Satisfied Flores deflects talk of Watford exit

Watford’s FA Cup semi-final performance pleased head coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who refused to discuss his future at the club after a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace left them with little to play for in the season’s closing weeks.

Flores had to battle questions over his future in the build-up to the game after reports suggested that his contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of the season.

A promising Premier League campaign, in which the Hornets sat in the top half for long periods, has fizzled out into mid-table safety.

Though disappointed at his failure to lead Watford to a season-ending showpiece fixture, Flores was positive over his side’s progress in 2015-16.

“I am pleased with the performance,” Flores told BBC Sport.

“It was difficult to play Palace who defend with an English style and have pace and power. It was hard to concede the first goal. 

“It took some time to recover. We came back and in the second half we matched Palace.

“In this moment, I feel we had the chance to win the match. The most important thing is that we are competitive in the semi-final.”

With Flores’ future at Vicarage Road such a hot topic pre-match, the Spaniard believes the season will be looked back on favourably, whether it earns him a new contract or not.

“We have a lot of reasons to be happy this season. The main target was to stay in the Premier League,” he said.

“In the future when we look at the history of Watford we will see how important this season was for the club.”