Carlton Palmer believes Tom Cleverley’s prospects of getting the permanent Watford position are ‘no harm’ as the club remains unbeaten under the interim head coach.
After an unsatisfactory few months under former manager Valerien Ismael, the decision was made to fire the ex-West Brom manager following a home defeat to Coventry City in March.
Given their terrible form, there were concerns that the Hornets might be drawn into the relegation battle, with Cleverley taking charge for the rest of the season.
A 1-0 victory over Birmingham City in his first game allayed any fears of relegation to League One, and Watford followed it up with an excellent performance against Leeds United, which they deservedly drew.
Cleverley’s team earned up another point in his third appearance, albeit a painful one, as they led by two goals at West Brom on Easter Monday before the hosts fought back, including a stoppage time equaliser.
Nonetheless, there were many positives to take, as Watford appeared to be a step ahead of the promotion contenders in many areas.
Carlton Palmer discusses Tom Cleverley’s long-term Watford future.
Naturally, this has sparked speculation among fans as to whether Cleverley is the right man for the job in the long run, given his recent performance improvements.
Furthermore, as a former teammate in the group, he appears to have the players’ respect, and they appear to be enjoying life under the ex-Manchester United star.
Speaking with FLW, Palmer indicated that he has been impressed with Cleverley and expects him to be considered by the board if he can produce more positive outcomes over the next six games.
It’s how they play. They were two up against West Brom, who are flying.
It will be interesting to see if the board sees Cleverley as a young coach who can lead them to the play-offs or even automatic promotion next season.
He is not jeopardising his chances. He will be disappointed that they did not win at The Hawthorns, but he is performing well. If he continues to accomplish his current job, he will be considered for the position or another. Watford’s hierarchy wants rapid success, so we’ll have to wait and see.
There is no pressing need for the owner to make a management decision, thus it makes perfect sense to let Cleverley play out the rest of the season.
As Palmer points out, it’s not just the recent results that have impressed, but also the general performance.
They’ve looked very controlled in their buildup, with the offensive players posing a constant danger, and there’s been good organisation and organisation off the pitch.
If goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann had not had a horrible day against Albion, they would have taken seven points from three tough games under Cleverley.
Now it’s up to Cleverley to keep it going, and if he does, he’ll surely be in the running for the job permanently this summer, but this is an appealing post, so there will be a lot of competition.
