After watching his Norwich City side pick up back-to-back wins in the Premier League this season and move two points ahead of Watford in the relegation zone, Dean Smith was in a jubilant mood as he spoke to the media.
On the performance
With two goals from Josh Sargent and a fortuitous own goal, Smith was honest in his assessment of the performance,
It’s great to get the back-to-back wins in this league. It’s hard enough for promoted teams to win any game. We deserved the one against Everton.
I thought (against Watford) it was in the balance until the first goal but it will give everyone a lift. That first goal when it went in, great improvisation from Josh (Sargent), I felt there was only going to be one winner from there. There was just a calmness that came over the players.
We lost our way for 20 to 25 minutes of the first half and dropped too deep and they ended up playing too much in our half. Fortunately, we got away with a couple of chances but half-time came and we could actually get information back to the players and I thought we stepped it up again at the start of the second half and got that goal that calmed everybody.
On Josh Sargent
American, Josh Sargent scored his first Premier League goal with an audacious flick in off the crossbar and Smith was full of praise for the young forward,
He’s a great lad. He’s very respected within the dressing room. His work rate, his work ethic, he’s a team player. But as all forwards they want to score goals and want to be known by goals and he has found them hard to come by so far.
That will do him the world of good to get two goals. I thought his second goal was unbelievable as well. Great header, great ball from Milot (Rashica).
I’m really pleased. His character is never something I could question. There’s chances where he will feel he could have scored, but it is never in question because he is a real team player, a really good teammate to have.
He backs things up and works extremely hard for the group. His character was always there. He just needed that goal and hopefully a bit like Adam Idah there will be more to come from the likes of him, Milot and Teemu (Pukki) as well.
For the fans
After enduring a torrid run of results prior to victory over Everton last weekend, Smith was keen to exalt the fans for their support and the atmosphere they created at Vicarage Road,
Yeah it certainly is. We’ve had some really hard nights as everybody knows. This is one for the supporters to go and enjoy.
We thank them for the support and as I said earlier it wasn’t too much of a criticism it was just a minority, but when there is that togetherness it can take you far.
Only time will tell how far that togetherness can take Norwich City but on this performance, the Canaries and Dean Smith have a lot to look forward to.