Only 18 months ago Watford were humbled at Luton, and today they were even more soundly beaten as they suffered a pitiful 3-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road.

Tom Cleverley was sat in the dug-out both times – watching on as Chris Wilder led the team in 2023 and then today as head coach.

Worryingly, there were far too many similarities in every aspect of what Watford did between the first and last whistle in each game.

Despite the passage of time, the Hornets currently look unable to send a team out for a game at Luton that can match the home side’s attitude, work-rate and determination.

Put simply, Watford have visited Kenilworth Road twice now and done little more than fulfil the fixture.

“Yes, and that hurts me, because it’s the truth,” Cleverley admitted afterwards.

“I’d like to think I have developed and progressed this team and the players, but I said the exact things when I was part of the travelling party that came here in 2023.

“That shows no progression when it comes to that side of the game.

“It’s my job to make sure we never ever have to say these messages again.”

The head coach was visibly knocked back by what had just happened out on the pitch.

“I’m mightily disappointed. It doesn’t take a genius to see that,” he said.

“You know what you’re going to get when you come here: good channel balls, strong channels runs, competing, winning set pieces, balls coming in your box.

“We didn’t stand up to that challenge well enough for a start.

“Then our own identity - which is trying to get on the ball, adjusting angles, playing through the lines, getting the ball wide and then into the box - we just didn’t commit to it.

“When you fall short in both areas then it results in a really poor afternoon.”

It was immediately apparent that keeper Dan Bachmann wasn’t 100% fit, and had to throw balls more often than usual and couldn’t get good distance on kicked clearances.

“Dan had his thigh issue and he had a small tweak of it yesterday. It was a gamble we took,” admitted Cleverley.

“I don’t ask our players to be passing around the six-yard box in a derby but it looked like Dan was a little bit affected by it today.

“We’ll have to reassess that after the game and see what Tuesday brings for Dan.”

As well as the injury to Bachmann, Angelo Ogbonna left the field in the aftermath of Luton’s third goal meaning Watford saw out stoppage time with 10 men.

“He communicated that he had a significant hamstring problem, I did know he was coming off,” said the Hornets head coach.

“It was another negative to come out of today.”