Everton manager Marco Silva insisted he was not fazed by the hostile reception afforded to him on his return to Vicarage Road.

Watford supporters goaded Silva, and chanted "you're getting sacked in the morning", after Andre Gray's second-half strike secured all three points for the Hornets, piling more pressure on the Portuguese by condemning Everton to their third straight league defeat.

"For me, [the reception] is not important," said Silva.

"I cannot control everything.

"What I can control is my team and try to control the opposing team.

"The club had one strategy and they created a strategy for something to happen on the pitch.

"I was welcomed here by the people I worked with for many, many months because they know the truth and nothing more. The strategy they prepared is not important.

"What I can control is my job, and with my conscience I did my job well when I was working for that club."

Everton have now lost nine of their last 13 matches in all competitions, and their bleak league form since the start of December is only better than Huddersfield and Fulham.

Their miserable afternoon took another sorry twist after the final whistle when Kurt Zouma was sent off for complaining to referee Lee Probert.

Zouma was unhappy that Watford were awarded a corner in the build-up to Gray's winner.

"I will try to speak with the referee," added Silva.

"Sometimes it is not easy to be calm, and in that moment, the referee has to understand because many, many mistakes are going against our team.

"What Kurt said to the referee is what all the other players were saying in that moment. He is speaking about the corner. It wasn't a corner. If they can see that, how is it possible that the referee and the assistant couldn't see it? It is really strange."