Preview: Cleverley On Birmingham, Setting Targets & Promoting Youth

Tom Cleverley spoke to the media for the first time after being appointed as Interim Head Coach of Watford, ahead of the Sky Bet Championship clash against Birmingham City on Saturday (March 16, 3pm KO).

The former Hornets captain discussed his pride at taking on the position, how his former team-mates will address him, what his aims are in the role and how his managerial style will be influenced by those he has played under.

Read what he had to say below...

On becoming Interim Head Coach:

It’s obviously a club that means a hell of a lot to me, and to be Interim Head Coach, and leading the club forward for the short term future, is a really proud moment for me and my family. Everyone around the place knows how passionate I am about the club being successful, and I will give everything I can to the job.

On whether he needed persuading to take the job:

No I didn’t, there was no chance of that - I took it with open arms. I had a really productive meeting with the owner and the chairman on Sunday, and I think it was clear the plan I set out for the short term over the next few weeks. I just can’t wait to get started.

On Watford being 'his club':

It really does [help]. I said in my initial interview with the club, I came here at 19/20 years old, as a loanee, then I returned midway through my career, captain, finished my career here, 18s coach, and now sat in the hot seat, so it really does feel like I’ve gone through all the stages of my life at this club.

On the target from now to the end of the season:

I set myself two targets, and then I told the lads. Our target is to literally win the next game, and make sure the players, fans and staff go away in the summer looking forward to next year.

I am working incredibly hard with my staff everyday to try and win the next game, and that is all that is going through my mind.

On this opportunity coming at the right time:

One hundred per cent yes. I am confident in what I do. I feel like my experiences through my career have really equipped me for this challenge, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t dreaming of taking this job. One hundred per cent I will do everything I can, but first things first is to win on Saturday.

On whether he has spoken to any of the managers he played under:

More youth team coaches, Paul McGuinness, Warren Joyce, I’ve had a lot of texts from previous managers, Chris Wilder, Rob Edwards, not Sir Alex [Ferguson] yet but it’s Cheltenham week.

On speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson:

When I got the Under-18s job I spoke to him on the phone, so that was a nice touch from him. He always remembers his ex-players, and is keen to give advice, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he called in the next few days or so.

On the influence Sir Alex will have on his management style:

I think what he was best at was being adaptable, and the way the game is evolving, you have to be adaptable. [With] his styles back then, 10-15 years ago, I’m sure he would be a different manager now because he was so good at adapting to the modern-day player, so I have taken things that he used to do, how to man manage, how to manage a squad of 20/25 internationals, but I don’t think my style will mirror his too much.

On having played with members of the squad:

I think that is where I have got a head start. I know them personally so the transition is a little bit easier. For seven years, I felt like I was a respectful team-mate, so they know what kind of person I am. I addressed that I am still Tom, or Clevs, I’m not gaffer, certainly not yet anyway, so we cleared that one up, so the transition has been a lot easier, and the lads have been great.

On sitting in a new place in the canteen:

It is a different view from the manager’s table. Obviously the dynamic is a little bit different from the team-mate relationship, but it has felt comfortable.

On the games coming up:

All the focus is on Birmingham, but you look a little bit ahead to the fixture list, and some exciting games. They are the games I always looked for when we were in the Championship, last season it was your Burnleys, your Sheffield Uniteds. You embrace the challenge, and I feel like the squad has matched the levels of playing the bigger teams this year, so I’m excited.

On the positive comments from the fans:

I felt the support from the fans, from within the club, the players, my staff, the academy, I have really felt that support and I appreciate that. I appreciate they are positive now but that can always change in the future, and something I have learnt to do from my playing career is not read stuff too much. I appreciate it, and I do really feel the support.

On wanting to help Watford return to a similar place to where they were when he re-joined in 2017:

One of my mottos for my career is always look in the mirror when things don’t go so well, so when I retired I thought it didn’t sit right with me that I had left the club in a worse position than I arrived. Now I have got the chance to put that right, even if for just a short period, and it motivates me massively.

