GRAHAM Taylor is a Vicarage Road legend who is trying to lead Watford into the top-flight of English football for the third time in his career.

Two seasons ago Taylor took his beloved Hornets into the Premiership just a year after they had escaped from the Second Division via the play-offs.

Yet even that pales into insignificance alongside his achievements during his first spell in charge.

Following his appointment in 1977, Taylor secured promotion from the Fourth Division the following year. A year later they went up again and by 1982 Watford had made it to Division One for the first time ever, taking the top-flight by storm to finish second in their first season.

Taylor had the golden touch but he hasn't forgotten the contribution of a man who will be in the opposite dug-out tonight -- Burnley's assistant manager Sam Ellis.

The future England boss had signed Ellis as a player at Lincoln City and then paid £6,000 to take him down to Vicarage Road as his first signing.

And Taylor waxes lyrical about the part Ellis played in the great Watford adventure, first as a player and then as a part of the backroom team.

He said: "In two seasons he only played some 30-odd games before joining the club's coaching staff.

"So what part did Sam play? He got hold of the dressing room. He knew what I required to get Watford moving.

"A man of strong opinion and on occasions was not the easiest person to manage. However, when he crossed that line to play he led not only by example but he had a knowledge of the game and knew what was required, not only from himself but from his colleagues.

"Woe betide any of them if they didn't deliver the goods. Sam's tongue could be biting and believe me that's just what some of the Watford players needed in 1977.

"Sam was in at the start. He helped give the club a base to go on to bigger and better things and his contribution is not always recognised. But it is by me Sam -- and I'm sure by many Watford supporters."

Ellis will therefore be back among friends tonight, but Taylor isn't expecting any favours as he looks to build on Saturday's first win in seven and move back into the play-off places.

"No side managed by Stan Ternent and partially coached by Sam Ellis will give anyone an easy time," insisted the boss, who felt his hit-and-miss side were back to their best in beating Norwich City 4-1.

He added: "I hope it carries on, but only time will tell. I'm very pleased and I'm just hoping that the frustration has come out of all of us, the crowd, the players, the coaching and management staff and the directors because we all feel it.

"We've been hard-pushed to find why we have been playing as we have been for the last three or four weeks but when you come out and play like we did on Saturday that gives everybody fresh hope.

"That was probably the best 90 minutes for consistency we have had all season, even allowing for the very good start we had.

"It felt like September and October again for me because we were playing like that at the start of the season."

Ellis enjoyed working with Taylor -- "He's got a good success rate, but it's no better than Stan's" -- but is looking to Burnley to make life awkward for Watford before going on to claim a first away win since October.

He said: "It will be high tempo, up and at 'em and we have to match them. And if we match them at the tempo of the game we feel we've a better team.

"They will try and put us under pressure but if you hold out against them for an hour they might start to get a bit nervous thinking they've got to win and it might put them on the back foot a little bit."