WATFORD's new manager, who had "a bit of a go" at the players at half-time on Saturday, August 17, admitted that he might have been over-anxious to get that first win.

He was critical of several aspects of the performance after the game and intimated that he may have to revise the switch to 3-5-2 if the players continue to have problems putting it into practice.

After the match, Ray Lewington stated that there are some things they are not doing at all well. Asked to elaborate, he said: "The whole point of the system is that when you are playing against a side using 4-4-2, is that you have three central midfield players and you are out-numbering them three-to-two.

"You must use that numerical advantage, and if you ignore it and just play long balls forward, then you ignore where you are strong.

"That takes the two boys either side to make good angles and to do it quickly. We didn't do it. It is a minor thing but if you don't do it, then it is pointless playing the system. We have worked on it but sometimes players forget it during a game."

The manager understands why the players are "forgetful".

"That is what I have talked about before: natural habits," he said. "You are used to playing a 4-4-2 system with your wingers in and you have a partner to play with in midfield. In this system you have two partners centrally and wing backs either side. The way of the game changes in a way and you have to work at it to adopt other principles.

"Most of the players have come through their lives playing 4-4-2 at most clubs. There are some that are playing 3-5-2, but, if you are set in 4-4-2, the habits you have had for most of your career are not the habits you adopt in a 3-5-2. We need to adjust slightly. If we do then, well and good but if they do not, I will scrap it and we will go the other way.

"If we went out next week and it all worked really well and you thought, that is great everyone has got it, and the week after they forget it, you have to ask yourself if we have got what it takes to play this.

"The simple formation is 4-4-2 with two banks of four. It is very simple to understand and it is very simple to coach. The 3-5-2 formation is harder to coach and for them to understand.

"Let's have a look and see if it is going to benefit us, otherwise we will scrap it."

The Watford manager, while standing by his after-match comments, was more sanguine about the display after watching a video of the Wimbledon game during the week.

"We had two double sessions on Monday and Tuesday and we are chipping away at things with a view to improving the team play," he said.

"But there was progress in Saturday's display on the two previous matches. I suppose you get disappointed at some aspects and tend to nit-pick, and, on reflection, we were quite bright in the first-half.

"I still feel the three in midfield have got to be used more. The boys out wide are not getting in the right positions. We should be looking into midfield rather than hitting it long.

"We were hitting too many long balls out from defence, and that is because the lads weren't making the angles. There is nothing wrong in playing long balls occasionally but these were hit and hope balls.

"This is all organisational stuff which will hopefully get better as we get on."

He did confess: "Perhaps, on reflection, my criticism was a bit harsh. In the second-half, the game got scrappy and basic passing went astray, which you could put down to the conditions. Perhaps we are less fit than some of the others because of the disruption to pre-season training, but the heat was unbearable. I did not realise how hot it was until I went down pitch-side during the game.

"People were trying to do good things and they weren't coming off. It is just that in midfield I thought we were wasteful."

August 23, 2002 13:00