Is this the right move?

The Hornets have terminated the contract of the Italian after only a year in charge.

The north London club appointed Vialli to take them back into the top flight but they ended the season a disappointing 14th.

His exit follows the departure of many of the coaching staff, including first-team coach Ray Wilkins.

The Vicarage Road club are in financial trouble after the collapse of ITV Digital and last month's resignation of chairman Elton John.

This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below.

I find it strange that they now decide to sack him when we did have a three year plan to get back to the Premiership. Next season Vialli would have had a better understanding of the division, and with the lack of money they have, the club now has to play up the rest of his contract; strange times. What is going on, the board needs to look at itself, we are in troubled times at the club.
Bob Slann, Australia

Ciao Luca, many of us will miss you. A sad victim of the times football finds itself in. Despite a poor end result to the season there appeared to be the basis of a strong squad lead by a man who was big enough to be able to admit his failings - but always learning with the 2/3 year plan in mind. The Board should be ashamed of themselves!
Al, Melbourne, Australia

It was a bit soon, but I don't think the loss of Vialli is a great one. Managers live and die by their results and he just didn't get them, so he can't have any complaints.

Perhaps even more importantly, he didn't understand the ethos of Watford. It's a club that is unique. Sadly, there's only one Graham Taylor, and Aston Villa have got him.
Richard Evans, Watford, England

I think the board were right to sack Vialli because he has destroyed everything and spent most of the money given to him on unsuccessful signings. Take Ramon Vega for instance; what a waste of money - as Celtic and Spurs fans will agree! He's done nothing for the club and has cost a fortune.
Deano, England

It was right for Vialli to go - he brought in people who were too old, too expensive or too lazy (or a combination of the three). He also sold the bedrock of the team from the previous season and got rid of Jackett and Blisset - so the heart of the football club has gone. What's worse, the board allowed him to do all of this.
Geoff Hall, UK

I partly blame Vialli's demise on ITV digital. Vialli was promised monies to build a new team - unfortunatley the money has run out thanks to ITV digital, hence the Watford board have to cut back on expenses.
Richard, England

Does anybody know where George Graham is?
John Murray, Canada

I am appalled by the sacking of Vialli and his entire staff by the Watford board. By these actions the board have firmly declared their lack of ambition and showed a total lack of respect for its supporters. We are now assured of a relegation struggle from the first match of the season! Vialli made it clear from the outset that he had much to do both on and off the field and I believe he had put many of the foundations in place to assure a successful future.

I am bitterly disappointed by the lack of commitment from Elton John in failing to support the club financially and more importantly in failing to stand by Vialli in his hour of need. Inevitably the gates will fall next season as the club scales down to second division standards once again and I for one will not be purchasing a season ticket. Having supported Watford for 32 years, I feel disgusted at the treatment Vialli has received, especially as he is such a decent man. He deserved better than this and so do the fans.
Paul Rose, England

I was delighted when Vialli signed and am disappointed to see him go but if it brings in a new face with the same ambition without the need for all the backroom overheads then I'll soon get over it. A few more ambitious but realistic heads at the board room table wouldn't go amiss either.
Richard Day, Singapore

The decision to sack Vialli shows the lack of direction among football clubs throughout the country. Of course, the new chairman wants his man, and Vialli was an Elton John appointment, but his sacking smacks of expediency. Too many football decisions are taken with a view to short term gain. How could the board judge Vialli on what he's done when he always said he was hoping to mould a Premiership outfit over a few years? Whatever happened to giving the seeds time to grow?
Juanito V, Bristol, England

The problem was not Vialli who is an honourable, committed, and hard working professional, if somewhat limited in experience and tactical nous. Rather, the problem was with a board that has flirted with delusions of Big Club grandeur and glamour, and which has now frittered away the prudent legacy left by Graham Taylor.

