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1:00

To not stretch your eyes! Tom

1:02

Final away game of the season,

1:04

a word on the away supporters

1:06

for Watford who've been incredible all

1:08

season. Magnificent, absolutely magnificent

1:10

and that comes from the bottom

1:12

of my heart, the players' hearts,

1:14

the staff and the club, it's

1:16

been real top support with we've

1:18

not had. as good a away

1:20

record as we'd planned on having

1:23

or we've prepared to have, but

1:25

they've stuck with us through thick

1:27

and thin, travelling the full length

1:29

and depth of the country at

1:31

all different days of the week and

1:33

times of the week, and we

1:35

fully appreciate the support right until

1:37

the end on Saturday. The numbers

1:39

and the noise have been something

1:41

else, aren't they? Considering what they

1:44

went through last season, have been

1:46

through for a while. Yeah magnificent,

1:48

that I probably won't think. All

1:50

the standout ones, Darby away was

1:52

incredible. The support I got at

1:54

Coventry was personally was something that

1:57

will stick with me for a

1:59

long time. And yeah, there's a

2:01

couple of real standout days that

2:03

are what you involved in football

2:05

for and the supporters have made

2:07

that. Any one more final performance

2:09

don't they? Just because of what's

2:11

gone on now for the last

2:13

couple of months just to end

2:15

the season with a bit of

2:18

an oomph. We all do. We

2:20

all do with it. There is

2:22

huge significance on this game on

2:24

Saturday in my eyes and we...

2:26

Circumstances mean that we're a little

2:28

bit up against it in terms

2:30

of injuries and suspensions and lack

2:32

of numbers and depth, but we

2:34

know we have the group to

2:36

go up there and put a

2:38

performance in and get a result

2:41

and we need to react from

2:43

Monday because Monday none of us

2:45

were pleased with how Monday panned

2:47

out, can sort of defend ourselves

2:49

for... maybe a few games with

2:51

not one where I felt like

2:53

we've done enough to win the

2:55

game but one day wasn't the

2:57

case and we're we're off it

2:59

in a number of areas. Is

3:01

it too simplistic but it's rather

3:03

fizzled out because the squad depth

3:06

isn't as good as it could

3:08

be generally with softly we spoke

3:10

about loads but it always felt

3:12

like this could happen? Yeah so

3:14

we'll do a debrief on all

3:16

areas of that technical physical. recruitment

3:18

and because it's been it's been

3:20

a few too many times it's

3:22

happened now consistently we've we've fallen

3:24

away in January and so there

3:26

we'll look at the the physical

3:28

and mental loading of the players,

3:31

do we take the times to

3:33

get enough rest into the plays

3:35

and international breaks, how can we

3:37

add to the January market to

3:39

really bring that freshness and depth,

3:41

which yeah, I feel like there's

3:43

a lot of us that can

3:45

can debrief and analyse that to

3:47

make sure that we're better positioned

3:49

next January and we don't fizzle

3:51

out in the way it has

3:53

in the last eight to ten

3:56

games. Because this is a young

3:58

squad now because of what you've

4:00

been left with. I mean they'll

4:02

learn from all this experience but

4:04

this is what happens to youngsters

4:06

they will make some of these

4:08

little mistakes. you were saying about

4:10

demanding more from them. That sort

4:12

of comes to experience and I

4:14

was watching SAR last night and

4:16

he's matured so much you're going

4:18

to get them at this stage

4:21

of the season rather than a

4:23

SAR now. Yeah so that is

4:25

the negative and the positive of

4:27

this situation is the negative is

4:29

that we all have to accept

4:31

who has to be maturing process

4:33

that these young players go through.

4:35

The 22 that travelled to Portsmouth

4:37

on Monday. 13 were 21 or

4:39

under. So the majority of the

4:41

squad were under 21s on Monday.

4:44

So we have to accept that

4:46

Fratton Park is a very new

4:48

environment. And let's not beat around

4:50

the bush. Some of our more

4:52

experienced plays have made mistakes over

4:54

Easter and the last few games.

4:56

So I'm not pointing the finger.

4:58

But when you have a real

5:00

season side like Portsmouth. and more

5:02

streetwise and they manage the game.

