Valérien Ismaël spoke to the media ahead of Watford’s trip to Coventry City on Saturday (September 2, 3pm KO), with the Hornets looking to bounce back to winning ways following two Sky Bet Championship defeats in a row.
Covering a range of topics, including Ryan Andrews’ international call-up, transfer deadline day and his thoughts on last season’s beaten play-off finalists Coventry, read what the Head Coach had to say below…
On the season as a whole so far:
We are happy overall. It’s been a transitional period since I came in, so a massive clean out was the first bit, we re-shaped the squad and the mentality, created a new environment around the training ground, and a new way to train and play for the players. On that side of things, I’m very pleased. Even on the pitch so far - other than the first half at Stoke - the guys played exactly how we expected. We’ve created lots of chances and dominated games, and opponents have already started to change the way they play against us. We know that bumpy roads can happen in the Championship, but we are all aligned at the club, we know we are working well and working hard, we just need to keep going. We are aware of the areas we need to improve, and we’re doing all we can to get better with each game.
I think we are among the top teams for chances created and expected goals, and defensively we are strong. So, we see a lot of positives and that things are moving in the right direction. The other way of looking at it is that we haven’t scored in our last three games, despite those chances. It’s okay the performances being good but at some point they need to produce wins. It’s clear we want to win games, and to do that we need to score goals. As long as we keep going we know it will come eventually. It’s important we stay calm and aligned with where we want to go, but at the same time you need to win games to get that confidence. The purpose in training is always to win, and at some point you need to get the reward to get that feeling back and the belief that comes with it.
On the young talent in the squad:
We have a lot of really good guys. We’ve got Yáser Asprilla, Matheus Martins, Ryan Andrews, James Morris and many others. There are lots of very good young players, but with big potential. Now it’s our job to work with them. We know with young players there are always up and downs with performances - there are always consistency problems - but we have to make sure they understand the high level of performance we demand as well as giving them opportunities.
On Ryan Andrews being called up by England Under-20s:
It’s great news. It’s a good example for the Academy players, for them to realise that the pathway is possible. They need to see that it doesn’t matter how old you are, as long as you are able to hit the profile we are looking for then you will have a chance. Ryan is now a national player, which will raise interest and expectations, but he has shown he can handle the pressure so far. It’s brilliant for him, and it shows the club is doing the right thing, too.
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On transfers and deadline day:
When we assessed the squad when I first came in we realised we had some really good young players, who should have the chance to express themselves in the squad. On the other hand you need some experienced players too, and it’s always about trying to find the right balance.
We’ve talked a lot about building something here. When you want to do that you have to give confidence to the players. We know we’re going to need maybe two or three transfer windows to get to exactly where we want to be, but the first thing we need to do is to give the guys here the chance to show up. We will assess and analyse over the first few months and then in January we’ll see whether we are on the right path or if we need to do something different. It’s always a process, and right from the start we’ve all been aligned and clear with what we want.
I’m happy with my squad as it is, and the size of it, but we always assess the market. If we can get a good opportunity we will do it. We have been talking to the board every day about different topics, with open communication. We know exactly the profile of player we’re looking for, and when you reshape the club and mentality like we’ve done, it’s important that any player you sign fits into that. Everyone has to be on the same page.
On Mileta Rajović:
We know he has the potential to make a big impact here, but it’s important he gets to know the Championship, English football and our methods as quickly as possible. It’s a big change and he’s only just got here. The best way to learn is by doing, and our job is to help him both on and off the pitch. After that, I’m sure he’ll be able to perform on the field.
On Coventry:
Coventry have been stable in the Championship for a few years now, with the same manager and a clear way to play. They did very well last year, and it’s a tough away game for us. They’ve improved their performances and league finishes consistently, and this year they’ve had to be active in the transfer market to replace important players. We know we’re going to have to be on our game, and we want to see our identity in and out of possession and create chances, but this time take the next step and score the goals we need to win the game.
On team news:
We’re really pleased that Francisco Sierralta is back in training. You always hope you can compensate for missing a player, but when the player is not playing then you realise how big the miss is. He’s been with the squad all week and we’ll know more after the final session, but at the minute it looks good for him to be involved.
Rhys [Healey] wasn’t in the squad last week, and at some point when you have good fitness in the squad you have to take these decisions. My expectation is to have to make more of these decisions going forward - it has to be my headache when I select the squad.
[Jamal Lewis] is still in the rehab process at the moment, training individually. Yesterday (Thursday August 31) was the last big session he had, so we’re expecting him to train with the team next week. There’ll be a friendly next week too, so he’ll possibly have the chance to get some minutes then. If everything goes smoothly, hopefully he’ll be available for the Birmingham game (Saturday September 16, 3pm KO).
On discipline:
Discipline is another part of the process - perhaps the least enjoyable one, but one we have to go through at some point. We have rules in place, and everyone has to respect them. It’s as simple as that. If they’re not followed, that will force me to take action. I don’t want to take action, believe me - I don’t want to compete without my best players - but nobody is bigger than the team or the club. The reaction has been very good from everyone and they all understand how it is now.
