A team that plays with wing-backs, has been conceding more goals than is healthy and which has had its issues with set pieces in recent years.

A coach that can help in all three of those areas, who also happens to be a club legend that was born and bred in the town and is a self-confessed fan.

Paul Robinson returning to Watford to be Tom Cleverley’s Assistant Coach was a match made in heaven – though that it happened a few days before the trip to Luton was more luck than judgment.

“The fact he is a Watford legend who has a real connection with the club was down the list of priorities of why I wanted to bring Robbo in,” said Cleverley.

“He can improve us defensively and we have a lot of youngish wing-backs that I think he can improve.

“Set pieces are an area we want to continue to work on, and he’s come from working at Millwall so I know that was an area he can also add to us.

“There was a lot more to bringing him in than him being a Watford man.

“And employing him in the week before a game at Luton was purely down to how things happened.”

The arrival of Robinson coincided with the departure of Javi Pereira, and far from any suggestion of discord behind the scenes it’s a move that shows the club putting even greater faith in the decisions Cleverley wants to make.

“The board and the owner have backed me a hell of a lot in the transfer window and then building a staff around me,” he said.

“We’re getting there, and every decision we’re making is for the better of the team and to improve our players.

“Javi is a fantastic coach with a lot of experience but it didn’t quite work out how we saw it, and I wish him all the best.

“But moving forward from here, I can only stress how pleased I am with the appointment of Paul.”

Having a combative, experienced, Watford fan as part of the staff is clearly going to help at Kenilworth Road – and with Robbo around, nobody will get away with hiding.

“I don’t expect anyone to be hiding. We all know what’s coming,” said Cleverley.

“We’re in a good moment ourselves and we’re a confident team that keeps taking two steps forward but then one back.

“My challenge to the players is that we took steps forward when we beat Sunderland, but then a big one back at Preston.

“We took two forward against Middlesbrough, and now it’s time to take two more forward.”