Hull City's statistics, more especially on home soil, are alarming in the extreme, in terms of defeats, goals conceded and lack of clean sheets.

It helps to explain their worrying league position.

A timely break has afforded time to 'reset', in the words of Rosenior and address some other figures he was not enamoured with.

Hull City head coach Liam Rosenior encourages his players in his first home game in charge against Reading. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.

A warm-weather training camp in Turkey which was anything but a jolly-up has provided the recently-appointed head coach with some invaluable time with his players.

Getting them fitter for the rigours of what will be a hard and unforgiving second half of the season - and a critical one for the club - has been a big focus.

Rosenior makes no apologies for that. And the data he has been receiving in terms of fitness work is starting to get more encouraging.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's game at Watford, he said: "You can make the break whatever you want it to be.

"The players have had their schedule and what has been great for me is that we have been able to do some really difficult fitness work with the players and improve those levels and intensity.

"The levels of intensity from before to now have gone through the roof in terms of the data and statistics I am getting and in terms of the level I want the players to work at.

"But you have got to be careful at the same time as you don't want players to break down and get injured, so it is finding the balance with the medical staff as well.

"The players are hitting targets we are setting them and getting better, fitter and more robust for this league than what I expected at this point. I couldn't be happier."

While the World Cup break has worked for City in terms of handing them precious time to turn over a new page and effectively re-start their season, one thing that Rosenior is keen not to lose is his side's recent away form.

The Tigers are chasing a fourth win in five matches on their travels on Sunday.

The problems are a lot closer to home at the minute.

Rosenior, who has some intriguing selection dilemmas ahead of the Vicarage Road test, continued: “The players have played really well away from home.

"We have to translate that away form into home performances."But the benefit for every club - and especially as there's a few new managers - is you can reset and it does feel like a re-set and almost like a brand new season.

"For new managers like myself, it's the perfect way to begin. If you constantly look backwards, you are not focused on the present or future."

Two competitive City performances on their training camp in Turkey when they came from behind to draw 1-1 against two of the countries' leading sides, has served as handy preparation for the Championship resumption, in the considered view of Rosenior.

He added: "The positive signs for me is that we played two very, very good teams - Trabzonspor, champions of Turkey and İstanbul Başakşehir are a team who have been really successful in a short space of time in their league and in Europe.

"I was really happy with all of the things I asked the players to do in being brave to take the ball and be really structured and organised without the ball.

"There were a lot of really good signs."

Watford v Hull City: Fitness comes first for an unapologetic Liam Rosenior