Taylor was attuned to what the club is and what its fans want it to be - the board's vision last season was something different and alien. Contrary to some other observations on this site, I think Watford fans stood by Luca and wish him well, just wrong time, wrong club. Now we need to take stock, reassess where we're going and reclaim our club - maybe belatedly the board are doing this as well.
Brian, Dunstable, England

How can the management fire Vialli after such a short term? Watford's ill's cannot be 'cured' in one season. Give me (or rather give Gianluca) a break! Eddie (An ex-Watford fan...I was a regular at Vicarage Road when Watford were known as the "Blues". Anyone remember those days? Circa 1950...in those days they were bottom of the fourth division, so who are we to berate them now?)
Eddie Coates, USA

As a life long Watford fan I am disappointed but not surprised. The demise of Sky Digital cut short long term planning and now we are put back three years as all the home grown talent and back room staff have gone. Come back Tommy Mooney if it doesn't work out for you in the Premiership!
Luke, Hemel Hempstead

I am not a Watford fan but I did go to most of the home matches last season because my friend bought me a season ticket. In almost every match, Vialli was heavily booed and all I can say is that whether this is the right decision or not, it WAS definitely what the fans wanted.
Matt, England

I have always been a great admirer of Vialli and always will be, to sack him only one year into his three year plan to get us to the Premiership is a mistake in my opinion. Admittedly he made mistakes but he was big enough to own up to them. This is a sad day in my view. Ciao Vialli and best wishes for the future.
Nev, England

WFC are a pretty unusual club, things that don't work at other clubs work at Watford and vice versa. Personally I would like John Ward to take charge. He is the only man who could listen to Graham Taylor with respect while using his own nous and experience to be his own man.
Ron, Milton Keynes, UK

It is easy to jump on the bandwagon now and say I never believed he was the right choice, but I stated when the appointment was made that my reservations were more to do with the egos on the board than the best thing for Watford.

Vialli was a big name, a statement if you like, but was no more proven than the backroom boys of Jackett and Blissett, and there were proven managers apparently available, like John Ward, at the time.

It is easy to say that he had a two or three year plan, but Watford's annual turnover even before the ITV Digital issues was never enough to sustain the massive increase in wages brought about not only by the big name signings but also the large increase in back room staff.

The only way that expense could have been sustained was an immediate return to the Premiership, and having left Watford with a wage structure and a set-up within the clubs limits, Vialli put that at risk.
Neil Sturgess, England

It is impossible to say whether Vialli would have been a success in the longer run, but he was clearly not given enough time. The real problem is the lack of quality directors and, unfortunately, money.

The club supposedly had allowed sufficient funds for a two to three year campaign, but before the ITV digital crisis there were warnings about wages and costs. Clearly the club never had sufficient funds available for a sustained campaign and gambled on quick success.

No one can expect investors to give up large sums of their own money to support a football club, although apart from a few exceptions it is the only realistic way for a club to succeed. However, one should expect more honesty, realism and competence than that demonstrated by the current bunch of directors. It is they who should resign.
Jeremy Wilson, UK

Luca didn't have a good first year. I held out from the outset before I felt I could chant his name following Graham Taylor... I never did chant his name.

Bring on Luther Blisset just the person to lift the club during the crisis - and probably quite cheap too!
Dave Harvey, England

Watford should of never of sacked Vialli. Okay, we had a disappointing season but from the start he had a three year plan so why not wait until then and then reassess the situation? All the players respected him and couldn't wait until the new season gets underway. I'm gutted. He's a great manager and will always stay a great manager.
Andrew Feldman, Watford, England

When Vialli came to Watford, expectations were high and he had a tough act to follow in the form of Graham Taylor who is no less than a legend at Watford. Unfortunately, the expensive players that Vialli brought in did not perform for him, and he admitted that he'd made some mistakes during the season.

However, at the outset Vialli stated that it was a long term project and warned that results would not be instantaneous. I think Vialli was the right choice for our club, and still do. If the financial difficulties that the club is now facing were not apparent, I am sure that Vialli would still be manager and we would be looking forward to the new season.

The finger of blame should be pointed at the Football League who negotiated the contract with ITV Digital. They have totally miscalculated, and all clubs, not just Watford, are now suffering the consequences.

Were Watford right to sack Vialli? I don't think they were, but then I don't have access to the numbers, and sadly, that's what it comes down to.
Mark, UK

Vialli's signing of many foreign mercenaries nearly broke the club spirit. This is a watershed day for Watford: now the supporters can reclaim the club to truly represent and integrate with the town community.
Erroll G, England