Chris Wilder: Watford boss thinks 'cultural re-set' may be needed

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Chris Wilder began the season as Middlesbrough boss

Watford boss Chris Wilder believes a "cultural re-set" may be needed to put the club back on the right path towards the Premier League.

The Hornets are six points adrift of the Championship play-off places with seven games to play, following their 2-0 defeat at Luton Town.

Wilder is Watford third head coach this season, following Rob Edwards - now with Luton - and Slaven Bilic.

"At the moment, it's a toss of a coin what Watford turns up," he said.

Wilder, a veteran of almost 1,000 games as a manager, was put in charge for the rest of the season on 7 March after the club decided to dispense with Bilic's services.

They have taken four points from his four games in charge - the only victory a 3-0 home success against Birmingham City.

And he accused the Hornets of playing like individuals rather than a team in their defeat at Kenilworth Road.

"It might be a bit of a cultural re-set [is needed] for the football club," Wilder told 大象传媒 Three Counties Radio.

"This is Championship football, you've got to do a lot of things right physically and mentally before the tactical and technical part even come into play.

"Tactically it was game of two shapes against each other, their 5-3-2 against our 5-3-2. They won individual battles all over the pitch, which allowed them to dictate the game and go and get the result they want.

"When you have so many talented players, the amount of times we turned the ball over was just incredible, we could never build a head of steam up."

Watford next face a Friday night home game against Neil Warnock's Huddersfield Town, who beat promotion-chasing Middlesbrough, Wilder's former club, 4-2.

It is the first of three home fixtures in the next four and they need maximum points to revive their bid for a play-off spot.

Asked whether his players were hurting following the Luton result, Wilder replied: "You'd better ask them.

"I'm not sat on a three-year deal, but I've come to give my best and my coaching staff [have], to prepare the team.

"At times we're really good, other times not good enough. That's why the results previous managers have had, I'm having the same."