Ranieri the ‘Tinkerman’ feels the Hornets’ sting
Watford manager Claudio Ranieri was sacked on Monday (Jan 24) after only 14
games in charge of the Premier
League strugglers.
Ranieri, nicknamed the ‘Tinkerman’, was hired in October
to replace Xisco Munoz after the Spaniard’s dismissal.
But the 70-year-old Italian was unable to improve Watford’s fortunes, with the Hornets taking just seven points during his brief reign.
Just 112 days after his appointment, Ranieri paid the price for Watford’s slump into the relegation zone following last week’s 3-0 defeat against relegation rivals Norwich.
Watford are second bottom
of the table, two points from safety, after losing seven of their last eight league games. They are without a victory in nine games in all competitions, their longest winless run since 2013.
Watford’s owners, the Pozzo family, felt they had to act now to give the team a chance as they battle to avoid relegation after last season’s promotion from the Championship.
Ranieri’s Watford reign started ominously after Liverpool thrashed them 5-0 in his first game. Amid talk of player unrest at his methods, Watford’s 4-1 win against Manchester United in Novem
ber was Ranieri’s second and final victory with the club.
The former Chelsea boss departed Vicarage Road having lost 11 of his 14 matches, meaning the Hornets are looking for their 15th manager since the Pozzo family bought the club in 2012.
Watford will hope to have a
new manager in place in time for their crucial showdown at fellow strugglers Burnley on Feb 5.
NEW DEAL FOR FRANK
Meanwhile, it was better news
at Brentford as their boss Thomas Frank signed a new contract running until 2025, the Premier League club announced on Monday.
The 48-year-old Dane, who
was previously assistant head coach under Dean Smith, took charge at the London club in October 2018.
He guided them to promotion last season via the Championship play-offs and they are currently 14th in the Premier League table.
Frank said in a video message on Brentford’s official Twitter feed that he felt privileged to “continue this fantastic journey”.
“We created a lot of Brent
ford history. I’m looking forward to doing my best every single day to try to create some new history with all the fantastic people at the club,” he added.
Frank’s assistant, Brian Riemer, has also signed a new deal.
“They have been integral to the success that we've shared over recent seasons, culminating in achieving our shared target of playing in the Premier League,” said the club’s director of football, Phil Giles.
“We want to continue to take Brentford forward, to compete with clubs far bigger than us, and to see how far we
can progress.”