5:04

And our lads, the positive to

5:06

all this is our lads are

5:09

another year down that line come

5:11

next season and they will have

5:13

gone through these maturing processes that

5:15

you have to go through but

5:17

you just have to look at

5:19

the first action of the game

5:21

at Fran Park. Colby Bishop is

5:23

a huge target for them and

5:25

he's... Got no one screening in

5:27

front of him from a long

5:29

throw that ends up in a

5:31

huge chance after three minutes now

5:34

their process is that I can

5:36

show you if I was in

5:38

the team that wouldn't happen. And

5:40

yeah we just looked like a

5:42

team that had six under 21s

5:44

starting on Monday but I'm sure

5:46

they'll all benefit from these experiences

5:48

and that's the exciting part. Kevin

5:50

did you lodge an appeal? What's

5:52

happening with that? Kevin or server?

5:54

and obviously used to love sisoko

5:56

suspended but kambe is back anyone

5:59

else available of the injured ones

6:01

probably not one thought no i'm

6:03

worrying the situation with rock or

6:05

vata in training yesterday as well

6:07

his ankle so we're waiting to

6:09

assess that one. But yeah, it's

6:11

been a challenging period. Let's not

6:13

dress it up any other way.

6:15

We felt we missed out on

6:17

an attacking player in January and

6:19

we were crossing our fingers that

6:22

we wouldn't suffer any suspensions or

6:24

injuries and they've all come at

6:26

the same time. If you'd have

6:28

told me in September, October, when

6:30

everything was rosy on the field

6:32

and results were good, that you'd

6:34

lose Chavatadzi, Barcelona, so if I

6:36

won a game, then I'd be

6:38

worried. Because there's a lot of

6:40

game changes in there, there's a

6:42

lot of matchwiners in there. So

6:44

we're finding other ways to try

6:47

and win football matches, but I'm

6:49

sure any coach would struggle to

6:51

deal with the absentees that I'm

6:53

facing at the minute. Daniel Batman

6:55

he hasn't been in the score

6:57

for the last couple of games

6:59

is he available? No he's he's

7:01

suffering a little bit of sonus

7:03

in his uncle but he and

7:05

then it's not the stage of

7:07

the season that we would prepare

7:09

to risk that. You'll go and

7:12

play a player Blair and his

7:14

male side. What was your relationship

7:16

with him like would it be

7:18

nice to see him? We didn't

7:20

have much to be honest we

7:22

I was over in the Academy

7:24

building and and as I've found

7:26

out Very quickly, you don't really

7:28

have much time to give to

7:30

others when you're in this role.

7:32

So, yeah, we had two or

7:34

three conversations, very respectful guy. Really,

7:37

yeah, real good horror and presence

7:39

are out about him. And I've

7:41

really high respect of what Valerian's

7:43

done and played against his Barnsley

7:45

teams and struggled against his Barns'

7:47

teams actually. And yeah, real, real

7:49

good. reputation in the game and

7:51

looking forward to facing him on

7:53

Saturday. Their format has actually picked

7:55

up when he first arrived they

7:57

really struggle but he has sorted

7:59

him out it seems. Yeah the

8:02

one thing you got to say

8:04

about Blackburn is they've got a...

8:06

group of guys there who look

8:08

like they'll roll the sleeves up

8:10

and really dig in and make

8:12

themselves hard to beat and that

8:14

mirrors the season they have. They're

8:16

a team that's with all respect

8:18

for me overachieved and that's credit

8:20

to Valerian and John Eustace and

8:22

the group of players. I said

8:25

they've got some real quality plays

8:27

in their team. I really like

8:29

Tronstad and Travis in midfield and

8:31

they're a... Yeah, they are where

8:33

they deserve to be. With two

8:35

games left and kind of seeming

8:37

like it's going to be midtable,

8:39

have you already got an eye

8:41

on next season or is it

8:43

too early for that? No, for

8:45

me this huge emphasis on Saturday,

8:47

these last two games, so that

8:50

is where all the focus and

8:52

attention lies, now I'd be... I'd

8:54

be lying to you if I

8:56

said I've not looked at the

8:58

pre-season schedule and the assembly of

9:00

a competitive squad for next season.

9:02

That is always, there's always jobs

9:04

to do in this role, so

9:06

I have, but my eyes firmly

9:08

on Saturday and getting a good

9:10

reaction to Monday. I think you're

9:12

on the same number of points

9:15

as what forgot last season. Will

9:17

that annoy you if you don't

9:19

better that? Absolutely and I'm annoyed

9:21

already that we're not significantly better

9:23

because we were in position to

9:25

now for some reasons that we

9:27

spoke about earlier that are out

9:29

of our control, suspension and an

9:31

injury. I've been a factor. How

9:33

can we make sure this doesn't

9:35

happen again when going back to

9:37

the recruitment, the physical load, mental

9:40

loading? How can we get better?

