IT looks very much like the impossible job but Michael Carrick thinks his former Manchester United teammate Tom Cleverley made a good decision when taking charge of Watford earlier this year.

Managers don't tend to last long at Vicarage Road, with Cleverley the ninth boss of the Hornets since August 2020.

But the 35-year-old has made a decent enough start to his first full season in charge, even if Watford were thumped at Preston in midweek.

"It looks like a good decision to me," said Carrick when quizzed on whether his ex-midfield partner and close friend had been brave to take on the Watford job.

"He finished the season doing pretty well and he’s started this one well. I wish him all the best, and apart from playing against us, I hope he goes on to do some really good things."

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Carrick was something of a mentor for Cleverley back in their playing days at Old Trafford and while Boro's boss says it was always difficult to predict who would go on to coaching and management, the now Watford boss's love of the game was always clear.

"I think it’s hard to pick future coaches," he said.

"Some of the lads that you look back on and think that they were nailed on to be a manager and then they don’t go into it.

"Then there’s those that catch you by surprise, you don’t really see it, and they turn out to be a coach. It’s difficult to predict.

"Tom’s love of the game, from the moment he came through the academy and trained with the first-team and hunger to improve and practice every single day - he had a real good way about him.

"He had a fantastic career and it just shows you what that can do in terms of attitude. He obviously had talent, ability but his love of the game shone through and then his intelligence after that to keep adding to his game.

"He’s doing really well and I’m pleased for him. We’re still in touch, still friends, so it’s nice to see him do well."

Watford have suffered a couple of recent hammerings on the road but are unbeaten at home and beat leaders Sunderland at Vicarage Road last weekend.

Carrick said: "They're a good team and we know we're in for a tough game. 

"We're going there confident within reason and we need to be near our best again to try and get the right result."