Cleverley States Vata’s Goal Fosters ‘Acceptance’

Watford manager Tom Cleverley has urged young forward Rocco Vata to enhance his overall performance in order to secure a regular starting position. Vata’s initial appearance for Watford occurred in a Carabao Cup fixture against MK Dons. The 19-year-old player registered his inaugural goal for the Hornets, entering the match as a substitute in the 72nd minute during the game at Hull, contributing to a 1-1 tie for his team. Since his transfer from Scottish club Celtic in the summer, Vata has participated in 12 matches, with only two of those being starts. Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, Cleverley stated: “Rocco’s an excellent finisher; he’s hungry to score goals, and I’m sure he’ll get many more for the club.” He continued: “I remember me as a young player coming here. I think I scored on my debut, and you feel accepted then. Rocco won us a point, and I’m really happy for him.” Cleverley further explained: “It’s not the final product part of his game why Rocco’s not seeing the pitch as much as he’d like – and that’s his challenge to improve the other parts.” Watford made a speculative investment in Vata’s potential by signing him to a four-year contract. Nevertheless, Vata possesses a strong football lineage, being the son of Rudi Vata, a former defender for Celtic and Albania, and has played for the Republic of Ireland at various youth levels, from Under-15 to Under-21. Cleverley expressed satisfaction with the performances of both Vata and fellow attacking talent Kwadwo Baah, aged 21, during the match against Hull. He commented: “Those two players are fantastic to bring on. They’ve both got bags of quality and potential,” adding, “I’ve challenged them to do the not-so-sexy part of the job now, and that’ll get them in the team. “We want to see more of Baah; we want to see more of Vata, and they know what I expect of them to get that starting shirt. I’m really pleased with the impact and desire they showed.” In summary, Cleverley conveyed his contentment with his team’s overall display against The Tigers, who were playing under new manager Ruben Selles for the first time. He remarked: “First half, we showed good periods of personality and quality on the ball. We knew they were going to come with high pressure, and it was all about having the character to break through that.” He elaborated: “In the second half, it was up to me to find a solution where we go a little bit more direct because the pitch wasn’t lending itself to playing football – underfoot it was unsteady.” The draw against Hull extended Watford’s undefeated streak to five matches, positioning them eighth in the Championship standings, merely a single point away from the play-off positions. Their next fixture is scheduled for Sunday at home against West Bromwich Albion, the team currently situated directly above them in the league table.