Head coach Slaven Bilic questioned whether the Watford squad are “physically or mentally fit enough” to perform at the level required to be successful in a crowded Championship fixture list.

Only a few days after deservedly beating Norwich at Vicarage Road, the Hornets slumped to a miserable defeat at Millwall where they could have no complaints about the 3-0 scoreline.

After the game, Bilic pointed out that when his squad have a full week to prepare, they have won. But when a midweek game crops up, they cannot string two performances together.

“We showed the spirit and character just three days ago,” he said.

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New depths hit as Watford soundly beaten by Millwall

“It’s not like we’re asking the team to play like some other team, we did it ourselves three days ago.

“Maybe we are not physically or mentally fit enough to do it every three days.

“Because so far – and I can only talk about from when I came here – we’ve twice had time to rest before a game, and that was before we played Stoke and Norwich. Both games, energy wise and mentally, we were there.

“But when we have a game after two or three days, we are struggling a bit.

“I will have to find reasons for this inconsistency. The couple of wins we’ve had came after we had a clear week with no midweek game. That gave us a week to train.

“When we have a game two or three days after another game we are not on the same level of intensity. We are not at the level that is required. We have to fix that as soon as possible.”

Bilic had no complaints about the outcome of the game, but he was disappointed that his side did not cope better with the expected physical and aerial threat the home side posed, and with the paucity of goal attempts his side mustered.

“We knew what to expect. Millwall did nothing new, and what they do, they do it really well,” he said.

“They like to push you around and perhaps we can say we’re not that type of team – but you have to be that type of team. You sometimes have to have a little bit of that nastiness. You have to play on the edge of fouls.

“We aren’t the first team where Millwall have scored from a couple of set plays. We should defend them better. But also, let’s create more.

“In the second half I expected more from us. People might say it’s game over at 3-0 but let’s create things, especially when you are spending so much time in possession of the ball.”