Tom Cleverley has made a seamless transition into life as Watford manager in his early tenure at Vicarage Road, with the Hornets starting the 2024/25 campaign in impressive fashion.
Winning five of their first nine Championship matches, the Hertfordshire side currently sit among the frontrunners as they head into the international break, capped by a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.
Despite pre-season doubts about his managerial abilities and the team’s prospects in the Championship, the former Manchester United player has been proving critics wrong, with his side consistently finding the back of the net.
Though it’s still early in Cleverley’s managerial career, Football League World’s Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie was asked whether he’s concerned that top-flight clubs might start eyeing Cleverley if the strong form continues.
Tom Cleverley urged to repay Watford FC faith
Cleverley was put in interim charge of Watford in March of this year, as he took hold of proceedings after Valerien Ismael became the latest boss to fail in the Vicarage Road dugout.
That temporary role soon turned permanent in April, with the ex-Hornets star going on to prove he has what it takes to make them tick, having had an association with the club for the last seven years.
With Watford willing to give him a role on the backroom staff once his playing days came to an end, no one gets the inner workings of the club as much as Cleverley, with the former midfielder being one of the constants despite the high turnover of managers and playing staff in recent years.
And Beattie believes the manager should be willing to repay the faith shown in him after being given his first managerial role, with the Hornets crying out for a bit of stability with a successful person at the helm.
The Watford fan said: “Undoubtedly, I think Tom Cleverley will be attracting interest from top flight clubs, but we have to remember that it is only his first season in full-time management.
“He is doing a good job at Watford, the fans really like the fact that he is the head coach, and he has also got Watford in his heart, I think, because he has spent a lot of time at the club in two separate spells.
| Tom Cleverley Watford FC managerial record (Transfermarkt) | |
|---|---|
| (Including caretaker spell) | |
| Matches | 21 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Draws | 6 |
| Defeats | 6 |
| Win % | 42.9% |
| (Figures correct as of October 8th, 2024) | |
“When his career ended through injury, Watford found him a position coaching the youth team, so I would like to think that that loyalty would be rewarded if anyone did come sniffing around him.
“But we all know what the managerial merry go-round is like – particularly at Watford – so let’s hope he stays.
“I think most fans would agree that he has done a great job in settling the team down and building a team with spirit.”
Tom Cleverley’s start to the 24/25 Championship season with Watford
Watford kicked off the season in blistering form, securing five consecutive wins across all competitions, with teams like Millwall, Stoke City, and Derby County comfortably beaten in the league.
However, defeats to Sheffield United and Norwich City served as unexpected setbacks after such a strong start. Despite this, an impressive performance against Manchester City in the EFL Cup highlighted that Cleverley’s team can compete with any opponent when they’re at their best.
This was reaffirmed by recent wins against Sunderland and Middlesbrough, while the 3-0 defeat at Preston North End was quickly forgotten as soon as the final whistle blew.
With an upcoming trip to Kenilworth Road after the international break, few understand the feeling of defeating the Hatters better than the man leading the visiting side next Saturday, as Cleverley continues to demonstrate that he and Watford are a perfect fit.
Whether speculation around the Watford manager will grow remains uncertain, but for now, he remains at the helm, and those at Vicarage Road are savoring every moment.
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