Watford

Adrian Boothroyd has urged his players to focus on Watford's Premiership survival battle, rather than the prospect of reaching the FA Cup final.

The Hornets advanced to the quarter-finals of the cup on Saturday after Damien Francis scored a late winner against Ipswich Town.

The win took Watford a step closer to emulating their 1984 appearance at Wembley, but Boothroyd has no time to entertain such thoughts.

Instead, the Hornets manager has challenged his troops to quickly turn their attentions to Wednesday's Premiership game with Wigan Athletic.

Victory would bring Watford to within four points of safety and Boothroyd insists the league remains the immediate priority.

"What I am thinking about is the last 12 - the last 12 Premiership games - not the last eight," said Boothroyd.

"When we have an FA Cup game we will think about the quarter-final, if we get through that then the semi and so on.

"Winning our next game, that's our focus, and the players will do that or they won't play. I can't have anybody going off into dream world, thinking about 1984, Andy Gray or Steve Sherwood.

"If they have 'Phoenix From the Flames' then they won't play. The focus is very much on Wigan and they know that.

"They know where they are at, what is expected and what they have to do.

"There are 12 games left in the Premiership and the big one is on Wednesday. If we can win that one, then that will put the cat right among the pigeons."

Story Tools:
Print Email this page Messageboards

Watford striker Marlon King's stunning first Premiership goal in midweek marked a miraculous rise for the player many feared would never make it to the big time.

The prolific 26-year-old scored the Hornets' first in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United on Tuesday, picking up their first point of the season.

But for Londoner King the goal was even more significant considering his difficult past.

The Barnet apprentice won a £250,000 move to Gillingham in the summer of 2000, but disaster struck when King bought a stolen car.

"I had all the paperwork," he told the Daily Mail.

He was sentenced to spend 18 months in prison for failing to tell the police exactly where it came from.

While his jail-term was reduced to five months on appeal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur shelved their interest in the frontman.

"Gillingham stood by me, and I will always thank them for that," King continued.

"But it was tough, even though it was an open prison. I managed to keep myself fit inside. All the prisoners had jobs and mine was to run the gym. But I wasn't allowed to play football. I was still under contract at Gillingham and they demanded that I didn't play.

"I got caught up in something and I didn't realise what was going on until it was too late. I let myself down and I let my family down. But I feel like it has tarnished my name. My reputation."

That was four years ago now, but King's troubles had not yet finished because when he returned to action in Kent he almost immediately ruptured his cruciate ligament in a game at Derby County.

"I had my chances of making a move to The Premiership before now but something always seemed to happen to me," King recalled.

"I was out for another nine months with that injury. A real pain. But as soon as I started kicking a ball again, Nottingham Forest signed me."

Forest farmed him out to Leeds United on loan, where he met one of the coaching staff in Aidy Boothroyd.

"When he became manager at Watford he remembered me from there. I liked his honesty," King added.

"He's a new breed of manager. His man-management skills are brilliant. I'm not surprised he's already being talked about as a future England coach."

King scored 21 league goals to become the Championship's top scorer last term and earn his side promotion, and he has an understandably strong bond to the manager as a result.

"I think we've been good for each other," he concluded.

"We have an agreement with Watford that the boy goes back for the full year."

Watford supporters can breathe a big sigh of relief now Manchester United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson has given the go-ahead for young goalkeeping prospect Ben Foster to spend a second season on loan with the Hornets.

Speculation had surrounded the commanding goalkeeper's future ever since Watford's Play-Off Final victory back in May. Now, almost two months later, the news all Watford supporters have been waiting for arrived when Ferguson revealed Foster will again be sent out on loan following the arrival of fellow custodian Tomasz Kuszczak from relegated West Bromwich Albion.

Commenting on the talented young shot-stopper, Ferguson had this to say. "Ben Foster is someone that everyone's very excited about. We signed him from Stoke City last season and farmed him out to Watford for the season, and eventually he was picked out as the fourth choice goalkeeper for England at the World Cup, which was a tremendous boost for the boy. He's got a great frame, is very very quick and a good fielder of the ball. We're very excited about him. When you think he's only 23 years of age, we think he's a promising prospect."

With the capture of powerful midfield runner Damien Francis earlier in the week, and the arrival of experienced left-back Chris Powell previously, it seems Watford are finally having some luck in the transfer market, and are building a squad capable of competing at Premier League level. A further two or three signings are still expected, with a centre back and forward next on the shopping list for Hornets' boss Aidy Boothroyd.

With pre-season for the senior squad kicking off on Monday, Boothroyd is aiming to bring in the remaining new recruits as soon as possible, with all signings expected to be made prior to the Hornets' trip to Denmark.

Official Web Site
Watford FC








Unofficial Fan Web Sites
Bsad
Glory Horns
Watford Mad




Official City Council Web Site
Mayor of Watford
City Guide
Watford Observer
FA Premierleague
Premier League Offical Site

I'm Watford till I die,
I know I am, I'm sure I am,
I'm
Watford till I die!

When I was just a little boy, I asked my
Mother, What should I be?
Should I be Watford or Luton Town? Here's what she said to me:
Wash your mouth out son, And go get your father's gun,
And shoot the Luton ****, shoot the
Luton ****!

Watford, wherever we may be,
We are the boys from the Rookery,
And we don't give a **** whoever you may be,
Cos we all follow W!F!C!