Joel Ekstrand says the Watford squad have managed to maintain their passing playing style despite the club’s several managerial changes this season.

Slavisa Jokanovic took charge of the Hornets last week and is the Golden Boys’ fourth head coach of the campaign.

Beppe Sannino started the season as Watford boss but was replaced by Oscar Garcia at the start of September.

He stood down due to health concerns last month and Billy McKinlay was named his successor.

The Scot lasted just eight days before the Hornets replaced him with former Chelsea midfielder Jokanovic.

Every head coach or manager will have his own ideas and principles of how his side should play – that is then drilled into players on the training pitch.

Watford’s squad have had to listen to four different tactical ideologies this season but Ekstrand says the short timeframe between head coaches means the Hornets’ core style hasn’t been altered.

He explained: “Every manager has his own way of playing but I think we have had our style of play through it all.

“And, because the managers have been here such a short space of time, they haven’t really affected that style.

“They have made small adjustments tactically and on set-pieces but that’s it. It’s not like they have been here half a year and changed things.”

The Swedish defender says the ideas Jokanovic has started implementing at Watford are “interesting” but accepts the international break has affected his ability to assert them fully.

However, Ekstrand is pleased with the Serbian’s ability to communicate with his players.

“He seems like a good man first of all which is important – you can feel that in a new manager,” the defender said.

“His English is decent and he’s played in England before. We have a lot of foreign players but he speaks Serbian, English and Spanish. So I think that is a positive thing.

“When he arrived he introduced himself and told us that he’d slowly try and get his ideas into Watford. That’s pretty much it, then you work and get on with things.”

Watford’s decision to replace McKinlay after just eight days was not a popular one, with the majority of Hornets supporters acknowledging the club had treated the 45-year-old poorly.

Ekstrand says he had no indication that McKinlay, who he described as a “good guy and good manager” was going to be replaced and only discovered Jokanovic had taken charge when he came to training last week.

He admits Gino Pozzo hasn’t yet spoken to the players about McKinlay’s departure due to several of the squad being away on international duty, but he added: “You wonder why it’s happened whenever a manager leaves but it’s a decision of the owner and he has his reasons.”

Despite the managerial merry-go-round at Watford, the club are only off the top of the Championship table on goal difference.

Ekstrand believes the current squad is the best equipped to go up during his three years at Vicarage Road and added: “Time will tell (if Watford can challenge for promotion) but we have a very good group and a good spirit.”