STABLE? THAT HORSE HAS BOLTED!
Watford are goal-crazy mad men of Prem
Premier League: 3pm
BY
CLAUDIO RANIERI is dreaming of “stability” on the pitch – even though his Watford reign started with two mad results.
The Hornets have already made history under the Tinkerman by becoming the first side to ship five goals at home and then score five on the road in their next match in the Premier League.
And today they face Southampton – in a fixture in which the Saints went ahead after just 7.69 seconds two years ago, as Shane Long (right) hit the fastest-ever Premier League goal.
Stability? After just two games, Ranieri’s Watford are already the kings of unpredictable.
But as he digested a topsy-turvy first two games in the Vicarage Road ejector seat, he called for a first clean sheet of the season as a basis for safety.
The Italian, who followed up a 5-0 thrashing at home by Liverpool on his coronation with a stunning 5-2 win at Everton, said: “I would like to have a team that is stable in their performance. I would like to be consistent in every situation as it’s important to move up the table.
“It’s the first time in my life that it has happened like this, conceding five, then scoring five.
“After Liverpool, we were very sad – but after Everton we were very satisfied because Watford had never won there before.
“But now we must clear our minds because Southampton will be dangerous opponents and we must play with a lot of intelligence.
“And the offer is still there. I am ready to pay for lunch or dinner in exchange for a clean sheet. I have booked the restaurant already, I don’t know when I will pay, but sooner or later we will not concede.”
Ranieri said he was “surprised” by the all-round quality of hat-trick hero Josh King’s first Premier League goals for 454 days at Goodison Park.
But the perfectionist is also demanding more defensive discipline. Only Norwich and Newcastle, the bottom two, have conceded more goals than Watford this term, and he said: “Sometimes you don’t make mistakes, but there are some good champions that invent some goals and that’s what I prefer.
“Don’t concede, don’t make any mistakes, but if some opponent can invent some fantastic goal, I shake his hand and I say well done.
“At Everton we made a mistake with the tactical movement for the first goal and for the second, we lost the main striker in the middle of the box, it’s not possible.”
Ranieri’s previous assignment in English football, at Fulham (below), ended after just 106 days when he was sacked following a defeat against Southampton.
But he harbours no thoughts of revenge, grinning: “I think I lost my job at Fulham when I signed.”