Watford fell to second in the Sky Bet Championship last night after a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in Slavisa Jokanovic's first home game in charge.
[caption align="alignright" width="300"]
Jokanovic drew his first home game in charge of Watford[/caption]
Although they sit two points behind leaders Derby, the draw extends the Hornet's unbeaten run to seven games which is extraordinary considering the managerial mayhem that has occured at Vicarage Road.
Jokanovic, the fourth permanent manager this season, has had to adapt to English football quickly but told the Watford Observer more needs to be done, "We must have patience and control, and we must be smarter" he stated, before admitting "“We tried to win the game with our hearts and not our minds."
Watford led twice with a close range effort from Odion Ighalo and a Matej Vydra penalty only to be denied the three points by a brace from Michail Antonio, who continued his fine start to the season taking his tally to 8 goals so far.
The Hornet's influential attacking midfielder Almen Abdi was forced off early in the second half with a shoulder injury that was picked up before the interval, Jokanovic felt this was a turning point in the game, “We started to lose the control when we lost Abdi on the pitch but it is not a question of [being because of] one player who is out or in [the team], we lost the control as a group.”
Jokanovic went on to question the performance referee, Dean Whitestone, over two potential red cards. The Serbian felt that Forest captain, Michael Mancienne was lucky to have got away with just a yellow card and was frustrated that Wilson's foul on Vydra, prior to Watford's second goal, went un-punished. Jokanovic said, "If it [the Mancienne decision] shouldn’t have been a red card then I don’t know the rules of football. For me it is 100 per cent [a penalty]."
It is the same the second time. It is probably a little bit different but for me they should both have been sent off.”
Watford have until Saturday to 'smarten up' before their away trip to Middlesbrough, who sit just two points behind Jokanovic's men.
Jokanovic drew his first home game in charge of Watford[/caption]
Although they sit two points behind leaders Derby, the draw extends the Hornet's unbeaten run to seven games which is extraordinary considering the managerial mayhem that has occured at Vicarage Road.
Jokanovic, the fourth permanent manager this season, has had to adapt to English football quickly but told the Watford Observer more needs to be done, "We must have patience and control, and we must be smarter" he stated, before admitting "“We tried to win the game with our hearts and not our minds."
Watford led twice with a close range effort from Odion Ighalo and a Matej Vydra penalty only to be denied the three points by a brace from Michail Antonio, who continued his fine start to the season taking his tally to 8 goals so far.
The Hornet's influential attacking midfielder Almen Abdi was forced off early in the second half with a shoulder injury that was picked up before the interval, Jokanovic felt this was a turning point in the game, “We started to lose the control when we lost Abdi on the pitch but it is not a question of [being because of] one player who is out or in [the team], we lost the control as a group.”
Jokanovic went on to question the performance referee, Dean Whitestone, over two potential red cards. The Serbian felt that Forest captain, Michael Mancienne was lucky to have got away with just a yellow card and was frustrated that Wilson's foul on Vydra, prior to Watford's second goal, went un-punished. Jokanovic said, "If it [the Mancienne decision] shouldn’t have been a red card then I don’t know the rules of football. For me it is 100 per cent [a penalty]."
It is the same the second time. It is probably a little bit different but for me they should both have been sent off.”
Watford have until Saturday to 'smarten up' before their away trip to Middlesbrough, who sit just two points behind Jokanovic's men.