Watford are poised to dismiss another manager, with Alessio Dionisi expected to be sacked following Tuesday's 5-1 loss at Cardiff, where the Hornets trailed 4-0 at half-time. The result appears to be the final straw for the club's owners, the Pozzo family, who are reportedly set to part with their fellow Italian, according to talkSPORT.
With Watford sitting second-bottom of the Championship, it would rank among the more understandable sackings in the Pozzos' tenure, which has seen 23 permanent managers come and go since they took control of the club in 2012. Some of those managers have even returned for second spells.
Shortest reigns under the Pozzos
Billy McKinlay lasted just two games in September 2014, boasting a 50% win ratio and an unbeaten record after stepping up from first-team coach. He was sacked after only eight days in charge, making it one of the shortest reigns in football history.
Oscar Garcia managed four games in September 2014 but was not sacked; he stepped down due to health reasons. Paulo Pezzolano lasted 10 games from May to October 2025, picking up just three wins before being shown the door. Chris Wilder and Rob Edwards both had 11-game spells, with win ratios of 27%.
Dionisi's record and other notable exits
If axed as expected, Dionisi will leave with three wins, two draws and seven defeats in his 12 games. Claudio Ranieri was sacked after 14 games in the 2021-22 season, while Ed Still was let go at the end of last season after 15 games and just three wins.
Roy Hodgson's 18-game spell in 2022 ended with 13 defeats, as Watford were relegated to the Championship and Hodgson stood down at the age of 74. Nigel Pearson and Vladimir Ivic each lasted 22 games, with Ivic's reign ending despite Watford sitting fifth in the Championship.
Longer tenures and success stories
Slaven Bilic and Marco Silva both had 26-game spells, while Xisco Munoz and Slavisa Jokanovic each lasted 36 games, with both achieving promotion to the Premier League. Giuseppe Sannino resigned after 36 games, claiming he had "gone as far as I can" in the job.
Walter Mazzarri kept the Hornets in the Premier League in his sole season, and Valerien Ismael was axed after 48 games with Watford 13th in the Championship. Sean Dyche was the first manager sacked by the Pozzo regime after 49 games, and Tom Cleverley lasted 59 games before being dismissed after failing to reach the play-offs.
Gianfranco Zola's 75-game spell included a play-off final defeat to Crystal Palace, while Quique Sanchez Flores had two stints, and Javi Gracia's first spell of 86 games is considered the gold standard of Watford's modern era, featuring an 11th-place Premier League finish and the 2019 FA Cup final.
