Valérien Ismaël spoke to the media after an entertaining 3-3 draw at Plymouth saw the Hornets take a point on New Year's Day.
Edo Kayembe opened the scoring but the hosts struck back through Finn Azaz and Morgan Whittaker, before Ismaël Koné's curling shot levelled the scores.
Ryan Hardie added a third for Plymouth before the break, but Ryan Andrews hit the target after the interval at a drenched Home Park.
Covering a range of topics, including defensive struggles and attacking positives, read what the Head Coach had to say below…
On his overall assessment of the performance:
It was an entertaining game for everyone but not the coaches. I think in the first half we didn’t control the defence. Every time Plymouth broke through and it was difficult.
We were more on the back-foot rather than being on the front-foot and we got caught two or three times, but otherwise it was another example of great mentality and great spirit.
In the second half we had more control, more composure, and we deserved to score and come back into the game.
We wanted more than one point but when you see the game and the period, with all the games we have played, we have to take the points.
On improvements defensively after half-time:
We got caught [on the counter-attack] because our positioning wasn’t good. We had to be more aggressive in defence and we came in at half-time and said we had to do it better.
We needed to address these things in the second half. We needed to stay calm because the game was not over and we knew that. We had to make sure that when we scored the goal it was game on.
On his team’s attacking display:
I think we played well. It was exactly what we wanted – the cutbacks and the running in behind – the gameplan was there.
Attacking-wise we played well, so it was a great attacking away game, but defensively it wasn’t that strong.
On five points from four games:
I think if you see the four games, it was two tough away games [against Blackburn and Plymouth] and we managed well.
Against Stoke we were on the front-foot and got the red card, and that is another game down. Other than the Bristol City game, the way we played, the attitude and mentality was really good.
I am pleased, especially because away we are still unbeaten [in four games]. I don’t want to be negative; I want to stay positive. You can blame us for the Bristol City game for sure, but that was a bad day. The mentality of the players to come back in the games away was really good.
We have a good feeling that we can do it better, and now the January and February period will give us more energy and belief, and consistency in our way.
