DANNY MURPHY: Roy Hodgson's calming presence will probably be key to preserving Watford within the Premier League... he'll carry the temper, similar to he did with our struggling Fulham facet
- Roy Hodgson nonetheless has starvation to handle on the high degree after becoming a member of Watford
- Struggling Hornets remind me a variety of our troubled Fulham crew in 2007-08
- He introduced calm to the place and that is precisely what he'll do at Vicarage Street
- His strategies are easy however ultimately he'll make everybody's jobs pure
I'm not shocked by Roy Hodgson's return at Watford. From their perspective, he is the most effective candidate to maintain them within the Premier League. For him, it is a possibility to indicate he is nonetheless obtained it at 74.
The final time I spoke to Roy he was stuffed with power and spark. I mentioned when he left Crystal Palace he wasn't performed with soccer and I have been proved proper.
There are similarities with Watford's state of affairs to my Fulham crew in 2007-08. We had been within the backside three when he joined us in late December and devoid of confidence.
Like Watford, we had been conceding a lot of objectives however they have extra firepower than we had. Roy will nonetheless use the identical strategies, nevertheless. Structured coaching, easy messages, organised form.
I keep in mind a dialog after we would labored on a drill getting two forwards and a large participant in scoring positions. I advised I might get into the field from midfield as an alternative of a large participant, so long as we communicated beforehand.
He checked out me with a wry smile and mentioned very calmly, 'Let's stroll earlier than we will run'. In different phrases, a relegation battle isn't the time or place to complicate a supervisor's directions. Watford's gamers will not be requested to fulfil any difficult rotations.
The precedence will probably be to enhance when the crew have not obtained the ball as a result of the ahead gamers are at all times liable to attain.
Roy will enhance the temper. He and assistant Ray Lewington will probably be there for each coaching session together with Sundays for these not concerned the day earlier than. He'll repeatedly examine in on the remedy room to encourage the injured gamers. You'd assume they're fundamental duties for managers however they do not all try this.
Watford's gamers can even count on to spend loads of time within the video room. Roy used video evaluation higher than anybody.
Errors are identified however with out a tradition of blame, extra as a means of attempting to get the entire crew on the identical web page. After a couple of weeks the place you are well-drilled, the conferences turn out to be extra about Roy praising individuals for doing the precise issues.
Above all the things else, what Roy will carry to the stress of a relegation battle is calm. I keep in mind a sport at Manchester Metropolis which might have despatched us down if we would misplaced. We had been 2-0 behind at half-time and the lads had been swearing and throwing issues within the dressing room as a result of we thought we would had it.
Roy gathered us spherical and remained rational. We ended up profitable 3-2 and we received our final couple of video games as properly to remain up.
His strategies do take time to filter by way of as a result of they're crafted by repetition on the coaching floor till good habits really feel pure.
So whereas Watford's journey to Burnley on Saturday seems to be crucial, Hornets followers ought to retain hope regardless of the first consequence. They nonetheless have 51 factors to play for afterwards.