Valérien Ismaël spoke to the media following Watford’s 3-0 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road, as three second-half goals from the Whites put the Hornets to the sword.
Covering a range of topics, including the disappointing result and where Watford need to improve, read what the Head Coach had to say below…
On the game as a whole:
We didn't make it hard enough for Leeds to win the match today. You can lose a game against a strong opponent, of course, but today we can't pretend we did enough to get any points from the game. You have to deal with the pressure and the atmosphere if you want to be a top player. We've got a young squad and we know we've got a long way to go for everyone.
We didn’t press well in the first half, but in the second half it was much better and we pressed much more which made it easier for our defenders. We didn’t keep the ball in front, we lost the ball too easily and when we won the ball, we didn’t have the composure to play. We missed our quality.
On the second half:
In the second half we changed our shape and I think we were more stable. We weren’t dangerous like we are usually, but we were more stable. We had the possibility to put their back four under pressure in the build-up, but when you concede the first goal it was going to be difficult afterwards. The second goal was a set-piece, the first one from a corner this season, and then at 2-0 down you have to be really strong to come back.
On what Watford needed to do better:
Throughout the 90 minutes today, the opponent was much better. They are a top team and they showed their quality. From our side, even when you know it will be a tough game, you have to make it harder for the opposition. We needed to show better quality with the ball today. We didn’t show the quality we normally have. When I see an opponent that is much better, I will say it, and they were much better today.
On moving forward:
It’s now a process to learn from this game. We wanted to win this game and come away [with three points], but in the first half we were under pressure massively. You have to accept that, but at least we need to create chances. We know that in the first half we didn’t shoot once at goal for the first time this season. Too many things happened for the first time today. The players just didn’t deal well with the pressure from the opponent. We have to learn and we will learn from this game. Next time when we face a top team, we have to make it much harder for them. We have to be much braver in our game.
