Football Betting: Mourinho contacted Watford about manager's job

Championship / Ralph Ellis / 25 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Watford's new manager is a mere 35-years-old but the Special One has been singing his praises and, with Lampard Snr on board, could the Hornets be about to make a big-priced assault on the promotion places?

There's an odd new trend among football managers. They get appointed for a new job, but don't take charge until at least one game is out the way.

Gianfranco Zola did it at West Ham, watching his new team lose what should have been his first fixture at West Brom. Joe Kinnear did the same thing for his first as Newcastle's caretaker - and by the time he went down to give a talk at half time it was too late as they lost against Blackburn. And rumour was that Harry Redknapp would have preferred to have sat out the Arsenal game but was told to get on with it - and ultimately began his Tottenham odyssey with that amazing late fightback.

Now Watford have appointed Chelsea's reserve coach Brendan Rodgers as their new boss. And surprise, surprise, he's going to watch tonight's Championship match at Bristol City rather than take charge of the team.

It's all the more odd because he was in the stands on Saturday to see the 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers which arrested the club's slide down the Championship table so he's had his chance to look and learn. But Rodgers, aged just 35, will leave Malky Mackay to pick the team and won't take over properly until tomorrow in time for Saturday's home game with Doncaster.

So what effect will his appointment have tonight? City are as short as [2.04] to win but don't discount the new manager effect - even if Watford's players are only trying to impress the new feller sat in the stands rather than listening to his half time team talk.

This morning's Daily Mail reveals that Rodgers got the job thanks to a recommendation from The Special One himself. Jose Mourinho contacted Hornets chairman Graham Simpson to sing the praises of the former Stamford Bridge youth coach who had turned down the chance to follow him to Inter Milan. He holds the UEFA Pro licence, and has taken Frank Lampard Senior as his number two.

That's an interesting repeat of Aidy Boothroyd's early days at Vicarage Road, when the ambitious young boss brought in the veteran knowledge of former-Tottenham manager Keith Burkinshaw. It was an explosive mix which took the club to promotion in their first full season, and it's worth wondering about a punt for Rodgers and Lampard to have the same dramatic effect this year.

Lampard senior has not been in the game since he followed Redknapp out of the exit door at Upton Park, but losing his wife Pat last year has tempted him to start working again and the mixture of ambitious young coach and sage old head - with extensive contacts throughout the game, in which he is very popular - could be highly effective. At the very least it will give Watford every chance of signing good players on loan now and permanently in the January transfer window.

Watford might be 21st in The Championship this morning, but are still just ten points away from the play-off places and wouldn't be the first club to zoom from bottom to top in that league. Lay Bristol City tonight, and then Watford are a tempting [60.0] to go up if you fancy a more ambitious punt.

Five things you might not know about Frank Lampard Senior

1. Born in East Ham in 1948, his full name is Frank Richard George Lampard

2. He lost his Dad while he was still a toddler and was brought up by his Mum and grandparents

3. He played 660 games for West Ham at left back, winning two FA Cup medals in 1975 and 1980

4. He scored the winning goal against Everton deep in extra time of the 1980 semi-final at Elland Road and celebrated by dancing round the corner flag - a celebration copied by Frank junior when he also scored at Leeds.

5. Before going back to West Ham as Harry Redknapp's number two, he started his coaching career helping Bobby Moore at Southend.