Head Coach Paul Warne urged his team to ‘play with freedom’ and be ‘prouder on the ball’ after Derby County's 2-1 loss against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.
An Ebou Adams goal saw Derby in front early in the game, but the host came from behind with goals from Vakoun Bayo and Moussa Sissoko to take all three points in the Sky Bet Championship at Vicarage Road.
Warne spoke to RamsTV after the match to discuss the importance of being braver in possession, staying in the game for the full 90 minutes and feeling confident after the step up to the Championship.
On defeat against Watford…
We’re just a bit frustrated. Although we scored early on, I just thought we were a bit too respectful of the opposition and didn't show enough of what we could do. I thought in the second half we were really good; our shape was good. We broke well but our final pass was just not there. We weren't clinical enough and then obviously to concede another wonder strike is disappointing.
Teams come here and have to defend loads of shots. I don't think we did. I don't think Jacob (Zetterström) had a great deal to do. I just didn't think we had enough personality on the ball in the first half. In the second half we did. I said to the lads before the game that we needed to be our best version of ourselves and that's what we have to do to win football games.
If you are not your best version against teams like this, who are established Championship teams, then you're going to struggle; their two goals said that to me. They just probably had a little bit more class in the clinical periods of the game.
On challenging Watford to the final whistle…
You want to stay in the game. To get an early lead probably rattled the wasp’s nest even more. You do want to be in the game.
If Sonny Bradley scores that header near the end, it's a 2-2 draw and I just felt that we were really in the ascendancy. Like I said to the lads afterwards, I just want them to play with the freedom that they're going to make mistakes, but don't play with any fear. I thought in the second half, we did play with more freedom and I honestly thought we were going to go and win it.
I'm really proud of how they kept going and how we swapped systems like a duck to water. But I just felt for the first half, we didn't win enough tackles. We weren't proud enough on the ball. Whereas I thought in the second half, we were a lot better, a lot more aggressive and it sort of took a bit of a sideline rumble to kick the lads into life.
On building confidence from League One to the Championship level…
I tell them all how great they are every day. We have come here and lost 2-1 and we literally gassed out. A lot of my players did; Jerry Yates, Ryan Nyambe and Nat Mendez-Laing were tired. They put a lot of work in out of possession.
If you come here and you gas out and you play on the edge and you lose, then fair enough. But we lost and I just thought we had another 10 per cent. I can't really knock much of the effort, but that extra 10 per cent is what wins you games.