Watford FC manager latest: Tom Cleverley claim, Scott Parker boost, Shaun Maloney stance | OneFootball

Watford will be looking to finish as high up the table as possible by recording some promising results between now and the end of the season.

Having previously been in the mix for the play-offs, they fell down to the Championship table, but are in a fairly stable position at this point and aren't in any real danger of going down.

Key officials behind the scenes at Vicarage Road are already likely to be ramping up their plans for next season, with the Hornets all but guaranteed to remain in the second tier beyond the end of this term.

Clearly, there's plenty of work to be done in their quest to return to the Premier League at some point, but stability is key and they haven't had that in recent years with so many managers coming and going.

To their credit, they probably sacked Valerien Ismael at the right time, but this has left a vacancy that needs to be filled once again.

Tom Cleverley is currently in charge on an interim basis - but a big decision on the top job will need to be made in the coming weeks or months and we have the latest news on the Hornets' managerial situation.

Former England international Palmer believes ex-Manchester United midfielder Cleverley isn't doing his chances of winning the top job permanently any harm at this stage.

Speaking to Football League World, he said: "It’s the way they’re playing. They were two up at West Brom, who are flying.

"It will be interesting to see whether the board see Cleverley as a young coach who can take them where they need to go, which is into the play-offs or even automatic promotion next season.

"He isn’t doing his chances any harm. He will be disappointed that they didn’t come away from The Hawthorns with a win, but he’s doing well.

"If he continues to do the job that he’s doing, then he will be considered for the role or another job. The hierarchy at Watford want instant success, so we’ll have to wait and see."

Registering five points out of a possible nine during his three games in charge, with these dropped points coming in draws against Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion, Cleverley has done an admirable job thus far.

Potential Scott Parker boost amid Sunderland update

There has been some brief chatter about Scott Parker potentially being in the frame for the top job at Sunderland, something that may have worried the Hornets' board considering the 43-year-old is reportedly of interest to the Hertfordshire outfit.

With Mike Dodds failing to make the most of his caretaker spell in charge at the Stadium of Light, it seems inevitable that someone else will be appointed permanently this summer.

According to Alan Nixon's Patreon report last Sunday, former Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom is at the top of their list of targets at the moment.

That could rule out a potential move for Parker and allow the Hornets to swoop in for him. The former midfielder has two promotions on his CV as a manager at two different clubs, so he could be an excellent appointment.

Shaun Maloney's Wigan Athletic stance revealed

Football Insider believe Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney is on the Hornets' radar.

The chance to move up a division would surely be appealing to him, but having previously played for the Latics and gone through a lot with them as manager, he is keen to remain at the DW Stadium for the foreseeable future.

He told the Daily Mirror: "Listen, we were in the Premier League when I was here before. What I see now is that we lost the training ground we purchased and we're now back at the training ground we were at previously. Everything on and off the pitch is geared towards us being self-sustainable.

"A big part of my job is trying to drive that; I want to stay here a long time but I want to leave the club in a better place than I found it. That involves bringing young players through and developing them, getting the club as close to self-sustainability as we possibly can.

"But I also want to win games of football. My responsibility on the football side is really important.

"We want to get out of this league but we need to do it in a different way. The days of Wigan having the biggest budget in this league are gone; we are not going to blow other teams away [financially] anymore.

"Those are my two biggest goals: to achieve [promotion to the Championship] and become self-sustainable. To really leave this club in an infinitely healthier position than what I walked back into last year. That's the aim; it has to be."