Watford head coach Vladimir Ivic is unlikely to stray from his 5-3-2 formation any time soon, with the head coach claiming it is the system that best suits the players currently at his disposal.

Following the 1-0 defeat to Barnsley at the weekend, the Hornets' third winless game in a row, Ivic said he was concerned by the form his players were showing, but said that he believed the shape he has used every game this season was still likely to be his preferred formation for the near future.

Fans have questioned the effectiveness of the shape and whether it is getting the most out of players like Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr, who are more accustomed to playing out wide rather than centrally, as they do in Ivic's selection. However, the coach said it was simply a case of his players needing to adapt and improve, rather than cause for a change in tactics.

Watford Observer:

Asked if he was considering a change in formation, he said: "Maybe yes. But in this moment, we have the players for this system and we need to improve our game with this system. Okay, we need to fix the problems that we have had in our games. Now, to change the system, this is something you can do, but again, I try to play with the players for the system that I have."

One change Ivic did hope to see against Barnsley was an increase in both energy and desire to win.

The 43-year-old believes that his players were energetic enough after conceding a goal early on courtesy of a sloppy mistake and said there were signs of improvement, despite finishing on the wrong end of the scoreline.

"We showed energy, we started to play after the goal that we conceded," he said. "We had more mobility than maybe in some previous games but again it was not enough to to win the game.

Watford Observer:

"It's tough, there's a tough rhythm in the games. It's most important now to rest the players and to understand that we must give more, because we can give more and start to win games again."