There’s a fairly strong argument for Another One Bites the Dust, as Freddie Mercury so memorably put it, to be the anthem for Gino Pozzo’s Watford reign.

Walter Mazzarri’s Vicarage Road departure sees him become the eighth manager to take his leave during Pozzo’s five years at the club.

Whether it be the managers opting to walk, or Pozzo swinging the axe himself, there seems to be something about the Hertfordshire hot seat which leads managers' stays to be fleeting.

In defence of a model which has seen the average life expectancy of a manger drop to just under nine months, Watford are in a far better place than when Pozzo arrived on these shores.

He has provided a steady hand on the rudder to help propel Watford back into the Premier League and top flight stability.

Watford’s football has fluctuated form sublime to stagnant, but the overall health of the club is in good shape, despite the constant managerial upheaval.

But who are the eight men who have been and gone in Pozzo’s time?

Sean Dyche: June 2012 – July 2012

Watford Observer:

Never Pozzo’s man, Dyche left the club shortly after the change of ownership as the Italian looked to stamp his own image on Watford.

Gianfranco Zola: July 2012 – December 2013

Watford Observer:

Taking over in July 2012, Zola would go onto lead the Hornets to within one game of the Premier League after taking Watford to the play-off final at the end of his first season.

A 1-0 defeat, which came via Kevin Phillips’ extra time penalty, ensured the Promised Land would remain just out of reach for the Vicarage Road club.

The likeable Italian delivered one of the greatest moments seen at the Vic as Troy Deeney’s dramatic late volley sent the Hornets to Wembley moments after Manual Almunia had saved Anthony Knockaert’s penalty.

Watford’s run to the showpiece match saw the Hornets play with an attacking verve which yielded a league high 85 goals en route to a third-place finish.

That was as good as it got for Zola and he tendered his resignation in December of 2013, with Watford sitting 13th.

Giuseppe Sannino: December 2013 – August 2014

Watford Observer:

Took over in the wake of Zola’s departure and enjoyed some success in his first season at the helm, setting a club record of six home games on the spin without conceding.

A 13th-place finish in the 2013/14 season represented stability, if not progress, but the signs looked promising early in the following campaign.

Four wins from the first five games of the season took the Hornets to second in the table but, while results on the pitch were strong, issues were surfacing behind the scenes.

Rumours of dressing room unrest ultimately saw Watford’s second Italian manager on the spin resign in August 2014 before returning to his homeland.

Oscar Garcia: September 2014

Watford Observer:

A tenure which never really had the chance to flourish as health concerns, which led to Garcia being taken to hospital with chest pains, saw the Spaniard leave after just four games.

Left the club with a 25 per cent win ratio and has been in charge of Red Bull Salzburg since December 2015.

Billy McKinlay: September 2014 – October 2014

An interim appointment in the wake of Garcia’s unexpected departure and was at the helm for just eight days before Slavisa Jokanovic took over.

Slavisa Jokanovic: October 2014 – June 2015

Watford Observer:

On paper Watford’s most successful manager under Pozzo with a 60 per cent win ratio and masterminded the Hornets return to the Premier League in 2015.

Watford were clinical under the former defensive-midfielder and only eventual champions Bournemouth bettered their 91 goals across the season.

Having secured promotion with a game to spare after a 2-0 win over Brighton, Watford went into the final day of the 2014/15 campaign needing only to match the Cherries’ result to claim the title.

However, a late Sheffield Wednesday equaliser at the Vic saw Eddie Howe’s side leapfrog them and take top spot by a point.

Despite the chance to lead the Hornets into the Premier League for the first time since the 2006/07 campaign, a failure to agree a new deal saw Jakanovic depart the club.

Quique Sanchez Flores: June 2015 – May 2016

Watford Observer:

The stylish Spaniard took over with one task in mind, ensure Watford remained in the top flight, and succeeded as he led the club to a record 45 Premier League points.

Add to the mix a run to the FA Cup semi-final and there would be plenty of evidence Flores, now in charge of Espanyol, overachieved in his only season in England.

However, his charm in press conferences hardly mirrored the often turgid football served up by the 52-year-old.

The failure of signings brought in on the recommendation of Flores, most notably Mario Suarez, hardly helped strengthen his case and he left the club after just one season.

A break clause inserted in his contract always suggested Flores was likely to be in Hertfordshire for a good time not a long one.

Walter Mazzarri: July 2016 – May 2017

Watford Observer:

Watford’s third Italian boss under the Pozzo and possibly the least inspiring of their appointments, Mazzarri leaves Watford with most fans in agreement his time had run its course.

Keeping the Hornets up must not be discredited, but in the cold light of day the negatives of this season have outweighed the positives.

For every stunning result, such as respective 3-1 and 2-1 wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, there have been twice as many poor displays.

Long runs of abject form have bullet pointed the season. The most recent of which, a five game losing run, will have gone someway to convincing Pozzo to prepare Mazzarri’s P45.

The Italian’s failure to learn English or pin down a definitive playing style also hamstrung his chances of thriving.

He has one last game to enjoy, or endure depending on your perspective on long goodbyes, against Manchester City on Sunday.