WATFORD are to adopt a horses-for-courses approach to the opposition to ensure that they are not predictable.

The Watford manager pointed this out after referring to the battling performance against Sheffield United.

"It is a difficult game against Barnsley on Saturday (October 27) but then it was a very difficult game on Tuesday," he said.

"I was very proud because it does take two teams to play, and play well. I don't think Sheffield United wanted to play. They just wanted to press us knowing we are likely to make mistakes sometimes.

"They play long balls and chasing them. It was windy and we were coming off a defeat. We now know we can get results playing that way.

"It is all about being flexible. We don't want to be a side that is quite recognisable and predictable because we play that way. We don't want to be a Nottingham Forest or a Sheffield United in that respect. We want to be able to play in the manner to face the opposition.

"When we have to fight, we want to be able to fight. And if it means winning second balls and taking advantage of a couple of chances, we want to be able to do that when we play away from home.

"When we play at home, we want to be either aggressive or just to wait for the opposition. We want to be able to change so you will not see the same approach in the way we interpret the game. Otherwise we become too easy and predictable and the opposition knows what to expect."

Meanwhile, Vialli explained why he dropped Espen Baardsen for the Blades game.

"I feel we are conceding too many goals and we are a bit edgy and lack confidence at the back. Every time we make a mistake, the opposition scores. I can hardly recall a situation where we make a mistake and they don't score," he said.

"We change the system to make it a bit more solid and it has got better but not that much better. I felt that Alec Chamberlain has a rather reassuring presence, can deal with back-passes very well and he has experience.

"This is not a punishment for Espen because he has done reasonably well so far but I was trying to give the defenders someone who had not been involved in the previous mistakes. Alec has a clean sheet and was prepared to play with confidence."

November 6, 2001 10:30