Lampard sympathises with Cleverley over job speculation

Frank Lampard (left) and Tom Cleverley will face one another as managers for the first time on Saturday

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard says the speculation about Tom Cleverley's future as Watford head coach is an unfortunate pitfall of management.

The Hornets issued a statement on Thursday night dismissing reports that Cleverley could be facing the sack, with ex-Villarreal boss Jose Rojo Martin, known as Pacheta, reportedly lined up as his successor.

The suggestion that Cleverley is at risk of losing his job at Vicarage Road comes after Tuesday's 2-1 home defeat by Preston North End - which was their fifth loss in seven games in all competitions.

Despite the run, Watford are just two places and one point outside the Championship play-off spots going into Saturday's game against Lampard's Sky Blues.

"Unfortunately if you have a tough period, which we all go though, this is the sort of speculation that goes with it," Lampard said of Cleverley's situation at Watford.

"I've been there, you understand it, it's not great, but you have to continue working and I'm sure he is doing that."

Lampard returned to managing in England's second tier in November, having started his career in the dugout at the same level with Derby County in 2018.

In between his time in the Championship, the decorated former midfielder had high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful spells at Chelsea - a club where he enjoyed enormous success as a player and where he also had a second stint as a caretaker boss - and Everton.

Cleverley got his start in management at Watford after first taking interim charge when Valerien Ismael was sacked in March 2024.

"I know the challenges of it, in terms of being a young English coach going into a club and expectation of people, how they look at you and how they view you," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"He was a very good player, possibly underrated in a sense, who had a top career. I had a lot of respect for him at that point and I've got as much, if not more respect for him to go into management.

"I think he has done very well in terms of how he has worked, how he has tried to set a bit of an identity with the way they play."

Lampard says he "looks forward" to seeing Cleverley when their two sides meet at the CBS Arena - where a win for the Sky Blues would move them to within three points of Watford and heap more pressure on Cleverley.

"I know they are in a bit of a tough run at the minute, but they are still there or thereabouts in the play-off argument, for sure," Lampard said.

"And that is not easy, and I never view someone from the outside and make too many assumptions anyway because I know all our jobs are tough and I think he is doing a really good job."