On how he will look to try and improve form:

Try and change the mindset a little bit, try and motivate them that there is still a lot to play for, maybe a couple of tactical tweaks and I’m sure with a combination of the three we can see some real positive change in the results.

On looking to be attacking:

I suppose time will tell. I’m sure every manager will sit here and say that they want a fast-flowing, attacking style of football, and I would like that. There are certain levels you need to get through to reach that, and hopefully we are playing in the opposition half, dominating games, but all the time being organised behind the ball. But one thing I will say is I hope you say Watford are high energy, and playing for the badge.

On how useful his previous time at Watford will prove:

The transition has been fairly comfortable. Already having a relationship with the board, the players, the staff, and the wider staff, really has [made it] smooth, and it has allowed me to focus on my job.

On giving everyone a lift by being excited in his first position in senior management:

That’s the plan. I’ve tried to come in with high energy myself, positive, try and lift the environment a little bit and that is no disrespect to the previous manager but it comes naturally with poor results. I am just trying to give a bit of a boost to everyone.

On whether he had time to look at Birmingham given the whirlwind week:

You’d be surprised. I have focused a lot of hours onto Birmingham, we went to their fixture on Tuesday night - there has not been much sleep! It has been a bit of a whirlwind but I feel we have done a really good job at having tunnel vision on the job in hand and preparing the lads the best we could.

On Saturday’s match:

I know the Championship. It doesn’t always work like you expect it to, so I honestly don’t see Birmingham away any easier than Leeds, than Leicester, than Southampton. I played in the Championship a lot of times and every game is a real big challenge, it is the consistent teams that are normally the most successful, so I am not underestimating the challenge we have on Saturday at all.

On learning from the managers he has played under:

I think it would be silly not to. [I played under] massively experienced managers, [so I] take little bits, leave little bits, at the same time I always be authentic to what I am and who I am.

On having no qualms when the call came:

I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I realise how much it is going to take, how much I am going to have to put in personally, but I really do think we can change the fortunes of the results quickly, and I would love nothing more to get the win Saturday, and then against Leeds on Good Friday being a Bradford lad.

On whether management was always an option:

When I came back to the club when I was about 27, it was a squad of many different nationalities, so the young players didn’t have too much help or guidance, so that’s when I thought I can really help these young players that are coming through at Watford. I have got a passion for it, I like the responsibility of it, and I thought that is everything a coach needs to be. Coaching came then, it’s going to be my next career, I didn’t think it would develop this quickly, but I’m excited for the challenge.

On the number nine:

Without giving too many secrets away, all I can say is I am very, very comfortable and confident with the way we have prepared the team this week. I don’t think we could have done much more.

Ideally everyone has a 30-goal striker that plays every game, but we have to be a little bit different here, even the season we got promoted we didn’t have that player, sometimes it was João Pedro, sometimes it was [Troy] Deeney, sometimes it was [Andre] Gray, so I know that good results can be achieved in this league without having a settled number nine.

On whether Tom Cleverley the coach is different to Tom Cleverley the player:

No, not at all. No ego, hard working, passionate, that’s what you’ll see from me, because as it stands, I go back to being Clevs the Under-18s coach at the end of the season, so absolutely no change.

On the game looking different through a coaches’ eyes:

I think this is where I have got an edge, because I am so fresh out of the playing side, I can really emphasise, or put myself in their shoes, and think "why has he thought that, why has he done that?"

Obviously I am inexperienced, so there is some downfalls to the turnaround being this quick, but there are a lot of positives to being so fresh out of the dressing room.

On some of the younger players that have been training with the first team this week:

I wouldn’t be promoting anyone as a token gesture. If they are ready to train with the first team, I see that they are ready to help the team, and play minutes. We have promoted Albert Eames straight away, I have seen him on a daily basis for the last few months and it is always nice when the club sees, and the fans see, homegrown talent, and our Academy products reaching the first team, but as I say there will be no token gestures.