Watford sack Slaven Bilic – and hire Chris Wilder 17 minutes later

Watford unveiled Chris Wilder as their new head coach on Tuesday 17 minutes after confirming Slaven Bilic had been sacked.

Wilder has become the Championship club’s third head coach this season – and their 18^th in 11 years – following the dismissal of Rob Edwards in September, on a deal that initially runs until the end of the season.

After a day off on Monday Bilic held an hour-long player meeting on Tuesday and took training but then was informed of the decision after lunch, and the announcement to appoint Wilder was made little more than quarter of an hour after it was confirmed Bilic was gone.

Bilic is hugely popular at Watford and has been extremely unfortunate with injuries affecting their attempts to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

Owner Gino Pozzo has decided to make another change after a run of just one win in eight league games which has seen Watford drop to ninth and four points outside the play-off places.

It was telling in the statement announcing Bilic’s departure that there were comments from Watford’s relatively new technical director Ben Manga who also appears to have been behind the decision.

“We are all ambitious to succeed this season, so something new is needed quickly while the opportunity of promotion is still real,” Manga said.

“With the January transfer window over to change coach is the only option available to re-energise for the final games ahead.”

Watford made several signings in the January window to try and improve their squad – although they failed to deliver the midfielder and winger that Bilic had asked for.

However the 54-year-old Croatian understands that the run of form has not been good enough and with 11 games left Watford have decided to act. Wilder’s first match in charge will be away to Queen’s Park Rangers on Saturday.

Watford have also sacked Bilic’s backroom staff including assistant Julian Dicks and coaches Dean Racunica and Danilo Butorovic. Bilic was popular within the club and training ground with some staff in tears at his dismissal.

Bilic is understood to be extremely disappointed but clearly not shocked by the decision although there is frustration over the circumstances – with injuries, signings and changes at the club – that contributed to it. However he also understands that results needed to be better and that always left him vulnerable, particularly given Watford’s record of hiring and firing.

Bilic’s last game was the goalless draw at home to Preston and it appears Wilder has initially agreed to take over until the end of the season, presumably to see whether Watford are promoted.

Wilder was most recently Middlesbrough manager but was replaced by Michael Carrick last October. The 55-year-old, of course, led Sheffield United into the Premier League where they finished ninth in their first season in the top-flight.