Moussa Sissoko headed what proved to be the winner five minutes before half-time to secure what was just a second win since Boxing Day.
The Hornets leapfrogged Boro, who have now lost their past four league games, into the top 10.
Carrick’s side were booed off at both halftime and fulltime by home supporters at the Riverside, and Cleverley admitted he felt Middlesbrough’s recent struggle played to his side’s advantage.
He said: “You always smell when a crowd is a little bit edgy. They have a quality squad and they’re demanding a lot of their players. They’re not in their best moment and we thought we could play on that.
“We created that nervousness in the stadium and smelt the blood and went for the kill.”
This story is from the February 16, 2025 edition of The Football League Paper.
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This story is from the February 16, 2025 edition of The Football League Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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