Next Watford Manager: QPR coach and ex Wolves boss frontrunners for Vicarage Road vacancy

Watford sacked head coach Tom Cleverley on Tuesday after finishing 14th in the Championship this season, falling away from a play-off chase and placing 11 points adrift of the top six.

Former Manchester United and Everton midfielder Cleverley was made interim coach following the sacking of Valerian Ismael in March 2024 and went on to land the job permanently. The Hornets finished the 2024/25 season with just one win in their last nine league outings.

Sporting Director Gian Luca Nani said: “We thank Tom for his service – not just in his role as Head Coach but for everything he has given Watford as a player and member of staff. But the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefitted from the experience of the Championship this season.

“It has been a privilege to work closely with Tom; to understand how he sees the game and his enthusiasm for everything here. He deserves to be recognised for this and I’m sure he will have a bright future in the game. Tom will always be part of Watford in recognition of all that he has achieved over so many years.”

Watford sack Tom Cleverley

That decision means that Watford join West Brom, Cardiff City, Norwich City in the hunt for a new manager for the 2025/26 campaign. QPR are also likely to make an appointment with head coach Marti Cifuentes placed on ‘gardening leave’ after it had emerged that his representatives engaged in talks with the Baggies over a job change.

Cifuentes is one of the frontrunners to be appointed at Watford. The 42-year-old has been at QPR since October 2023 and avoided relegation with the club in both seasons. The Catalan coach endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign with his R’s side ravaged by injuries.

Cifuentes was reported to have fallen out with chief executive Christian Nourry at Loftus Road and, while he could still be reinstated into his job, looks destined to leave his post in west London. The R’s boss could compete with former Wolves and AFC Bournemouth man Gary O’Neil for the Watford job.

O’Neil has been out of work since his dismissal from Molineux in December. As a player, the former midfielder achieved promotion from the Championship via the play-offs three times - in 2012 with West Ham, 2014 with QPR and 2015 with Norwich City.

The 41-year-old has also been linked with the vacancy at Loftus Road and EFL Analysis has claimed that he is a top candidate to replace Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough, should the North East side also decide to change their man in charge.

Will Still frontrunner ahead of ex QPR and Wolves men

Cifuentes and O’Neil are two leading candidates for the Watford job but the frontrunner at this early stage is Lens manager Will Still. The Belgian has never managed in the UK but is known to be dating Sky Sports reporter Emma Saunders, who is a Hornets fan.

Still signed a three year deal with Lens when taking on the job in 2024 but has previously shared his desire to manage in England. He told Sky Sports: "I think if you asked any kid what they would like to do, they'd say they'd love to be a Premier League footballer or manager and I'm no different. I was brought up like everyone else and had the same dreams. I'll keep at them.

"If it happens one day I'll deserve it, or I hope I will have deserved it, but I realise how much work there is to do before I get there and how much I've got to learn. For now, I will stick it to one side.

"Vincent Kompany was at Anderlecht last year and has gone into the Championship and has done an unbelievable job. I think the Championship rivals many of the top leagues in the world. All the doors are open. I'm not closing anything at any time."

In other news, Next QPR Manager: Pierre Sage has already dropped huge Loftus Road hint.