On defeat against Watford…
We’re feeling a bit frustrated. Although we scored early, I felt we were too cautious and didn’t fully showcase our potential. In the second half, our shape was solid, and we broke well, but our final pass was lacking, and we weren’t clinical enough. Conceding another fantastic goal was disappointing.
Teams come here and face many shots, but I don’t think we put enough pressure on them. Jacob (Zetterström) didn’t have much to do. We lacked personality on the ball in the first half, but that improved in the second. I told the players before the game that we needed to be the best version of ourselves to win.
Against established Championship teams, if you’re not at your best, you’ll struggle, as evidenced by their two goals. They had a bit more class during crucial moments of the game.
On challenging Watford to the final whistle…
You want to stay competitive in the game, and getting an early lead may have intensified their response. It’s important to remain in the game.
If Sonny Bradley had scored that header towards the end, it could have been a 2-2 draw, and I felt we were gaining momentum. I told the players afterward that they should play freely, accepting that mistakes might happen but avoiding fear. In the second half, we did play with more freedom, and I genuinely believed we could win.
I’m really proud of their persistence and how seamlessly we adapted our tactics. However, in the first half, we didn’t win enough tackles and weren’t assertive enough on the ball. In contrast, we were much improved in the second half—more aggressive and energized, which was sparked by some sideline commotion.
On building confidence from League One to the Championship level…
I remind them every day of how great they are. We came here and lost 2-1, and we were physically exhausted by the end. Many of my players, including Jerry Yates, Ryan Nyambe, and Nat Mendez-Laing, were worn out from all their defensive work.
If you give everything and lose while playing on the edge, that’s one thing. But we lost and I felt we had another 10 percent to give. While I can’t fault their effort much, that extra 10 percent is often what secures victories.
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