VLADIMIR IVIC wouldn’t be concerned in soccer at the moment had it not been for Gary Lineker.
The Watford boss revealed to SunSport that watching the England legend whereas rising up in Serbia sparked his love affair with the sport.
Vladimir Ivic took over Watford in August with the goal to win promotionCredit score: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gary Lineker was Watford boss Vladimir Ivic’s idol whereas rising upCredit score: EMPICS
Ivic, 43, now hopes the 1986 World Cup golden boot winner can be interviewing him on Match of the Day subsequent season as he plots a fast return to the Premier League.
Requested which participant made him fall in love with soccer, the Serb stated: “It was Gary Lineker.
“It was for his goalscoring. I adopted English soccer like a lot of youngsters and he was the highest scorer.
“I bear in mind watching him within the 1986 World Cup.
“He was one of many best gamers and strikers in his age – and I didn’t even know earlier than coming right here that he was now presenting Match of the Day.”
Ivic arrived at Vicarage Street in August and has accomplished a very good job to date with the relegated Hornets, who sit third forward of their journey to Birmingham at the moment.
Actually, all groups that got here down from the Premier League presently occupy the highest three spots with Norwich in pole place and Bournemouth second – this not often occurs.
However Ivic stated: “All three groups have high quality gamers and you should bear in mind in Daniel Farke at Norwich and Jason Tindall at Bournemouth you will have two coaches who had labored with their gamers final season.
“After 17 matches, we don’t see a lot distinction within the high quality between the opposite groups.
“However generally the temper of the opposite sides will be extra necessary than the standard of yours for those who don’t give 100 per cent.
“That is one thing we work on and attempt to give the utmost each sport.”
Vladimir Ivic gained November’s SkyBet Championship supervisor of the month
So how did Ivic go about taking up a staff used to dropping, struggling the trauma of relegation and switch them shortly into winners?
Ivic stated: “This can be a good query as a result of it’s a special strategy from earlier years.
“The final six months earlier than I arrived, the goal was to outlive and keep within the Premier League.
“They performed utterly totally different to how we wish to play now.
“We’re making an attempt to remodel a facet that performed on the counter to at least one that wishes to be dominant and assault. That is one thing we’ve labored lots on and to try this that you must change the mentality.
“Generally we don’t succeed and have a deficit in video games. We ought to be seven or eight factors higher off.”
Ivic is aware of full nicely that FOURTEEN totally different everlasting managers have been at Watford in simply 10 years.
The Serb was profitable in Greece with PAOK and Israel at Maccabi Tel Aviv – however is aware of it’s a totally different ball sport in England.
He stated: “The change of coaches is the choice for the membership.
“All of the individuals who come into this job come to place of their most. Everybody desires to succeed.
We’re making an attempt to remodel a facet that performed on the counter to at least one that wishes to be dominant and assault.
Vladimir Ivic
“It is dependent upon the temper of the staff and of the way you’ll adapt quick to the situations you end up in to get outcomes.
“Your glass can solely be half full since you by no means understand how lengthy you’ll keep someplace. It’s our lives and it’s not straightforward when you will have household coming with you too.
“My spouse and two daughters, one aged six and the opposite 9, had been with me in Israel for 2 years and now right here with me too.
“It’s a pleasant job. I made a decision to do that as a result of I like it.”
Ivic is one among two Serbians flying excessive within the Championship with Studying sitting fifth below his former nationwide team-mate Veljko Paunovic.
Ivic has needed to change the mentality of the Watford gamers this seasonCredit score: PRESS ASSOCIATION
He stated: “It’s necessary for a rustic like Serbia to have two coaches within the Championship. He’s a terrific coach and now exhibits right here he’s on a high degree.”
Ivic isn’t identified for smiling a lot or cracking jokes – and appears like a man you wouldn’t wish to get on the flawed facet of.
However the Serb insists that public notion of him is flawed.
He stated: “My household, spouse, two daughters and associates make me smile.
“It’s been laborious to make new associates as a result of through the interval I’ve been right here we’ve needed to observe authorities directions to remain at residence so not been capable of socialise a lot.
“I wish to snicker privately at lot and I’d wish to at work too. However I choose to attend till the tip of the season when hopefully we’ll have good purpose to snicker.”
