THE Watford boss, so often the architect of cup triumphs against the odds, experienced the other side of the coin but took it in his stride.

"I think that is the first time I have been the subject of a giant-killing because basically, in the main, I have always been able to get the message through to players," he said on Tuesday night.

"Sometimes you have to give the opposition back what they are giving you. I think we found that difficult. We came out in the second half without any substitutions. I said that I would give them 15 minutes before thinking about substitutions. We scored and had a period when we looked like doing something but then it faded."

But the main thrust of his after-match replies to press questions, was to give credit to Cambridge.

"I thought over two games Cambrdidge deserved their win. They were by far the better side in the first leg. They are a good side. They know what they are doing. They have forwards that are always going to be a handful and when we seemed to get up a little head of steam in the second half, they handled it very well," he said.

"It doesn't matter which division you are in or if one of the matches is a pre-season friendly but if you have played a side three times in two and a half weeks and not managed to beat them, then it is rather silly to stand here and suggest you were the better side.

"Cambridge have been the better side and congratulations to them.

"Our boys have to learn that while there was no complacency, when a side from a lower division plays you, you are seen as a scalp."

Taylor pointed out that the League Cup starts at a time when the season does not really seem to have begun. You play matches before relativetly small attendances but it is by winning those that you find yourself with significant cup ties come November-time.

"I have been part of the scenario when we did that to clubs when I was here before.

"If Roy McFarland keeps these players fit and they keep playing the way they are doing, I would have thought Cambridge are a very good bet for promotion," he stressed.

"They know what they are doing; they know the football that they are playing. They also know exactly where you are likely to clear the ball. They play exactly what I think football is all about: winning effective football. I would have thought that was sufficient for them to get out of the Third Division. It has certainly, over three games, been too much for us.

"At one stage I thought we might get through it and perhaps go through to extra time. However, strange things happen in extra time and we might have lost 4-1."

Later, when reflecting on the game, he added: "They got this penalty and it looked a penalty. The referee was on the spot and I can't argue with that.

"We had an escape in the first half when Benjamin went through. We were appealing for offside but it took a fine save by Alec Chamberlain to keep that out. Then we came back, early in the second half with a good, headed goal. Mind you, I don't know what their keeper would have thought of his own defence of that.

"Michel has had a tremendous start but it will take some time for him to settle in and reach the stage where he is fully understanding what is happening. We are very pleased with him but we still have to find that balance between what is perceived to be good football and what is in fact winning football.

"Cambridge United were doing all the things that we were criticised for in our early days. They are putting in the crosses and they know where you are going to head them out. They are picking up the second balls. It is not outside the laws of the game; they are strong and effective.

"It shook our players today. All this business of getting the ball down and let's play, goes overboard because Cambridge are dictating everything. They have this diagonal ball they employ and there was a very good battle between Benjamin and Palmer with honours about even. They have some willing forwards who want to close you down and work you. They have a strong midfield who are there for the second ball who want to supply their front men and turn you.

"And they have got a back four with two centre halves who are prepared to head it away and neither of them are slouchers. They look good and should do well, provided they do not get carried away with themselves and start to play what people consider to be 'good football'.

"Talking in the dressing room afterwards, I described it as purposeful football. They have this fellow who can throw the ball into the middle of the goal with a flat trajectory. Where are you going to head it? Either for a corner or out into a part of the field that the opposition know where it is going.

"There is nothing wrong with them doing that. They know what they are doing, these boys. Thay are no way a kick and rush side.

"So we have suffered an early exit. We have to wait until January time for the next cup tie and by then we will know what sort of League season we have."

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