If there was consternation felt about the right back/right wing-back position during the recent transfer window, then it was not something which was shared by senior figures at the club.

Throughout the transfer window there was much speculation about Watford wanting/needing more options in that area of the pitch, fuelled possibly by head coach Rob Edwards’ preference to play 3-5-2 at Forest Green and also by the departure of Kiko Femenia.

However, reports that the club tried and failed to sign various players who can operate as a right-sided full-back or wing-back were wide of the mark.

In fact, other than making an initial enquiry about whether Manchester United would consider allowing Ethan Laird to leave on a season-long loan, the Hornets did not ask about or enter discussions concerning any other player that plays in that area of the pitch.

At the point of asking about Laird, Watford were still undecided if they needed further reinforcements in that area. However, the more time Edwards spent working with Jeremy Ngakia, the more he was convinced there was no need. Consequently, the early enquiry about Laird was not followed up.

I am confident in saying there were no conversations with the likes of Cyrus Christie, Nathan Byrne, Dujon Sterling etc. There were no certainly no last-day attempts to get a right-sided player in.

The question about Laird was made via an official intermediary. Once that happens, word very quickly gets out that a club (in this case Watford) might be in the market for a young right-sided player, particularly if it’s a loan move.

Hence the Hornets were linked with various names in that part of the pitch, during and after the window was open, without any foundation. As I’ve written before, clubs and their representatives - as well as players and their agents - will use the media and the names of teams they think might be interested, to fly kites in order to attract attention and get a deal done.

I know Watford were contacted and were offered the opportunity to consider two right-sided players by Premier League clubs who were looking to loan/sell, but as with the other players linked with the club, they were never part of any formal discussions. The approach came to Watford from the clubs, and not the other way round.

Although the Kiko out/Mario Gaspar in movement was certainly not a case of replacing like with like, Edwards felt that Ngakia would give him the right wing-back option should he want to use it, and therefore he was never overly concerned about looking elsewhere.

As he said recently when asked about the right side of defence: “Being honest, I’m happy with where we’re at and the options we have.”

And therein seems to be the crux of the problem with a few matters – even when the head coach gives a straight answer to a straight question, on the record, to the media, some fans don’t believe him. Or they accuse him of towing the party line, reading from a script or holding back his true feelings. Obviously not all fans, but some.

That’s a real shame as Edwards is very much his own man who, when you spend time with him, certainly appears to be anything but a puppet or a pacifier. He’s not lying when he answers media questions, that’s for sure.

Perhaps it’s a wider legacy issue that some fans have with other club officials that pre-dates Edwards’ arrival at Vicarage Road. If that’s the case, it’s equally unfair to tar him with the same brush.

“The top end of the pitch is where I want us to focus our recruitment,” he said when I asked him in late June, adding: “I’m less concerned with other areas of the pitch because we have two or more options in every position.”

After the initial signings of Vakoun Bayo and Rey Manaj, Watford added Keinan Davis to that “top end of the pitch”.

The head coach also made it known he needed a left-footed defender, and in came Kortney Hause. The loss of first Imran Louza, and then captain Tom Cleverley, reduced his midfield options, and the club brought in Hamza Choudhury.

At no point did anyone from within the club mention a need to sign a right-sided defender, after that initial consideration of Laird.

Even if supporters felt uncomfortable seeing Hassane Kamara in that role, the head coach never did. In fact, he played him there as early as July 12 in the friendly against Bolton.

"I thought it would be interesting to see him on the opposite side and I saw some good things," Edwards said after that July 12 game behind closed doors.

Edwards has always considered Kamara as a right-sided option, along with Ngakia and Gaspar, and also a left-sided option (with Ken Sema and Joseph Hungbo).

Ngakia has had his start to the season interrupted by a back problem and as Edwards said: “People haven’t seen him in the team yet. Jeremy is someone I am confident can play a big part in our season.”

The Deptford-born defender is still only 21, but played five Premier League games for West Ham in the 2019/20 season before being allowed to join Watford that summer – a move that raised a few eyebrows in and around the London Stadium, where he was seen as a very good prospect.

He made 26 appearances in his first season with the Hornets, showing a definite ability to combine his defensive duties with the need to get forward. That was a promotion-winning campaign, let’s remember.

Last season he was restricted to 16 appearances, only nine of which were starts, although Claudio Ranieri and particularly Roy Hodgson opted for the more experienced options they had. Kiko was the first choice on the right of defence during Hodgson’s tenure and Ngakia really only featured if the Spaniard was injured, and after relegation was confirmed.

Now Sarr is staying, it’s very likely that whoever plays on the right side of defence will find they have the Senegal international in front of them on the pitch – that does remove a bit of the pressure to go bombing forward and also means it’s likely whoever lines up on the left for the opposition will be doing so with one eye on where Sarr is.

While it does feel that Ngakia will, at some point, come into the team with the weight of expectation resting firmly on his shoulders, it also needs pointing out that had any of the number of young right wing-backs linked with the club actually joined and then played, they too would have come under the same spotlight.

The main difference is that Edwards and Watford had faith in Ngakia sufficient to not go looking elsewhere for very long.