The Hornets' stars spent two nights earlier this week at Sopwell House, a five-star hotel just 10 minutes from the club's London Colney training ground.

Social media would have had you believe that the players were shipped off, at their own expense, to Pyongyang, but the reality was vastly different, with the club footing the bill for the positive two-night getaway between training sessions.

Despite some suggestions that players were 'seething' at the decision, Kyprianou has insisted that he had a great time, and rubbished claims that the £300+/night hotel was treated like a prison.

"We went to Sopwell House on Tuesday night and Wednesday night," he told BBC Sport Three Counties. "I haven't read much about it, but I've been told that people have said it was 'like a prison', but I can assure you it wasn't like that.

'It was possibly the complete opposite. We went to a nice hotel, after training we were allowed to go home to see our families and stuff, and then we reported for dinner, where we were together with the team, having good news and bonding.

"We have a lot of new players still to integrate into the team, so we were doing things like that, and it was enjoyable and good to be with the lads, to be honest."

Kyprianou echoed head coach Alessio Dionisi's comments, conceding that the practice is uncommon in England compared to other leagues, but shared his hope that it can be a huge boost for the group.

(Image: Alan Cozzi/Watford FC)

"Obviously, it isn't very common in the UK, and to be honest, it's the first time I've done it," the Cypriot international admitted, "But I really enjoyed it. I had a good experience with the lads, getting to spend more time with them and getting to know them in a better way.

"Hopefully, it will help us perform better on the pitch together."

In a moment of real accountability, the 25-year-old spoke openly about the club's recent struggles, and insisted that everyone is intent on putting things right, with some positive signs showing progress, however slow that may be.

"We know the form hasn't been good enough," he admitted, "Especially after the international break when we played Burnley and Cardiff; we knew it was totally unacceptable: the performances, the way we went about it and the results.

"We've played two more games since then, obviously the win against Charlton and then the loss against Wolves. To win was very important, and the game against Wolves was always going to be tough.

"In the first half, we found it very difficult, but in the second half, we came out a lot better, a lot stronger, and could have possibly nicked a draw.

"So in hindsight, since those two bad results, we've played 180 minutes and conceded one goal, compared to nine in the two bad results. We're slowly trying to have a fresh canvas and lay small building blocks for the season ahead."