Watford sack manager Flores

LONDON: Watford sacked manager Quique Sanchez Flores yestrday less than three months into his reign following a poor run of results in which the club won only one of their 10 league matches with the Spaniard in charge, the Premier League club said.

Flores, who was reappointed in September for a second spell in charge, is the second manager to be sacked by the club this season after they let go of Javi Gracia four games into the campaign.

“With regret, Watford Football Club confirms the departure of Head Coach Quique Sanchez Flores,” the club, who are bottom of the standings with eight points from 14 games, said in a statement https://www.watfordfc.com/teams/first-team/club-statement-quique-sanchezflores. The club have not announced a replacement but British media reported that former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton was a candidate.

Flores was previously in charge of the club during the 2015-16 season, after which he was surprisingly sacked. He took over from Gracia after his fellow Spaniard won only one point in the first four matches of the season.

Under Flores, Watford’s solitary league win came against promoted Norwich City last month while they beat Championship side Swansea City in the League Cup before being eliminated in the fourth round by Everton.

In the league, he oversaw five defeats — including an 8-0 humbling by champions Manchester City — and his last game in charge was Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Southampton where they let their lead slip in the final 12 minutes.

“Quique is a man of great integrity and it was clear how much he wanted to have a positive impact, but ultimately results have dictated our decision,” Watford chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury said.