It was bad enough losing at Loftus Road and seeing so few opportunities to equalise after QPR had gone ahead – but what made it worse was a second half punctuated regularly by home players needing treatment on the pitch.

There were a total of seven minutes added on, but that did not compensate for the interruptions to the flow of the match which often made it feel like basketball-style time-outs had been surreptitiously added to the game.

Of course, any team can adopt whatever tactics and approach they like but Watford head coach Chris Wilder hopes future officials will take a harsher line earlier to prevent it happening again.

“We all saw Saturday how the game unfolded. The second half they broke the game up and hopefully referees will take a look at that,” he said.

“There is an obligation to the supporters as well, and that is that the game doesn’t become stop/start.

“I think that’s been an issue for quite a few teams in the top two divisions. I understand game management and I understand professionalism, but there is a real fine line between those things.

“If you were there at the game Saturday, then I think we were all aware what went off.

“Adding time on at the end doesn’t compensate for breaking up the game, and it’s been a common problem when I listen to other managers. Even Pep Guardiola was talking about it the other week.

“It’s ok people saying the time will be added on, but people have paid money to watch a game of football as well, and hopefully the referee tomorrow night and in future games will look at that.”

During the World Cup last year, many games had double-digit amounts of stoppage time added in an attempt to discourage timewasting, but Wilder would like to see a different approach.

“I think it needs to be stopped at source. As soon as a yellow card is brandished straight away to a goalkeeper – and when you see it, you know what’s going on – it has an effect,” he said.

“Referees with their professionalism know which teams take advantage of it. If it starts happening in a game then, for me, you show a yellow card straight away.

“I don’t think people will then take the chance of losing players, instead of adding seven or eight minutes on – and I think on Saturday you could have played double that.

“Fit, professional athletes going down all over the place in the second half . . . but they got the result however they want to go about it.

“We’ll try and get a result in the way we want to go about it.”

Wilder will have to get a result tomorrow night without midfielder Hamza Choudhury, whose 10th booking of the season means he is suspended for two games.

“We’ve lost Hamza through suspension which is a blow. I’ve known him a long time and tracked him through his career, and I know how highly regarded he is,” said Wilder.

“I don’t like losing any player, but there again it opens a door for somebody else to come in and stake a claim.

“I know a little bit about the boys, but every opportunity is an opportunity to impress. If one comes up for a player then it’s up to them to take it.”

The news on Ismaila Sarr – who limped off in the second half at Loftus Road – was more promising.

“He felt something around his hamstring and so we’ve assessed him over the last couple of days. Fingers crossed he’ll be involved,” said Wilder.

“Taking him off wasn’t anything more than precautionary. One thing I won’t risk is keeping a player out on the pitch to lose them for five, six, seven games.

“He felt tightness in his hamstring, we took him off and we’ll keep assessing it and hopefully he’ll be ready for tomorrow night.”

There could be other changes for the visit of Birmingham, enforced or down to selection, but Wilder was staying tight-lipped when asked about injuries.

“Nobody ever gives me anything, so I’ll take the same stance with everyone else!

“It’s a physical game, a couple took whacks on Saturday and there might be a couple of changes in terms of tactics and form.”