Former Leeds United manager says he actually had an interview to take over at Watford

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Watford have become a running joke as a club who chop and change managers every five minutes.

Some fans want Paulo Pezzolano sacked already after a dreadful start to the season that continued with a loss against Millwall, meaning that gag could continue.

Since the Pozzo family’s Vicarage Road takeover in 2012, the Hornets have had 19 permanent managers and 21 in total, if you count caretaker bosses.

Plenty have applied and been unsuccessful in getting the job, including one former Leeds United boss.

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Sam Allardyce had an interview to become Watford manager

Sam Allardyce is a manager familiar to all across the Football League after working for a variety of clubs ranging from Notts County to Bolton Wanderers, and more recently, Leeds.

Labelled as a ‘journeyman manager’ alongside the likes of Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis, it would be no surprise to hear that Allardyce was once interviewed by Watford to take over at Vicarage Road.

Speaking on his No Tippy Tappy podcast, he said: “I had an interview at Watford before. I think Nigel [Pearson] took it after me instead of me. But I didn’t think personally, it wouldn’t suit me with the relationship between the board and me.

“As I’ve said many times, all my success has been shared with great communication at board level and help as well as with the staff that I work with and the players.

“So that has always been a big part of when I get interviewed about, well, I think we can communicate together, not be friends, but communicate for the right reasons.

“People will be amazed to find out how much that’s a difference between them and us sometimes, where the battle against those is to detriment to the football club and the team, and you’re the ultimate sacrifice.”

Who could be the next Watford manager?

Pezzolano has only been in charge for four months, but that is the equivalent of two years at any other club.

Options will be limited, and the Hornets like to pull out a surprise name here and there.

The two standout candidates available would be Gary O’Neil and Danny Rohl.

O’Neil had an interview with Leicester City but was snubbed for the job while Rohl left Sheffield Wednesday before the start of the season.

Rohl may be more hesitant to take the job after working under one controversial owner already, while O’Neil may fancy his chances elsewhere.