Football League World
·1 August 2022
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·1 August 2022
Watford have built a reputation for constantly hiring and firing managers in recent years, and in the end it has resulted in two relegations from the Premier League.
Javi Gracia and Walter Mazzarri were in the dugout for the longest period of time in recent memory, but did not receive any patience when things started to get tougher.
Rob Edwards appears to symbolise a change in approach in the Vicarage Road dugout heading into this season, and the 39-year-old seems confident that he will see out the season at the very least.
With player turnover also fairly high in recent years, supporters and even players within the squad are craving consistency.
Ken Sema explained his stance on the club’s approach to managerial changes when he spoke to the Evening Standard.
He said: “Sometimes people are here three months, and they don’t have time to do team activities because they’re focused on getting results.
“We had three coaches in one season, and you can’t really do that to get the results.
“You have to have one game plan, maybe two, but three is kind of a lot – and it was three completely different coaches.”
Sema did not manage a goal contribution in 21 appearances in all competitions last term, and it will be interesting to see where he stands in Edwards’ first team plans.
The Verdict
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1-0 loss 1-0 win 2-0 loss 2-0 win
The Hornets begin their campaign in hosting Sheffield United this evening, after their fellow newly relegated clubs, Burnley and Norwich City, fell either side of 1-0 scorelines in their first outing.
The Blades finished fifth and came a penalty shoot-out away from the play-off final last season, following an excellent resurgence under Paul Heckingbottom, and they do feel like a more organised outfit off the pitch heading into the fixture.
Emmanuel Dennis is still present at Watford, to the surprise of many, heading into the first outing, and with the step down the Nigerian could be devastating in tandem with the likes of Sema and Joao Pedro in the final third.