Watford head coach Javi Gracia has resigned after just over three months in the job following their 2-0 defeat by Swansea City.

Gracia, who only returned for a second spell at Vicarage Road in October, called for a meeting with club owner Gino Pozzo following Saturday's loss, saying the team were in a "very difficult moment".

"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," a club statement said., external

"We respect his decision and accept his wish to leave Vicarage Road with immediate effect."

Gracia departs with Watford in 10th place in the Championship, four points adrift of the top six and with an away trip to third placed Hull City on Tuesday.

Charlie Daniels, Dan Gosling and Adrian Mariappa are set to take over the reins for the trip to face the Tigers.

The 55-year-old Spaniard led Watford to 11th in the Premier League and an FA Cup final during his first spell in charge, but oversaw just 21 games in his second stint at the club.

He returned to Vicarage Road following the short reign of Paulo Pezzolano and enjoyed a good start, winning eight and losing just three of his first 16 matches in charge.

But results have taken a turn for the worse since the start of January and Gracia called time on his tenure after the defeat against Swansea left the Hornets without a win in four games.

Folowing that loss, Gracia stated he was unhappy with the state of the team and also hinted he was unhappy with a lack of activity in the January transfer window.

"I want to speak with the owner and to know how they feel because I'm really disappointed with the level of the team, the situation of the team and maybe the future of the team as well," Gracia had said in the aftermath of their defeat.


This has been brewing since the beginning of January when the transfer window opened. Gracia was hoping for some experienced, senior players to add to his squad. He didn't get them and his frustration has been building.

It's coincided with a run of four league games without a win which came off the back of four wins in a row at the end of December. At the same time injuries have kicked in and there have been some squad players Gracia simply didn't rate.

He's indicated that he has been let down although having been at Vicarage Road before he must have known what he was letting himself in for.

Where does this leave Watford? Where it always does - looking to find a good head coach who can work with the club and the trading model it follows.

It means fielding a lot of young, inexperienced players and hoping they will be good enough to deal with a demanding Championship.

Rumours are starting to spread the Andrew Nester could be on his way out the door after a long list of bad decisions. Though a long way from being reputable sources, there does appear to be a fair few of them, so who knows. Personally would I be super disappointed, I have to say not at all, after Lai he is the only thing which connects all the bad things and poor decisions made at the club for quite a while.

2 points for correct result
4 points for correct score
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score   (correct score on a joker would give you 8 points)
Wrong joker result gives you minus 2
Correct Badger gives you 2 points

The prize for winning the league is one rep point.

Cup games: In the event of a draw, it's half the points if you've predicted a draw when it gets to 90 mins and the full points if it's still a draw after extra time. Half the points will be awarded for correctly predicting the winner of the match if it goes to penalties. However, if you do predict a draw and it's a match that won't be going to a replay, you can get a possible extra point by stating which of the two teams you think will eventually win.

Random score generator: I will be using the random score generator again for those who miss predicting, so we shouldn't get some people too far behind that after missing a couple of weeks they lose all interest, because I know it's not easy getting on here every week.
To be fair to everybody, this is going to be like, say if three people in one week miss their predictions, the first one in the table will be given all 0-0, the second one down the line will get 1-0 and the third will get 0-1 and so on, like if there's four missing the 4th will get 1-1, then 5th 2-1, 6th 1-2. and if there are so many missing, might as well pack in.
And if you miss two weeks on the trot, I'll stop until you come back on again. Not doing it for half a season like I did t'other year.  


At the end of the season, the winner of group 2 and the bottom of group 1 will swap places in what is commonly known as "promotion" and "relegation". It's something that most football fans will be familiar with, unless you're a fan of Liverpool or Arsenal or one of those other fashionable clubs.

The second placed player in group 2 will then have a play off with the player who finishes second from the bottom in group 1 to decide whether they will be going up, down or staying where they are.

We're going to have two seasons in one though, just to try and make it a bit more interesting and not so long drawn out. The first season will end on the Boxing Day fixtures, with the play offs being on the dates of the Twixtmas fixtures and the NYD fixtures.

The second season will start the following week, which is usually the FA Cup 3rd round, finishing on the last game of the League One season. Then another period of relegation/promotion play off games, taking in such fixtures as the EFL play offs, FA Cup Final, UEFA finals and such like.

Each group will have it's own set of fixtures. Both groups will have the Town games, with scorers to predict as before. Then it will be a split of League One fixtures and bonus matches, hopefully around ten, eleven or twelve games per Matchday.

The random badger is restricted to three goal scorers in any of the fixtures in your group.

Here's how that will appear at the end of the fixture list. All you have to do is fill in the blanks.......


*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

Any of those will score two points if correct. No minus points for getting it wrong.

Postponed matches will only count if the match is re-played before the next Matchday is under way. Abandoned matches will be awarded half the points for the score at the time of abandonment, so 1 point if you have the correct result, 2 points if you have the correct score.

Substitute or scorer in one of the Town games:- These will be only be allowed if you change them before the match involved has kicked off.

