Watford have sacked Head Coach Valerien Ismael following The Hornets’ 2-1 defeat to Coventry, with former midfielder Tom Cleverley taking over on an interim basis.
The Hertfordshire-based club have won just one of their past 10 Championship matches and are 13th in the league, 13 points off the play-off positions.
“The Hornets thank Valérien and his staff for their dedication and commitment, however the club’s Board considers it an appropriate time to make a change in order to improve results,” Watford said in regards to Ismael’s efforts during his tenure as manager.
The coach’s ten-month stint at Vicarage Road came to an end when the owners decided to split ways with Ismael. He was the 20th manager the team had had since the Pozzo family acquired ownership of the team in 2012. Having fired a coach less than a year after hiring them, the owners have once again demonstrated that they will uphold their high expectations for the success of their squad.
Watford announced in a statement that former England and Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley will take over as Watford’s interim head coach.
In July of last year, the 34-year-old announced his retirement from professional football, and since then, he has been leading Watford’s under-18 team. During his two stints with The Hornets, the former Watford captain made 136 games. This will be his first position in senior football management.
Next Saturday, when Watford plays at relegation-threatened Birmingham City, Cleverley will be in the dugout.
With Ismael being sacked, it is difficult to shake the déjà vu feeling. Watford has turned into a club with a revolving door under the Pozzo administration. Even if the owners have not had much luck using this strategy of hiring and firing coaches, it is difficult to imagine that they still persevere in doing so. Once more, Hornets supporters are left in the dark about who will be leading the team and what kind of football they will be watching when the season ends.
Whether Tom Cleverley is given a fair chance to demonstrate his coaching abilities will be intriguing to see. The former player for Manchester United has received recognition for his football acumen, and Watford fans will be hoping that he can turn the side’s dismal run of form around.
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