New Watford boss Vladimir Ivic appears to already be under some pressure after it was suggested the players have not taken to him.

The Serbian was only appointed as the Hornets manager last month and he has spent the past few weeks with the squad as he prepares for the Championship opener against Middlesbrough on Friday night.

However, Daily Mail reporter Matt Hughes has claimed that the players are not happy with Ivic, as he states they are already speculating about just how long he will last in the job.

That comes after a tough pre-season that has seen the group do plenty of fitness work and there were also complaints about his man-management with the squad.

Of course, the Watford hierarchy have a reputation for sacking managers quickly, although there is no indication that they are going to act on the unhappiness of the squad just yet.

As mentioned, the team are in action in just six days time when they welcome Neil Warnock's side to Vicarage Road as they begin the journey to bounce back to the Premier League immediately.

The verdict

This is worrying news for Watford and it certainly is not a good look for the players. The vast majority are the reason the club are in the Championship after their performances last season and they need to be prepared to work hard.

Fans will surely be glad to see Ivic is working them hard in pre-season and any individuals who are not on board should be shipped out.

This gives an insight into the problems that Watford have and at one point a manager needs to be backed over players who have underachieved in recent years.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.