CONFIDENCE KEY TO BILLY’S BOYS
MOST new managers acquire struggling sides low on confidence, but Watford head coach Billy McKinlay knows he has the opportunity to achieve special things with his recently-inherited squad.
The Hornets spurned the opportunity to go top in McKinlay’s second game, but the Scot remains excited about the season’s prospects.
“There’s a good group of players and confidence is high,” he said. “Results have been good and hopefully we can continue that.
“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a really good few days in terms of results. I couldn’t be more happy.
“Whether we’re second in the league, or third or fourth, it’s pleasing. But the most pleasing thing is looking at the players and seeing what they’re capable of and where they’re capable of going.”
Just as they twice did at Blackburn last Saturday headed goals proved Watford’s undoing, as Lewis Dunk’s late header from Kazenga LuaLua’s corner cancelled out Daniel Tozser’s free-kick.
“Up to the goal we limited them to very little,” added McKinlay. “We didn’t create as much as we would like, but I felt we had good control of the game.
“Nobody likes losing goals, especially when it’s from one particular area. That’s something we need to address. Organisation for one thing is something we need to see if it can be improved, but it’s not quite as easy as putting it down to one thing.”
Neither goalkeeper was forced into a significant save until the 87th-minute when David Stockdale denied Matej Vydra one-on-one, as neither side ventured near their top gear.
Tozser was the game’s dominant performer, dropping between his centre-backs to mark Chris O’Grady, while ensuring Watford monopolised possession from deep.
The Hornets got in numerous strong wide positions, but their final passes were comfortably cleared by Dunk or his defensive partner Gordon Greer. Brighton’s core four of Dunk, Greer and the two holding midfielders were resolute throughout and troubled little in open play.
Unfortunately one of these players – Rohan Ince – handed Watford their goal. Ince stepped away from the wall and Tozser slipped his free-kick through the resulting hole – his third successful free-kick in six weeks.
Brighton manager Sami Hyypia said:“I didn’t even think it was a good free-kick. When that kind of free-kick goes in you can’t be happy. Those are basic things. Even if you have arrows coming towards you, you stay attached to the wall.”
Former centre-back Hyypia is clearly doing something right with Dunk though. He had never scored before this season, but is now Brighton’s top scorer with four headers.
Following his side’s fourth consecutive draw, Hyypia continued: “I’d never heard of Lewis Dunk’s name before I came here, so I didn’t know what to expect from him. Goalscoring’s often about confidence. He attacks the ball very well and he’s a real threat from set-pieces.
“Things are definitely devel- oping as I want. Tuesday was very good. Today we lacked urgency and tempo a bit on the ball, but winning or losing depends on small things. It’s frustrating to concede that kind of goal, but it’s frustrating as well that with one point in every game you’re not going higher in the table.
“I want to win every game.That is my target. I put pressure on myself to do that. If we don’t win, I’m not happy. I’m an ambitious guy. That drives me on, but where we are in the table now isn’t very satisfying for me. Things aren’t that bad, but it’s results that count.”