West Bromwich Albion supporters made their feelings clear with a brutal chant aimed at new Watford boss Javi Gracia before Wednesday night’s Championship clash at Vicarage Road.
The travelling fans broke into chants of “sacked in the morning” as Gracia was reintroduced to the home crowd, mocking the Hornets’ reputation for rapidly dispensing with managers.
West brom Fans Go In Two Footed On Watford
Gracia, 55, was unveiled for a second spell in charge of Watford ahead of the midweek fixture, returning to a club he originally led to an FA Cup final and 11th-place Premier League finish in 2019. His reappointment came after Paulo Pezzolano’s dismissal, the twelfth managerial change at the club in just over five years under owner Gino Pozzo.
The Spaniard’s re-entry to the dugout was met with polite applause from the home end, but Albion’s travelling contingent seized the opportunity to highlight Watford’s infamous instability. As Gracia applauded supporters before kick-off, a chorus of “sacked in the morning” rang out from the away section, drawing laughter from neutrals and groans from the home crowd.
For West Brom fans, the chant wasn’t just light-hearted ridicule. It was a reminder of how frequently Watford’s hierarchy has turned to the reset button, with Pezzolano lasting only ten matches before being dismissed earlier in October. Before him, Tom Cleverley’s short-lived tenure ended in May, continuing a pattern that has seen few managers survive even half a season.
Watford FC confirms the departure of Tom Cleverley as Head Coach.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 6, 2025
Watford Manager Churn Worthy Of Banter
Gracia’s return symbolises Watford’s ongoing struggle for continuity. Since his first departure in September 2019, the Hornets have cycled through a conveyor belt of coaches — Quique Sánchez Flores, Claudio Ranieri, Roy Hodgson, Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilić and Valérien Ismaël among them.
Each brief reign has reflected the same impatient ownership approach that many argue has hindered long-term progress.
Watford Managers Last 10 Years
| Manager | From | To | Games | Won | Drew | Lost | Win % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quique Sánchez Flores | June 2015 / September 2019 | May 2016 / December 2019 | 56 | 18 | 13 | 25 | 32.14 | Took Watford to the semi-final of the 2015–16 FA Cup |
| Walter Mazzarri | July 2016 | May 2017 | 41 | 12 | 7 | 22 | 29.27 | — |
| Marco Silva | May 2017 | January 2018 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 30.77 | — |
| Javi Gracia | 21 January 2018 | 7 September 2019 | 66 | 25 | 13 | 28 | 37.88 | Took Watford to the final of the 2018–19 FA Cup |
| Hayden Mullins (caretaker) | December 2019 | December 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | — |
| Nigel Pearson | December 2019 | July 2020 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.82 | — |
| Hayden Mullins (caretaker) | July 2020 | July 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | Watford relegated to EFL Championship |
| Vladimir Ivić | August 2020 | December 2020 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 40.91 | — |
| Xisco Muñoz | December 2020 | October 2021 | 36 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 58.33 | Watford promoted to Premier League |
| Claudio Ranieri | October 2021 | January 2022 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 14.29 | — |
| Roy Hodgson | January 2022 | May 2022 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 11.10 | Watford relegated to EFL Championship |
| Rob Edwards | May 2022 | September 2022 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 27.27 | — |
| Slaven Bilić | September 2022 | March 2023 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 38.46 | — |
| Chris Wilder | March 2023 | May 2023 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 27.27 | — |
| Valérien Ismaël | May 2023 | March 2024 | 48 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 27.08 | — |
| Tom Cleverley | March 2024 | May 2025 | 59 | 20 | 14 | 25 | 33.90 | — |
| Paulo Pezzolano | 13 May 2025 | 8 October 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 30.00 | — |
| Javi Gracia | 8 October 2025 | Present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | — |
While the chant may have been tongue-in-cheek, it captured a sentiment widely shared across English football: that Watford’s revolving-door culture has become unsustainable. The club has suffered two relegations from the Premier League and continues to drift in mid-table mediocrity in the Championship.
