Watford boss Tom Cleverley pays big compliment to Leeds United with Whites admission and prediction — YEP 10/2/25
By Lee Sobot
Tom Cleverley’s Watford side face the visit of Championship
frontrunners on Tuesday night.
Watford boss Tom Cleverley has paid a big compliment to
Leeds United ahead of Tuesday night’s Whites visit with an admission about
Daniel Farke’s side and vow.
Nine places and 24 points separate Leeds and Watford in the
Championship table in which Farke’s Whites hold a two-point lead in top spot
above second-placed Sheffield United.
Watford, meanwhile, still have promotion chances themselves,
the Hornets sitting just three points off the play-off places, despite having
won just one of their last ten league games.
Cleverley’s tenth-placed side looked all set to bag another
victory in Saturday’s clash at Sunderland as they led 2-1 heading into second
half stoppage time but the Black Cats netted a late equaliser as the contest
ended in a 2-2 draw.
It leaves Watford looking to regain the winning thread
against top-of-the-table Leeds, whom Cleverley has praised in admitting his
team “strive to be” like Farke’s Whites.
Speaking ahead of the game and as quoted by the club’s
official website, Cleverley said: “Leeds are a real seasoned team, they have
got real good leaders, lots of quality, Premier League experience, and with
that comes consistency and stability, so they are what we strive to be.
“We do have a real young, talented group, and it is about
doing those details on a consistent basis that brings you long-term success.”
As Watford took on Sunderland in the league, Whites boss
Farke made ten changes to his side on Saturday as Leeds hosted Millwall in the
fourth round of the FA Cup and ultimately slipped to a 2-0 defeat.
Asked whether Leeds resting key players would have an
impact, Cleverley declared: “Earlier in the season ahead of a game we were the
ones who had the fresher legs and I said it doesn’t always work like that, so
now the shoe is on the other foot this time.
“We have to have the mindset that goes with that.
“I am wanting us to ride a bit of a wave from the
performance [at Sunderland]. Sometimes rhythm in football can be really
powerful.
“Although we have not got a rhythm of results, I feel like
we are getting into a consistency of rhythm and performance that will
eventually bring us results, so I am not reading too much into that.
“Consistency wins you championships - I have said that many
times before."
Making a “no doubt” prediction about what to expect in
Tuesday night’s clash at Vicarage Road, Cleverley added: "I think the away
form in general has been very improved since the start of the season, but now
the home form is nowhere near as good, so we need to be resilient mentally to
not get stuck in a rut at home like we were last season.