If there’s an idiot’s guide to impressing a new boss, then being late on his first day at work would be very high on the list of things not to do.

However, when Valerien Ismael arrived at London Colney for the first day of pre-season training, five of the squad were not on time.

When the Watford Observer asked him for an example of why changing the mentality at the club was his top priority, Ismael quickly cited day one of the summer.

“On the first day of training, five players came late,” he said.

“It was the first day, so it was old habits. But now, every player is punctual.”

Anyone who watched Watford just go through the motions too many times last season will certainly find the head coach’s description of a “lazy attitude” among the Watford squad.

“I think we had to get the rules in place just to change the lazy attitude from some players. They had to understand we are here to perform and to be professional,” he said.

“It is an honour and a pleasure to be a football player, to be a professional. So make sure you have the right attitude when you come every day.

“It has to make sense why you are coming to the training ground every day, and I think from day one they understood the message we sent to them.

“Now we are satisfied with the attitude, we are satisfied with the mentality and it is all about keeping going and having that consistency on the pitch and off the pitch.”

Alongside mentality, Ismael and his staff have worked hard to improve fitness and conditioning levels, as Vakoun Bayo told the Watford Observer yesterday.

To the uninitiated, how exactly do you do that?

“It’s the way you train,” Ismael answered simply.

“We have a different approach from what the players do usually. It’s a different way with a higher intensity.

“We’re not that long on the pitch, but when we are on the pitch everything we do, we do with intensity.

“It was a big change for the players but they have adapted well and they enjoy it, especially when you start to see the rewards in results and performances in pre-season games.

“The intensity showed against a Premier League side meant they struggled to deal with that, which gives our players the confidence to do it more.

“You have to have that ability to keep doing that, to go again, and after six or seven weeks in pre-season you start to see the results and the players feel it in their bodies.

“Now we just need the games. Every game will give the players more fitness, make them stronger and more able to apply what we want.”

A week ago, Ismael announced he had made goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann the club captain, a decision which led to some quite startling outbursts from fans on social media.

Ismael said his decision was based purely on what he has observed over the past seven weeks.

“I didn’t make any judgments on what has gone on in the past. I came and then just assessed the situation day by day,” he explained.

“I started to get to know everyone at the club and to give everyone a chance. I wanted to see ‘are you in’ with what we are trying to do.

“From day one Daniel was excellent in his attitude, his behaviour and then he gets his contract for five years, and I think that’s a clear commitment to the club. It’s a clear commitment to the rest of the squad and the team, and it’s a strong signal for me as well. He showed me he is ready to take ownership now.

“He is not the only one I want to take responsibility. We have the leadership group, and that group now has to take responsibility for the season and take care of the rules of the squad.

“They have put some rules in place, and now the job of the leadership group is to take care of those rules.”

The Watford head coach said that personal abuse from fans on social media is a wider issue.

“It’s not only happening to Dan, I think it’s a bad habit that is happening in social media with football players and managers,” he said.

“I try to stay focused on the job we have to do, and so does he. My feeling, and the feeling of my staff, was that Daniel deserved to be the captain of the squad.

“We saw him every day. Every day. We train with him, we work with him. When he had his new contract, we saw how he dealt with that situation. He was clearly committed to the club.

“The attitude and mentality, and the professionalism from Daniel, is what every fan expects from a football player. He has all the attributes.

“So I cannot understand the reaction but now Daniel has the chance to show them why he deserves to be the captain.”