Alessio Dionisi faces increasing pressure following Watford's 5-1 defeat away at Cardiff City on Tuesday night.
Dionisi, who is the 22nd manager of the Gino Pozzo era, got his Watford career off to a winning start against Southampton on the opening weekend, before overseeing respectable draws against Wrexham and West Ham United.
However, they have won just once in their last seven Championship games and their defeat at Cardiff was their fourth in a row.
The Hornets have subsequently dropped into the relegation zone after picking up just eight points from their opening ten matches, and while the Italian manager is set to be in charge when his side welcome Charlton Athletic on Saturday afternoon, defeat could see his reign come to an end.
Here are our top five contenders to be the next manager of Watford in the event that Dionisi is dismissed.
Next Watford Manager Contenders
Erol Bulut
Former Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut has been linked with the Watford job before and he's been out of work since parting ways with Turkish outfit Antalyaspor in December 2025.
He oversaw a reasonable 2023/24 campaign with the Welsh outfit as he led the Bluebirds to a 12th placed finish in the Championship, but he was dismissed just weeks into the subsequent term after an underwhelming start.
Bulut isn't blessed with experience in English football, but the Hornets have never been shy in appointing left-field candidates.
Carlos Corberan
Carlos Corberan left West Brom to take the Valencia job in December 2024. He steered the club away from relegation in the 2024/25 campaign and oversaw a much improved ninth placed finish in the 2025/26 campaign, but he was dismissed after an underwhelming start to the new season.
The Spanish coach was in demand after making an instant impression at the Hawthorns and he was renowned for his modern and tactically progressive style.
The 43-year-old is unlikely to be short of offers in the coming months and it would be quite a coup if Watford could appoint him.
Paul Heckingbottom
Paul Heckingbottom could be a potential option if Watford are in the market for a manager with Championship experience.
The 49-year-old manager was sacked at Preston North End in September after the Lilywhites lost six of their first seven 2026/27 Championship games, and he may be keen to go straight back in.
He has a Championship promotion on his CV from his time at Sheffield United and he may feel as though he's still got plenty left to prove.
Niels Frederiksen
Niels Frederiksen has been linked with various jobs in England in recent years and you could argue that his stock has never been as high.
The Danish manager is currently in charge at Polish side Leck Poznan, where he has won back-to-back Ekstraklasa titles.
Lech Poznan are playing in the Europa League this season and it remains to be seen whether the 55-year-old would want to trade European football for the second tier of English football.
Dave Challinor
Dave Challinor is on the market after parting ways with Stockport County following the club's League One play-off final defeat to Bolton Wanderers in May.
Challinor's record as a manager is an impressive one after achieving a play-off finish or better in each of his 15 full seasons as a manager.
Watford's track record with managers may be unappealing for any manager trying to build their CV and reach the top, and so Challionor may want to consider his options carefully.
