Watford are now hopeful that they will appoint Forest Green Rovers boss Rob Edwards as their new head coach, the Watford Observer understands.

Club chiefs are in advanced talks with the Rovers manager after he guided them out of League Two this season, and senior club sources have told the Observer they are confident they have their man.

Current manager Roy Hogdson will be moving on at the end of the ongoing season, which by all accounts has been disastrous, with Watford crashing out of the Premier League and breaking their record for consecutive home defeats.

And after years of a "revolving door" head coach policy it is hoped Edwards can be the man to steady the ship at Vicarage Road by providing both the stability and longevity, which many feel has been missing from the club in recent years, with seven different "full time" bosses taking the managerial hot seat over the last three seasons alone.

Edwards' appointment also shows a change of tack from the club's hierarchy, who are renowned for going after relatively unknown names from across Europe. 

While some such names were linked when it became clear that Hodgson would not be staying beyond the end of the season, it soon emerged that young home-grown talent made up their list of potential replacements.

On Saturday, after their relegation to the Championship had been confirmed, the Watford Observer was told that an appointment was expected before the end of the current campaign.

While Queens Park Rangers and Republic of Ireland assistant, and ex-Watford captain, John Eustace was approached as well, it is Edwards who is now expected to take over.

The 39-year-old ex-Wales international has previously held coaching positions at Wolverhampton Wanderers, AFC Telford and England Under-16s before moving to Forest Green Rovers at the beginning of this season.

In his first term in charge, he guided them out of League Two to the third tier, for the first time in the club's history.