Watford begin life under yet another new manager on Monday night - and will be hoping that it signals the start of a long and successful era rather than history repeating itself.
Rob Edwards' appointment to the Hornets' dugout is an intriguing one on many levels. The 39-year-old was poached from Forest Green Rovers earlier this summer having led the Nailers to a historic promotion into League One.
He becomes the eighth different man to manage Watford since the start of 2018 but the fanbase and owners will be hoping that proper foundations can finally be laid down and that their previous policy can be consigned to the scrapheap. Last season was a microcosm of what life has been like at Vicarage Road in recent times. Three different managers sat in the dugout in a campaign where they never looked like doing enough to stay in the Premier League.
Aside from a handful of freakish wins - such as the 5-2 success away at Everton and the 4-1 humbling of Man United at home - it was a meek surrender by the Hornets. A total of 27 defeats ensured they went down with a whimper.
Now, the approach clearly has changed and Edwards' appointment as permanent successor to Roy Hodgson was made before last season had even finished. Tonight the first game of his reign comes when they welcome fellow promotion contenders Sheffield United. "I think the game just needs to come now,” said an impatient Edwards, who is preparing for only his second full season as a manager.
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"We’ve had six weeks of full-on pre-season, and we’ve done lots of talking about football. Now all of us want to play football. I’m happy with where we’re at right now, but where we’re at right now is not the end goal.
"We’re only six weeks into what I hope will be a long journey. I’m pleased with things as they stand now, the players have all got on board and worked hard."
The transfer window so far has been a relatively quiet one for Watford fans, certainly in terms of incomings. The stand-out signing is Vakoun Bayo who arrives from Belgian football having ended last season with a one-in-two goal record.
The other arrivals have all been free transfers. A clutch have departed although the likes of Adam Masina, Cucho Hernandez and Kiko Femenia should not be too sorely missed. The loss of Joshua King and Andre Gray could prove to be crucial, while star duo Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis could also depart before the window shuts in a month's time.
Edwards has remained coy on their futures but knows having them on board gives him a huge advantage as he looks for a second straight promotion. Goalkeeper Dan Bachmann shares the desire to repay the club's fans after a turbulent few years. He said: "We want to reconnect with our supporters because we know we lost a lot of them last season.
"They are going to be important for us this season. But to get back to that we have to perform in a way that makes them want to be on our side. Last year we hardly gave them anything to smile about. That has to change, starting on Monday."
