Vladimir Ivic’s future as Watford boss hangs in the balance over the gap that led to the downfall of captain Troy Deeney for the 2-0 win over Huddersfield.
Ivic blamed Deeney for what he said after the game as ‘disciplinary matters’.
But the move has left Vicarage Road bigwigs unseen and the Serb faces major questions about the issue in the coming days.
Commenting on his decision after the Huddersfield audition, Ivic said: “At first, he didn’t start the game because he had played the previous four games for 90 minutes.
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“And we know he didn’t work with the team and he came off the injury after a long time and I believe he wasn’t ready to play from the start.
“Why he didn’t come off the bench is another question, due to some control issues.”
Pressing the issue, he said: “This is between us and I don’t want to talk about some things to the media.
“I said from day one, I’m here to do my best and work to make the best of the club, along with my players.
“No one can be in charge of the club on my team when I’m a coach. ”