Watford manager Alessio Dionisi criticised his side's defensive work after a 2-0 Championship defeat at Swansea City. First-half goals from Eom Ji-sung and Adam Idah secured the win for the hosts, handing the Hornets their first league loss of the season.
Dionisi's frustration was clear in his post-match comments. He stated the 2-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of a poor first-half display from his team. "Today, the problem was the distance between my team and the opponents," Dionisi said. He contrasted the performance with better defensive showings against West Ham and Southampton in previous matches, emphasising the importance of playing well without the ball.
Swansea took control early in South Wales. Eom Ji-sung and Adam Idah found the net in the first period, capitalising on what Dionisi described as Watford playing "badly"with and without the ball. The Italian coach was forced into a change after 31 minutes when Omar Traoré picked up an injury."The second half was different, but it was too late for us to recover,"Dionisi admitted. He acknowledged that in football there are good and bad days, but the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes."Branimir played well. I’m happy for him because he arrived on Monday and it’s not easy for a young player," the manager stated.
Dionisi went on to highlight Mlačić's potential importance to the squad moving forward. "He will be important for us in the future," he said, offering a clear vote of confidence in the new arrival. The manager's willingness to use the youngster in a challenging away fixture suggests he will be part of the first-team picture.
Attention now turns to a quick turnaround and another away trip. Watford's next Championship fixture is against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday, September 5, with a 3:00pm kick-off. West Brom currently sit 7th in the table, presenting another tough test for Dionisi's side as they look to bounce back from this setback.
The manager will demand a significant improvement in defensive organisation before that match. Watford must rediscover the defensive solidity they showed in earlier games. Their next opportunity comes this Saturday in the West Midlands.