9:42

but keep driving because yeah a

9:44

six-point improvement on last season will

9:46

make everyone a lot happier going

9:48

on their holidays than then if

9:50

we platter cool you said in

9:52

an earlier answer you we we

9:54

you knew that we were coming

9:56

into second-off the season maybe a

9:58

forward light but also I also

10:00

remember in January you were saying

10:02

you were happy about what's the

10:04

difference between the two. I think

10:06

in January we all, the transfer

10:08

that didn't happen on deadline day,

10:10

we weren't fully satisfied with what

10:12

we had and yeah, what happened,

10:14

sort of a real chain of

10:16

events that... that we couldn't foresee

10:18

coming sort of bio after the

10:21

red card had a bit of

10:23

turning confidence and and he's working

10:25

really hard on the training field

10:27

to bring that form back that's

10:29

seen and get double figures for

10:31

this season his high school scoring

10:33

season and and then the injuries

10:35

and the suspensions we can do

10:37

something about this come from our

10:39

own fault but to not have

10:41

bar for hardly any of the

10:43

period after the turn of the

10:45

year has been a real blow

10:47

for us. He's our matchwinner, our

10:49

game changer and I think you'll

10:51

know better than me that seems

10:53

every game we're playing has been

10:55

decided by one go here or

10:57

there and when the margins are

10:59

that fine. I feel like how

11:01

we, the game management things that

11:03

comes to the age of the

11:05

squad as well as missing one

11:07

or two that can really change

11:09

a game as has hurt us.

11:11

You're right, the margins have been

11:13

fine. Would you then, if you

11:15

had January again, think maybe I

11:17

do need a third striker option?

