Hayden Mullins has revealed he received uplifting advice from Pep Guardiola after Watford’s defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday, a result that has left them clinging on for survival before the final day of the Premier League season.
Watford travel to Arsenal on Sunday knowing they must outdo Aston Villa’s performance at West Ham to stand a chance of escaping relegation. It has been a harsh baptism for Mullins, who is the club’s lead under-23 coach but was plunged into a caretaker role with the seniors for the second time this season after Nigel Pearson’s dismissal last weekend.
“I spoke to a few people,” he said when asked whether he had sought help from former coaches and colleagues. “The advice and support you get is fantastic. I had a brief chat with Pep Guardiola after the game. I bumped into him and had five minutes. He gave me some advice as well, which was fantastic. It is good to know you can lean on people when you need to. The conversation will stay private but I have had lots of conversations.”
Mullins confirmed Troy Deeney, who was withdrawn during the second half of the game on Tuesday with Watford 4-0 down, would be fit to start at the Emirates Stadium. He admitted he did not know why Watford, who finished 11th last season and reached the FA Cup final, have fallen so far but stressed his faith in their owner, Gino Pozzo, and the executive team. There are suggestions Watford’s habit of flipping managers has caught up with them but he refused to contend that approach has run out of road.
“It’s not an area I look at and really worry about,” he said. “That’s down to the guys at the football club who make those decisions. I think what the fans know is that this football club has been in very, very good hands – and is in good hands – for the last five or six years. They need to trust the owners and the people that make the decisions.”