‎End of the road for Ed Still at Watford

The moment has arrived for Ed Still to move on from Watford Football Club.

Calling for a manager to be dismissed is never pleasant, but in this case it feels like the right time for both Still and the club to part company.

A run of six Championship matches without a victory, including three games without scoring, has left supporters with very little to cheer.

More concerning than the results, however, is the overall performance level the uninspiring style of play, debatable tactical choices, and consistently flat displays.

That lack of belief was evident throughout Watford’s 3-0 defeat away at West Bromwich Albion.

Luca Kjerrumgaard posed little attacking threat, captain Imran Louza was left out of the starting lineup, and as each goal went in, Egil Selvik and the defence visibly lost confidence.

For the second goal in particular, a self-assured Selvik might have come out to deal with the cross, but instead he hesitated, resulting in confusion and blame among the defenders.

While West Brom had clear motivation in securing their Championship status, Watford’s level of performance simply fell below acceptable standards.

Attention has now shifted among supporters to how far the team could slide down the table.

Not long ago, there was talk of a late push for the play-offs, yet now the reality is that Watford look more likely to finish nearer the relegation places than the top six.

The Ed Still tenure has not been an outright failure expectations were always tempered given the squad’s age and overall quality.

However, the growing disconnect within the squad, and between the players and the fans, is increasingly troubling.

Coupled with the poor run of results, it points towards an impending managerial change.

Whether the board chooses to act before the final two fixtures remains uncertain, but such a decision would hardly be surprising or unwarranted.

The only real consolation is that the campaign is nearing its end and relegation is no longer a possibility.