Claudio Ranieri is facing the sack at Watford after just three months in charge.

Ranieri is close to leaving the Premier League club following 11 defeats in 14 games, with players and staff understood to be preparing for the appointment of a new head coach.

Watford’s 3-0 defeat by struggling Norwich City on Friday night plunged the club into the bottom three and Ranieri, appointed in October, is expected to become their second dismissal this season.

With the club understood to be already targeting replacements, it is only a matter of time until the 70-year-old’s short tenure at Vicarage Road comes to an end. Ranieri has lost eight and drawn one of the past nine matches and senior figures were stunned by the level of performance against Norwich at Vicarage Road.

Watford’s players are not back in training until Tuesday so a decision is likely to be made this weekend.

After the defeat by Norwich, Ranieri offered an apology to the club’s supporters.

“I want to say sorry to our fans because we wanted to do something better. We asked the players to light the fire and we can’t lose this match, but after the goal we disappeared,” he said.

“I believe in my reaction and the players’ reaction. It is not possible to continue in this way because this way we go straight into the Championship. I want the players with heart and mentality who play for the team.

“I speak every day with the board and we are all together. I believe in these players, the players who want to believe. Who doesn’t want to believe – go home.”

Ranieri, a title winner with Leicester in 2016, replaced Xisco Muñoz as head coach after agreeing a two-year deal.

The Vicarage Road side were 15th in the table when Munoz was dismissed but have gone backwards since.

Watford are not back in Premier League action until their match at Burnley on Feb 5.