Tom Cleverley - Head Coach

Glad we've found his natural position after all this time, probably a positive of Clev there!

I'm wondering if there's anything Clev could have done differently today, it's always very difficult when the oppo doesn't want to play ball with you, but could he have done anything differently tactically? We looked slightly better in the second half when Chak came on for Kayembe, but only slightly (and you can understand Chak not starting when he wasn't available on Monday)

 

There's an interview in the W.O. with TC today, it finishes with:- “Personal circumstance have been put to one side a little bit, but whether it’s this summer or at some point in the future I would love to manage this football club.

“I’m never going to deny that, but for now I’m concentrating on the job in hand.”

maybe he forgot he is actually managing the club at the moment!

 

I think the job he's done in a very short space of time, as an inexperienced coach/manager is nothing short of incredible!

He's assessed the squad, the system, style of play etc and I believe the 3-4-1-2 he's adopted suits our players best!

He's had 4 different challenges since taking charge. Yesterday, Preston showed us a lot of respect and we couldn't break them down. As we found last season when teams come to the Vic, they'll sit back, frustrate us and then hit us on the break or from a set play! We need to find a way next season to break teams down that sit deep.

Our next 2 games are away at Ipswich and Southampton, where we know full well they won't sit in deep and wait for us, they'll be taking the game directly to us. This, in my opinion, suits us much more with the way we've set-up and the players we have!

Although there's a very high chance we lose the next two games, I wouldn't be shocked if we come away with positive results again.

 

Yesterday was indication that it’ll take the rest of the season and preseason to get rid of Ismaelitis out of our system. Not Cleverley’s fault we have zero creativity in the squad.

 

I wouldn't call TDB, Kayembe, Asprilla, Dennis and Chak "zero creativity".

Yesterday we were certainly hindered by zero creativity from our two wing backs though.

 

Are we stuck with the 60th minute subs forever?

 

Depends on whether he picked that up from Sir Alex, Roy or Val’s cooking.

 

Yes, any ‘do something different if plan A isn’t working’ has been so remorselessy drilled out of them that the chances of real creativity is depressingly slight.

 

He has single handidly saved us from definite relegation and financial ruin.
He's MY MANAGER.
You can hear more on my 'He just gets it' podcast, 8pm Eastern.

 

I wonder if it's not a coincidence that the players who have been asked and then been most positive on Clevs have been TDB, Andrews and Bachmann - the three players who had either been sidelined or shunted out of position by Ismael and returned under Clevs.

I don't think it's a surprise at all that those three will have been pleased with what Clevs has done so far.

 

Andrews getting back into the team was just the logical choice, even if he's been shaky since coming back, Bachmann is perhaps a bit lucky to get back into the team, but Clev does deserve some credit for getting a tune out of TDB, who had been a bit of a nothing player without a clearly defined role before

 

https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/24241979.watford-need-better-set-pieces-admits-cleverley/

Clevs criticising our set-pieces (a shock to nobody as they've been terrible). Apparently Gianni Vio was moved to Udinese at some point (presumably when VI left) which would go some way in explaining that...

 

It's unfortunate that this guy Vio is the only guy on the planet who specialises in coaching this sort of thing.

 

I can think of 0 unemployed set-piece coaches! Clubs are desperate for more to come into the game.

 

Ahahaha, well that finally at least answers the perpetual question of 'what the fucck is Vio doing here?' Marvellous. What need is there for him here, anyway? Stripping away the fat and draining the swamp - Gino's done it again

 

£16m ?

 

Give Gino a break.

 

I think he'll get the job, have anyone of worth sold/loaned out over the summer, and then get to the first international break before getting sacked.

'ORNETS!

 

He should be appointed manager. He has added resilience and a better structure to the team. No doubt he has made a great start and I feel if appointed he can bring in others who can support him.
I was so disappointed when Edwards was sacked: his short lived tenure seemed a change of direction and it would be good to see TC given a chance that Edwards wasn't. With some experience in his staff, in I feel Watford could build a team with better long term possibilities of a better future than has been apparent recently. If appointed, he must be given more than a few games to build the team.
Wouldn't it be great to have a manager that lasts longer than than a season - I think TC could be that man!

 

Who do you think TC might bring in as experienced staff? That could be a deciding factor.

 

TD is going free these days I hear. Just need to find a TA and a TB to complete the set

 

I'm a bit disappointed that after Clevs made such a big deal after the Preston game of criticising the opposition in saying that there was only one team playing to win while the other was holding out for a draw, that he didn't get asked in his post-match interview what he thought about our players needlessly playing for a draw when we had the corner right at the end of the game.

 

You know perfectly well we wouldn’t have scored! Don’t lose sleep over it.

 

If he was appointed he may be able to attract some good young premier league squad/fringe players on loan especially from Man Utd?

 

Hopefully not.

 

We'll need a left-back next season!

 

this belongs on the Israel thread

 

Amo, Amas, Amat would give us a classic 3 centre backs.

 

Amamus too if we want to play a back 4