For the second successive home game Tom Cleverley will be stood next to a former Watford colleague in the Vicarage Road dug-outs.

Cardiff were managed by the ex-Hornets first team coach and Under-21s manager Omer Riza, and Sheffield United will have one of Cleverley’s head coach predecessors, Chris Wilder, in charge.

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Wilder talked warmly about Cleverley when the Watford Observer spoke to him earlier in the week, and the current Hornets boss reciprocated.

“Whenever I talk about significant figures and why I’m sitting here, Chris would be one of them,” he said.

“Not only his methods, his style and how he tries to bring a group together, but for the opportunity he gave me to sit on the other side of the fence.

“I sat in on his preparation meetings, saw how he organised things and he is someone I have a lot of respect for.

“It’s certainly no surprise to see his team doing really well.”

The Blades are one of the four teams Cleverley thinks will spearhead the battle for the two automatic promotion places.

“I think as well as Sheffield United, Leeds and Burnley you have to include Sunderland in discussions about automatic promotion, as they are one of my favourite teams to watch at the moment in all football,” he said.

“I’d love us to go on a run to get into that conversation as well, but right now you have to be realistic.

“Chris has had to deal with a lot injuries at Sheffield United, and he also started the season with a two-point deduction that a lot of people forget about.

“He’s done a fantastic job to deal with that and the turnaround of players they had in the summer, and be right up there – it’s not easy.

“You only have to look at our local rivals and how they’ve coped to see that.

“Sheffield United are an organised team. Chris is really good at organising his teams.

“They haven’t conceded many goals and have some very good individuals, although they are struggling with some injuries at the moment.

“But they have quality in a lot of areas, and they will be organised and spirited.”