Watford

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley believes Hull City's players will have extra motivation when the two clubs meet in the Championship on Wednesday night.

City will have new head coach Ruben Selles in charge for the first time after he replaced Tim Walter last week.

"I believe in the new manager bounce - it's something which happens in football and in life I suppose when you're trying to impress somebody new, it can certainly get an extra 10% out of the players," Cleverley told his pre-match press conference.

"When I got the job here our results got better and that's not patting me on the back - it's a thing in football and it's our job to put a lid on that on Wednesday evening."

Watford's match at Cardiff City was postponed on Saturday because of Storm Darragh and Cleverley is keen they take advantage of the extra break as they prepare to face a team who may have a different approach under their new head coach.

"We've had three days to prepare, so it's been a little bit strange but we have to look like the team who are fresher and it's been a little bit of respite from the playing side of things.

"You go over things from his [Selles] previous club - we played Reading in pre-season with Ruben as their manager and I was impressed with his team and he's a coach I have massive respect for."

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Results across the weekend saw Hull City drop to the foot of the Championship table and new boss Ruben Selles will be on the touchline for the first time on Wednesday night.

The Tigers have failed to win any of their past six home games and are on a six match losing streak in the league.

If Watford's away form came anywhere near their home results they would be a lot closer to the automatic promotion spots let alone the top six.

The Hornets' return of seven points from their nine away games is the lowest in the top 15 of the Championship.

• Hull City have lost just three of their past 13 league games against Watford (W6 D4), keeping a clean sheet in four of their past five such matches.

• Watford have won two of their past four away league games against Hull City (L2), as many victories as across their prior 17 such fixtures combined beforehand (D6 L9).

• Hull have failed to win any of their past five home league games played in midweek (D3 L2 – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), their longest such run between August 2017 and November 2018 (nine matches).

• Watford have won just one of their past 10 league games played in midweek (D3 L6 – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), though that sole victory did come during their past such match against Bristol City last month (1-0).

• Watford won their past away league game against a side from Yorkshire 6-2 against Sheffield Wednesday last month, scoring as many goals in that match as across their prior 10 such matches combined beforehand.

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Omer Riza's 'permanent' reign as Cardiff boss begins here, with the Bluebirds now on a five-match winless streak and casting nervous glances at the relegation zone just two points below them.

Riza, whose appointment until the end of the season was confirmed on Thursday, guided Cardiff to four wins from six games after taking temporary charge in the wake of Erol Bulut's dismissal - and they need to regain that kind of form to avoid sinking into the bottom three.

Opponents Watford have climbed to sixth place with a run of four wins from seven games - but their only defeat during that sequence was sustained in South Wales, a 1-0 reverse to Swansea last month.

● Cardiff City are unbeaten across their last three league games against Watford (W2 D1), their longest such streak since a run of six matches between 2011 and 2014.

● Watford are unbeaten across their last five away league games against Cardiff City (W4 D1), since a 2-1 defeat in October 2012. Overall, each of the Hornets' last 12 such matches since August 2005 have seen both sides score.

● Cardiff have lost more home Championship games in 2024 than any other side (10), losing six of their last 10 such games (W4), including each of the previous two.

● Watford are unbeaten in their last four league games (W2 D2) and could record three successive clean sheets in the league for the first time since August 2023.

● Only Portsmouth (9) have conceded more goals from outside the box in the Championship this season than Cardiff (6), while only Rubin Colwill (9) has recorded more shots on target from outside the box in the competition this term than Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze (8).

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Watford manager Tom Cleverley has praised former Hornets boss Marco Silva for helping him perform as a player and guiding his style in the dugout.

"He is one who has had real influence on the way I coach," Cleverley told BBC 3CR.

"As a player, I felt [he] was completely clear on the job he wanted from me."

Silva, who is now at Fulham, managed Watford in the Premier League during the 2017-18 season.

"Sir Alex [Ferguson] is a manager I have had, but Marco is the best coach I ever played under, and [I have] a lot of respect for him," said the former Manchester United midfielder.

"He didn't overcomplicate football. Every decision he made, made complete sense."

Silva was just 40 years old when he took charge of Watford, but Cleverley, at 35, is starting to make a name for himself in his first full season in charge, with his side unbeaten in 15 home matches and sitting sixth in the Championship table.

Cleverley also played under Cardiff City manager Omar Riza, who he will face on Saturday.

"He is someone I respect. Returning from injury in two under-21s games, I played under Omar," he revealed.

