Returning Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores clocked on for his second coming at Vicarage Road and claimed: “I feel this is my home.”
Jut 1,120 days after Flores left the Hornets in 2016, only six members of the squad – Troy Deeney, Craig Cathcart, Etienne Capoue, Heurelho Gomes, Sebastian Prodl and Jose Holebas – remain from his one season in charge.
But after the former Atletico Madrid boss took charge of his first training session back at Watford , he insisted it was an “easy” decision to make an encore at the club.
The Hornets dumped Javi Gracia at the weekend after taking just five points from a possible 30 either side of the summer, and Flores, 54, said: “We don’t want relegation.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters / Paul Childs)
“We need to be humble and the first thing is to save the situation. We know the schedule is really bad now, but everything is possible with a positive mentality of the players.
“It was a very easy decision (to come back). I have been a coach for 16 years and the time I spent at Watford I was really happy.
“The moment I left I was waiting for the moment to come back to England. I feel Watford is my home.”
Flores will hold court for the media on Friday ahead of his first game back at the helm – against fellow Spaniard Unai Emery’s Arsenal on Sunday.
(Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
The Spaniard is the club’s 11th managerial change in just over eight years and his appointment was confirmed just 30 minutes after his compatriot’s departure had been announced.
Sanchez Flores, 54, previously guided the club to a comfortable mid-table finish during the 2015/16 season in the club’s first season back in the Premier League.
His return was deemed necessary as the Hornets have managed to score just two goals in the current campaign and have not won in eight league matches – scoring just five times in that period – stretching back to April.
Gracia did guide the club to their first FA Cup final since 1984 but they were humiliated 6-0 by Manchester City , who equalled a 116-year record for the biggest victory in final history.
