There was much to feel encouraged by in Saturday’s draw with Brentford, although perhaps the main take-aways were what was missing and didn’t happen.

Having been soundly stuffed behind closed doors by Fulham, and then outfought by a physical and direct Wycombe side in midweek, Watford needed a more solid and heartening display to head into the new season with.

On that they delivered. Even allowing for Brentford being a bit behind the Hornets in their preparations given the Premier League season starts a week later, and that they were without talismanic striker Ivan Toney (which doubtless spoiled the plans for the national media writers and photographers that attended), this was still a sound display which went a good way to easing some of the many concerns brought further to the surface by the Wycombe defeat.

It was probably the first time that head coach Tom Cleverley has really shown his hand this summer, with the shape, attitude and post-match comments about this being ‘the game’ all indicating what we saw on Saturday is going to be very close to what we see at Millwall.

The deployment of Edo Kayembe as a No.10, something which many had suggested last season, was a canny and successful move from Cleverley, who spoke warmly of the midfielder after the final whistle.

And another exciting performance from Giorgi Chakvetadze was further evidence that Cleverley has seen what the Georgian did at the Euro 24 finals and knows how to give him the perfect platform on which to show the same attacking flair and cavalier threat that he did in the finals.

However, if there were other nuggets of insight to be gained, they perhaps came from what didn’t happen and what wasn’t there.

No new No.9 and the current one, Mileta Rajovic, stayed on the bench.

No new faces in the back three, captain Wes Hoedt out injured for a few weeks and loan signing Antonio Tikvic not in the squad.

Loan signing Yasser Larouci wasn’t involved, most likely because he has moved from France who, like the Premier League, begin their season a week after the EFL.

Another Yaser – Asprilla – hasn’t been sighted since the Copa America, unless you count the photos his agent/salesman (delete as applicable) has been posting on social media as he takes the Colombian youngster on a whistle-stop tour of clubs reported to be interested in signing him.

While it’s very rare for any club to kick-off the new season with everything in place, and accepting it’s almost impossible to know where other Championship sides are with their plans, the feeling that Watford are behind the clock on where they could/should/wanted to be still strongly pervaded.

Cleverley has said a few times lately that the squad needs strengthening and most fans who have seen the team play in pre-season would agree.

The head coach hasn’t just been calling for reinforcements in the last week or two either.

He said it at the end of last season and all through the summer and, while there are still three weeks left, Watford fans who have sat through recent Augusts and Januarys will know it’s been more like watching a chipped car windscreen which – when you don’t repair it – ends up spreading into a much larger set of cracks that then need more significant repair work.

The injury to Wes Hoedt hasn’t helped, but there again it would be folly to assume that any squad will go through a season without such unavoidable setbacks. The key is having the depth and options to cope with them.

The Hornets were caught totally cold on Saturday with an early goal where the cross and header were all too easily completed. It was similar to a goal conceded at Stevenage earlier in the summer: cross swung in and header looped home under minimal challenges.

They responded well and Vakoun Bayo showed, not for the first time, his ability to press with positive results. It wasn’t unlike the goal he created at Coventry last season, as he forced an error from the Bees keeper which was finished off by Moussa Sissoko.

In the 3-4-2-1 shape Cleverley is choosing to play, Bayo is a very passable option at No.9. But he should be an option, not the first choice.

Kwadwo Baah has also confirmed he can do a job there as he learns the role having played previously as a winger. His pace could be a very useful factor, especially off the bench against tiring defenders.

As for Rajovic, not getting a minute in what the head coach described as the key pre-season game and seeing a converted winger who has not played a minute of senior football for Watford get on the pitch ahead of you . . . well, he must be wondering where he fits in.

The big Dane can score goals, as he showed last season, but the No.9 role as required by Cleverley just doesn’t suit his attributes – and not achieving a single assist last season is another sign that being the link-up man and attacking pivot may not be his forte.

Then there was the confirmation that young Mali striker Mamadou Doumbia has been given the club’s sole visa wildcard for the 24/25 season. Like the rest of us, Rajovic must be assuming that’s because they intend to play him.

With Larouci not available, Jeremy Ngakia played the bulk of the game at left wing-back and, to the credit of a player who gets more than his fair share of fan criticism, he did a decent job there.

It felt more satisfactory than when Rob Edwards opted to play Hasane Kamara on the opposite flank to his natural side, and while Ngakia is more likely to be competing with Ryan Andrews down the right, his performance and fitness level in an unaccustomed position was encouraging.

Kayembe being moved further forward was one of those things that probably should have been tried sooner, so credit to Cleverley for implementing what fans felt seemed obvious but previous head coaches did not.

The Congolese international appeared to enjoy being able to attack, and while he doesn’t have the pace of Chakvetadze he still posed a threat with his strength and ability to break tackles.

We all know that he is a very effective striker of the ball in and around the penalty area.

In a thin squad, a player like Kayembe – who can do a sound job in a variety of roles – is very useful.

However, the highlight of the second half of the Hornets summer has been seeing Chakvetadze in full flight.

Last season there were glimpses. The occasional burst forward, the odd jinking run which left two or three opponents on their backsides, the impressive but infrequent goal threat.

Then the Georgian headed off to Germany and showed for his country what Watford fans wanted to see him do for his club – all of the above, strung together for 70 minutes or more.

I recall various TV commentators and pundits waxing lyrical about him, and thinking that if the decision to sign him permanently in January was based upon the fear that he could be so good at Euro 24 that we might miss out on him then it was an inspired one.

One thing Cleverley has said from day one is he has belief in his ability, and that of his coaching staff, to improve players and get the best out of them.

If the performances of Chakvetadze since he came back from the Euros are anything to go by then the Watford head coach has watched the Georgian closely and seen exactly how to make him tick.

In a season where we are very likely to need an on-fire Chakvetadze, that is a very good sign indeed.

The pairing of Sissoko and Tom Dele-Bashiru in midfield looks a strong one that will grow over time and if – with if doing a lot of heavy lifting – Imran Louza is still at Vicarage Road come September 1, then there is some depth.

Nonetheless, as Cleverley himself said, the centre of midfield could do with an extra option, although if we take the need for the ideal No.9 as being a given, then I personally hope it’s a new option in the back three that arrives next.

Even before Hoedt’s knee injury it seemed obvious Cleverley needed another alternative there, and even though the Dutchman has told his manager he is a quick healer, it would be a far more comfortable wait if there were another defender in the building.

And that’s before considering that a quick-healing injured Dutch international could still appeal to the Turkish vultures that were circling only a week ago.

It has been the case for a few seasons: transfer windows and Watford have not been good bedfellows and it was interesting to note sporting director Gianluca Nani was out on the pitch during Saturday’s warm-up, talking to players and coaches.

Hopefully he’s sourcing the ingredients for some tasty English grub, and not just helping serve up the antipasti, secondi and dolce over in Italy.