Super Eagles star reveals lessons learnt from Croatia’s World Cup bronze medalist

The Nigeria worldwide has discovered renewed vigour since getting again into the first-team image at Vicarage Highway

Tremendous Eagles skipper William Troost Ekong has hailed Croatian supervisor Slaven Bilic for his affect since changing into the boss at Watford FC.

Troost-Ekong was a perpetual bench hotter at Watford underneath head coach Robert Edwards till Slaven Bilic
took over October.

The arrival of former Croatian worldwide Bilic has seen Troost-Ekong turn out to be a daily for Hornets.

And the Nigeria worldwide credit the 1998 FIFA World Cup bronze medalist for the noticeable enhancements within the Watford backline.

“As a defender, he talks to me so much and he makes it clear how he desires us to play,” Troost-Ekong mentioned (by way of Watford Observer).

“He likes us to hold the ball, attempt to cross ahead extra and tackle accountability.

“He likes us to dominate the striker we’re marking, get the ball after which be assured with it. He provides us licence to play and I feel we now have grown so much after we are in possession.

“The job of us on the again is to try to get the ball after which serve it to the true ball gamers in midfield and assault.

“That type of carrying the ball did take time to get used to, however now we’re accustomed to it. You’ll see that after we obtain the ball, the midfielders and strikers try to create area and provides us an angle to maneuver the ball.

“Probably the most irritating factor for those who’re a defender on the ball isn’t having a subsequent cross accessible, and it’s important to begin dribbling or taking dangers that you just don’t need to.

“I feel the boys up the pitch are doing effectively to get into positions to take a cross. Whenever you search for and also you’ve acquired three choices, our job is then to select the most effective one.”

Secret to a successful Watford?

Watford gained solely three out of the ten matches performed earlier than Bilic.

The Golden Boys have, nonetheless, claimed victories in six of the ten with Bilic in cost. 4 of these wins have come within the Hornets’ final 5 video games.

Troost-Ekong is happy that the outcomes and performances are following the supervisor’s type of soccer.

“The very first thing that involves thoughts once I consider him (Bilic) is his expertise,” mentioned Troost-Ekong.

“All of us most likely knew that earlier than he got here in, however now we’ve labored with him we’ve all seen it in motion.

“I feel he’s most likely what we wanted at this second in time. He doesn’t attempt to do something excessive or reinvent the sport of soccer. He is aware of what has labored for him, and he appears at our crew and tries to place everybody of their finest place.

“He’s made performing effectively so much simpler, and there’s much less confusion and extra readability. We imagine in his enjoying type and we’re seeing the results of that on the pitch.”

Following their latest surge up the desk, Watford have climbed into the Championship playoff spots.

The Hornets can keep within the high 5 heading into the World Cup break with a win at Bristol Metropolis on Saturday.

Troost-Ekong, after that match, will head straight to Lisbon, the place Nigeria will lock horns with Portugal in a global pleasant.