Watford manager Tom Cleverley admitted his relief at ending the club’s 12-game winless run at Vicarage Road with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland.
A Ryan Andrews goal gave Watford their first home win since November 28 in Cleverley’s first game since being named permanent manager.
Cleverley said: “I would have taken a 1-0 win before the game, but I’ll always be honest and that was possibly our poorest performance since I’ve been in charge.
“Football has got a funny way of working out. We were excellent in the second half at West Brom and at Southampton and we came away with one point from those two games, so we’ve got a little bit of payback today.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t a stellar performance, but the result was huge for us today. We were sloppy in possession and made too many technical mistakes.
“Maybe that’s the high demands I have of the team. I see on a daily basis how technically good we are in small spaces. I won’t stop demanding until we can have a complete performance.
“Sunderland did a good job of knocking us out of our rhythm and they caused us a lot of problems in the second half.
“It was pleasing that we managed to see it out defensively when we couldn’t manage it against Leeds and West Brom. We showed a bit of grit to see it out and make it five clean sheets in eight.”
Cleverley said taking the winless home run into next season would have weighed heavily on him and his team.
He added: “It’s massive to get the home win out of the way before the summer. If we went an off-season and a pre-season and then to the first game in August, you’re looking at nine months since the last win at home. That doesn’t sound great for a club of our size in this league.
“We’ve managed to clear that one off today, so we’re really, really pleased that we’ve managed to send our supporters away for the summer with a little bit of something to celebrate.”
Unlike Cleverley, Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds has no certainty over his status at the club beyond next week’s final fixture at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
And watching his side miss a host of chances before Watford’s goal would have hardly helped his cause.
Dodds said: “I’m really upset for the group and really upset for the fans, whether those who have travelled to the stadium or those back in the north east.
“That’s a game we shouldn’t be losing or even drawing if I’m completely honest. It could have been a 3-0 or 4-0 game to us. But this group has to realise that they’ve got to take their chances.
“When their players and staff are saying something similar as you come off the pitch and their bench is saying that they got away with one today, it’s a really bitter pill to swallow.
“And then their goal is a really poor one to concede. But I would say that’s one moment in 90-plus minutes out of possession where we didn’t do what we should do.
“Taking the emotion out of it, I can’t be overly critical of the group. If we play that game 10 times over, we win it nine times.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
- 1 OFFICIAL: Sevilla sign former Chelsea star Cesar Azpilicueta
- 2 OFFICIAL: Alejandro Garnacho joins Chelsea from Manchester United
- 3 Lucas Paqueta to leave West Ham! Aston Villa close in on £47m loan-to-buy deal to sign attacking midfielder
- 4 DONE DEAL: AC Milan splash out for Chelsea striker Nkunku
- 5 Preview: What to expect when Arsenal visit Liverpool
- 6 Liverpool table fresh Marc Guehi bid as Reds hope £35m proposal will finally convince Crystal Palace to sell centre-back
- 7 VAR controversy masks Chelsea's issues in win over Fulham
- 8 TIPS - Nagoya Grampus VS FC Tokyo
- 9 Tottenham’s new star Xavi Simons was mentored by Neymar
- 10 Should Manchester United transfer Bruno Fernandes away?