"[He is] not afraid to have fresh ideas. We have to be ready to adapt on the day."

Commentary of Cardiff v Watford on 103.8FM Saturday at 15:00 GMT.

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Watford have signed young striker Nickson Okosun from Irish side Bohemians for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old has agreed a deal until 2029 and will become part of the Hornets' under-21 squad.

Okosun has been given permission to begin training with Watford until the transfer is officially completed on 1 January 2025.

He made seven appearances for Bohemians and has represented the Republic of Ireland at U16, U17 and U19 level.

“I’m happy to be here and I can’t wait to get going,” Okosun told the club website, external.

“I like to link up and get in behind and I love scoring goals as well. It’s a big club and there are good people, and Watford really resonated with me in that sense.

“Hopefully, I’ll hit the ground running and I’ll try and impress people here.”

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

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We are going to know more about Watford‘s promotion credentials in the next couple of weeks.

The Hornets have successive away games at Swansea and Hull coming up and if they can produce results there, they are in a decent position in the lead-up to the busy Christmas and New Year period.

Watford‘s home form this season has been sensational. Tom Cleverley's side have the second best record in the Championship, bettered only by Sheffield United, and they remain unbeaten with seven wins out of nine.

That’s the reason they sit sixth in the table but to remain in the promotion picture, the away form still needs improving.

It has got better in recent games at Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds and it’s that type of form required rather than some of the stuff Watford produced on their travels earlier in the season.

The club's promotion ambition will be evident in the January transfer window.

Watford need another striker and probably a midfielder, but their biggest victory will be keeping hold of star midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze.

He’s top of the charts in terms of creating chances in open play, progressions and carries and Watford must keep him if they are to mount a serious challenge for promotion back to the top flight.

Automatic promotion looks out of their reach but the play-offs are certainly not.

Commentary of Cardiff v Watford on 103.8FM Saturday at 15:00 GMT.

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley has revealed Tom Dele-Bashiru's recovery from a knee injury has suffered a setback.

The midfielder has not played since a 3-0 defeat by Luton on 19 October.

"Kevin Keben and Angelo Ogbonna are still out, and Tom Dele's suffered a setback in his rehab, so that's this week's bad news," Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.

Watford have won two of their past three Championship matches and are fifth in the table as they prepare to host QPR on Saturday, and the Watford head coach has had some good news on the injury front this week.

"Daniel Jebbison is back in training [on Friday], and I'm expecting him to come through that and be available for the weekend," he said.

Forward Jebbison missed the draw at Plymouth last Friday and Tuesday's win over Bristol City due to what Cleverley described as "a niggle" injury.

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Watford head coach Tom Cleverley said he would like his side to be "a bit more entertaining" following their 1-0 win against Bristol City.

The Hornets dropped two points in stoppage time in their 2-2 draw at Plymouth last Friday before edging past the Robins at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.

That result lifted Watford to fifth and ensures they will remain in the play-off positions by the time they host QPR at the weekend.

"Friday, the performance is sustainable to go in an upward trajectory, and tonight [Tuesday], the mindset is," Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Now our challenge is to put the two of them together as consistently as we can, starting with QPR on Saturday."

Watford are the third most entertaining side in the Championship so far, with 50 goals across their 17 games - six fewer than Norwich City, who have been involved in games with the most goals (56) and two less than Plymouth (52).

Despite that, Cleverley still wants his side to build on three consecutive 1-0 home wins with more attacking output.

"Like I said before, the challenge is performance on Friday, mindset this evening - put them both together Saturday and try and be a bit more entertaining," Cleverley added.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley believes his side will shake off the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser at Plymouth on Friday as they prepare to host Bristol City in the Championship on Tuesday.

The Hornets were on course for just their third away win of the season before Andre Gray struck an injury-time leveller in a 2-2 draw.

"We've all got big ambitions this season - we've all agreed what we want to achieve," Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"We want to be in the top six and challenge for promotion and every win is vital so when one slips from your grasp it does hurt."

Watford go into the game at Vicarage Road with one of the Championship's four unbeaten home records and sitting in seventh place, with only goal difference keeping them out of the top six.

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Watford will have Republic of Ireland international Festy Ebosele back following a one-match ban for Tuesday's home game against Bristol City.

Ebosele missed Friday's 2-2 draw with Plymouth Argyle when Andre Gray's added-time equaliser cost the Hornets all three points.

Young midfielder Pierre Dwomoh could also be in Tom Cleverley's squad, having last played in the 1-0 win over Oxford United on 8 November.