Tom Cleverley didn’t mince words after Watford’s narrow 1-0 loss at Portsmouth, launching a scathing attack on referee Sam Allison over a red card decision he branded “a complete guess” and expressing deep frustration with the standards both on and off the pitch.
The turning point in the second half came when Kevin Keben was controversially sent off in the 56th minute for an alleged foul on Josh Murphy. Cleverley, echoing the thoughts of many watching live and on replay, was left fuming. “It was a complete guess from Sam,” he said bluntly. “He’s seen something that didn’t happen. Kevin has clearly got the ball. He’s recovered and got a touch on the ball.”
The head coach emphasized that while he’s willing to hold his hands up when decisions are fair—referencing Watford’s prior outing—this one was indefensible. “I was the first one to come out and say we deserved what we got on Friday, decision wise. Today, it was a complete guess. At this level of football, when you make a big decision you have to be sure.”
Cleverley didn’t shy away from implying that the referee succumbed to the pressure of the home crowd. “It’s quite a hostile environment here and I think he maybe sided with the home side there. It’s clear for all to see he played the ball, so I fully expect us to appeal.”
The red card couldn’t have come at a worse time. After a poor first half, Watford were beginning to find their rhythm just before the dismissal. “It’s really disappointing as it came when we were just starting to get rhythm in the game,” said Cleverley. “What, on the outside, looks quite an irrelevant game for both clubs, is hugely relevant for us to finish the season well.”
Even though Portsmouth nervously sat back with their lead, the ten-man Watford side failed to generate enough threat to claw their way back. Despite the uphill battle, Cleverley praised the effort from his players in the second half: “We kept going and it looked like we had enough out there who were giving their all.”
However, the head coach once again returned to a theme he’s hammered home recently: accountability. “But it felt that people felt there was no consequences to that first half,” he said. “I have been brought up in high-pressure environments and there has to be consequences for not performing at the levels we expect.”
Cleverley’s comments are becoming a consistent rallying cry—not just against bad officiating, but against a deeper issue he sees within the club. The red card may have been the flashpoint, but for Cleverley, it’s about more than just one call: it’s about rebuilding a culture of intensity, pressure, and standards—and he’s not going to let anything slide.
In other news, “No One’s Held Accountable” – Furious Cleverley Slams Lack of Consequences at Watford After Portsmouth Defeat
