What Xisco Munoz needs to change to improve Watford

An insipid performance in a dull 0-0 draw with Millwall, followed by an equally feeble display in Monday night's collapse at home to Queens Park Rangers, shows that what he has tried up to now simply is not working.

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The coach is aware of this and is on the same page. His post-match comments on Monday evening began with him taking responsibility for the defeat before he claimed fans could expect "a different system" against the Sky Blues, which he said he would be working on in training this week.

While guessing exactly what changes he will make is not easy, there are some areas that are clearly more in need of attention than others.

One aspect of his currently failing gameplan that ought to be changed is the deployment of Will Hughes out on the left flank, that has created a clear imbalance in the side.

One of only a few bright moments in the QPR defeat was the introduction of Ken Sema, who added a direct approach that had been notable by its absence prior to his arrival.

That is not a personal attack on Hughes, who has performed well since his return to the starting XI, but it is clear that he could be more useful playing elsewhere.

"We want one thing and we lose other things," Munoz said of his decision to play the centre midfielder out wide, suggesting that he agreed it had diminished his side's attack.

Picture: PA

"Sometimes when you put one guy on one side or another side, you think about one thing, or sometimes another.

"Will gave a good level, he gave everything for the team. I'm happy with him."

The question remains, why did Munoz go with this team selection to begin with when there were far more obvious left-sided options available?

As well as Sema, who made an almost immediate impact by driving towards the byline and cutting the ball back for others in the box, there was new arrival Philip Zinckernagel, who sat unused on the bench until the 83rd minute.

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Munoz has spoken before of his desire to ease the player into life in the Championship but that does not have to be done exclusively as a substitute, with only seven minutes remaining.

"I think now is the moment to take it step-by-step so he understands about the Championship," said the head coach before the QPR match. "We need to have a good balance. He's a good player and I think he can give us very good things but we need to take it step-by-step, game-by-game and I'm sure soon he will be able to give us very good moments."

Seven minutes, out of position, in a game in which creativity has been clearly lacking, is not an ideal set of circumstances to provide those "very good moments" and with Sema back on the bench, Monday now seems like a missed opportunity to play Zinckernagel for at least the first hour of the game and try and unlock some of the creativity the stats suggest he has in abundance.

Using the Dane may have helped address another area that is in need of vast improvement, goalscoring, where Watford are clearly struggling.

Take away their penalties this season and the Hornets are eight league goals lighter and 13 points worse off in the Championship.

While Troy Deeney can usually be relied upon from the spot, in open play there are fewer dependable sources of goals.

Asked where the goals were going to come from if they do not continue to win penalties, Munoz admitted he needs to improve his side's creativity in open play.

"The most important is that we are working," he said. "We have chances to score. Now we only have this way. We need improvement and to get better for a return, to try and score with other situations."

The head coach has previously said it is up to him to get his team creating more chances and any change of system will have to be geared towards getting his team working with greater threat around their opponents' 18-yard-box.

Half the season has come and gone already and Watford remain in a positive enough position, and with a good enough chance to get automatic promotion back to the Premier League, despite struggling to win games decisively.

Defender William Troost-Ekong said this weekend's game at Coventry could be season-changing and I don't think that is over-stating the importance of the match.

For now, the aim has to be to keep the pressure on the top two sides, but in order to do that Munoz needs to find a system that has the balance, creativity and cohesion that has been missing far too much this season.

The head coach knows all too well what is needed from his team. Whether or not he can find it will be revealed on Saturday.