Watford boss delivers Ruben Selles verdict as Hull City prepare for new era

Watford head coach Tom Cleverley admits Ruben Selles is a manager who has impressed him as the Hornet's head coach prepares to take on Hull City on Wednesday night.

Selles will take charge of his first game in charge of the Tigers against Cleverley's side and will be desperate to end a run of six straight defeats which has left City rooted to the foot of the Championship table, having not won in eleven.

Cleverley's Hornets have had the benefit of an extra few days preparation after their game at Cardiff City on Saturday fell victim to Storm Darragh, and he's expecting a reaction from the Tigers under a manager he faced in pre-season.

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While many rubbish the perceived new manager bounce, the former Manchester United midfielder also believes it is a thing and something his players must guard against.

“Yeah, the new manager bounce is something that naturally happens in football and in life, I suppose,” Cleverley told reporters on the eve of the trip to East Yorkshire. “You’re trying to impress somebody new, a different face with fresh ideas. I’d say you can certainly get ten per cent more out of players.

“Possibly, I had that when I got the job permanently here, though it didn’t immediately hit me in the face. Our results since I came in got better, and that’s not me patting myself on the back. It’s a thing, and it always will be in football. Our challenge tomorrow evening is to put a lid on that, because we should be fresher and we’ve had longer to prepare.”

The 35-year-old former England international speaks from experience, having amassed more than three hundred career appearances, and says fresh ideas from a different voice can spark a reaction in a player, particularly if things haven't been going well, as they haven't for the Tigers.

“I was one of those players who worked as hard as I could for every manager I had in every session and in every game. But sometimes, new ideas when the previous ones weren’t working can give you a mental lift as a player. I’m sure their players will be feeling the benefits of that, but we’re going there very well prepared.”

Like City, Watford also faced Selles' Reading side in pre-season, and like the Tigers, were beaten 2-0 by his Royals outfit, and Cleverley admits to being impressed by what he saw from the Spaniard's outfit, albeit early in July.

“You go over things from his previous club, and we actually played Reading in pre-season with Ruben as manager. I was impressed with his team that day and his mannerisms on the sidelines. He likes to press high up the pitch, and usually played a certain system at Reading, but we’ll be ready to adapt to whatever we see tomorrow. They will have the new manager bounce, but we will have the fresher team because we had the weekend off.”

The Hornets could move back into the play-offs with just a third away win of the season, providing Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers lose at Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, and they have no fresh injury concerns after a weekend off.

“Angelo Ogbonna has resumed training with the squad, so he will be available for the game at Burnley if not West Brom at the weekend," Cleverley explained. “Kevin Keben is going to be a longer-term absentee, and Tom Dele-Bashiru is going to have to take it slow following his small setback. We’re getting players back, players are getting fitter, and we’ve not lost anybody. The squad is in a healthy place.”