Javi Gracia has urged his Watford side to respond after their Emirates FA Cup exit at the hands of Bristol City.
The Hornets went into the third-round tie on the back of four straight league wins, but saw their cup run ended by a heavy 5-1 defeat at Ashton Gate.
Speaking afterwards, the Watford head coach admitted his disappointment and stressed the importance of a reaction in the Championship.
“We’re very disappointed with the result and now we’re waiting to see a response from the team in our next league match,” Gracia said. “This was a new competition for us and we were really excited about the game.
“The first half was more balanced and we had some opportunities, but they took theirs. In the second half they were much stronger.
“We didn’t defend well and we couldn’t find a way to compete during those 45 minutes. Now we need to change our mentality, recover our spirit and return to the level of competitiveness we’ve shown in the Championship.
“We have to show our true level, which we didn’t manage to do today.”
One positive on the night came from Jack Grieves, who marked his first appearance since August following a leg injury by scoring his first senior goal.
“These were his first minutes after a long spell out injured,” Gracia added. “It’s good news for him to be back with the team and to score. That’s something positive.”
More than 2,000 travelling supporters backed the Hornets throughout the evening, with attention now turning to next weekend’s home league fixture against Millwall, as Watford look to maintain their strong domestic form.
“Our supporters are always with us, whether we win, lose or draw,” Gracia said. “We’ll try to give our best for them in the next game.”