Javi Gracia, Watford’s Spanish coach, says he has great respect for Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City.
The Bluebirds travel to Vicarage Road for a Premier League clash with the Hornets on Saturday and Gracia says: “We respect Cardiff a lot and know they are in a better moment right now.
“In all the games we have to feel 100 per cent concentrated.
“Playing at home against Cardiff is a good chance for us to make a comeback to form.
“All the games are important and the next one is the most important for us. We play at home knowing it will be tough to earn a victory, but I think the players deserve a reward and we can do it.”
Manager Warnock and his City players are feeling good after earning three wins in their last five fixtures, including their 1-0 victory against Southampton courtesy of Callum Paterson’s winner.
Cardiff are four points above the bottom three, lying 14th on 14 points, and while Watford are only two places higher they are seven points ahead of their visitors.
City have earned only one point from seven Premier away matches, having drawn 0-0 at Huddersfield, and Warnock says: “The mood among our players has been good all season.
“We have got to try and start picking up points away. We always knew the home form would be critical and those results have given us a bit of leeway.
“Cardiff fans have been amazing and we’ve relaxed a lot more. You are punished a lot more away and it’s been our own fault.
“We are learning and improved as the season has gone on.
“Watford away is a difficult game against a team who have been in the top flight a few years. They are physical in a good way and we must be a little more disciplined.”
Cardiff are averaging a point per match so far and Warnock said: “I’d probably have taken that, but we are disappointed that we are not on 20-plus with the points we’ve thrown away.
“We are still big favourites to get relegated and rightly so with the squad we have compared to others.”
Warnock could have Kenneth Zohore available after injury, but Jazz Richards is still recovering from a hamstring problem.
Watford will be missing four players and Gracia said: “Will Hughes and Andre Gray are out injured, while Sebastian Prodl has a problem in his knee and Adalberto Penaranda is out with a foot problem.”
Former Cardiff target Etienne Capoue is suspended and out for Watford.
Tom Cleverley, who has not played during the 2018-19 campaign after surgery on an Achilles problem, is fit and Gracia said: “Tom is training really well and played for the under-23s.
“He is available for us against Cardiff.”
