Brendan Rodgers is asking the Vicarage Road faithful to be patient with the Watford players as he tries to develop a style which will see his side compete should they return to the Premier League.

The Northern Irishman announced on his arrival in November his desire to “change the club’s philosophy” and is determined to stick with his policy of trying to play attractive football despite the club’s league position.

Rodgers said it is important the fans understand the transition his side are trying to make as they will need to play such a style should they get promoted, if they want to avoid yet another immediate return to English football’s second tier.

He said: “There is a new way of playing and it is going to take time and the players are adapting but we need the patience of the supporters.

“You can play football in this division and what I am trying to do is prepare for not just now, but when we get promotion to the Premier League.

“That is about the education of the players and it is important that fans understand what we are trying to do.

“The best thing in football, other than scoring goals, is when your side has possession, but what would be great for the players, is the understanding of the supporters that we want to play creative and attacking football with discipline. It is important that the supporters buy into that.”

Rodgers also praised the fans for the welcome he received and said he hoped it would continue as Watford enter into a difficult period where they face four of the Championship’s top seven sides in their next four league games.

The Hornets have struggled for goals of late, with only one in their last three games, but Rodgers said there is no need to make drastic changes to his system or personnel.

He said: “For me the system is irrelevant because we can play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 and it would be irrelevant. If you look at some of the games since I have been here, then we have created chances and scored goals.

“I think the idea is more about the style than the system. The style will bring goals rather than the system.

“If we have possession then we will create chances and goal-scoring opportunities and then the goals will come.

“People talk about playing two strikers but in 4-3-3 you are playing with three, so the system doesn’t concern me.”

One thing which has worried the Hornets boss is his side’s claim to the worst defensive record in the Championship.

Rodgers said: “It is something where I can only keep giving the same players the same opportunities for so long. We have to see improvement otherwise we need to make changes.

“It is one where our game is progressing and it is clear that Friday was not a 4-0 game, but when you concede goals like we did then it is difficult to take.

“My job this week has been to ensure we do not forget the positives from the game – we showed great positives on the ball but there has to be more penetration in the final third.”

The 35-year-old did defend his centre-back pairing of Adrian Mariappa and Jay DeMerit though, and believes there are “not two players who are more determined to get better”, pointing out that the duo had kept two clean sheets in the games before the trip to the Madejski Stadium.

But he did reiterate that it was important for his side to “act quickly” and shore up the defence as goals will become harder to come by as teams start sitting deeper as the season comes to a close.