"Going to football is enjoyable again" - Claim made on Tom Cleverley approach at Watford FC | OneFootball

FLW's Watford fan pundit has given his verdict on Tom Cleverley's tactical approach

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Tom Cleverley has taken on his first ever role as a Head Coach with Watford.

The former midfielder was initially appointed on a temporary basis in the latter stages of last season before becoming the permanent choice for the position.

The Hornets have been through so many coaches in the last few years, so taking on the role is a big risk for the up-and-coming manager.

However, he has made a positive start to life with his former club, earning the trust and backing of the supporters.

Cleverley may still be learning the ropes a little given it’s his first time doing this, but a clear style of play has emerged already in his opening months at Watford.

Tom Cleverley approach verdict

When asked about whether he likes the style of play under Cleverley, FLW’s Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie praised what he’s seen so far.

While he believes the team could take a more front-footed approach in the start of games, he believes the overall impact has been quite positive, making the team entertaining to watch once again.

“I am enjoying the playing style that Cleverley deploys at Watford,” Beattie told Football League World.

“It’s not too cautious, it’s not too much playing out from the back, which I think we’ve all seen far too much of Watford in the past.

“We do seem to come on better in the second half of matches, it would be nice to grab a match from the scruff of the neck from the start and be dominant throughout, which we aren’t doing.

“We seem to be reactive a little bit, we seem to have put the conceding-an-early-goal thing to bed, which is good.

“Because there was a spate of matches where we were going down in the first few minutes, and it was just awful to see.

“So, that seems to have been ironed out.

“But the football’s not boring, which we have had enough seasons of.

“It’s becoming more entertaining to watch, and going to football is enjoyable again, so yes the playing style is much better this season under Cleverley.”

Watford’s recent form

Watford have gone into the November international break sitting inside the play-off places.

A win over Oxford United right before the pause in action moved the team back into the top six, with a second half strike from Vakoun Issouf Bayo separating the sides.

The Hornets have won three of their last four, putting them sixth in the table with 25 points from their opening 15 fixtures.

Next up for Cleverley’s side is a trip to face Plymouth Argyle on 22 November.

Cleverley and Watford out-performing expectations

Many had tipped Watford to be in the relegation battle before the season got underway, so Cleverley is really helping the team out-perform expectations.

It was a difficult summer transfer window for the team, but the likes of Bayo, Edo Kayembe and Giorgi Chakvetadze have stepped up their level of performance.

Watford are now in the mix for a play-off place, which would be a great achievement for Cleverley if he could pull it off.