Will Still’s brother Edward announced as new manager of surprise Championship team

Watford have officially appointed Edward Still, the brother of Will Still, as their new head coach, as talkSPORT previously revealed.

Javi Gracia left his role as Hornets boss at the start of February, departing just three months after returning to the Vicarage Road helm.

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Still has now been confirmed as the next man in the Watford dugout, having signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Vicarage Road.

The 35-year-old hasn’t managed permanently since a brief stint as Kortrijk boss in 2023.

He was sacked after just eight matches, having lost six times to kick off the 2023/24 season.

Most recently, Still acted as assistant to Besnik Hasi at Anderlecht, who was relieved of his duties for the Belgian side earlier this month.

Still briefly took interim charge in the wake of Hasi’s departure, though he oversaw defeats to Royal Antwerp and Genk in his two games.

Watford announce Edward Still

As part of their new head coach’s unveiling, the Hornets revealed interim boss Charlie Daniels will take up the role of first team coach.

Karim Belhocine will also join the club in the same position.

Upon his arrival, Still told watfordfc.com: “I’m absolutely delighted. I’m so thrilled and proud to be here.

“This is a club which has a big place in English football and a fantastic history.

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“All of the focus will be on winning games as quickly as possible and getting the best out of the players.

“Fans can expect our team to be aggressive, really compact defensively and attack with pace.”

“Ed is a coach whom this young group of players will quickly identify with,” added Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Scott Duxbury.

“Ed’s appointment was made on the conviction that this is a coach whose modern and progressive coaching methods fit perfectly with our squad dynamic, who we believe will take the team forward, and who gives us a real chance to challenge for the play-offs.

”We are delighted Charlie Daniels has accepted Ed’s invitation to be part of his coaching staff, as we are really grateful for the job and work he did in the interim period.

”He quickly earned the respect of the technical department and the players, and his promotion maintains that link with the academy.”

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Gracia’s exit

Gracia, in his second stint as Hornets’ boss, resigned from the club following a 2-0 defeat to Swansea.

“The club is sad and disappointed to confirm the resignation of Javi Gracia as Head Coach,” a statement read on Watford’s website earlier this month.

“We retain the belief Javi was the right man to lead the club towards its push for promotion, but Javi felt he no longer had the motivation and was not the right man to continue coaching this exciting group of young players.”

Former Bournemouth full-back Daniels took charge of Watford’s 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, a result that extended their winless run to six matches.

The dip in form has impacted Watford’s playoff push, with the Hornets now three points off sixth-placed Wrexham, having dropped to 11th.

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Daniels reflects on Saints loss

“I thought it was another good performance, especially in the first half,” Daniels said following the defeat on the south coast.

“I thought our levels dropped in the second half, which allowed Southampton to come back into it.

“We created loads and loads of chances, we just couldn’t put the ball into the back of the net.

“We haven’t worked the goalkeeper enough. The players know that – I’ve told them after the game.

“We talk about accountability. It’s not only out of possession, tracking your man and doing all the dirty work, it’s also about when you get a chance, be accountable.”

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Keep your ‘Ed up

Still’s first game as Watford boss will come on Saturday when the Hornets make the trip to Preston.

Preston, like Watford, are also hoping to secure a playoff finish and sit level on 47 points with Wrexham, having ended a four-game winless run with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth at the weekend.