Watford midfielder Ben Watson has urged his fellow players to use the Wednesday night defeat to Southampton as motivation to kick on and continue what has still been a very impressive campaign from the Hornets so far.

Is the good run coming to an end?

December was a very impressive month for Quique Sanchez Flores' team, with a comprehensive win over Liverpool and victories over Sunderland and Norwich City - with a decent 2-2 draw against Chelsea thrown in for good measure.

It is a run of form that has earned Flores and Odion Ighalo - who scored six goals during a great month for the Hornets - nominations for Premier League accolades, but since the turn of the New Year things seem to have somewhat gone off the boil.

Photo: Getty Images/Ian Walton
Photo: Getty Images/Ian Walton

Defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City - albeit courtesy of late winners in both games - was followed by another loss at Southampton on Wednesday night, as the Hornets looked far from their usual selves. The 2-0 loss, thanks to the goals from Shane Long and Dusan Tadic, prompted the Watford manager to apologies to the fans for such an uncharacteristically bad performance from his side.

Bouncing back

"We set ourselves high standards"

- Ben Watson

Now Watson, speaking to the official Watford website ahead of the game against  Swansea City on Monday night, has said that the side need to use the loss as a "little kick". The 30-year-old spoke of the "high standards" the Hornets have set themselves this season, and suggested that a little humility could be a good thing. Indeed, he put forward the possible idea that "sometimes you think you're better than you are".

Watford now go to Swansea in need of a vital three points - if not for their league position, which remains a highly respectable 10th - but to give the fans something to cheer about again. It speaks volumes about the Hornets' performances this season that Watson felt the need to apologise and ask for forgiveness from the fans, but his assertion that the side will "put it right against Swansea", is an exciting one for Watford fans.

Based on how the Flores' side have gone about their business already this season, it would be foolish to bet against it.
 

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Ben Johnson
Ben; 21; author and journalist.