AIDY BOOTHROYD insists he is focusing solely on the visit of Ipswich Town tomorrow (Saturday) and does not have one eye on Wednesday's huge relegation clash with Wigan Athletic.

Ahead of a season-defining week that could see Watford reach the last eight of the FA Cup and significantly improve their hopes of survival by moving to within four points of the Latics, Boothroyd is taking one game at a time.

"Three or four weeks ago I would have said that I had one eye on the Wigan game but now my thinking is all about winning the next game," said the manager yesterday (Thursday). "Ipswich must be respected, we must win and then we will look at the Wigan one after that."

Agreeing that the week "could well be season defining", Boothroyd will not though be heaping the same pressure on his players that caused them to freeze so disastrously against Sheffield United and Bolton. The mood at the London Colney training is a very relaxed one.

"Everybody connected with the club is so anxious to do well that we've gone backwards recently," he said. "We don't want to look back at the end of the season and say we were too tense. I've perhaps been guilty of being too stressed, going too overboard and putting too much emphasis on the players.

"By taking the pressure off we have made it a lot more fun," he continued. "Yes, we want to win but there is no point doing anything if you don't enjoy it. So the emphasis is on enjoyment and being everything we can be. If we do that and put it together with the same work ethic and application then I'm sure that will be enough. I believe it will be the right recipe.

"Training has been upbeat and relaxed and the players have been great this week. There is a different feel about the place."

The feel-good factor in the camp has been generated by the Hornets' first Premiership away win of the season on Saturday - a result achieved at a ground where Arsenal and Manchester United have both come a cropper this season.