Watford

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Former Watford winger Jobi McAnuff says the club's decision to sack head coach Tom Cleverley is "ridiculous".

The Hornets were sixth and in play-off contention after a 2-1 win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day but fell away to finish 14th.

"When you've got a squad as thin as theirs - there has been no investment, same as in the summer - he pulls out a miracle really in that first half of the season," McAnuff told Football Daily 72+: The EFL Podcast.

"I think it's a classic case of a club believing they should be where they were in the league and he was overachieving, there's no two ways about it. Then they don't help him out in January.

"The fans clearly are with him. If you'd said to Watford fans in terms of where they'd finish, everyone at that football club would have taken it at the start of the season given the lack of funds and resources.

"It seems as though it's a club the owners have almost forgotten about a little bit and they're more interested in putting their money in some of the other businesses they run."

But former Huddersfield Town defender Tommy Smith says just five wins in 24 games (D5 L14) and only 20 points after Boxing Day is what cost Cleverley his job.

"I think he definitely did [a good job] pre-Christmas," Smith said.

"They were in and around the play-offs, they looked like a team - certainly at home - that were in good shape.

"But I think if you look at the drop-off they've had post-Christmas, it's not really surprising that he's lost his job - and I mean that from a Watford perspective.

"I certainly don't think he's done a bad job but, as I say, the post-Christmas form has been ultimately the downfall."

Listen to the latest episode of Football Daily 72+: The EFL Podcast on BBC Sounds.

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We asked for your thoughts after Watford decided to part ways with head coach Tom Cleverley following his first full season in charge.

Here's what you had to say...

Joel: As a Watford fan, the sacking of Cleverley is an absolute disgrace. The board failed to back him in January, and a wave of injuries since then has cost us dearly. A united fanbase rallying behind its manager was exactly what this club needed - and the board has gone and destroyed the only source of positivity we had. Pozzo out!

Sharon: I am so angry that this has happened again. We have had over a year of stability under Tom; he has been badly let down by the owners with a lack of investment in the squad. Good luck, Tom - you will be missed.

James: It is an absurd decision but one that every Watford fan knew was coming. For once, all fans have stood firmly behind a manager who took us from relegation-threatened before the season to play-off chasing until the final few matches. Gino Pozzo is destroying this club and everything it stands for.

Martin C: Madness - he has done a good job and should be given time to build and develop the squad.

Andrew: The Pozzo family are clueless. No clear plan, no investment. Personally I'd want Ryan Mason, but would he want Watford with their track record?

Rachel: Terrible decision. Tom did as well as anyone would have with what he had at his disposal. With no further investment in the transfer windows, he had his hands tied behind his back.

Matthew: We are not at all right to sack Tom!! A great manager, but it comes from the owners at the top. They don't care about the club anymore. The Pozzos are the problem, not Cleverley.

Oliver: Shameless. As Cleverley said, there are not enough consequences in this club for players. The same stands for the board and owners, so there is no path forward for this club until the fans unite.

Ray: The owners let him down, no money for transfers. We were favourites for relegation.

Barry: This was a squad all the pundits said would struggle to stay up, and few supporters disagreed after Asprilla & Kone were sold. Cleverley was loved by all, & despite results, it was clear the players did their best for him. His biggest mistake was Jebbison, but underinvestment has been the club's problem, not Cleverley, who will go on to prove the Pozzos wrong.

Eamon: Watford owners are obsessed with promotion to the Premier League, but the simple fact is we're not good enough to get there or stay there. Tom did a reasonable job with what he had but was on a hiding to nothing with the Pozzos.

Gary: Disappointed to see Tom go. The problem isn't the manager, it's the consistent underinvestment in playing staff. Look at the squads we've had in the past and compare it to now. Selling good players and buying replacements on the cheap isn't sustainable, especially when there's a trickle of players coming through the academy. Shame on you, Gino!

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Watford have relieved head coach Tom Cleverley of his duties after the Hornets finished 14th in the Championship.

