Watford

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio after his side was beaten 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers.

"For me, that was an unacceptable performance," he said.

"It was way, way short of the demands we put on the players and the standards we set for large parts of the season.

"It was completely below the level in all aspects of the game. For me, it has significance on how we can enter the summer and prepare for next season to ensure we don't fall short next season.

"We spent, I think, 10 weeks in the play-off places this season and next season we want to spend the last week in the play-offs, but performances like that are just unacceptable.

"It will be a significant performance that, because it's clear that we need to change quite a lot to ensure that it isn't replicated. I'll start with the culture and environment, for sure, I feel like it needs to go up a level."

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Watford attacking midfielder Rocco Vata may not be available for the side's trip to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST) after rolling his ankle in training.

Vata is currently being assessed but would be a huge miss for the Hornets, who already have three other attacking players on the sidelines.

"It's been a challenging period, let's not dress it up any other way," boss Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"We felt we missed out on an attacking player in January and we were crossing our fingers that we wouldn't suffer any suspensions or injuries and they've all come at the same time."

Kwadwo Baah, Giorgi Chakvetadze and Amin Nabizada are the three other players missing, with defender Yasser Larouci and goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann also ruled out.

Watford have lost their past three league matches and slipped to 12th in the Championship.

Blackburn are back in the Championship play-off race after three successive victories but have only won one of their past five home games.

Watford are on a three-match losing streak which has cost them a possible top-six finish.

• Blackburn lost this fixture 2-1 last season but have never lost consecutive home league games against Watford.

• Watford are looking to complete their fourth league double over Blackburn, previously doing so in 1970-71, 1981-82 and 2020-21.

• Blackburn have won their past three league games, as many as they had in their previous 15 (D2 L10).

• Watford have lost their past three league games. It is the third time this season they have lost three in a row, while they last lost four consecutively in the Championship in November 2014.

• No Championship side has been shown more red cards than Watford this season, with three of the Hornets' six sending-offs coming in their past two games.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley has said the red card given to Kevin Keben at their game against Portsmouth on Monday "was a complete guess."

The Hornet's lost by one first half goal to the Blues and have now lost their last three matches.

In the game, Keben was shown the red by referee Sam Allison for bringing down Josh Murphy just outside the area, but Cleverley felt his man made a decent enough challenge.

"The sending off was a complete guess from the referee." He told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"This level of football when you make a big decision you have to get it right, Kevin (Keben) gets the ball and it's a really disappointing decision.

"We seem to be suffering a lot of red cards and in a hostile environment here I think he has sided with the home side.

"We must play well in our last two games to finish the season well, it's been a really tough period.

"I don't think there is enough consequences at this club for not doing your job at times, some people deserved to come off today, I'll be much more demanding in the next two weeks for sure."

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Tom Cleverley said his Watford side "shot themselves in the foot" after they ended with nine men in their defeat to automatic promotion-chasing Burnley.

After falling 2-1 behind, Watford had captain Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe sent off within nine minutes of each other, and after both received two yellow cards in quick succession.

"Moussa is experienced enough to hold his hands up. He has done in the group there," Cleverley said.

"He knows better not to react to these things. He was disappointed with how the referee spoke to him [for his first booking for dissent].

"But [Zian] Flemming's provoked him and Moussa took the bait.

"Edo will will give you his everything and sometimes step over the mark. I've not got any complaints about the red cards, it's something we need to learn from. We shot ourselves in the foot today."

Watford will be without the suspended pair for Monday's trip to Portsmouth.

"It is an important game for us. We want to finish the season as well as possible," Cleverley added.

"We had a 12-month plan to get in the play-offs. That's now turned into a 24-month plan, and that feels much more achievable if we finish the last three games well."

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Watford centre-back Kevin Keben is set to make his comeback in "at least" one of their games over the Easter weekend.

The 21-year-old Cameroonian has not played since suffering a "long-term muscle injury" in the 2-0 derby win over Luton Town on 23 February.

The club say his injury has been "vulnerable to setbacks" so he has been "carefully managed" over the last few weeks.

Watford, who are seven points outside the play-off places with four games to play, are at home to second-placed Burnley on Friday, with a trip to Portsmouth to follow on Monday.

Keben's imminent return is a rare piece of good news for boss Tom Cleverley in recent weeks.

Four players, including star playmaker Giorgi Chakvetadze (fractured toe), have been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and forward Zavier Massiah-Edwards will not be available for the Burnley game because he is subject to concussion protocols.

Burnley head to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Friday (15:00 BST) knowing a maximum of three wins from their remaining four Championship matches will be enough to secure automatic promotion.

Watford, seven points adrift off the top six, need to win all their four games to stand any chance of sneaking into the play-offs.

• Watford have only won one of their past eight league games against Burnley (D3 L4), a 1-0 victory in August 2022.

• Burnley lost on their last league visit to Watford in August 2022, but not since February 1995 have they lost on successive league trips (run of three).

• Watford have won just three of past 21 league games on Good Friday (D11 L7), with just one win in their last six at home (D3 L2).

• Burnley have won 12 of their past 15 league games on Good Friday (D2 L1), including each of their past two on the road against Blackpool in April 2014 (1-0) and Middlesbrough in April 2023 (2-1).

