Preview: TC On QPR & Half-Season Review

Tom Cleverley believes Queens Park Rangers are a better side than the table suggests as Watford’s preparations continue for their short trip to Loftus Road on New Year’s Day (12.30pm KO).

The Hoops currently sit 17th in the Sky Bet Championship table and are five points clear of the relegation zone, although they have lost just once in their last nine matches.

This run includes a goalless draw at Vicarage Road in late November, with the Watford Head Coach admitting the return fixture coming so soon helps with his planning for tomorrow’s match.

“They’re a good team,” Cleverley explained. “Having watched their game against Norwich, I thought they were excellent first half.

“Maybe they are in a little bit of a false position because of some of the performances and results they’ve had.

“It is a team I really have a lot of respect for. They look well organised and look like a group of players that are really working hard for each other, so it will be a tough test.

“With it being so soon after we’ve played them, it makes our lives as coaches a little bit easier that we can go back to watch the game we played with them.

“It is something that I'm looking forward to doing, seeing how we both adapt to each other and what we saw four weeks ago.

“But you know this league - even the same players against each other a week later can produce a massively different performance and result.”

The recent disappointing result at home to Cardiff City means the Head Coach is heading into a game on the back of a home defeat for the first time in his managerial career.

On preparing for QPR whilst experiencing this for the first time, he said: ”I’m getting better at understanding that you are never at the top of a mountain, and you are never at the bottom of the ocean.

“I’m somewhere between quite consistently when it comes to preparation, but maybe not during the 90 minutes of football!

“I know I have 48 hours to prepare for Queens Park Rangers as soon as Cardiff is finished, so I've been pretty emotionally stable this week.

“I think once we reflect on the whole festive period, it'll hurt that the run has come to an end, but all good things come to an end.”

With the Cardiff game being Watford’s 23rd league match of the season, it means the Hornets reached the halfway stage of the campaign in seventh place.

Cleverley is happy with his side’s position, although he is aware there is room for improvement, which he knows can be used to motivate his side.

“I think it's a decent points return,” the former Watford captain explained. “Thirty-seven points at the halfway stage - that points per game ratio normally see you in the mix [for promotion].

“It is something that we're proud of. I feel like there is progression, but I also feel like there is scope for improvement.

“That's the exciting part, and that keeps us all driving forward.

“Yes, it's a successful first half of the season, but I feel like we can improve to really solidify our position in that top six.”