Cleverley was hired on an interim basis in March last year before landing his first permanent role in management one month later.

The 35-year-old won 18 of his 55 league games (D14 L23) in charge at Vicarage Road with a win percentage of around 33%.

He led Watford to a third consecutive mid-table finish this season since relegation from the Premier League in 2021-22.

It marks the end of the tenure for Watford's 21st boss in the past 14 years, excluding caretaker managers.

We want to hear your views on Cleverley's departure.

• Do you agree with the club's decision to sack Cleverley?

• What do you make of the club's strategy of regularly changing managers?

• Who would you like to replace Cleverley?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Watford head coach Tom Cleverley said a simple lack of goals was behind his side's stuttering finish to the Championship season and subsequent failure to secure a play-off spot.

The Hornets ended a run of four consecutive league losses with a final-day draw against Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road.

But that sequence, which rounded of a miserable streak of just two wins in 12, meant they placed 14th.

"We've not scored enough goals and we together have to realise that was a big part in why the play-off charge wasn't sustained," Cleverly said.

"Now it's for all of us to recognise why we didn't sustain these results and learn from that."

Cleverley was, however, pleased with how his side performed against the Owls.

"I thought it was a strong performance," he added. "We dominated the game for large spells, especially almost all the second half, and did more than enough to win.

"I was really pleased with how much desire we showed to win the game in what was literally just a battle for 12th place.

"I think you saw a lot of promise, a lot of players who were playing football in a way that's entertaining."

The sun may have been shining across England during the week but it's clear life is anything but bright for the teams who will meet at Vicarage Road on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Hosts Watford have lost their past four games to end their play-off hopes as they tumbled into the bottom half of the table.

But things at visitors Sheffield Wednesday, a point ahead of Watford in 12th, could be worse.

Tension between the fans and the ownership have grown over the course of this season with speculation over the future of manager Danny Rohl.

• Watford are unbeaten across their last eight league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W5 D3), since a 1-0 defeat in December 2013.

• Since beating Watford 3-1 in November 2000, Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their 11 visits to Vicarage Road to face the Hornets (D2 L8).

• Watford have lost each of their last four league games and will be looking to avoid losing five in succession for the first time in the second tier since November 2008.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won each of their last three final games of a league season by a combined scoreline of 7-1. Their only fixture against Watford to finish a season saw the pair draw 1-1 at Vicarage Road in May 2015.

• After defeat in their home league games against Sheffield United in January (2-1), Watford will be looking to avoid losing to both Sheffield clubs in the same season at Vicarage Road for the first time in the EFL.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford boss Tom Cleverley spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio after his side was beaten 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers.

"For me, that was an unacceptable performance," he said.

"It was way, way short of the demands we put on the players and the standards we set for large parts of the season.

"It was completely below the level in all aspects of the game. For me, it has significance on how we can enter the summer and prepare for next season to ensure we don't fall short next season.

"We spent, I think, 10 weeks in the play-off places this season and next season we want to spend the last week in the play-offs, but performances like that are just unacceptable.

"It will be a significant performance that, because it's clear that we need to change quite a lot to ensure that it isn't replicated. I'll start with the culture and environment, for sure, I feel like it needs to go up a level."

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Watford attacking midfielder Rocco Vata may not be available for the side's trip to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST) after rolling his ankle in training.

Vata is currently being assessed but would be a huge miss for the Hornets, who already have three other attacking players on the sidelines.

"It's been a challenging period, let's not dress it up any other way," boss Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"We felt we missed out on an attacking player in January and we were crossing our fingers that we wouldn't suffer any suspensions or injuries and they've all come at the same time."

Kwadwo Baah, Giorgi Chakvetadze and Amin Nabizada are the three other players missing, with defender Yasser Larouci and goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann also ruled out.

Watford have lost their past three league matches and slipped to 12th in the Championship.

Blackburn are back in the Championship play-off race after three successive victories but have only won one of their past five home games.

Watford are on a three-match losing streak which has cost them a possible top-six finish.

