Chapter 4 – Sink or Swim

I knew I had to change something or it was the end of the dream - Graham TaylorWatford made it to the Second Division just two years into Elton and Graham's ten-year plan, but life was not easy rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chelsea, Sunderland and West Ham United.Taylor was determined to give the players who had steered the club to successive promotions a chance at the highest level but after an early-season defeat at Stamford Bridge he realised he had to change something. Watford's direct football had already attracted attention, and criticism. Conventional wisdom said that it would not work in the higher divisions and Taylor felt the pressure to conform. The Hornets survived relegation but the goals had dried up and Taylor felt he had compromised his principles. It was time to go back to basics.Enjoy the game by Lionel Birnie. Read by Colin Mace. Produced by Jon Moonie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.