didnt play as solid as I did yesterday, but were still in the r

As he walks down the steps of the stand that now bears his name, Graham Taylor points out the parts of the ground that he remembers from his first spell as Watford manager in the late seventies and early eighties. None of the old stands remain, but he speaks with such clarity about the terraced areas, the family enclosure, the stand where his good mate and former Chairman Sir Elton John used to watch from, that youd think they were still there. Ill shut up in a minute! he says, mindful he has a community engagement to fulfil shortly after our interview.Its changed very much and all for the better. Im so pleased to see it. And sitting here in my stand! No, it has my name on it. Its not my stand but its fantastic, I appreciate that so much. Quique Sanchez Flores (left) and Odion Ighalo (right) have helped Watford climb the table As the club prepares for Saturdays match at home to Leeds United in the last 16 of the FA Cup, memories are jogged of Watfords most successful cup run, when Taylor led them to the final in 1984.I dont want to remember too much of it because we lost to Everton in the final, Taylor recalls. And I think the players that I managed during my career will say, Yeah, nice fella, but poor loser!It was a fantastic achievement though; the only time Watford have got to the final and to achieve that bearing in mind the level of performance, bearing in mind the players we had. It was really a first class job just to get there. But it was disappointing. I dont care what anybody says, its always disappointing if you get to Wembley and lose. Taylor speaks to Peter Kennedy (right) during a Watford match against Chelsea Taylor was 32 and managing Lincoln City when he answered Sir Eltons call and took the Watford job back in 1977. The club was in the Fourth Division, but just five years later they had reached the top flight.In the 1982/83 season they finished second in the league behind an all-conquering Liverpool side. It was no flash in the pan, as they proved the following season when reaching that FA Cup Final. John Barnes was the headline act but Taylor stresses it was a team effort.To be fair there were a lot of other players who havent had as much recognition as John, I mention Luther Blissett because hes a local boy who did ever so well. There was John McClelland who was a centre back. He had pace but more than anything else he could read the game and he did it from the back for the team so we could get 1-0 up and then through Johns leadership we could hold that lead. Taylor and chairman Elton John on the Vicarage Road pitch And off the field, he was backed by a supportive board, led by Sir Elton. Fantastic chairman, never interfered at all. His view was, Were paying him to be our manager, were paying him to run our team, to select the team. If it goes wrong its his fault not ours! But that helped because you could talk to the directors about the team. The directors have never been given credit for sticking with me. In our first year in the second division we finished 18th and that could have turned certain directors. Taylor was a manager of his time, admitting he would struggle with the way many Premier League clubs are set up at management level. Its interesting because its not something Im happy with - Im not talking here at Watford, its changed in a lot of places, he explains.The owners of clubs are very wealthy people and they want a lot more of a say in the running of a club, and the running of the team, the selection of the team and who is transferred in. I have to say I wouldnt have been happy with that. It was beginning to come in as I left management. Im not particularly keen on being called the manager of a football team when really Im just head coach. Watford have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League season so far At Watford and elsewhere in Europe, the Pozzo family have worked wonders with their unique approach to club ownership. You cant argue with that, Taylor continues. As much as what Ive just said, theyve done extremely well in how theyve worked it out. And more and more they seem to have put Watford at the top of all the clubs they have an interest in. Its a top division theyre playing in now and theyre handling themselves very well.It may have continental ownership, but this is a place with deep community roots. We concluded our chat to allow Taylor to head into one of the clubs suites to speak to local children at Show Racism The Red Cards 20th anniversary event. Taylor is rightfully proud of the clubs strong community programme, one that dates back to his first spell here. Deeney merits England call Quique Sanchez Flores says Troy Deeney deserves England chance I made it very clear that the club belonged to the town. What I started at Lincoln was the players going out to where our supporters worked. The supporters loved it but I used to make the point to the Watford supporters; you come and watch us and have to pay to watch, we dont have to pay a thing to watch you work.The relationship that established in this town was fantastic. You could see John Barnes play and then a few days later hed come to your work place and youd talk to him about the game. The players enjoyed it as well.For me I still think it was one of the most important things I gave the lead to, the community aspect, because it became known as a community club. Thats what Watford is. Players, supporters, were all in it together.Watch Soccer Saturday from 12noon on Sky Sports News HQ to see Graham Taylors full interview with Johnny Phillips. Also See: Flores flexible on tactics Deeney merits England chance Which team is most expensive? Burnley sign free agent Dyer Justin Houston Jersey . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Pat McAfee Jersey . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. http://www.cheapcoltsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-jalen-collins-jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Steve Ishmael Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Quincy Wilson Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. RIO DE JANEIRO -- British Open champion Henrik Stenson is close enough to think about adding an Olympic gold medal to his silver claret jug.He just took a long and wild route to get himself into contention on Friday.Marcus Fraser of Australia got off to a quick start, stretched his lead to four shots at one point, and wound up with a 2-under 69 for the 36-hole lead in the first Olympic golf competition since 1904. He had a one-shot lead over Thomas Pieters of Belgium, a former NCAA champion who closed with three straight birdies.Still, it was the sight of Stenson on the leaderboard that was hard to ignore.Only a month ago, the 40-year-old Swede won his first major and got his name on the claret jug at Royal Troon with the lowest score in major championship history. On Friday, he had a 68 to go into the weekend at Olympic Golf Course just two shots behind and in the final group.But this was hardly a masterpiece.In the wind and a hard rain, Stenson had to hit 4-wood to reach the green on the second hole and made a 60-foot birdie putt. He hit into the water on the next hole and still had a full 4-wood just to reach the front part of the green. Stenson made a par putt from 108 feet.Youre just standing there, praying for a two-putt bogey. Before I know it, it found the bottom of the cup, Stenson said. Thats the longest putt Ive made in my career. First of all, its hard to get a putt that long on any green in the world.He followed by duffing a tee shot and making bogey, and it was a relief to play what he called ordinary golf until another wild finish.Stenson had a three-putt bogey, followed by two birdies, and then a tee shot he missed so badly that it came up 30 yards short and into a bunker for a bogey on the par-3 17th. He finished his round with a delicate pitch from a drop area, but only after his caddie had to ask Brazilian fans in the bleachers around the 18th green to move 20 feet because their shadows were dancing around his golf ball.Three-under is not a bad score out there, especially not with that first five or six holes in those conditions, Stenson said. All in all, happy with that. I didnt play as solid as I did yesterday, but were still in the race and still in good position halfway through the tournament.Golf hasnt been ppart of the Games in 112 years, so none of these players grew up dreaming about an Olympic medal.ddddddddddddFor someone like Stenson, the highest-ranked player in the 60-man field, his current results are like getting through the preliminary heats in a traditional Olympic sport.Then again, not even he knows what to expect out of his game. No other Olympic sport has so many contenders.Its not like some of the other sports where if you jump a certain distance or swim at a certain time, you can pretty much figure out who is going to win and finish second and third, Stenson said earlier this week. Ours is a bit more down to the form for the week and on any given day.At the halfway point, Olympic golf was starting to take shape.Fraser was at 10-under 132 -- another day, another Olympic record. Of course, given how long the sport has been absent from the Games, new marks are being set every day. The Australian caught only a little of the nasty weather, and it didnt last long before the sun came out. Fraser built a four-shot lead before dropping two shots, including the reachable par-4 16th, where it took him two chips to reach the green.Playing with Stenson on Saturday could be intimidating, through Fraser saw it differently.Any time you play with Stenson on the weekend, you know youre doing something right.Pieters made up a lot of ground in a hurry by driving just through the green on the 1