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BOOTHROYD HAPPY WITH SLICK HORNETS
Boothroyd - happy with away point.
Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd emerged from a goalless draw against Crystal Palace with some rare credit for his new-found passing game at Selhurst Park.
Boothroyd and opposite number Neil Warnock also appeared changed characters as the usually feisty pair kept their heads when all around were losing theirs after a 20-man shoving match erupted right in front of them.
Both teams lined up before kick-off to shake hands in the latest Fair Play initiative but the handbags were out after Lee Williamson's crude challenge on Matt Lawrence sparked the melee.
Referee Mike Jones only booked Williamson and Palace skipper Shaun Derry while afterwards both managers played down the incident.
"I'm just glad I didn't start," Boothroyd said.
"The Fair Play stuff is terrific and they are role models but you've got two passionate managers, staff and teams and tensions run high.
"But the referee got hold of it and calmed it right down and I thought the game was a reasonable spectacle."
Warnock was equally laid back and added: "I didn't see much in it. It was a horrible tackle from Williamson but there was not much else in it and I think Derry got booked out of sympathy."
Watford's slick performance marked a departure from Boothroyd's tag as a long-ball merchant.
The visitors dominated possession and Jobi McAnuff forced a fine save from Julian Speroni, although Palace created the better chances - not least when Victor Moses fired horribly wide in front of goal.
But the losing semi-finalists from last season's play-offs could not be separated, although Boothroyd saw plenty to be positive about.
"I thought it was a terrific start. We would have preferred three points but in terms of what we are trying to do it was very encouraging," he added.
"A win would have been nice but this was a very difficult place to come.
"I wouldn't knock the long-ball game. When I first came to Watford we were a bit like Dad's Army - we needed some energy and some passion.
"But last season we lost our identity a little bit. We were neither a long-ball team nor a short-ball team, but a give-the-ball-away team.
"This year I just think we need to be a little more fluid. But it's not good being aesthetic if you don't win so we'll be careful not to get too excited."
Both sides are in desperate need of a striker if they are going to trouble the promotion race again, and Boothroyd admitted he would be "straight on the phone" after the game.
But Warnock was also satisfied with a point at the start of the marathon that is the Coca-Cola Championship.
"It was two professional sides cancelling each other out - first games are horrible but there were a lot of plusses," he said.
"I think there are 16 teams thinking about the play-off and eight thinking about the championship. We've got to be looking as high as we can."
