Posted by daniele - 30/08/2008
Q. hi richard howd u enjoy mick paynes wine? lol thanks for turning up it felt quite inspiring to ask the pros some questions thanks
A. My pleasure and the wine was lovely thanks! Do enjoy a glass of red wine from time to time!! Glad you enjoyed the day, I'm a big fan of what Mick does and is something I'd see myself doing one day as I think it's a great benefit to keepers of all ages.
Posted by danny - 29/08/2008
Q. hi rich, i am going to write a letter to walsall regarding a trial of somesort what should i put in the letter to make it sound formal but able to get my point across of getting a trial
A. I would recommend including stats such as height, weight, date of birth etc. Then note all notable achievements and a few short paragraphs explaining why you think you deserve a trial. If you have any video footage of any sort that could help your case then include this with your letter. A picture would also be good,Get the opinion of a few people close to you before you send the letter to make sure you have got the tone right as you want to make sure that whoever reads it gets the right impression of you. I would recommend making a few copies and sending it out to a few clubs to widen your options. I recently heard of an American lad who was after a trial at Watford, although Watford aren't currently looking for keepers he did get a trial at both Middlesborough and reading so it can pay to send out a few letters.
Posted by Craig Marsh - 28/08/2008
Q. Alright Richard.
Do any of the Watford players ever buy caps from Dr Cap?
On the Music front have you heard of a London band called the Rifles? Paul Weller joined them onstage and played some of their songs with them a while back at the Forum in London. They sound alot like the Jam if you like that kind of thing.
A. Quite a few of the lads wear the hats so I do have a few regulars who include Al Bangura, Lloyd Doyley and Aidy Marriappa among others. Of course they get a special deal! I have to be honest in that I haven't heard of the rifles but am very open minded when it comes to music so will be sure to look them up.
Posted by Samuel Tulett - 21/08/2008
Q. Hi Richard. I was just wondering, you've recently been injured and Mart Poom has stepped up while you were injured, how hard is it for you to get back into the first team on a regular basis?
How disheartning is it for you to sit on the bench if your back to fitness and doing well in training but cant break into the first team?
And just one more question, with new players in the squad, is there anything you do to make it easier on them to fit into the squad and help you and them to play well together?
Thanks and hope you have a great season!
A. It can be hard when you've been out of the team for a while, especially if the team has been doing well and keeping clean sheets.
I know both Mart and Scott are very good keepers so I wouldn't expect to walk back into the team by any stretch of the imagination. I just hope that I can get myself back to a level in training that merits being back in the team. If i can do that then I'm sure I'll be given my chance.
If you are training well and feel you are being overlooked it is of course frustrating and it's something that I'm sure every footballer at every level has felt. As I've only just returned from injury I still feel that I'm gaining my sharpness back but once I am fully fit, like most footballers, I will want to play football!
Regarding new players, we do have team bonding days from time-to-time; we have been known to do Go Karting on occasions which is always a laugh and good for team morale and integrating new players.
The days of going out on a bender are long gone. Generally it doesn't take long for most players to fit in. We all share a changing room at training so within a few days you would have thought they'd have been there for years!
Posted by Dan - 20/08/2008
Q. Alright Richard, nice website mate, did you design it yourself? If so, nice skills! How is dr.cap coming along after your visit to the den? Finally, what music do you listen to?
A. Thanks! But no I didn't design it myself (big thanks to Christina Demetriou!)
Dr Cap is doing well, we've still got the store in Leicester and well soon have a great website to go hand-in-hand with the store (www.drcap.co.uk). Unfortunately we hit problems regarding the Dragons' Den investment so it never went ahead.
As for music, I've got a wide taste, all depends what I'm doing. For instance before a game I'd listen to something a bit heavier than after training! Currently got a Goo Goo Dolls CD in my car which is great. If you have any recommendations then do let me know!
Posted by Emma Trill - 26/07/2008
Q. Hi Richard, i was wondering do you or any of the other players get star-struck when you play against the big teams? I know for a fact if i played against Steven Gerrard or Joe Cole I would freeze!
A. It's hard to speak for a lot of the lads but I remember coming up against Man Utd for the first time and yeah, I gotta be honest, I found it a bit surreal, just the idea that players you've watched countless times on TV are actually on the same pitch playing against you.
