Hornets chief will hold an inquest after woeful Watford fail to inflict any pain on Luton

Watford boss Tom Cleverley admitted there would be an inquest into his side’s ‘mightily disappointing’ performance after they suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road yesterday.

Ahead of the game, the Hornets chief had stated he was looking to ‘inflict some pain’ on their opponents, going into the fixture sitting in sixth place, having started the campaign in much better form. However, following the tamest 90 minutes from the Hertfordshire side, it was them who were feeling the pain, plenty of it too, easily swept aside after goals from Jordan Clark, Carlton Morris and Jacob Brown sealed a confident victory .

Speaking afterwards, a despondent Cleverley said: “It’s mightily disappointing. It doesn't take a genius to see that it was a very disappointing performance. You know what you're going to get when you come here and that is good channel balls, strong channel runs, competing, winning set-pieces, balls coming in your box.

“We didn't stand up to that challenge well enough to start and then our own identity which is trying to get on the ball, adjusting angles, playing through the lines, getting the ball wide and into the box, we just didn't commit to. So when you fall short in both areas, it resulted in a really poor afternoon for us. There looked like a lack of belief, a little bit of fear, I’m talking in possession, out of possession.

"Any footballer should compete and we weren't good enough at the basics today, with the ball we didn't commit to our identity. There'll be an inquest into what we can do as a coaching staff to make the players realise, but for me it's an away form thing at the minute and it’s something we really have to address.

“We are flat away from home. We're not committing to trying to play football and we're just not standing up to the battles and the challenges well enough either, so that will result in some shaky performances. It’s absolutely my responsibility to make sure the team looks like it has an identity away from home and can start picking up some results.”

Luton’s biggest home win over their sworn enemies since April 1981 means Town have now won their last three derbies, without conceding in that time either. Cleverley had been on the playing staff for Watford when they were beaten 2-0 by the Hatters back in April 2023, as although the former Manchester United midfielder wasn’t actually involved at Kenilworth Road, he had given out similar instructions to the Hornets players, something he won’t be doing again.

He continued: “That one hurts for me. It’s the truth and I’d like to think that I’ve developed and progressed this team and these players, but I said the exact same thing to them when I was part of the travelling party two years ago and that shows no progression when it comes to that side of the game. So it’s my job to make sure we never ever say these messages ever again.”

When Cleverley and his players went over to the over 1,000 travelling supporters at the final whistle they were met with some real anger from those in the away terraces, but the boss couldn’t argue with the reaction received, adding: “We have to take the criticism on the chin. They have the bragging rights from today and that hurts. If you throw a performance in like that you have to take it on the chin, none more so than myself. It does hurt, it’s our local rivals and the way we lost, it’s shallow, but we have to apologise for that performance.

“I try and put as much pressure on the performance of today as possible and for me the consequences of this have to be massive. You’ve got to stick your chest out, take whatever comes your way, so it was no surprise and if anything I’m glad it’s happened as there has to be a consequence of that performance. There has to be an improvement, we have to hurt from this one as it means a lot to a lot of people and there would be a sincere apology for what they’ve just witnessed.”