REVEALED: The Reasons Behind Marco Silva's Sacking at Watford After Less Than 8 Months in Charge

It was announced on Sunday afternoon that Watford had parted company with manager Marco Silva after less than eight months at the helm, with Spaniard Javi Gracia named as his predecessor less than 24 hours later. 

In a statement, the Hornets chastised Everton for their part in the mid-table club's sharp dip in form following the 40-year-old being linked with the Goodison Park role before Sam Allardyce was instated. 

The club claimed that making the decision had been a difficult one, but nowhere did it thank the Portuguese man for his time at Vicarage Road, and according to The Times journalist Matt Hughes, there are several reasons for this. 

The report claims that the Watford hierarchy had aimed to retain Silva's services until the end of the season, but while believing they were sleepwalking into relegation, were forced to make the change earlier than anticipated. 

From their last nine outings, the Hornets, under the watch of the former right-back, recorded just a solitary win and had hauled only 11 points from their last 45 on offer. 

It seemed then that the constant links between Silva and Everton had taken its toll on numerous fronts, with the report claiming that the manager's relationship with the Board was untenable following his continuous pleas to be afforded the opportunity to relinquish his duties in Hertfordshire and take charge on Merseyside. 

However, since that point, relentless requests for unrealistic transfer targets, including the £40m-rated Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, as well as his ostracising of key players seemed too much for the Vicarage Road chiefs to overlook, and while the announcement was only made on Sunday, it is believed the wheels for a replacement were put in motion towards the beginning of this month. 

As cliches go, the 40-year-old had well and truly lost the dressing room, and now it is up to Garcia to reunite Watford once again as they attempt to distance themselves from the Premier League relegation zone.