Philip Zinckernagel is pleased to finally be starting matches at Watford, after a patient spell on the touchline, but is still adjusting the Championship.

Injuries and suspensions have given the Dane the opportunity to make his first two starts in the league, both of which ended in three points, following a couple of months of making only substitute appearances.

Speaking after yesterday's 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, the winger said it had been a frustrating wait, but that he was still having to get used to his new division and perhaps manage his expectations after being in a FK Bodo/Glimt side that won the league comfortably in his last season in Norway.

"It's always frustrating when you have to wait and when you don't get to play that much but this league is very different and the physical level is very high, so you have to get used to the duels and its high tempo," said Zinckernagel. "It's maybe natural to have to be patient and wait for a chance but I'm glad to play now.

"The competition is much higher than in Norway where there were maybe a few teams fighting for the championship and here it's like five or six teams, maybe even more, that plays for Premier League promotion.

"I feel good and I feel the boys have a strong mentality, and we believe in it, but it's a bit different because last season everything just went our way and we scored five goals in every game and almost destroyed the league so it's a bit different."

Zinckernagel was an important cog in that relentless Bodo/Glimt side, scoring 19 and providing 24 assists in 28 matches.

He realises he may not be able to rack up numbers like that in the Championship, but still feels he has more to offer in attack.

He also knows he will likely have to be a bit more industrious at times, especially when he is not played in his favourite position.

"I could maybe find more offensive areas and be dangerous," he said after the Forest victory. "Today was more about hard work, but I think I'm doing pretty well, I take pretty good decisions with the ball.

Watford Observer:

"It's not my favourite position. I prefer to play a little bit further up, maybe as a winger or number 10, but I think I managed alright.

"We've had two victories so that's pretty important. I feel I've done pretty well. In the last game I think we had more control because we got an early two-zero lead in the beginning of second half, so we could enjoy playing with the ball a bit more.

"I think maybe the first half an hour was good today but the rest of the game was a little bit more about hard work and simple play, but in the end we get a victory so it's important."