Watford head coach Slavisa Jokanovic has questioned whether some of his players believe promotion is a certainty

The Hornets have lost their last three fixtures to drop outside of the play-offs, having led the Championship at the start of November.

The Pozzo family built a squad in the summer which is expected to secure automatic promotion this season but Jokanovic has stressed it will not be as easy as some believe.

Jokanovic said: “This is football and you must live with some kind of pressure and this is a nice kind of pressure, playing for promotion. We are adults and real people so we know it is our target. It is very similar to 11 or 12 teams in the Championship. This target is a very, very long way away and a very hard job.

“What I mean is when we win against Millwall, we put Watford in the top of the table. This is 30 games before the end of the competition. There are probably some people around us or some people in the team who are thinking it is done, that we are in the Premier League, but this is real life and it is a very hard task to be in the position we are in now.

“It is not important how many times you get knocked down but how many times you get back up “I expect we are going to be strong enough on Saturday and I expect we are going to win the game (against Cardiff City), but this does not mean the job is done.”

Jokanovic highlighted how the media didn’t ask him about automatic promotion after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to league-leaders Derby County.

He added: “We can’t be a very good team three games ago [and a bad team now]. We are still competing for an important target (promotion).

“After three defeats it is hard to find things to be positive about but without this pressure we can start working and I expect we are going to improve as soon as possible.”

Jokanovic took charge of Watford seven weeks ago but acknowledged he still hasn’t finalised the way he wants his team to play. But he is not far away.

The Serbian highlighted that his team must control possession and play on the attack because they are struggling defensively.

He said: “Nothing is done and there is still much work in front of us. I have had some problems since I arrived one-and-a-half months ago. Sometimes I think a player is going to help me find balance or control so I try with some players but I now have a clearer idea of the situation in front of me and I need more time to find the best way for us to play “What I want and what is really important for this team is to play with the ball, because without the ball at the moment, we have many, many problems.

“I am manager here and I must find what is best for us as quickly as possible.”

Jokanovic took full responsibility for the Golden Boys’ dip in form and reiterated he has the final say when it comes to selection decisions.

A section of supporters were angered by Jokanovic’s decison to place top scorer Matej Vydra on the bench last weekend. The Czech Republic international came on at half-time and, along with fellow replacement Gianni Munari, made a huge difference as the Hornets improved significantly.

When asked yesterday (Thursday) why the duo were left out, he replied: “I have quality players working with me, but it is not only [about] one or two days. In football you need to work every day and I expect these players to repeat what they did in the last game – especially in the offensive line I have many quality players.

“The tactical decision was to start with another player and not start with Vydra or Munari. I wanted to get a little bit more control and be a little bit stronger defensively. I decided to start with Keith Andrews [instead of Munari] but this combination did not work for us.

“We changed some players in the second half and this really helped us. We started to be more competitive and a better team than in the first half.”

He added: “In the first 45 minutes we played without energy, any confidence or enough power. These two players (Vydra and Munari) and nine more made a brilliant change in the second half.

“I don’t believe football is tennis and it only depends on one player. If you ask me about a decision my staff and I are making, then it is the best decision for us.”

Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes will undergo a fitness test ahead of Watford’s visit from Cardiff tomorrow but remains a doubt after missing last weekend’s game.

Almen Abdi is available to face the Bluebirds after playing an hour for the Under-21s in the 3-2 win over Gillingham in the Under-21 Premier League Cup on Tuesday.

Romanian defender Gabriel Tamas is the only long-term absentee after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage.

- Fans are asked to be at Vicarage Road by 2.45pm tomorrow for the official renaming of the Graham Taylor Stand prior to the Cardiff match.