Sunderland's Championship play-off rivals Watford have made their third head coach appointment of the season having sacked boss Slaven Bilic and installed former Middlesbrough chief Chris Wilder until the end of the campaign. The Hornets were relegated from the Premier League last season and expected to make an instant return to the top flight but are way off the automatic promotion pace and are instead one of a clutch of clubs aiming for the play-offs.
Bilic had won just one of his last eight games in charge and the Hornets had slipped to ninth in the table, four points outside the play-off spots, and just one place and two points above the Black Cats. Former Croatia, West Ham and West Brom boss Bilic had only been in charge at Vicarage Road for six months, having taken over from Rob Edwards in September. Edwards had himself only taken charge in July, and lasted just 11 games in the job.
Watford issued a statement thanking Bilic for his work during his time at the club, with technical director Ben Manga going on to explain: "We are all ambitious to succeed this season, so something new is needed quickly while the opportunity of promotion is still real. With the January transfer window over, to change coach is the only option available to re-energise for the final games ahead."
