Posted by Jerry Ladell - 21/04/2008
Q. Hi Richard,
Good luck on the promotion front. My son plays in goal for our village U12 side, Swavesey Spartans near Cambridge. Are there three top tips you can give him for organising his defence?
A. Three tips for organising:
1 Short commands but make them concise, for instance shouts of 'time', 'turn', 'man on' are much better than drawn out sentences. A keeper can help influence the play massively with good talking.
2. Be forceful, not in a nasty way but give the impression that you are in command and the defence will adhere to all you say.
3. Concentrate on what is the biggest danger, so for instance if you see that an opponent is in a dangerous postion he should get the attention.
And 4 (for luck) Not so much a tip for organising but be brave with your starting postion. It's unlikely that opponents will look to shoot from inside their own half so be advanced and look to come for through-balls as this can stop attacks from forming and can minimise the amount of organising that needs doing!
Posted by Ronnie - 21/04/2008
Q. Hi Richard, When you have to tell off the defence for a mistake do you have to think twice before telling big Dan Shittu?
A. Ha, yeah that can be a scary prospect! To be honest though, Dan's very good when it comes to giving and receiving critiscm.
When we play we all want the same outcome and if it means shouting at one another to get the best out of each other then that's what we'll do...although I'd always be careful not to take it too far with the big guy!
Posted by Ashley Stewart - 20/04/2008
Q. Hi Richard. First I'd like to say that I've been watching the Hornets for years, and this season it has seemed to me that you have come on leaps and bounds, especially with your kicking (definitely one of your strongest attributes now). Anyway I was wondering whether you could give me advice on corner taking. Does a goalkeeper fear a corner delivered to between the penalty spot and the D more or less than a corner delivered lower and faster to the front post?
A. Many keepers will tell you that they find crossing probably the most difficult aspect of goalkeeping, so if you are able to whip a good, fast ball in somewhere along the six-yard line keepers will find it tough to come for and I'm sure you'll get a lot of success.
It's what we try to do on our attacking corners and Danny Shittu has benefited from it big-time this season. A ball delivered towards the penalty spot probably won't bother a keeper too much initially but could also reap rewards if attacked well.
Posted by James Barber - 20/04/2008
Q. I think very highly of you and would be heart broken if you were to leave the club but my question is how highly do you rate yourself?
A. It's a tough one to answer without sounding big-headed because, as a keeper or any player for that matter, self-confidence is a massive part of playing at the highest level.
Many players verge on arrogance but when it comes to playing in front of big crowds you need to be sure of yourself otherwise your doubts will get the better of you. So to answer your question, I believe I'm very talented but I'm also realistic in that I'm not where I want to be yet so I will continue to work hard on my game until I achieve all I've set out to do.
Posted by Samuel Tulett - 20/04/2008
Q. Hi Richard. With the summer approaching, im sure you'll enjoy the break but with such a long break do miss playing alot? Do you meet up with the rest of the team during the summer to play for fun? Good luck for the final few games!
A. I'm the same every year in that I love having a break but within a couple of weeks of being away from the training ground I miss it!
I have been known in years gone by to meet up with one or two of the lads and we'll go to Cassiobury park to have a kick-about but I generally stick to the gym in the summer - that is unless I want to work on a specific area of my game, i.e. when I wanted to improve my dead-ball kicking and, this summer, my aim to come back having perfected the side-volley.
Posted by Gary Ramsbottom - 20/04/2008
Q. Hi Rich. Great site!! What's your proudest moment in football so far?
A. A lot of my proudest moments have come in recent times; playing in the semi-final of the FA Cup was a great moment but I'd have to say being named captain of Watford. I've been with the club a long time and to be named captain was an incredible honour.
Posted by Mark Gilmour - 20/04/2008
Q. Hi Richard,
Firstly a big thankyou for presenting my nephew with a signed glove before the Coventry game following the incident when a ball hit him in the face. My question is what team do you support?
A. I'm glad your lad is ok, that ball hit him quite hard! As a kid I supported Man Utd, my dad being a big factor behind that decsion! Buying me a shirt at a young age sealed the deal! I still look to see how they get on and would want them to finish ahead of Chelsea this season but the passion I had towards them has definately wilted over the years. I think a major reason is that being part of any club as i have for so long you can't help but have a connection with that club and become a fan yourself.
Posted by Gill & John in Crete - 20/04/2008
Q. Richard, I’d like to know if you feel any different between the following.
The defence lets you down and a goal is scored which you had no hope of saving.
You let a goal in which you feel you should have saved.
A. That's a tough question! . . It's never nice conceding. You are naturally disappointed when you know you are to blame, when this happens the next challenge is to ensure it has no bearing on the rest of your game. Mistakes will happen but then it's up to the individual as to whether they dent the confidence or not. Even when I concede knowing I didn't have a chance it still hurts as ultimately it is a team game, as much as I want to put in good individual performances every week it's always more important that the team succeeds.
Posted by Michael Duffy - 20/04/2008
Q. Hi Rich, I think your doing really well so far. I am a gk who plays for an under 13's side and im a bit worried to tell players to get to the back and front post what do you do?
A. Thanks! :-) . . I remember when I was young and I had a similar problem with telling team mates what they should be doing. With age i've come to realise that when you are playing football you need to be quite forceful when you are playing. If you want them to cover the posts you need to tell them because you are in charge back there. They may not want to do it but if it stops a goal then they'll all be thanking you later!
Posted by Emma Trill - 19/04/2008
Q. During your time at Watford, who is the player you have most admired?
A. I've been lucky to have been here alongside many top players. The ones that come to mind would be Paul Robinson for his desire to win at all costs, Alec Chamberlain for his dedication and true professionalism from which I've learnt much and having worked with Lloyd Doyley I've seen first hand the strides he's taken over the years. Ashley Young and Ben Foster are also great examples of what can be achieved, both having major setbacks but coming through them to now play at the very top level. To choose just one would be too tough!