It was recently confirmed that the former Hull City boss Marco Silva would be taking over the reins at Watford after the dismissal of Walter Mazzarri.

The Italian was only granted one year at Vicarage Road and, although he managed to keep the Hornets in the Premier League, it was a disappointing season which resulted in a 17th-place finish.

Considering that Quique Sanchez Flores had guided the Hertfordshire club to a 13th-place finish in their first season back in the top flight and was also let go, the Watford hierarchy clearly have grand ambitions.

Could the latest hot prospect in football management be the man to take them to the next level?

Silva was brought in at Hull last season following the sacking of Mike Phelan due to a poor run of results. The Portuguese coach was tasked with keeping the East Yorkshire club in the top division, and although it was a valiant effort he ultimately failed.

However, during his time at the KCOM Stadium Silva did manage to get the attention of the football world as a potential top manager in the making. Hull had only won three league matches before the former Olympiacos boss’s arrival, but then went on to win another six in the division and two in the cup.

Impressively, Silva beat fellow countryman Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in the second leg of the EFL Cup Semi-final, and also toppled Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the league.

It could turn out to be a shrewd decision by Watford to move for the sought-after manager so swiftly, especially while other rival sides are still on the hunt for a new man to take the helm. Crystal Palace have lingered in their search for Sam Allardyce’s replacement, and could lose out on their top targets now that Southampton have joined the chase.

Both sides will be eager to acquire the services of former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who has been plying his trade in the Chinese Super League since being replaced by Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. It is reported that the Chilean is keen to return to the English top flight, and is at odds of 12/1 to make his return at Crystal Palace.

Former Liverpool defender and man with a similar sounding name Mauricio Pellegrino has also been linked with the Palace job, and despite all the speculation, the fact of the matter is that nobody really knows who will take over anywhere until a club has officially announced it.

For those who like to bet on football, they can use their knowledge and assess stats to decide who would win a match, but predicting a manager is more of a gamble. At this time of year, it’s not a bad idea to take a punt on a particular name with a free bet, such as the Betfred £10 get £30 free bet listed by Oddschecker.

By installing their new manager with such haste, Silva now has plenty of time to assess the transfer market, bring in players, and begin pre-season training with his inherited Watford squad. There are plenty of talented players at the London club, but Mazzarri failed to get the best out of them last year.

Watford fans will be encouraged by the way Silva managed to galvanise the Tigers squad when he first took over, and won his first four home games in charge.

But the former Hull boss will certainly also look to add much-needed reinforcements.

Watford had one of the worst goal scoring records in the league last season with just forty strikes. That was merely three more than relegated Hull, and highlights just how much bite their attack is lacking. Silva will seek to acquire players who can supply pace and craft down the wings, and may desire an out-and-out goal scorer to lead the line.

Although Troy Deeney is a club legend, his best performances have been in a support role alongside a more prolific striker.

If Silva can get it right at Watford and deliver their best Premier League finish ever, it could be as beneficial to his career as Mauricio Pochettino’s time at Southampton was to his respective managerial path. It would also stand the Hornets in good stead for being able to continually challenge in the top flight for many years to come.

Posted on June 16th, 2017 by scott
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