Dean’s stung into making amends for that howler
SOMETIMES a bit of tough love is all you need in football.
Instead of offering a pick-me-up to his goalkeeper Dean Henderson after his clanger against Liverpool last weekend, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was ruthless in his criticism.
But Wilder’s typically earnest remarks were only designed to drive up standards and Henderson clearly took them to heart.
Seven days later and the stopper who aspires to the England jersey made two crucial saves to earn the Blades a point at Watford.
‘It stung him a little bit last week and these things happen in football and in life,’ Wilder said. ‘It’s how you react and how you overcome the hurdles.
‘We had a couple of situations last season exactly the same and he came roaring back. He looked a really good keeper today.’
Henderson’s crucial saves bookended the second-half at Vicarage Road and left basement club Watford frustrated as they continue to await their first victory of the season. The curious thing about their predicament is that they do know how to create chances.
Only Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool had made more opportunities than the Hornets in the opening seven Premier League rounds prior to this fixture.
But the reason Watford are already cut adrift at the bottom is that they don’t take them and so it proved again here.
Moments after the start of the second half, John Egan stooped to try and head a low bouncing ball inside the centre circle, only for Danny Welbeck to nick it past him and surge clean through on goal.
Welbeck had Andre Gray alongside him but declined the pass in search of personal glory and was denied by Henderson, who stood tall to block with his right leg, much to Gray’s annoyance.
And deep into stoppage time Henderson plunged to his right to save Craig Dawson’s header after Roberto Pereyra’s searching freekick had breached United lines.
But Watford’s clearest opening came inside the opening 10 minutes and Gray will spend much of the international fortnight wondering how he didn’t take it.
A hopeful ball played down the right touchline exploited slack positioning by Enda Stevens and Jack O’Connell, allowing Pereyra to scamper onto it after Henderson decided against rushing out.
The Blades were at sixes and sevens and Pereyra had plenty of time to roll a low cross past Henderson’s reach and into Gray, who just needed to tap into an empty net from barely five yards.
But somehow the Watford striker spooned his shot over the bar to general disbelief in the stands.
Surely Troy Deeney, watching from an executive box as he recovers from knee surgery, would have snapped up such a chance.
Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores set up his team in a belt and braces 5-3-2 formation despite playing at home to a newly-promoted side who play a similar style.
It helped ensure Watford’s first league clean sheet in 20 matches but surely stifled their creativity. ‘It wasn’t our intention to play on the counter-attack, we tried to play in different ways,’ Sanchez Flores said.
‘We can take confidence from not conceding goals but it is very clear we created the best opportunities. In another moment of the season, with more confidence, they would be goals.’
Meanwhile, United were well organised and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but created little.
Nevertheless, they look streetwise enough to compete in this league and appear unlikely to be sucked into a relegation battle.
Watford are undoubtedly in one and must find that cutting edge.