• Blackburn lost this fixture 2-1 last season but have never lost consecutive home league games against Watford.

• Watford are looking to complete their fourth league double over Blackburn, previously doing so in 1970-71, 1981-82 and 2020-21.

• Blackburn have won their past three league games, as many as they had in their previous 15 (D2 L10).

• Watford have lost their past three league games. It is the third time this season they have lost three in a row, while they last lost four consecutively in the Championship in November 2014.

• No Championship side has been shown more red cards than Watford this season, with three of the Hornets' six sending-offs coming in their past two games.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley has said the red card given to Kevin Keben at their game against Portsmouth on Monday "was a complete guess."

The Hornet's lost by one first half goal to the Blues and have now lost their last three matches.

In the game, Keben was shown the red by referee Sam Allison for bringing down Josh Murphy just outside the area, but Cleverley felt his man made a decent enough challenge.

"The sending off was a complete guess from the referee." He told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"This level of football when you make a big decision you have to get it right, Kevin (Keben) gets the ball and it's a really disappointing decision.

"We seem to be suffering a lot of red cards and in a hostile environment here I think he has sided with the home side.

"We must play well in our last two games to finish the season well, it's been a really tough period.

"I don't think there is enough consequences at this club for not doing your job at times, some people deserved to come off today, I'll be much more demanding in the next two weeks for sure."

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Tom Cleverley said his Watford side "shot themselves in the foot" after they ended with nine men in their defeat to automatic promotion-chasing Burnley.

After falling 2-1 behind, Watford had captain Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe sent off within nine minutes of each other, and after both received two yellow cards in quick succession.

"Moussa is experienced enough to hold his hands up. He has done in the group there," Cleverley said.

"He knows better not to react to these things. He was disappointed with how the referee spoke to him [for his first booking for dissent].

"But [Zian] Flemming's provoked him and Moussa took the bait.

"Edo will will give you his everything and sometimes step over the mark. I've not got any complaints about the red cards, it's something we need to learn from. We shot ourselves in the foot today."

Watford will be without the suspended pair for Monday's trip to Portsmouth.

"It is an important game for us. We want to finish the season as well as possible," Cleverley added.

"We had a 12-month plan to get in the play-offs. That's now turned into a 24-month plan, and that feels much more achievable if we finish the last three games well."

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Watford centre-back Kevin Keben is set to make his comeback in "at least" one of their games over the Easter weekend.

The 21-year-old Cameroonian has not played since suffering a "long-term muscle injury" in the 2-0 derby win over Luton Town on 23 February.

The club say his injury has been "vulnerable to setbacks" so he has been "carefully managed" over the last few weeks.

Watford, who are seven points outside the play-off places with four games to play, are at home to second-placed Burnley on Friday, with a trip to Portsmouth to follow on Monday.

Keben's imminent return is a rare piece of good news for boss Tom Cleverley in recent weeks.

Four players, including star playmaker Giorgi Chakvetadze (fractured toe), have been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and forward Zavier Massiah-Edwards will not be available for the Burnley game because he is subject to concussion protocols.

Burnley head to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Friday (15:00 BST) knowing a maximum of three wins from their remaining four Championship matches will be enough to secure automatic promotion.

Watford, seven points adrift off the top six, need to win all their four games to stand any chance of sneaking into the play-offs.

• Watford have only won one of their past eight league games against Burnley (D3 L4), a 1-0 victory in August 2022.

• Burnley lost on their last league visit to Watford in August 2022, but not since February 1995 have they lost on successive league trips (run of three).

• Watford have won just three of past 21 league games on Good Friday (D11 L7), with just one win in their last six at home (D3 L2).

• Burnley have won 12 of their past 15 league games on Good Friday (D2 L1), including each of their past two on the road against Blackpool in April 2014 (1-0) and Middlesbrough in April 2023 (2-1).

• Burnley are unbeaten in their past 29 league games (W18 D11) and could reach 30 games undefeated in the English Football League for the second time in their history after last doing so in March 1921.