Affleck’s Angle: Three Little Words

It took three little words for Xisco Muñoz to confirm he had won a few hearts and minds. No, not those three.

Amid the strains of Sweet Caroline in the dressing room following the uplifting win over league leaders Norwich City, Muñoz captured the mood perfectly by announcing enthusiastically mid-chorus the players would have “two days free”. There is nothing more the players like to hear. It’s the currency the modern footballer deals in. The subsequent scenes were straight out of the darts at Ally Pally or the Eric Hollies Stand at Twenty20 Finals Day. You could say it was a Xisco Inferno in the home changing room. Check it out on Ben Foster’s latest YouTube video.

It’s the sort of unscripted moment that builds a togetherness. “It was good fun,” said Troy Deeney on Hive Live Extra. “It’s the little things that get you all going.”

There is nothing like a changing room singsong to foster a bond. Saracens, the rugby club famed for its culture and team spirit, used to blast out a tribal number every time they won a game and it didn’t serve them too badly as they blasted their way to becoming the best club rugby side in the world.

The move also confirmed Muñoz has gauged the temperature and mood of this place, almost as soon as he drove in through the barriers at the club’s London Colney training ground. He posted an Instagram story featuring a picture of him in his new training apparel along with a bed of music by Sir Elton John, the rock star who has cult status in these parts. He then followed it up by replying to fans wishing him a Merry Christmas via direct messaging on Instagram. It made some fans’ Christmas. Not done there, he then added another story post-Norwich with pictures from the lens of the venerable Alan Cozzi and added Neil Diamond’s song as the soundtrack. It's very, very early days, but the 40-year-old appears to get it. He almost had the players at “Hello” in that all-important first team meeting on Tuesday morning at 10.30am.

“He said, 'We are fortunate to be doing the best job in the world and we all have our families, so why are we stressing about football? It's our passion [so let's enjoy it].' That was really key for me.“

Francisco Sierralta doesn’t say too much but when he does, it’s worth listening. “He transmitted us a considerable feeling of calm, the idea of enjoying the football again,” said the defender after he responded to being given his head by Muñoz with a Man of the Match performance. “So, we enjoyed the match, running a lot, but enjoying it because that is what football is about: to enjoy the game.”

Muñoz exudes a positivity and a large helping of humility for someone who had such a very good playing career. He bounced into the room for his first club interview and couldn’t apologise enough for being late. He said it before and after. He also apologised for his English in advance, which most Spaniards tend to do even though it embarrassingly outstrips our general command of their language, never once asked how long the interview would take and was then receptive to pointers afterwards on what he could have said or pronounced better. You want to help blokes like that. You certainly, one would imagine, want to play for them.

Tom Cleverley, who has seen just about it all in his mightily impressive career at the top level, admitted “you always get that new manager bounce”, but that a breath of fresh air had blown through the place.

“He has changed a few things, mainly changed the mentality,” he told Sky Sports after the game. “It’s been a positive three days and let’s hope that continues. He seems one of the boys, is still young and it feels like we are going to be successful under him. It's a good start.”

It’s important to recognise that a 1-0 win over Norwich, who, as their coach Daniel Farke pointed out, had more shots and more possession in the Boxing Day clash, represents nothing more than that, a good start. One narrow win certainly doesn’t make a season. But the portents were encouraging and it provides Muñoz with a benchmark in terms of energy levels and commitment as well as validation to the players of his methods.

“He’s got the boys onside,” said Deeney. “Take away the coaching, it’s the human element. He understands the lads have families. He connects with people on a personal level and he’s got the place happy again. He gave us Christmas evening at home. Normally we’d be in a hotel. You want to work for that kind of person.”

It’s not just the players who have warmed to him. The backroom staff have too, with Muñoz making a real point to personally thank one of the analysts for the work they did on Christmas Day striking a real chord with the support staff. It was also the way he encouraged the players after a mistake on Boxing Day that was noticeable. He didn’t turn back to the dugout and moan to his coaching staff or throw his hands up in the air when Kiko Femenía and Ken Sema over-clubbed crosses. He realised it was through no lack of effort and wanted to applaud them for getting in the right position and attempting to sling over a cross, something he had stressed in the week. Why hit a donkey with a stick when you can get it to work just as hard by offering it a carrot.

“You could hear him giving encouragement and instruction,” said Deeney. “We are feeding off ourselves without fans so that [encouragement] really gets you going in the last five or six minutes. When you can hear the gaffer go, ‘Go on, get after it. Look after the ball’ and to keep going even if you make a mistake. They are the things we thrive off.”

Aware of what a false dawn looks like, Deeney wanted to stress that it only “represented a very good start” and that it simply gives the team “something to build on”, but his big mate and mentor Tommy Mooney confirmed from the Hive Live studio what the players felt on the field and the vibe the fans got from watching at home.

“It’s a fabulous start,” said the Hall of Famer. “He seems excited to work at Watford and his enthusiasm has rubbed off on the players. It was good to see and it translates to training and playing with a smile on your face. There will be times when it’s difficult and then we’ll see if that smile stays.”