Taking a short-term view is the key to longer-term improvement
From discussing the possibility of a play-off push to following that old footballing mantra of simply taking one game at a time.
In his first full season as a head coach, Tom Cleverley has regularly said he is learning on the job – and he sees the path to progress and success now to be fixing his gaze on the task at hand rather than longer-term aspirations.
After the 2-2 draw at Sunderland, Cleverley described how he can see the incremental improvement in his team by focussing on each day, each game and each week, rather than trying to plot a course several months in advance.
“I think this is the way to move forward,” he said.
“The last two games and the last two weeks we’ve got one point, and for anyone looking at that as a results business – which we are in and I like the responsibility of that – it’s not a very good return.
“But the week training you don’t see, and the performance on Saturday that you do, that is sustainable given time.
“I feel like I’ve got the backing from the club now in terms of time, and this is the way forward.
“To reproduce performances like Norwich with 10 men, and like Sunderland today, over and over again consistently will bring us long-term success.”
After a bright opening at the Stadium of Light, Watford found themselves a goal down, but not only did they show the sort of backbone that was absent in such a situation in previous seasons, they patiently went about picking themselves up and getting a grip on the game.
“There was no panic,” said Cleverley.
“You can show character in many different ways on a football pitch, some might show it through duals or tackling or running.
“Today I thought we showed real character on the ball to dominate possession, to frustrate, to probe and to finally open up.
“I was really pleased with our performance, and I’m just gutted for the lads and the supporters who set off so early that we’ve not managed to see it out and it’s a soft goal that’s caused that.”
Having been pegged back late on, the Hornets then needed two outstanding one-v-one saves from debutant goalkeeper Egil Selvik to ensure a point in stoppage time.
“I am disappointed that it feels like we’ve held onto it last-ditch because I felt we deserved more,” admitted the Watford boss.
“Did we manage the last 10 minutes well – not at all.
“It was not very good, shall I say: I didn’t put it like that in the dressing room!
“There was some schoolboy stuff at the end that I’m disappointed about but I feel like that’s an easy problem for me to fix as a coach.
“The general performance was really pleasing and spirited.
“I can fix that last 10 minutes, and I will, but it still hurts now.”
Ironically, Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin – who scored the late equaliser – had already been booked when he brought down Mamadou Doumbia for the penalty which Tom Dele-Bashiru converted to make it 1-1.
Was there a case to feel referee Robert Jones could have shown the defender a second yellow, meaning he wouldn’t have been on the pitch to equalise?
“I don’t get want to get caught up in that,” said Cleverley.
“These things are fuelling our performances. The things that happened last week against Norwich created a real siege mentality among the squad, and I don’t mind that.
“It’s a period of time where we feel like there’s a few things going against us but it is kicking us on to perform like we did for 80 minutes.”
