Walter Mazzarri says Watford should respect Hull despite poor form
Thursday 27 October 2016 16:45, UK
Walter Mazzarri has told Watford to forget about Hull's poor Premier League form and prepare for a tough game this weekend.
Saturday's visitors made it through to the EFL Cup quarter-finals in midweek but have taken just one point from their past seven league games.
But Mazzarri pointed to Middlesbrough's shock draw at Arsenal last week as proof there is no such thing in the division as an easy game.
"In this new Premier League season, all the teams have become much stronger and got better compared to last year," Mazzarri said at his pre-match press conference.
"We don't tend to really look at the statistics because, for example, we managed to beat Middlesbrough at their ground but the next week they drew at the Emirates.
"We need to be ready and we need to go to play in our best possible way, always respecting the opponent."
Watford's tally of 12 points from their opening nine games represents their best start to a Premier League season but, according to their manager, results could have been better still.
"In general I am very happy on the whole with the team," he added. "Me, with the way I am, I look a lot at the performances, we could have had more points.
"We could have scored and should have scored against Swansea [in a 0-0 draw]. We should have one or two more points."
