HORNET’S BEST
Cleverley promises to manage Watford just the same way he played... high energy, aggressive and always on the fr o n t f o o t
TOM CLEVERLEY stepped into the firing line at Watford admitting his reign as manager may be temporary, but promising to “attack it head-on”.
The former England midfielder was the Hornets’ surprise choice as interim boss when Valerien Ismael was sacked at the weekend.
He goes in at the deep end – with a critical game at fellow Championship strugglers Birmingham – as Watford’s 12th head coach since 2019 after impressing the hierarchy with his work directing the Under-18s.
Fans took Cleverley (right) to their hearts when he scored on his debut as a 20-year-old on loan from Manchester United in 2009, and the love affair has remained mutual.
The Hornets could not afford United’s £300,000 loan fee, but Sir Alex Ferguson told them to “give us what you can now and worry about the rest later”.
As a return favour, when Ferguson asked if United could “borrow” the Hornets’ training ground on their way to an assignment in London, then-manager Malky Mackay made sure there was a brew and a slice of his favourite Genoa cake waiting for him.
Cleverley, 34, said: “This is where I grew from being a boy to a man. I really matured as a player and a person to become one of the leaders of the group and the club’s a massive part of my life, embedded in my heart.
“Getting the club promoted back from the Championship to the Premier League was one of the biggest achievements of my career.
“Although I’m very aware this is only a temporary thing, I’d be lying if I said I’d not dreamt of achieving big things here.
“The job engulfs your life completely. It’s difficult to switch off. You have to love the game, you have to love the group and be passionate about developing players.
“There will be a small change in the mindset and organisation – I respect what’s gone before me, and I don’t think the whole thing needs turning on its head, but there’ll be some changes, starting at Birmingham.
“It’ll be a little bit like me as a player – high energy, on the front foot, aggressive and, hopefully, we’ll penetrate quickly and be an attacking team.
“My absolute focus is winning the next game and making sure everyone leaves this season looking forward to the next.”
Watford legend Troy Deeney backed his pal’s credentials to work in one of English football’s most insecure jobs, but warned
‘I’d be lying if I said id not dreamed of big things here’
fickle players could “kill” him, just as they undermined Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilic, Chris Wilder and Ismael in the last 18 months.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Deeney said: “Clevs took over from me as captain when I left and he had to retire through injury last year, so he knows what the good and the bad is.
“But he came through at United, so he knows how it’s supposed to be, he’s been with England and he’s been schooled properly.
“He knows these players because he was their captain a year ago, so they have got his respect straightaway.
“Everyone knows he’s got two weeks (over the international break) to prove he’s a good coach, to prove he knows what he’s doing – but it’s down to the players. They could kill him, the way they killed other people.
“It’s not always the manager or the coach (at fault) – sometimes it’s the players who are not having him.”