Defender Craig Cathcart has told Watford that they can’t get complacent as they look to secure their Premier League status for another season.
The Hornets were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace at the weekend and sit seven points above the relegation zone.
Cathcart thinks the side need to aim to get to at least 40 points – nine points from their final games – to put any doubts of relegation to bed.
Hornets need to reach points target
The defender spoke of how “strange” the league has been this season as “any team can cause an upset”.
“We can’t afford to drop too many points and we need to pick up and get a few wins on board,” he told vitalfootball.
“We have to take each game as it comes, we have 31 points and we want to get to that 40-point mark as soon as possible.”
Cathcart looked ahead to the next couple of games for Walter Mazzarri’s side and has labelled them as “massive” as the side look to get back to winning ways.
Draw with Palace would have been fair reflection
The Hornets have two weeks to prepare for their clash with bottom-side Sunderland when the final international break of the season is over.
Three points has to be the aim from the game with the Black Cats, stated Cathcart, who also believes they need to get back to picking up points with the teams below them closing the gap to them.
Cathcart added: “It’s disappointing not to come away with something. I think Palace were up for the game, as we were, and I think a draw would have been a fair reflection.”
Troy Deeney’s own goal condemned the Hornets to defeat, but the Northern Ireland defender thinks the side “need to pick ourselves up” and move on.
Cathcart focussing on finishing season strongly
Cathcart now wants to be able to play as many games as he can between now and the end of the season after suffering a number of injuries this term.
“It has been a frustrating year for me injury wide and any time I play I try to help the team as best I can,” he said.
“I am feeling better with every game I am playing and hopefully that will be me injury free now for the rest of the season.”