Solid and tight at the back, but shot-shy in attack was how Slaven Bilic summed up Watford’s performance at Sheffield United yesterday.

The head coach felt his side would not have conceded but for the very obvious lapse at the corner which led to the only goal – but he also admitted his side didn’t do enough with the possession they had in the final third.

“We knew we would have to be complete here as it’s a tough away game,” he said.

“The first part of the job we had to do was coping with their physicality. When they have the ball they are direct and very strong.

“I thought we coped with that well and we showed the qualities required. There was a lot of effort, commitment and determination.

“So we did really well in that aspect – if you take that corner out of the equation.

“The second part was to hurt them, keep the ball, switch sides and to penetrate. The majority of that we did really well too.

“We kept hold of the ball, we frustrated them and we made them run by switching sides. What we didn’t do was penetrate.

“Considering how many times we there in the final third with a number of players, we just didn’t create enough.

“That quality in the final third, a good cross, determination to get on the end of balls into the box: it was nowhere near what it should have been.

“Too often it was a bad ball, a few extra passes, no shots. Look at the stats and I think we had nine shots. That’s ok, but considering how many times we were up there that’s nothing.”

Bilic said his main frustration was that the Blades didn’t batter the Hornets into submission physically, and yet having dealt with that battle they didn’t make it count at the other end.

“It’s a big disappointment. They are a very good side and second in the table, and if they had overrun us I’d be saying ok, we couldn’t cope,” he said.

“But they didn’t. We coped with their physicality, which is where I thought we may struggle. But the second part of the game should have been better.

“We didn’t convert good situations into chances. We just didn’t do that and it was a big waste.”

When you travel away to face the team second in the league and enjoy 56% possession, then the end product has to be far more than what Watford achieved at Bramall Lane.

“At the moment, we are a team that has to do a lot to score one goal,” conceded Bilic.

“That’s disappointing, considering how many times we are getting around their box.

“Sometimes the opponent is better than you, and you might have one chance, take it and grab a point.

“But today it wasn’t that kind of game. We were there so many times and created so little.”