WATFORD deputy manager, Ray Wilkins, stepping in while Luca Vialli dashed back to see his family in Italy, pointed to Watford's display against Crystal Palace on December 15 as further signs that the team is beginning to gel.

"I would like to think we have had our rough spot. We are improving and that is important. We have got to keep improving," he said after the game.

"It has taken us a touch longer than anticipated. I think the guys are actually gelling as people now and they are far more collective. They are fighting tooth and nail which is important because, coupled with their ability, we will get results if we continue to adopt such an approach.

"They know that they have to play well every week because they know Luca does change the side and the formation regularly. So they realise they have to be on top of their game. The guys will eventually understand it has to be eight out of 10 every week."

Watford have spent time encouraging the players to go out for meals together.

Said Wilkins: "I think that helped. It is vitally important that players speak together especially when you are a multi-national dressing-room. We are a cosmopolitan club with people from all over the place. It is important.

"They come from different cultures and you do no know how they are going to react to different situations. So it is vitally important to get them to mix together and that is why we always have lunch together after training, so we can get that little bit of talk together.

"It is massively different from when we were away in Italy for two weeks. They are actually friends now whereas they were acquaintances then. You didn't really know whether so and so would get on with so and so. Now they are all getting on together."

However, he hinted that better was to come.

"I don't think the coming together, has been totally fulfilled at the moment but we are getting there and I think that is the important things. We did not have the continuity before and we are now gelling as people and that is beginning to show," he said.

Asked about Blondeau's withdrawal, Wilkins said: "He got a slight hamstring so we took him off and it was better to be safe than sorry. I thought young Lloyd (Doyley) did exceptionally well."

It was not long before the questions turned to Alec Chamberlain's performance.

"Alec is like a good red wine. I think it is a testimony to hard work and dedication that Alec can still play at that level and as well as he is at the moment. He is a very hard-working guy and a very popular fellow to have round the place," he said.

"We have two terrific goalkeepers. I think, when you have someone as experienced as Alex behind you in defence, the talking is always there. Espen Baardsen is young but because of that, he possibly concentrates more on his own game than the collective performance. He has done exceptionally well for us this year."

Looking back at the tactical changes, Wilkins explained: "We went 4-3-3 and then they came out with a switch at half time and we did not know how we were going to go. So we started off at 4-4-2 but, as soon as they switched to our formation, we decided to change back again.

"They were not a threat in the first half and obviously they had their ears burnt at half time. I have to be honest, we rode our luck a bit but I think our hard work deserved that little bit of luck.

"Clean sheets always give you a chance. I think, if I am honest, two months ago that might not have been a victory, that might have been a defeat. "

Wilkins then turned to the goalscorer: "Gifton scored a fantastic goal and he was very unfortunate not to score with his header following a fantastic ball from Marcus Gayle. When you see a young man run around and give his maximum, you know that is Gifton and I don't think you can ask for much more."

December 19, 2001 15:00