Watford Stick With Alessio Dionisi Despite 5-1 Cardiff Mauling and Four Straight Defeats

Watford head coach Alessio Dionisi is expected to be in charge for Saturday's Championship match at home to Charlton Athletic, according to BBC Three Counties Radio, even after a run of form that has dragged the Hornets into the relegation zone.

The club's decision to keep faith with the Italian follows Tuesday night's 5-1 thrashing at Cardiff City, their fourth successive defeat in the Championship, which came on the back of a 4-0 home loss to Burnley. Watford have now conceded nine goals in their past two league games.

Dionisi deflects questions on his future

Asked about his position in the immediate aftermath of the rout in Cardiff, Dionisi gave little away, saying the question was not one for him to answer.

"I don't like this question because it's impossible for me to answer," Dionisi told the BBC. "I take the team on the pitch and during the training - that question is not for me."

The head coach, who had earlier said he was "angry with myself and my players" after the defeat, will now prepare his side for a Vicarage Road meeting with Charlton this weekend.

Why Watford are holding firm

BBC 3CR sports editor Geoff Doyle reported that the club are not changing manager, describing the decision as a surprise given the nature of the recent performances.

"Watford are saying they are going to stick with Alessio Dionisi, which is a bit of a surprise to those of us who were at Cardiff and watched that horror show and also saw the game against Burnley on Saturday [lost 4-0]," he said.

"It felt like he wasn't going to remain in charge because those performances were so poor but it seems like the club want to change the cycle of just rotating managers and being so hasty in dismissing bosses."

From unbeaten start to a relegation scrap

Watford began the campaign with a three-game unbeaten run, including an opening-day victory over Southampton at Vicarage Road and draws away at Wrexham and at home to West Ham, as reported in earlier coverage of the season's opening weeks.

Since then, however, the Hornets have won only one Championship game - against bottom side Preston - and Tuesday's defeat at Cardiff dropped them into the bottom three.

Dionisi was appointed in June on a two-year contract, becoming the club's 12th permanent boss since the end of the 2020-21 season, a turnover of head coaches that the current hierarchy now appears determined to stop adding to.

Anger aimed at the owner, not just the dugout

Doyle suggested that keeping Dionisi in post is unlikely to calm the mood among supporters, whose frustration is increasingly directed at the club's ownership.

"Is this going to appease the supporters? Probably not," he added. "The groundswell of support is against the owner (Gino Pozzo) and how the club is being run."

The unrest has been building for weeks. Coverage on 11 October 2026 reported that Elton John said he was "upset and disappointed" after Watford's 4-0 defeat by Burnley at Vicarage Road, a match in which the visitors had been searching for a first away win in almost a year.

On the club's official podcast, reported on 10 October 2026, executive chairman Scott Duxbury had warned: "This year, no excuses, we've got to achieve our potential and have a successful season. I'm not setting any parameters at this stage but we've got players here who demand it."

With Watford now in the relegation zone and Charlton next up at home, Dionisi's side have an immediate opportunity to halt the slide - and, for now at least, the club intend to let him take it.