There's more to Javi Gracia's departure from Watford than meets the eye, says EFL pundit and former Hornets winger Jobi McAnuff.
The Spaniard left the club after just three months at the helm in the wake of Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Swansea, despite the Hornets lying four points outside the Championship play-offs with a game in hand, at the time.
In the latest edition of the BBC’s 72+ EFL podcast McAnuff suggested more might come out regarding the breakdown between Gracia and the club’s board, and thought the coach’s wish to strengthen in the transfer window might have come in opposition to the club’s current operating model of seeking to cash-in on players they have developed.
McAnuff said: "I really feel for Watford supporters, here we go again… it's riduclous the amount of turnover. What's slightly different on this occasion is it's clearly been instigated by him, in terms of saying what he wanted the club weren't willing to deliver. Have the goalposts moved from when he first went in?
"It looked as though this could be the season for Watford to finally get themselves back in among the play-offs. I think as a manager he's probably earned his right to say 'back me, give me one or two players that can come in and compete at this level to keep things going.'
"Look at where they were at the turn of the year, four wins on the bounce, looking like they were going to go (on), it looks as if from that point the wheels have fallen off.
"I think there's a lot to this we haven't seen."
McAnuff said bringing Gracia back six years after an impressive first spell at Vicarage Road had been "a smart appointment" but added: "We don't know what he's been told when he's come in.
"We know their trading model now is develop players, bring them in from abroad, sell them on for a profit. Playing devil's advocate (the board's) argument might be, the job was what it was, it hasn't changed in three months.
"Given they have this model, whether there's a bit of friction there because he's saying 'these aren't the guys who are going to get us in the play-offs,' then the hierarchy saying 'they need to play anyway,' that's the difficult thing.
"Everyone says the owner is ambitious, this would be the season to back him, is this the chance – the season we can make the play-offs, given how open it is.
"I feel like there's definitely more to it than meets the eye."