The way I decided to view these games was the mindset that I'm going to show you what I can do, I want to prove I can play against the very best. That idea gave me a real buzz and, after playing in some of the games I've played, it also gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I can play against the very best.
I think I can speak for most of the lads when I say that once you've had a taste of playing against the best, you want more.
Posted by matt welsh - 15/07/2008
Q. Hi Richard first of all nice site.
I was just wondering do you have any pointers to help me with my goalkicks? I can get height but no power behind them - would you think i need to try different techniques or work in the gym on my lower body?
A. It's something that I've been questioning for years. I look at the likes of Ben who can boom it a mile and, after quite a bit of research, I believe I know what it boils down to.
Firstly, and most importantly, I believe it's your technique. The way you approach the ball, making sure you drive right through the middle of the ball with a good follow-through. Secondly, power is very important, so doing leg weights and also try doing a kicking action using some clingy band, this provides resistance so will help with power.
I also believe flexibility plays a part; the more flexible the more of a whip action you will get. Lastly and unfortunately, I believe genetics play a part. I do believe that some people are naturally more powerful in their legs.
Take Ben for instance: he's barely done any form of leg weights in his life but just seems to be very powerful when it comes to kicking a ball.
I do believe you can maximise it by focusing on technique and strength but some people are just naturally more powerful. Who knows though, once you perfect your technique and gain more power you may find out that you are one of these naturally gifted people.
Now for some technical advice on kicking...something that has helped me a lot is to relax.
Relaxed muscles move quicker, so when approaching the ball imagine your foot is a heavy weight, one which you can swing back and swing through at great speed.
Try not to think to much about getting the ball in the air as this will cause you to put too much back spin on the ball and lose distance, just think about driving the ball at head height. At first try not to kick to hard as you'll lose accuracy but the more you practice the further it'll go. When I take goal kicks now I only kick at 80 per cent because I know if I go any harder I'll lose accuracy.
Hope this helps.
Posted by Steve Scott - 10/07/2008
Q. Hi Richard. I was reading recently about how the old Forest player Frank Clark used to entertain his team-mates on long journeys with his guitar playing. I wondered whether there are any keen musicians in the Watford squad?!
A. Unfortunately not!
That would be great to have one of the lads to serenade us on the bus but all of the lads are too busy on their laptops, iPods or playing PlayStation on the back of the bus!
I don't think there's anyone who can play instruments either. I believe John-Joe is learning, he's very heavily into his music and went to Glastonbury etc., but I'm not sure what standard he's at. It's something I'd love to learn but probably not until I'm retired.
Posted by Alex D - 08/07/2008
Q. Who were the unfittest players coming back to pre-season training and were they punished in any way? Also how do you rate your fellow goalkeeper Scott Loach? He is quite highly rated from what I've heard.
A. Yeah I'm a big fan of Loachy. I roomed with him in Austria and we get on great and he's going to be a top keeper and is already well on his way.
For those who don't know much about him, he's only 20, he's 6ft 3in, very agile and most importantly he's got an excellent attitude, really wants to learn which is great for Alec as his coach. I'm just hoping I can fend him off for a few more years!
Regarding lads who were unfit, there wasn't anyone who stood out this year. In years gone by there have been a few but the group that we have now are a very fit group. I think that's a big priority of Aidy's. You look at the majority of our players and they are all very quick and very fit, which I believe is essential in football now.
Posted by James Barber - 07/07/2008
Q. Hi Richard. Superb website you have here. Has there ever been a time when Watford were linked with someone that you personally don't like, and you kept your fingers crossed he didn't come? Do you know anyone else who has had this feeling?
A. To be honest I haven't experienced that, although I'm sure a few lads have. I have known of instances where one of our lads has had an altercation or two during games and have then ended up on the same team later in their career.
An example of this would be Clarke Carlisle and Ade Akinbiyi; they had quite a few run-ins when playing against each other but when Clarke joined Burnley he teamed up with Akinbiyi and as it turns out they now get on really well from what I hear.
That tends to be the case in a lot of instances. Players pick up reputations and are judged without anyone really knowing them.
I moved to Blackburn for a year, who had the likes of Robbie Savage and Craig Bellamy at the time, both of which don't exactly have the best reputation in the world, but both of whom I got on well with.