Chris Wilder provided a frank assessment after the Hornets’ frustrating 3-1 defeat to Cardiff City under the lights at Vicarage Road.

A bright start which saw Ismaïla Sarr score an impressive opener dwindled when Kion Etete, Cedric Kipré and Sory Kaba hit three before half-time, with the Golden Boys unable to provide a second-half response.

Defeat leaves Wilder’s side in 12th and five points adrift of the play-off places, leaving the Head Coach to rue a lack of togetherness against the Bluebirds.

“To say it wasn’t great is maybe the understatement of the year,” admitted Wilder.

“We had a plan for 10, 15 minutes and the players stuck to the plan, scored a fabulous goal and then we went off-plan. That’s the fourth or fifth time we’ve been in the game and it goes from team to individual. Instead of doing the right thing and being a team player it goes out of the window and everybody wants to be the star of the show.

“We watch and analyse - and we watched and analysed Cardiff - and it was exactly how we’d want the game to be: we score a goal, move the ball around and stretch them. Then we go off-plan and it allows them a sniff, they take it and in a heartbeat they’re 3-1 up, and the complete complexion of the game changes.”

Unable to build on Saturday’s positive result against Bristol City, Wilder reflected on Watford’s recent shortcomings, having dropped points from winning positions several times.

“You can’t drop points against Wigan, Huddersfield, Coventry and Cardiff, and expect to be anywhere near the play-offs,” continued Wilder, 55.

“No disrespect intended to Wigan - we should be putting them to bed after scoring the first goal, then the same again happened, and it’s a bit of a theme. Scoring the first goal against Huddersfield and exactly the same happened, scoring against Coventry and scoring a second, it goes all individual and allows them to sniff back into it, and we go under.

“I’ve never restricted the players, and never said ‘don’t try things’. The first goal epitomises everything that’s good about us, we work the ball into a great area, it’s a fabulous ball and a great knock back with a great finish. That’s a really good team goal, let’s do the same, but we didn’t.

“We allowed the opposition to get back into the game, they sniffed we were weak mentally and physically, and scored three. I don’t think the players turned it in, we had three or four good opportunities, but then again I’ve got centre-forwards trying to get it off the back four, left-wingers on the right wing and right-wingers on the left wing, just losing our shape and trying to do what they can do to get back into the game.”