Having described the game as ‘must win’ and then failing to do, at a club with an owner who has never been shy at changing head coaches, the 0-0 draw with Preston could have more far-reaching effects for Slaven Bilic than just on the bid for promotion.

The Watford head coach watched his side fail to win at home for the third time in four matches at Vicarage Road, and although Gino Pozzo was not at the game to witness it himself, there’s no doubt he would have been well aware of the afternoon’s performance.

Therefore, it had to be put to Bilic – did he think the owner may now decide it was time for another change?

“That’s not a question for me,” he said.

“I know why they brought me here, and they’ve been very good towards me.

“I have a good relationship, but I know that I have a job to do.

“About that kind of question, I won’t say that I’m not bothered but I’m absolutely concentrated on my job. That is the thing I can have an influence on.

“The rest is not in my hands, it’s not in my control, it’s not my decision.”

With games running out and the play-off places now more than a win away, the performance was even more shocking.

Does Bilic have any concerns that the players may not be right behind him?

“I see them every day and they are with me. Are they following what me and my staff tell them? Yeah, definitely,” he said.

“We are a good group of people, and they are listening to the plan and sticking to the plan. They want to do it.

“There is discipline on the pitch and off the pitch, there are no issues at all. No small issues even. Nothing like that.

“It’s just the performances are not good enough. It was not there today, especially in the first half.

“The guys are very disappointed and I told them nobody will do it for us apart from us ourselves. We have to do it.”