“Steve Cooper,” "Van Bronkhorst" - Watford FC's manager search as Shaun Maloney is linked | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Watford picked up a crucial win against Birmingham City last time out to ease any fears that they could get dragged into a relegation battle.

It was by no means a vintage performance from the Hornets, but the young starting 11 selected by interim boss Tom Cleverley did the job, so it was a good first game in management for the 34-year-old.

Watford FC managerial search continues as Wigan Athletic boss linked

That result should give the board some breathing space as they continue to search for a long-term replacement for Valerien Ismael, and it will be interesting to see who they turn to.

The latest name in the frame is Shaun Maloney, who is currently in charge at Wigan Athletic.

The former Celtic midfielder has had a lot to contend with during his time with the Latics, but he has built a young squad which has a clear philosophy in terms of the way they want to play.

So, he would be seen as a bright, young coach who could build a team that can play progressive football.

But, should he be the next manager? If not, who should Watford turn to? Here our writers share their thoughts…

Chris Gallagher

This one makes no sense to me.

If the Watford board want to go for a young coach who will encourage attacking football, then I’d give serious consideration to appointing Cleverley on a long-term basis.

Ultimately though, he is going to have the next eight games to show he warrants the job, and it will be interesting to see how he does.

But, I’m not sure Watford do need to be going down the route of a young coach.

They’re a club that should be aiming for promotion to the Premier League, and there are many proven managers out there that would relish the chance to take over at Vicarage Road.

Steve Cooper would be the obvious one if they could convince him to join, although that would be challenging, whilst Jesse Marsch is another who could bring a clear style of play and has high-level experience in the game.

More realistically, Nigel Pearson could be a short-term fix, and even a Scott Parker or Frank Lampard could do a job as they look to restore their reputations.

So, the board needs to pick a direction they want to go in, and then make the big call. There are plenty of options available, and after poor managerial decisions costing the side in the past few years, it’s crucial they get this one right.

Ben Wignall

Personally, I thought Jon Dahl Tomasson would be a very good fit for what Watford were trying to achieve, but with the Dane now taking up the Sweden national team vacancy, the Hornets now have to look elsewhere.

Cleverley managed to get himself a win in his first match in interim charge, but one swallow doesn't make a summer and it would be perhaps naive for Watford to end up hiring him on a permanent basis with their season now basically reduced to going through the motions.

It wouldn't be a total shock if Watford go down the foreign head coach route once more but someone who is stylistically a better fit than Ismael, and it may be worth giving Giovanni van Bronckhorst a chance.

The Dutchman has been out of work for 16 months now after he was axed by Rangers, but he led the Gers to a UEFA Europa League final just six months prior to his Ibrox exit.

Van Bronckhorst is probably realistic enough for Watford to pursue, but it's just a case of trying to persuade the 49-year-old to make the move to England.

Shaun Maloney might be ready in a couple of years time, but he has proved nothing so far in his career and he is someone that the Watford hierarchy should probably steer clear of.