

Spanish boss Javi Gracia is expected to be named as Silva's replacement in due course as the club look to appoint their 10th manager under the Pozzo family since their takeover in 2012.

The 47-year-old has managed a whole host of clubs during his 10 years in management including Almeria, Malaga, Osasuna and most recently, Rubin Kazan.

He departed Kazan before the start of this campaign following a ninth-place finish place in the Russian Premier League last term.

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About the author
Connor Bennett
Everton editor for VAVEL UK - contributing since 2015. Premier League accredited journalist. Journalism graduate from Liverpool. Writing about Football, eSports and the NFL. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ConnorBennett14