• Burnley are unbeaten in their past 29 league games (W18 D11) and could reach 30 games undefeated in the English Football League for the second time in their history after last doing so in March 1921.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley felt his side controlled much of the game in their 2-1 defeat at West Brom.

"It was a good game of football and I knew it would be. It was high quality and we probably had more control but they had more clinical and effective moments," he told BBC Radio 3CR:

"We've got some exciting young players who can maybe develop into how much quality they showed in front of goal today.

"They were outstanding in transitions today and they're not a transitions team because Tony likes to dominate the ball and rotate. Today we had control of the game and they were devastating on transitions and that's where tactical fouls can be effective.

"The performance levels in the last 10 games have not reflected the results."

West Bromwich Albion have slipped five points behind the Championship play-off places with a five-match winless streak.

A win for Watford at The Hawthorns would see them overtake the Baggies in the table.

• West Brom have won just one of their past 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their past eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom boss Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

West Bromwich Albion and Watford will both be looking to keep their Championship play-off hopes alive when they meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Baggies are eighth and three points off the top six, while the Hornets are one point further back in 10th.

Albion are without a win in five games (D2 L3) and Watford have won two of their previous seven matches (D2 L3).

• West Brom have won just one of their previous 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their last eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside of the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom's Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

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West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has left it as late as possible before making a decision on injured defender Torbjorn Heggem ahead of Saturday's visit of 10th-placed Watford.

After three straight defeats, Albion have fallen to eighth, five points adrift of the play-offs, and now play host to a Hornets side just a point behind them.

But, although Isaac Price is fit, despite playing with an ankle injury in Tuesday's late 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, the other team news is not so encouraging.

Albion have appealed against Jayson Molumby's red card at Ashton Gate, but striker Tammer Bany (hamstring) and defender Ousmane Diakite (ankle) are almost certainly out and Mowbray is waiting on Heggem, who also has an ankle problem.

And there was no fresh update on top scorer Josh Maja's leg injury, which has sidelined him since early January.

"Bany has been for a scan on a hamstring and I don't think Diakite is going to make it," said Mowbray. "It's an ankle ligament injury, in a challenge. There was a bit more force.

"Heggem, we'll have to wait and see, but it'll be close. He didn't train on Thursday. But Friday is the day we make decisions, because if they don't train Friday then they won't play."

Mowbray knows his side need to score more goals. Of all the teams in the Championship's top half, only Blackburn (44) and Millwall (40) have scored fewer than the 49 managed by Albion and Saturday's opponents Watford.

But, more worryingly, the Baggies have now shipped eight goals after the 86th minute this season – including stoppage-time winners in two of their past three games.

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Watford left-back Yasser Larouci could miss the rest of the season according to boss Tom Cleverley.

The Algerian international, who has made 38 league appearances on loan from Sheffield United, missed Tuesday's 1-0 win over Hull City in the Championship because of a groin injury.

"He'll be two to three weeks so it's touch and go whether we see Yasser again this season," Cleverley told the club website., external

The Watford head coach has revealed Tom Dele-Bashiru and James Abankwah will be fit to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday despite having to go off in the midweek victory.

"Tom was the one we were a little bit more unsure about, but he's had a fitness test today and seems good," added Cleverley.

"James has a little bit of heel pain he's been managing over two or three weeks, but he'll be fine."

Watford are currently 10th in the Championship table, six points short of the play-off places.

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Watford boss Tom Cleverley has praised his young team which featured three teenagers, a 20-year-old and 21-year-old in their victory against Hull City which keeps their faint hopes of a play-off place alive.

James Mbankwa (21) and Caleb Wiley (20) both started for the Hornets in their 1-0 win, along with teenage strikers Rocco Vata, Zavier Massiah-Edwards and Mamadou Doumbia.

"I am super, super proud this evening of a group of really inexperienced players, really maturely seeing out a game, determined to win the game, and lead by their captain [Moussa Sissoko], who was outstanding all night," Cleverley said.

The result means they are just four points off the play-off places, though Cleverley told BBC 3CR he was realistic about their chances.

"Until [the play-offs] is mathematically out of the question, we will keep pushing for it.

"For us, the next game is the only one we focus on. I want to show progress, I want this group to get back on an upward trajectory. We've equalled last year's points tally.

"If sixth is that upward curve, that's almost a miracle, but if that's eighth, or ninth, we want to finish the season strongly."

Hull City travel to Watford on Tuesday (19:45 BST) in the hopes of putting more distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

The Tigers are undefeated across five of their past six league matches (W3 D2) to boost into 19th place on the table, but still remain just three points ahead of 22nd placed Cardiff City.

Meanwhile, Watford's form is the opposite. They've only won one of their past six (D2 L3) and now find themselves seven points outside the play-off spots.

• Both of the last two league matches between Watford and Hull City have been drawn, but these sides have never shared the points three times in a row before.

• Hull are unbeaten in their last five away games at Watford in the Championship (W2 D3) since a 1-0 defeat in the 2007-08 season.

• Watford have kept eight home clean sheets in the Championship this season; in the 21st century, only in 2013-14 (9), 2020-21 (14), and 2022-23 (10) have they recorded more home clean sheets in a league campaign.

• Hull have lost each of their last four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league outings, this after winning six such games in a row beforehand.

• Watford have lost seven of their last nine Championship games played on a Tuesday (W1 D1), including both of their last two in a row.