Breaking News: The team's selection and substitutions were impacted by the busy schedule for the next three weeks, which hindered the team and caused.....

Ismael says Watford team and subs influenced by fixture list

Yesterday’s cup draw means Watford will now play three consecutive midweek games as part of a fixture schedule that sees them face six matches in 18 days.

The trip to St Mary’s for the replay will be in the week commencing February 5, with the exact date and time to be announced in due course.

The Championship game against Sheffield Wednesday, postponed to make space for FA Cup fourth round tie, was slotted in this coming Wednesday by the EFL.

The Owls, having played on Friday, have extra time to recover and prepare with Watford now only having a couple of days between the draw with Southampton and the trip north.

Valerien Ismael admitted the upcoming trip to Hillsborough was in his mind during the cup tie at Vicarage Road.

“Always it is, because the EFL put that Sheffield Wednesday game there and so then you have to manage the squad at some point,” he said.

“Every small single sign for each player you have to be sure is taken into consideration and take no risks.

“With Dele-Bashiru for example, he felt something in training and we cannot afford to risk him.

“So you always have the next game in your mind, because my purpose is always to keep the players together and to have the maximum availability.

“That is more than ever the case when you look at our schedule now: we will need everyone.”

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Did that affect his choice of substitutions, trying to balance pushing on to wrap the cup tie up, staying solid at the back and also protecting his streamlined squad with an away trip in a few days?

“At some point you have to try to find the right balance,” he explained.

“At the end we had to put on players who needed some minutes. It didn’t raise our intensity, it was more the case to give those players minutes.

“At this level, it’s all about the small details and they make the difference.”

Emmanuel Dennis was among those who came on during the second half, and his cameo underlined that he is some way from being ready to start.

“It was important for us to assess him and have a clear picture,” said Ismael.

“Now I think we can go from there and create his own schedule so that we can get to a certain level where he can help us.”

There was a first start of the season for defender Mattie Pollock, who handed in a transfer request last week in as bid to get more game time.

“Yes I was pleased with him. I told you before the game that he has to be focused on us because he is a part of our process,” said Ismael.

“We know he wants to play more, and we understand everything.

“But as long as he is here we need him to stay focussed because we will need everyone.”

Ismael Kone limped off in the second half, but Ismael said it was cramp in both calves and described it as “nothing bad”.

One of the turning points in the game was when the visitors made four substitutions, bringing on a quartet of players that would usually start.

“I think we had the same quality on the bench but you also need players on the same level of fitness to be able to go again,” said Ismael.

“If you do, then it can be interesting.

“But I think there were a lot of positives again, because we have competed well against Southampton for the second time now.

“We are really ready to face the massive schedule we have now. For three weeks we have a game every three days.

“Now we have to make sure we recover properly.”

Having drawn twice with one of front-runners for automatic promotion, does Ismael believe Watford are moving closer to being a promotion contender that can mix it with the top six?

“I think we can compete at that level,” he said.

“Tactically we are able to compete with teams like Southampton, and force them to have some problems.

“But the replay will be interesting away from home, and we will need to reproduce exactly the level.

“And we will have to be focussed and concentrate hard.

“I’m looking forward to the replay because it is another chance to learn and we know from today that we need to work on our composure.

“We know we have to improve that area and the game will give us another possibility to improve.”