Luke Dowling accepts much of Watford's transfer business was done later in the window than hoped, but says that waiting for the end of the month enabled them to sign players they may otherwise have missed out on.
Soumaila Coulibaly and Stephy Mavididi, who signed on loan on deadline day, were both targets throughout the summer but were not available on loan until the final days of the window.
The duo's availability on temporary deals brought the Hornets to the table, and the sporting director believes it was better to wait for long-term targets than hurry into others a week or two earlier.
He told the club's official podcast: "I think we've made some good signings. It's taken perhaps longer than we certainly wanted and expected, but that is also the case when you're making loan signings.
"Two of the three that came on loan on the last day were long-term targets and their respective clubs were looking for initial sales.
"Once that doesn't happen for the player, then loan opportunities become available.
"From that point of view, we were pleased we didn't get the other targets, because then it would have done everything early and when Coulibaly and [Myron] Boadu and Mavididi came along, we might not have been able to do it.
"Once the international break is here, we'll see everyone up to full speed and it'll be a squad that's exciting to watch. I think the fans will enjoy watching them play."
The option still exists to add free agents to the squad, with some suggestion that a midfielder may be looked at and ex-West Ham striker Michail Antonio still training with the club.
Chairman Scott Duxbury said: "We've got to be careful there because it's not Football Manager, it's real life.
"We have a matchday squad of 20 and the maths are challenging. When everyone's fit, which touch wood will be soon, we have a squad unlike last year where everybody is what I would call a first-team player.
"That means there's going to be at least three players in the stands as it is, quality players, and we can't just have six forwards on the bench.
"There are going to be some eyebrows raised about players who won't actually make the matchday squad.
"To add more to that could be a challenging position. There's always the possibility but, going back to the culture point, it's making sure that everybody is involved and feels important.
"There's nothing worse on a Friday than when the bus is travelling and people aren't on it because they've not made the matchday squad.
"It affects it so we've got to be careful there and make sure we have the right balance for the coach's needs, but we're not just bringing in numbers who can't play."
On the midfield point, Alessio Dionisi spoke about the situation yesterday and Dowling said the coach was involved in the decision not to sign another one.
He said: "There's been some noise and opinion about another midfielder coming in, but the discussions we've had with the coach - and who he sees playing in there - we've got six good players for those positions.
"And that's if he plays three in there. If he ever does change the system to play two in there, there's obviously more players that are going to miss out.
"I think the system we've been playing, there's two - sometimes three - really good options for each position, which once everyone is healthy is great for team spirit, for competitiveness and even better for the coaches."
Duxbury claimed in an address at the end of last season that he had "insisted" on the recruitment team signing experienced EFL leaders this summer, but only Jordan Zemura and Stephy Mavididi have significant knowledge of the Championship of the 11 recruits.
The chairman admits it has not played out how he envisaged but believes the end goal of such a statement - an improvement in culture - has been accomplished.
He said: "The culture's definitely changed.
"You can see around the training ground, there's a real spirit. You don't want to name names, but last year there ere lots of different factions and different interests. It wasn't cohesive.
"It didn't feel like a team, whereas this pre-season everybody who's been brought in is all part of the same team.
"Mattie Pollock's been instrumental in driving that, with hector Kyprianou as well, and the boys coming in are of a similar age group and everybody gets on.
"It's a real quality squad, not just in terms of what's on the pitch but how they operate off it.
"It's really noticeable and I'm really hoping that the culture shift will pay dividends.
"Yes, I really wanted to bring in more homegrown players, but maybe what I was actually saying was that it was changing the culture.
"They [the recruitment team] did try and being in those types of players but where they've found a foreign player who is better suited, he's still that kind of personality, that kind of character.
"It's changed, it's fundamentally changed. It's a much happier place. Everybody has the same objective now and really buys into what the coach is doing."
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