It is during weeks like this where Nigel Pearson will really earn his money and show why Watford appointed him in December.
From the outside looking in, people might think Pearson is the sort of coach who will beast his players after throwing away a two-goal lead on Saturday.
Of course, he will let his side know that is not acceptable but crucially he will not let it disrupt his plans.
Well many of us, myself included, may have got getting carried away by Watford’s resurgence under Pearson, he has tellingly kept the players’ feet on the ground.
He has not let them believe their own hype and in the same way he will not let them get too disheartened after Saturday’s loss to Everton.
Since he came in, Pearson has brought a newfound calmness to Watford’s training ground and after two defeats on the trot that’ll be crucial this week.
He and assistant Craig Shakespeare new this was always going to be a long journey in trying to avoid relegation, so don’t expect them to going ripping up the playbook because of one painful loss.
Next Watford fixture
vs Brighton (Saturday February 8, Amex Stadium)
Instead, you can expect Pearson to do what he always does - be brutally honest with his players, ensure they put in the hard yards on the training ground and dust themselves down to go again on Saturday at Brighton.
The Watford hierarchy believed Pearson was the man for a crisis when they interviewed him in December and this week will hopefully show them why they were right to hold that belief.
