New head coach Slaven Bilic moved quickly today to dismiss reports he had met with Watford owner Gino Pozzo only a few months ago, before the appointment of Rob Edwards.

“I heard about those reports, I have been told what has been written about me and meetings in April or whatever – no, it’s simply not true. No, definitely not,” he said.

“I’m not going to lie, I can’t exactly remember what I was doing or who I met four or five years ago, but not in April.

“The first time the board approached me about this job was about a week ago. It was after the international break started, that was the first time."

Obviously for Bilic to be given the job, Edwards had to lose his.

“It’s quite common, unfortunately, for managers to lose their job,” said the Croatian.

“Watford is not the only club that has done this already this season. And that’s not just in England it’s happened all over Europe too.”

Bilic had previously drawn up a list of clubs he thought he would be a good fit for while in between jobs, and he did the same after leaving his last position in China earlier this year.

“When I went to West Brom a few years ago, West Brom was on the list of clubs I had made back then. It was the same this time with Watford, they were on my list. I was happy but I wasn’t surprised when they called me. I thought we were a good match.”

It was no surprise that the question of job security, patience from the board and the famed ‘revolving door’ on the head coach’s office at Watford was the subject of many media questions this morning.

“I have been asked these sort of questions many, many times during my career, and as a manager you would love to be given lots of time, because time is crucial. But it is very common for clubs to change managers.

“I think I’m in a good position – do you think Watford appoint managers so that they can sack them? No they appoint them because they want them to have success.

“Even in this case, where people are saying you are the 17th Watford manager in a short time or whatever, I still think I am in a good position because they definitely don’t want to sack me. They want me to do well.

“The most important thing is the club has clear ambition and they provide you with everything you need. I’ve only been here a couple of days but already I’ve seen that. They give you what you need to be successful, and as a manager that is what you want.

“Nowadays in the world of football, not just Watford, you have to deserve that. You have to buy time, and you buy time with good work. You also do that with results, and this is a results-driven game, but you also do it with good work.

“With what the club are providing for me and my staff here, we have every chance of being successful.”

So what will the former West Ham boss bring to the club?

“I will bring success, results, good football, a very committed team, a very focussed team,” he said.

“I am not a new name in England that is untried. I try to get good players on the ball, and put players on the pitch that are creative.

“At the same time you will have no chance if you’re not solid, so that is the art of the job for me. Then you try to get that extra element, which is a good atmosphere within the team – and that is what me and my staff will try to do.

“I don’t want to sound big headed but what’s what we have done straight away, anywhere we have worked.”

The Hornets currently sit 10th in the Championship table but have nine points to play for in the next week, and so the target for the season is still very much the same as it was on August 1.

“Promotion of course, but also initially stability,” said Bilic.

“This club is very clear, it has very clear ambitions, directions and aims, and that is to go back to the Premier League.

“At the beginning of the season we were definitely one of the big strong candidates, and nothing has changed apart from 10 games. That is still there.

“Of course I would love it if today was the first day of pre-season, but it isn’t and you can’t have everything. But yes, promotion is the target.”