Middlesbrough are looking to sign off for the summer on a high when they host Watford this weekend.

It's been a disappointing season for the Hornets, who head for the Riverside 14th in the Championship and in mixed form.

They've only won one of their last seven games - at home to Sunderland last time out - but have only lost two of 10 recent outings.

Tom Cleverley was recently appointed as full-time boss, Watford's 12th permanent head coach since 2018.

So what can Boro expect of Watford this weekend? How have they changed since Cleverley replaced Valerien Ismael? Who are the dangermen? And what's the expectation or hope for next season? We spoke to Andrew French, who covers the Hornets for the Watford Observer.

What’s your verdict on Watford’s season and what’s the mood in the fanbase ahead of the Boro trip?

My personal view is that Watford will finish roughly where I thought they would, in mid-table.

There was a lot of change and upheaval in the summer, and that came after two really poor seasons.

As much as everyone wants to see progress, sometimes you have to run to stand still. They flirted with the relegation zone in the first few months, and then knocked on the door of the play-off places towards the end of 2023, but both were inaccurate representations of where Watford were.

Everything about the season has been very middling. I think the fans are pleased to have a new permanent head coach, as knowing who will be in charge at the start of the next season hasn’t always been common at Vicarage Road in recent years.

How has Tom Cleverley’s appointment gone down and how has the side changed since he first took interim charge?

The vast majority of fans are very happy to have Tom in charge, because he knows the club, the town and its history. He’s also the first internal appointment for 12 years.

He’s very popular and talks with great pride and passion about the club. He’s changed a fair bit in a short time, though he admits he needs to look at the defence/attack balance.

Watford have kept five clean sheets in eight under him, but only won twice – though they've only lost once and that was very controversially at Southampton. The shape has changed, and he’s already played a couple of different formations, plus he’s got the team more on the front foot – they had become quite safety first.

Is the expectation that Watford will get themselves back in the promotion mix next season?

I think expectation might be a bit strong: it’s more hope.

 The parachute payments have come to an end, and Watford will probably need to sell players to plug a hole in the finances, as the last accounts showed they are losing £500,000 a week. Cleverley has already said they will need to be ‘creative’ in recruitment this summer.

Just because they've been in the Premier League fairly recently gives Watford no divine right to be expecting to be in the top six, or even the top 10.

If he can get in decent players in positions where they're currently light, get the team to perform consistently and build on the positive attitude shown since he took over, then hopefully Watford will be operating near the top than the bottom next season.

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Who are the dangerman for Boro to be wary of on Saturday?

The most exciting player is Yaser Asprilla, although sadly he’s also one of the most likely to be sold in the summer. He is another gem the club unearthed in South America, following the likes of Richarlison and Joao Pedro, and he’s got a bit of everything: skill, pace, flair and an eye for goal.

Partly because of his previous role as head coach of the Under-18s, Cleverley has quite quickly started to bring in younger homegrown players – Ryan Andrews was one that had already established himself in the team, and he’s certainly someone to watch.

Incredible pace is one of his major assets, and the way he scored the winner against Sunderland last week showed he is a threat bombing on down the flank.