As Watford FC spin the managerial merry-go-round for the tenth time in the last five years, Tom Cleverley exits the head coach role after 14 months in the job – the first manager to last a full season since Javi Gracia in 2018/19. Despite being tipped for relegation by many due to an inexperienced squad and a lack of funding, Cleverley’s Hornets achieved a 14th place finish in this year’s EFL Championship campaign.
The decision to sack Tom can easily be described as an act of pure cowardice. The statement on the club website quotes sporting director Gianluca Nani, but owner Gino Pozzo is nowhere to be seen. The club have waited until three days after the last league game to announce this, meaning Watford fans have no way of physically demonstrating their disdain. There are no remaining games to protest at, leaving Gino free to hide from the fanbase’s fury.
Supporters have been left with no other option than social media to express their feelings on the matter. Founder and host of Watford fan channel WD18 Jacob Culshaw described the decision as “the worst of the lot” in a number of bad decisions made by the board: a sentiment echoed across the site. Many supporters have expressed a desire to cancel their season tickets, as renewals opened early on the 7th of April and are set to close today. This meant many fans had secured their seats for next season in support of Tom’s team, unaware that the squad they’d be watching next year would not be one of his own.
Despite expectations. Cleverley’s squad were never at threat of relegation. In fact, Watford spent much of 2024 hovering around the top 6 spots, with promotion to the Premier League in May feeling genuinely feasible. He had the full support of the fans, but the incredibly young squad were running out of steam, desperately in need of some arrivals in January. These arrivals came in the form of a goalkeeper from sister club Udinese and two loanees – one of those also from Udinese. None of these addressed, for example, the team’s desperate need for a No. 9, or an experienced midfielder to play alongside Imran Louza.
As a Watford fan, moments like this feel far too familiar in my lifetime supporting the club. Watford’s previous manager Valerien Ismael faced similarly insubstantial support last January, with his only new arrival being the return of a physically unfit Emmanuel Dennis, all whilst sitting just 1 point outside of the playoffs by the 14th of January. But despite the lack of ambition shown in transfer windows, Watford’s expectations remain unreasonably high, with any coach who even slightly falters in the push for promotion at risk of Gino’s managerial guillotine.
Any time the team faces turbulence, rumours begin to spread that whoever is currently sat at the Hornets’ helm is on their way out. These came for Cleverley towards the end of January, after the team had lost 4 of their last 6 league games since the 29th of December. The club were pressured into putting out a statement to confirm the status of Cleverley as head coach, with Gino Pozzo's notoriously trigger-happy approach leaving fans in fear of the usual. But after a 2-1 loss to Coventry that same day, Cleverley and the vast majority of the squad stood and clapped the travelling fans at full-time, with the away end chanting his name on loop. It was a moment that showed the incredible unity Tom had built between manager, staff and players: a unity that hadn’t been seen at Watford since 2019’s FA Cup Final team.
Without proper financial backing, Watford’s form began to fall off, ending the season on an unsatisfying note. After picking up 37 points in their first 23 games, results dropped off drastically, accumulating only 20 points in the following half of the season. The staff statement released today lists this as one of the reasons for Tom’s departure, with Nani believing “the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad.”
This statement comes across as utterly absurd considering the progression the players have made under Tom’s reign. Imran Louza’s potential has been fully unlocked by Cleverley, maintaining full fitness whilst playing the best he ever has in his four years at the club. Young attackers like Rocco Vata and Kwadwo Baah have shown significant improvement across the course of the season, harnessing their immense talent. And despite the lacklustre January transfer window, Cleverley has more than made the most of the three new signings, with Selvik cementing his spot between the sticks and loanees Wiley and Abankwah rumoured to return for next season.
Is Cleverley exempt from criticism? Of course not. He’s shown naivety in his decision-making at times, especially in his player selection. His poor use of substitutes has cost him many second halves, with winnable games slipping through our fingers. And his insistence on picking problematic players such as Sissoko and Kayembe has led to our downfall on multiple occasions, leading to moments like the pair receiving red cards in a 2-1 loss to Burnley. But his tactical expertise has been clear to see all season, outsmarting some of the league’s best managers and winning multiple games with his technically inferior squad. A successful summer transfer window could have filled the gaps within his squad, and Cleverley could have guided the team to serious success.
That money will instead be spent on finding a new manager to lead Watford FC for the foreseeable future, as well as compensating Cleverley and his coaching staff for terminating their contracts. Which leaves less money to sign a new man up top. Or revamp the midfield. Or strengthen the squad’s defence. All for a new head coach who will more than likely follow the same timeline every Watford manager has since Javi Gracia.
Tom Cleverley may not have been the perfect coach, but the connection he had with the club was truly something special. Players like Tom-Dele Bashiru and Kwadwo Baah have both expressed their support by commenting on Cleverley’s statement via Instagram, describing him as the best manager they have ever had. Many others have posted on their own accounts, thanking him for everything and wishing him the best.
The pain of losing hurts in football. After watching my team get battered 6-0 in an FA Cup Final and receive relegation twice in the span of three seasons, I should know. But it’s all part of the healing process. Instead of providing the necessary support to give Watford this time to heal, Gino Pozzo has spent the last three years applying makeshift band-aids: short-term loanees, excessive agent fees, unsuccessful transfers, and the constant sacking of managers. These provide short term success for Watford FC, with the team starting off strong each season. But ultimately the plaster comes loose each time, and these wounds continue to grow deeper, year by year. And despite what Gino may be trying to achieve, his Premier League aspirations move further from reality with each passing day.
I wish Tom Cleverley all the best in his coaching journey. Getting sacked by Watford is far from a stain on your record as a manager, and he’ll undoubtedly find opportunities elsewhere. But the supporters of Watford FC will be reeling from this decision for some time now. Thet unity that Cleverley created is gone now, replaced by something far more toxic. And with three months until the start of next season, Gino will have to make some huge, huge changes to have the fans on his side come August.