Watford midfielder Tom Cleverley says now is not the time for his side to panic, following their 1-0 defeat to Luton on Saturday that dealt a blow to the Hornets' promotion hopes.

James Collins' penalty just over ten minutes was enough to secure all three points for the Hatters, bringing an end to an eight-game unbeaten run for the Hornets.

That result is of course a setback for Watford as they go in search of an immediate return to the Premier League, but they do still sit six points clear of the play-off spots in the second automatic promotion place.

As a result, it seems Cleverley is keen for his side to hold their nerve as they turn their attentions to their trip to newly promoted Norwich on Tuesday night, as they look to follow the Canaries back to the top-flight of English football.

Speaking about the position his side now find themselves in after that defeat to Luton, Cleverley was quoted by The Watford Observer as saying: “We have to bounce back. It’s definitely not time to panic. Our great run we’ve been on has come to an end, but we knew we’d have bad results and it’s how we react to that.

“We’ve got to keep trusting the game plan and we have the experienced players to deal with that. It’s in our hands, so we’ll look forward to Tuesday now.”

Following that trip to Carrow Road in midweek, Watford host Millwall the following weekend, before ending the campaign with games against the two sides directly below them in the table, Brentford and Swansea.

The Verdict

I do agree with Cleverley here.

There can be no doubting that that defeat was a setback for Watford, and the performance they produced will be something of a concern.

However, the table still puts them in pole position to claim that second automatic promotion spot, and with things still in their hands, they must remained focused to get the job done.

That is something they should be confident of doing, although you feel things may get interesting - and perhaps nervous - should it come down to those last couple of game against Brentford and Swansea.