Watford has made the decision to part ways with head coach Tom Cleverley following a disappointing run of form that hindered their chances of making it to the playoffs.
Cleverley, a former Manchester United midfielder, was highly regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in the Championship. However, he was unable to steer Watford away from a slump that saw them accumulate the fewest points in the division in 2025.
The news of Cleverley’s departure has not been well-received by fans of the Vicarage Road club, with a local newspaper poll indicating that 95% of supporters disagreed with the decision.
Watford FC confirms the departure of Tom Cleverley as Head Coach.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 6, 2025
It’s time for a change – sporting director
In a statement, sporting director Gian Luca Nani expressed gratitude towards Cleverley for his service, both as a head coach and as a player and staff member at Watford.
“But the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefitted from the experience of the Championship this season.
It has been a privilege to work closely with Tom; to understand how he sees the game and his enthusiasm for everything here. He deserves to be recognized for this and I’m sure he will have a bright future in the game.
“Tom will always be part of Watford in recognition of all that he has achieved over so many years.”
Cleverley joins lengthy list of sacked Watford head coaches
Cleverley took over from Valerien Ismael in March 2024 and helped the team avoid relegation, finishing 15th.
Despite being in the playoff picture for most of the season, a series of defeats in their last 11 games saw them drop to 14th place.
Having made 180 appearances for Watford as a player, the 35-year-old Cleverley becomes the 20th head coach to be in charge of the club since the Pozzo family acquired ownership in 2012.
Under Pozzo ownership, the average tenure of a Watford head coach is 234 days.