11:20

Yeah, absolutely. And that's probably the

11:22

one thing that I would... Maybe

11:24

I've showed a lack of experience

11:26

is in that market where I

11:28

felt like we could I'm an

11:30

optimist when in my in my

11:32

cup with my coaching head on

11:34

and I thought we could really

11:36

cope with the two and you

11:38

don't foresee what if this. what

11:40

if that happens? I saw the

11:42

positives in everything we were doing

11:44

and I thought we could do

11:46

it. Now we wouldn't have had

11:48

the emergence of Mamadoo I don't

11:50

think if we had got a

11:52

third. So let's remember that and

11:54

it is my job to develop

11:56

these young players and I don't

11:58

think Mamadoo would have flourished as

12:00

much as he had had had

12:02

to be done but for sure

12:04

I would have done things a

12:06

little bit differently and got another

12:08

number. You looked really crestfallen. after

12:10

the game of Monday and you

12:12

said it was one of the

12:14

particular sports here. How long does

12:16

it take you to get out

12:18

of your system? Till the next

12:21

game I'd say. Yeah I'm always

12:23

quite open and honest with you

12:25

guys or as open as honest

12:27

as as I can be and

12:29

you know when I'm feeling down

12:31

and yeah Monday was one of

12:33

my real low moments. The plays

12:35

have known that we've addressed that

12:37

this morning of why I thought

12:39

we were so flat and... we

12:41

got yeah we got beat well

12:43

beaten in a lot of aspects

12:45

of football and that was disappointing

12:47

for me to see that after

12:49

a period of strong performances maybe

12:51

not strong results but strong performances

12:53

we yeah there's there's sort of

12:55

giving you all but but there's

12:57

doing absolutely everything you can to

12:59

win a football game and I

13:01

thought we were off it on

13:03

Monday. You talked about the consequences

13:05

and I understood what you mean

13:07

but I understood what you mean

13:09

but As a head coach, could

13:11

you not create those consequences within

13:13

your group and within the way

13:15

you work so that those players

13:17

do feel there are repercussions if

13:20

they don't before? That is the

13:22

culture that I would love to

13:24

set at this place where the

13:26

head coach is absolutely the one

13:28

that you're trying to impress and

13:30

there are consequences for not having

13:32

that that doesn't come within it

13:34

with my ego because I've not

13:36

got one. but I think that

13:38

is the healthiest environment the healthiest

13:40

hierarchy on the technical side is

13:42

that the head coaches is so

13:44

what I said about the consequences

13:46

or the pressures then I have

13:48

to create that and we have

13:50

to create that as a club

13:52

that is that is the the

13:54

be all and end all from

13:56

a technical point of view now

13:58

I I didn't want the consequence

14:00

I didn't mean I want there

14:02

to be real media scrutiny or

14:04

I didn't want there to be

14:06

a real divide from the fans

14:08

when there's been a poor performance

14:10

that's not a healthy football club

14:12

and I wasn't well getting that

14:14

I was getting that These players

14:16

need to feel more consequences from

14:18

a technical side, from myself as

14:21

the head coach, on performance and

14:23

results. Is it too naive at

14:25

this stage of season to take

14:27

on almost a fan's view and

14:29

say let's just have a go

14:31

fit for the games? Let's just

14:33

pile forward. Betts if we're going

14:35

to lose, let's lose four three

14:37

rather than a tame one no.

14:39

I think there's two two answers

14:41

to that question. One is... my

14:43

match disc what had 13 and

14:45

the 21's in so I think

14:47

we're pretty much there and I

14:49

know what they like the fans

14:51

are getting out less sea Ramirez

14:53

my sired woods Sangrajka but the

14:55

other side to my answer is

14:57

what I said postmatch and and

14:59

I would be damaging these lads

15:01

if I put them all there

15:03

at the same time because it's

15:05

with all respect it could be

15:07

quite a... a bad first experience

15:09

getting beat up by a really

15:11

seasoned Portsmouth side. I thought we

15:13

saw that in pre-season at Wickham

15:15

where we put all our young

15:17

lads on at the end of

15:20

that game and it wasn't the

15:22

nicest of experiences so I want

15:24

to ease them in and I

15:26

didn't feel like Monday was the

15:28

right environment to do that down

15:30

to 10 men away at Fratton

15:32

Park but no one's more desperate

15:34

for me that to get them

15:36

on the field in the last

15:38

two games and because they deserve

15:40

it. I was referring as much

15:42

to approach as well that I

15:44

understand why you can't maybe bring

15:46

the young players in but it's

15:48

felt like you say these last

15:50

few games have been narrow defeats

15:52

and we've scored nearly in a

15:54

lot of them. Is there a

15:56

call with two games to go

15:58

to their right? Let's just get

16:00

the ball forward. Let's have... shots

16:02

and go, let's pressure the other

16:04

team rather than almost sit back

16:06

and defend a one-nill defeat. No

16:08

one would want to get the

16:10

ball from A to B as

16:12

quickly as possible as me, but

16:14

I think with the players we've

16:16

got, that's not playing to our

16:18

strengths, you know. Mama-Doo is 19

16:21

years old and to pump the

16:23

ball up to against two real...

16:25

experience center of ours is not

16:27

playing to our strengths, rock or

16:29

vata, it's not playing to his

16:31

strengths. So we are a team

16:33

who likes to draw the opposition

16:35

out and play through the lines

16:37

once we've got them out there.

16:39

Now when you lose out from

16:41

that game model you lose Chad

16:43

Fertadzi, Bah, Kayemba, Soco, then you're

16:45

up against it. So I'm not

16:47

a coach who's obsessed with playing

16:49

football. in short passes and lowing

16:51

the pitch but for our way

16:53

of playing for the personal we've

16:55

got in the building that for

16:57

me is is our best way

16:59

and and I just wouldn't be

17:01

playing to our strengths by playing

17:03

direct football. Is there a way

17:05

of doing the way you want

17:07

to play that looks like there's

17:09

more attacking intent or there's more

17:11

forward thinking? I feel like we're

17:13

getting into the final third very

17:15

regularly and and we've seen that.

17:18

and then getting the ball from

17:20

the final third into the goal

17:23

or into a dangerous moment is...

17:25

it comes down to quality and

17:27

like I said the injury and

17:29

suspension list is yeah is something

17:31

that any club at this level

17:34

would struggle to deal with and

17:36

we are doing so not saying

17:38

there isn't ways that we can

17:40

be better and we must be

17:43

and... finding ways to have more

17:45

attempts on go but yeah we

17:47

we've been struggling a little bit

17:49

in that aspect you know I'm

17:52

thinking back to the Plymouth game

17:54

to the to the bone the

17:56

game I think we've hit the

17:58

woodwork more more than any team

18:01

now but one in this division. So,

18:03

yeah, there's a few aspects of why

18:05

we're not scoring the goals. We're at

18:08

the start of the season, but I'd

18:10

have to say, and it's easy for

18:12

me to say, but I have to

18:15

say, personnel is a huge factor. Do

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