"Please" - Watford FC owner Gino Pozzo urged to take Tom Cleverley action | OneFootball

Our Hornets fan pundit wants to see Gino Pozzo put turn his words into actions and give Cleverley the chance to prove himself long-term

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...

FLW's Watford fan pundit has urged owner Gino Pozzo to stick by head-coach Tom Cleverley and offer him an extended contract beyond this summer after the Hornets' recent impressive performances lifted them to within three points of the Championship play-off places.

Watford have infamously been a tough club for a manager to prove themselves at in recent times, after Cleverley became their 11th permanent boss since September 2019 when he was given the reins full-time last April following an initial interim period after Valerien Ismael's March sacking.

The ex-England midfielder knows the club more than many, however, after featuring 181 times for the Vicarage Road outfit as a player between 2017 and 2023, and so he has continued to win the hearts of fans since taking over in the dugout nearly a year ago.

Cleverley's side struggled for form at the end of last term, but he has guided the Hornets to an impressive season this time around, with the club in with a real chance of a top-six finish if they put together some more decent showings between now and May.

Fan pundit tells Gino Pozzo to back Tom Cleverley for next season after January fiasco

The situation that unfolded last month at Vicarage Road was bizarre even by Watford's standards, after reports in Spain claimed that the Hornets were set to sack fan-favourite Cleverley just hours before their trip to Coventry City to appoint former Villarreal manager Jose Rojo Martin.

Watford soon moved to try and clear up any speculation about his future on X, with a statement that likely only caused further confusion, and it wasn't until owner Gino Pozzo released an official club statement later on to confirm how he was "committed to supporting him," that his immediate future was cleared up.

Pozzo has a history of hiring and firing head-coaches at will, but while Cleverley's current contract details are unclear, our Hornets fan pundit,

Justin Beattie, has desperately urged him to buck the trend and offer Cleverley an extended deal to try and build on his good work this season in the years to come.

“The one message I would send to my club’s owner at this very moment in time is: ‘please give Tom Cleverley a new contract before the end of the season so that he is our manager for the beginning of the 2025/26 season,’” Justin told FLW.

“He has done phenomenally well as manager, and you can tell that the players are responding to him.

“The fans are very much behind Tom Cleverley, so it doesn’t make any sense to change manager at the end of the year, regardless of which division we are in.

“My message would be, ‘Gino, please give Cleverley an extended contract.’”

Pozzo must give Cleverley the chance to build something at Vicarage Road

Watford's aforementioned recent managerial history has seen supporters become worn down at the prospect of another sacking and another change of style and direction under a new manager every six months or so.

Despite successful seasons that have seen the club promoted to the top-flight and go deep into the FA Cup in years past, Javi Gracia is the only Watford manager, of the 15 permanent bosses in the last ten years, to have taken charge of over 50 games in a single spell at the club.

That is a ludicrous statistic that needs to end at Cleverley, with the 35-year-old afforded ample time and patience to have a real crack at success at Vicarage Road.

Performances and results have not always been perfect since he took over, with damaging losses to Luton Town, Preston North End and Norwich City in the first-half of the season, but wins against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and the recent reverse against Luton have proven that he has the tools to be a success at the helm in the second-tier.

If there was ever any uncertainty about both players and fans being behind Cleverley going forward, then the post-game reaction following that M1 Derby win over the Hatters last weekend certainly disproved it. Footage that emerged on social media from the Rookery End after the 2-0 win showed several players lifting him up towards the fans, as they were determined for their head-coach to get the credit he deserved.

With Cleverley in charge, there is clear harmony around the club that needs to remain for this season, regardless of what happens over the next two months, and Pozzo should look to extend his current deal to keep that togetherness and try to finally build something with a head-coach that is well-liked by supporters and players.