Watford sack head coach Ed Still after poor finish to Championship season

Watford have sacked head coach Ed Still after a brief three-month spell in charge, the club confirmed in reports on 3 May 2026. The decision follows a poor run of form in which Watford lost six of their final seven Championship matches, leaving the Hornets to finish 16th in the table — 10 points clear of relegation.

Why the sacking matters

Still was appointed in February on a two-and-a-half-year contract after Javi Gracia resigned. His dismissal makes him Watford’s 11th permanent head coach since the end of the 2020–21 season, continuing a pattern of rapid managerial turnover at the club. For a Championship side aiming for stability, another coaching change will have implications for summer planning, recruitment and the structure of the first-team staff ahead of the next campaign.

What we know about Ed Still’s tenure

Ed Still, 35, was appointed in February following Gracia’s resignation. According to the source, Still’s spell was cut short after a run that saw Watford lose six of their last seven league games. The club’s final position was 16th in the Championship, 10 points above the relegation places. The Guardian notes Still is the brother of Will Still.

• Ed Still appointed in February on a two-and-a-half-year contract (source: The Guardian).
• Sacked after three months in charge (source: The Guardian).
• Lost six of final seven Championship games (source: The Guardian).
• Watford finished 16th, 10 points above relegation (source: The Guardian).
• Still is 35 and is the brother of Will Still (source: The Guardian).
• Still was Watford’s 11th permanent head coach since the end of the 2020–21 season (source: The Guardian).

Context for Watford and next steps

The Guardian account highlights the continuity of managerial changes at Vicarage Road but does not provide details on who will take temporary charge, any internal candidates, or the club’s intended recruitment strategy for a new head coach. It also does not include the club’s official statement or comments from players or board members. Those facts should be confirmed with Watford’s communications before this story is finalised.

Given the timing at the end of the season, Watford will enter the summer period needing to appoint a head coach with enough time to influence pre-season, transfer activity and preparations for the 2026–27 Championship campaign. The sacking further extends a pattern of short managerial spells at the club since 2021.

What happens next

The report does not state who will replace Still or whether an interim coach has been appointed. The club’s next steps — appointing an interim manager, conducting a permanent search or outlining a footballing vision for the summer — have not been disclosed in the supplied source and should be confirmed with official Watford communications.