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Away results threatening to derail the season

Jaidon Anthony puts Burnley ahead. <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Jaidon Anthony puts Burnley ahead. (Image: PA)

Having played so well against West Brom with a back four, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Watford deployed the same shape at Burnley.

However, it very quickly became apparent it wasn’t working as the home side bossed the game from early on.

“I thought last week was one of our best performances and we defended excellently, and looked solid,” said Tom Cleverley.

“But today we gave Burnley too much control of the game with cheap turnovers, unforced errors, showing no real personality.

“When you give Burnley complete control of the game it means all their patterns of play come out, they have midfield runners from everywhere, they have defenders with time on the ball.

“They could impose themselves a lot more on us than we could on them.

“At this level, Burnley have top players and they’re not players that are maybe on the front cover of a magazine or on the front of a FIFA box, but they’re absolutely class players at this level.

“Don’t underestimate how much intelligent midfielders can make a team tick.

“I look back and think could I have gone to a back three earlier in the game, but that would have meant a substitute after 20 minutes which is something I’ve never done before.

“I waited until half-time to do it.

“It’s disappointing for all of us because we were well beaten today.”

Cleverley explained why he thought Burnley what did simply saw them dominate his side.

“When they had the ball they were causing us problems consistently, and their energy from midfield to break that top line is the best in the league,” he said.

“The No.9 comes to the ball and then they’ve got Hannibal, Brownhill and Anthony all penetrating the top line.

“It’s well drilled and effective.”

It all added up to another away game without any points, and the lack of return from road trips is now threatening to derail the season.

“It’s very difficult to average less than a point a game away from home and get in the play-offs,” admitted the Watford boss.

“So yeah, it will be a big tipping point.

“It’s something we have to get better at, and I never want to be negative – a few were quick to criticise me at Hull for going with a gameplan not to get beat.

“But sooner or later it’s going to have to be a strong decision I have to make.”

Why can a team play so well one week at home, and then perform so abjectly seven days later in an away fixture?

“It’s something that as professionals they will be really wanting to answer that question positively,” said Cleverley.

“I can’t question the work rate of the players, the desire, the training standards we have and the environment we work in.

“But I want my players to be determined to prove people wrong, because we’re seen as a bit of a soft touch when the going gets tough away from home.”