Prediction League Archive: https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=12830

Division One table after Matchday 4:

1. Baggiebob(BBB) = 91 pts
   
2. neonfoxinthebox = 79 pts
   
3. ritchiebaby = 73 pts
   
4. jjamez = 72 pts
   
5. theo_luddite = 69 pts
   
6. Lord Snooty = 64 pts
   

Saturday February 7th:
League One:
Town v Blackpool (15:01)
Town scorers:
Blackpool scorers:

Luton Town v Bradford City (12:31)
AFC Wimbledon v Reading
Mansfield Town v Exeter City
Peterborough United v Wigan Athletic
Plymouth Argyle v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Leyton Orient
Wycombe Wanderers v Doncaster Rovers

Sunday 8th February:
Premier League:
Liverpool v Manchester City (16:30)

Tuesday 10th February:
EFL Trophy quarter finals:
Town v Doncaster (19:00)
Town scorers:
Donny scorers:

League One:
Stevenage v Barnsley

Scottish Premiership:
Hearts v Hibernian (20:00)

Championship:
Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion (20:00)

*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

1. themaclad = 82 pts
   
2. St Charles Owl = 74 pts
   
3. Devongone = 62 pts
   
4. SHEP_HTAFC = 56 pts
   
5. Amelia Chaffinch = 46 pts
   
6. WakeyTerrier = 46 pts
   

Saturday February 7th:
League One:
Town v Blackpool (15:01)
Town scorers:
Blackpool scorers:

Port Vale v Burton Albion (12:31)
Bolton Wanderers v Barnsley
Northampton Town v Stevenage
Rotherham United v Cardiff City
Wycombe Wanderers v Doncaster Rovers

Championship:
Preston North End v Portsmouth

League Two:
Bristol Rovers v Chesterfield

Sunday 8th February:
Championship:
Swansea City v Sheffield Wednesday (12:01)

Premier League:
Liverpool v Manchester City (16:30)

Tuesday 10th February:
EFL Trophy quarter finals:
Town v Doncaster (19:00)
Town scorers:
Donny scorers:

League One:
Mansfield Town v Peterborough United
Wigan Athletic v Reading

*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

Gamball:
Derby - Ipswich

Others:
Bournemouth - Villa
Burnley - West Ham
Fulham - Everton
Newcastle - Brentford
Southampton - Watford
WBA - Stoke
Wrexham - Millwall
Luton - Bradford
Liverpool - Man City

Having done unto Derby last Friday what everyone else has spent the season doing unto us, Albion's last-gasp goal secured a point and (more importantly) an end to the relentless procession of humiliation on the road. But whether that achievement was a mere lucky blip or the first step in turning the corner, we're liable to find out with tomorrow's trip to the south coast to face Portsmouth.

Sadly it's unlikely to be the cakewalk our last visit proved, with Pompey having lost only one in eight, including four games unbeaten at Fratton Park and no more than one goal conceded in each of their last eight at home. That's in spite of at least seven injuries hampering their squad, with question marks over a further two players for Saturday; Albion meanwhile have now lost Karlan Grant to the treatment table, presumably placing great weight on young Iling-Junior to step up.

I don't expect a goal avalanche here, and if one occurs then it's likely to be at our expense. As at Pride Park, keeping it tight and staying in the game increases our chances of coming away with something positive; we may not be in the territory of must-win games just yet, but this certainly qualifies as Must Not Lose, and a lot is riding on Eric Ramsay's ability to deliver that objective.

Morecambe have announced the departure of manager Ashvir Singh Johal by mutual consent, with the team sitting second from bottom in the National League.

The Shrimps won just five out of 28 league games under Johal and are five points adrift of the safety line with 18 games remaining.

Johal took charge following Panjab Warriors' takeover last August, becoming the first Sikh to manage a British professional team.

His appointment came after a chaotic period which saw them relegated from the English Football League, while off-field issues plagued their pre-season and led to their suspension from the National League.

"Ashvir joined the Shrimps during a challenging period and has worked tirelessly alongside his staff to stabilise the squad, integrate new players, and represent the club with professionalism and integrity both on and off the pitch," Morecambe said in a club statement.

"The board would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Ashvir for his commitment, dedication, and the way he has conducted himself throughout his time. He leaves with our best wishes for the future."

Assistant manager Lee Tomlin and first-team coach Neil Wainwright will take charge while Morecambe begin the process of finding a new manager.

Having swiftly assembled a squad to contest the 2025-26 season, Morecambe battled to a 2-1 win at home to Altrincham to kick their campaign off.

Since then they have been on the receiving end of 17 league defeats and Johal's departure follows a five-game winless run in the National League as they look to avoid successive relegations, which would take them into regional football for the first time since 1995.


SORRY COULDN'T RESIST IT

Club captain Gareth Dean has been named interim manager by Brackley Town following Gavin Cowan's move to League Two side Shrewsbury Town.

Dean scored at Wembley when Brackley won the FA Trophy in 2018 and last season made 42 appearances as they won promotion to the National League.

The 36-year-old has played 24 games so far this term, helping the Saints to 15th in the table going into Saturday's game with Sutton United.

Dean will be assisted by Alastair Worby while the club searches for a permanent replacement for Cowan, who had been in charge since May 2023.

I think we all feared the worst the way Grant went down in the last game. well the club have now confirmed up to three months with a hamstring tear. So that is him for the season one of our more 'productive' players. Well I get my old age pension in two weeks, but I guess I better see if my boots still fit and does anyone have a pair of lungs I can borrow, legs would be useful too if anyone has a spare pair.

Brackley Town manager Gavin Cowan has been appointed Shrewsbury Town's new head coach, replacing Michael Appleton at the League Two club.

Cowan is a former Salop defender and made 30 appearances for the club between March 2005 and January 2007.

The 44-year-old has been with National League side Brackley since May 2023 and took the club up to the fifth tier in 2024-25 by winning the National League North title.

He will be assisted at Croud Meadow by former Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Dave Edwards and Cowan's number two at Brackley, Jamie Haynes.

"It's an honour and a privilege to be Shrewsbury Town's head coach," Cowan told the club website., external

"The last few days have been a whirlwind, but I'm incredibly excited about the challenge ahead and the opportunity to represent this special football club once again."

Shrewsbury parted company with Appleton on Wednesday with the club two points above the relegation zone in League Two after a run of one win in 11 matches.

The club said they had agreed a "compensation package" with Brackley to facilitate the appointment.