Watford close in on 46-year-old manager - he will be 'gone by the first international break' | OneFootball

FLW's Watford fan pundit has given his reaction to reports that Alessio Dionisi is set to become the club's new head coach.

Watford have been on the hunt for a new head coach following the departure of Ed Still last month, but it seems they could be close to a breakthrough in their managerial search.

It was another season of managerial instability at Watford as the club went through three different head coaches — Paulo Pezzolano, Javi Gracia and Still — on their way to a disappointing 16th-placed finish in the Championship.

Still was only appointed in February following the resignation of Javi Gracia, but he was sacked just under three months into a two-and-a-half year contract last month after winning just three of his 15 games in charge, drawing four and losing eight.

It was claimed last month that the Hornets were in talks to appoint Lech Poznan head coach Niels Frederiksen as Still's replacement, but they now appear to have turned their attention to former Sassuolo and Empoli boss Alessio Dionisi.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Watford are "closing in" on the appointment of Dionisi, and the 46-year-old is set to sign a two-year contract at Vicarage Road, with the club said to be hopeful of completing the deal this week.

Dionisi has been out of work since being sacked by Empoli in March after a disappointing second spell at the club that saw him win just five of his 22 games in charge, drawing seven and losing 10, but he fared much better in his first stint with the Tuscan outfit, guiding them to the Serie B title in the 2020-21 season.

After his promotion success at Empoli, Dionisi spent almost three years in charge of Sassuolo in Serie A, while he also led Palermo to an eighth-placed finish in Serie B in the 2024-25 campaign before being dismissed after defeat to Juve Stabia in the play-offs.

Watford fan reaction given to imminent Alessio Dionisi appointment

When asked for his reaction to the expected arrival of Dionisi, FLW's Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie admitted that it is difficult for supporters to get excited about managerial appointments given the constant turnover in the dugout, and he predicted that the Italian's tenure at Vicarage Road could be short-lived.

"Head coach appointments are normally met with apathy among the supporters at Watford," Justin told FLW.

"Whether Alessio Dionisi is the answer to Watford's needs remains to be seen.

"However, head coach tend not to be particularly highly prized among the board at Watford, they're seen as easily removable and disposable by the CEO and owner.

"What Watford need is a head coach that understands the Championship, that gets the competitiveness of the league and can get the best out of the players at his disposal.

"Whether that's going to be Alessio Dionisi or not remains to be seen.

Alessio Dionisi will face familiar Watford challenge as Vicarage Road move looms

Dionisi has had a respectable managerial career in his native Italy, but his most recent spell at Empoli was underwhelming, with the club sitting just outside the relegation play-out places at the time of his exit in March.

Watford chairman Scott Duxbury revealed last month that the Hornets were looking for "coaches who have won leagues and know how to get promoted", so Dionisi would fit that bill having won the Serie B title with Empoli in 2021, while he also has almost three years of Serie A experience under his belt.

However, the Hornets hired another manager with a track record of promotion overseas in Pezzolano last summer, and he lasted just 10 games before being sacked in October, so it is difficult to be confident that Dionisi will get the required time to turn the club's fortunes around.