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Nigel Pearson says Watford need belief and organisation to avoid relegation

New boss Nigel Pearson says Watford have to show a positive intent in games.
Image: New Watford head coach Nigel Pearson says the team has to show a positive intent in games.

Watford head coach Nigel Pearson says the team need organisation and belief to get out of the Premier League relegation zone.

The former Leicester City boss is Watford's third manager this season after Quique Sanchez Flores, who was sacked last week, and Javi Gracia.

Watford are bottom of the table having won only one match, but they ended a three-game losing streak with a draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday and are six points from the safety zone.

"You must have heard it many times about people talking about sides that are possibly too good to be in a relegation dogfight," Pearson, who has the job until the end of the season, said in an interview on the club's YouTube channel.

"We are where we are because we've not been able to produce the types of performances that have earned us enough points so far.

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"So my job is to try and rectify that or help the players to get a level of organisation and belief back into them that we are capable of competing."

Pearson faces a stern test in his first game in charge at unbeaten league leaders Liverpool on Saturday, followed by a home match against Manchester United.

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Watford's draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League

The 56-year-old is the first English Watford manager since the Pozzo family took ownership of the club in 2012.

"We've got to change our fortunes pretty quickly," Pearson said. "We'll have to find a good run of results at some point as well, but there has to be a collective, not just a collective spirit... but we have to show a positive intent in games.

"Just the very situation that we are in means that we've got to have a very strong mental approach to receiving setbacks as well."

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