Report: Portsmouth Championship rivals set to sack manager after just 12 games in charge
Pompey’s Championship rivals Watford are reportedly set to part company with manager Alessio Dionisi
The Championship is bracing itself for its next managerial sacking.
According to talkSPORT, Watford are set to fire boss Alessio Dionisi after just 12 games in charge.
The reported action comes after the Hornets dropped into the relegation zone following their 5-1 hammering at the hands of newly-promoted Cardiff City on Tuesday night.
The defeat, which is Watford’s sixth in the league this season, stretched their losing streak to four matches, with the Vicarage Road side also registering six loses in their past seven games.
Their only win in that time came against Preston North End on September 8, a result that contributed to Lilywhites manager Paul Heckingbottom being dismissed from his role at Deepdale just days later.
Dionisi, who is Watford’s 24th manager since the Pozzo family took control of the club in 2012, was appointed as the Hornets’ latest manager in June following spells in his native Italy with Empoli and Sassoulo.
His reign in charge got off to the perfect start with wins against Crawley in the Carabao Cup and Southampton on the opening day of the new Championship season.
However, only five points have been collected in the nine league games that have followed, leaving Watford 22nd in the table.
At present, only Derby and Preston have worse records this season.
Pompey, who have played two games less than Watford, are on the same number of points as the Hornets (8), but are two places better off in the standings (20th).
John Mousinho’s side dropped a place in the table on Tuesday following Cardiff’s win.
The Blues, who lost to south-coast rivals Southampton on Sunday, can climb as high as 15th if they beat Sheffield United at Fratton Park tonight.
Defeat at St Mary’s against 10 men saw Mousinho come under fire from sections of the Fratton faithful on social media and elsewhere.
Pompey don’t play Watford until Boxing Day at Fratton Park.