Gabriele Angella admits the number of different nationalities at Watford does make it harder for new players to integrate but insists the Hornets are all together when they go out on the pitch.

Angella was speaking before he was controversially sent off against Bournemouth last weekend when Watford’s matchday squad included players from ten different countries.

The 24-year-old moved to Vicarage Road from Udinese in the summer and admits a multi-lingual dressing room means individual groups are inevitable.

“It is normal to have groups but it’s important that on the pitch the players stay together and we help each other,” Angella said.

“It hasn’t been easy to stay together all the time because it’s difficult to understand when some of the British players speak very fast. I try to understand but it’s difficult.

“It would be easier if I was only with English players – I would probably learn faster – but there are a lot of Italians and Spaniards and players who I played with at Udinese. But the group is together.”

Watford’s foreign players take weekly English lessons but the schedule is sometimes disrupted by midweek matches.

Angella stressed the importance of new players learning the language but said he doesn’t believe communication is a problem during games.

“I think when a player plays in a foreign league, he has to learn the language,” Angella said.

“But I speak well when I play football, we speak all together and we play well. It’s not a problem on the pitch.

“When we play we always use the same words – up, down, right, left – it’s easy.”

Watford have registered three clean sheets in the seven matches since Beppe Sannino’s arrival and conceded only two goals from open play.

Angella, who was deployed on the right side of the defensive trio against Bournemouth, says the team have become much more solid under their new boss.

“He has changed the way we play,” Angella said. “I think we play more compact, with more concentration and we are together. Those are the qualities that maybe we didn’t have before.”

He continued: “Maybe the difference is Gianfranco (Zola) played in England and liked to play English football whereas Mr Sannino never played in English football.

“I think we needed this new mentality because this is a bad period.

“We have the potential to become a good team and I think we need to be more compact because this is the most important quality for us to get better.

“We need it to come together quickly.”

Watford are now 15th in the Championship, seven points above the relegation zone and ten points behind the last play-off spot.

Angella insists the team’s promotion ambitions are not over yet but admits time is running out for the Hornets to prove their quality.

“The play-offs are the objective,” the defender said. “We work for this and we know we have the quality to do it.

“We need to demonstrate our quality though because time is running out so we need to improve quickly.”