Boothroyd aims above survival
Adrian Boothroyd has bucked the trend at promoted clubs by announcing he would be unhappy to finish fourth from bottom in this season's Premiership.
Boothroyd led
"That would be avoiding failure and I think there is no success in avoiding failure," he said yesterday. "That is probably a really outlandish comment but I won't be happy if that is the case. I want us to be better than that. I want us to aim higher than that. I think you have to."
The 35-year-old is preparing for a first taste of the Premiership with a squad in which only the summer signings Chris Powell and Damien Francis have more than 50 games' top-flight experience, but there is no sign of negativity. "If I didn't have the confidence and I talked about relegation and struggle, it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy," he said. "If you don't believe in something, then you are never going to do it."
Boothroyd has pored over last season's Premiership to study patterns such as when and from where goals are scored, in the hope of getting what he termed a decisive extra 1%. He has also telephoned the promoted managers who finished in the top half, from West Ham and
"I spoke to Paul Jewell and Alan Pardew and I will continue to do that," he said. "The managers I have spoken to have been very helpful. I have never had anyone put the phone down on me yet. I think if you are willing to ask questions, then most people are very accommodating and will give you advice."
An emphasis on fitness is plain with regular training before breakfast and Boothroyd will be tactically flexible. He described facing managers such as Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson as "a mixture of pride and excitement, tinged with a little bit of trepidation". Self-belief is married with a realisation that he is stepping up to a new level. "I have only been doing this a year," he said. "I am coming up against managers who have been at it 20-30 years. I remember being at the LMA [League Managers Association] dinner a year ago and a lot of managers were being honoured for 1,000 games. I had only done seven. It puts it in perspective. I am going to have to do something remarkably different for me and my players to be able to compete with that."
Unlike in Jose Mourinho's case, his closely cropped hair is a not a sign he is ready for war. "I am ready for a new barber, I guess," Boothroyd said. "I have to be so careful I don't start saying: 'You are going to get this Jose; and Alex you better be ready because when we come to Old Trafford you are going to get it; and Arsène you are really in trouble.' If I say that I am an absolute whatsit, so I am trying very hard to play everything down."
Boothroyd is looking to add three players before the start of the season.
Boothroyd not content just to play for safety
When Watford were last in the Premiership under Graham Taylor six years ago, the Hertfordshire club finished rock bottom and were soon cast into the wilderness of second tier football.
The transformation under present manager Aidy Boothroyd has been spectacular as they find themselves surprise participants in the top flight once again, but many pundits could be excused for predicting this will be another flying visit.
After all, it had not been a steady progress through the Championship over the last few years. They were tipped for relegation last season after bringing in the little-known Boothroyd shortly before the end of the previous campaign. He and his young side defied all expectations just by reaching the play-offs earlier this year, and now find themselves back in the big time. Survival is not their sole aim, though.
Boothroyd is not one to shout the odds, but he wants his opponents to know his side mean business this year.
He said: "I wouldn't consider fourth from bottom a success because that's avoiding failure. That may be an outlandish comment, but I won't be happy if we finish in that position - I want us to be better than that.''
It would be easy to laugh off his claims as youthful exuberance, but the 35-year-old appears deadly serious. The
Boothroyd knows that he cannot compare himself with those high achievers just yet, especially when he only has only a season and a bit of managerial experience himself.
Nevertheless, anybody who has the man-management skills to transform striker Marlon King from lower-league journeyman into the Championship's leading goalscorer and a player who will no doubt be a threat to Premiership defences, deserves credit where it is due.
Boothroyd added: "I've got no messages for the Premiership because I've got to be so careful. I can't start saying, 'You're in for it, Jose', or 'Watch out Sir Alex because when we come to Old Trafford you're going to get it', or 'Arsene, our training ground is only next door, so you're really in trouble.'
"If I say that, I'd be stupid, so that's why I'm trying to play everything down at the moment."
He admits to being a student of the game and one who is still learning, but his role models have been carefully picked from the success stories of last season.
After all, Alan Pardew of West Ham and Paul Jewell of Wigan were brave and bold when they arrived on the biggest stage with their newly promoted clubs last season and they're still standing this summer - just as Boothroyd hopes to be this time next year.
They used the youthful exuberance of players like Nigel Reo-Coker, captain at Upton Park, and Jimmy Bullard, who breezed through the Premiership with a smile at
And Boothroyd has enough simmering talent at his disposal, such as Ashley Young, Al Bangura and Anthony McNamee, to produce a number of players who can go on to star for years to come.
"I've spoke to Paul and Alan and they've been very helpful," Boothroyd said. "They've not put the phone down on me yet, and if you ask questions, most people will be willing to give advice." Daily Telegraph