Walter Mazzarri hoping Watford use heavy Liverpool defeat as motivation

29 April 2017 01:26

Walter Mazzarri hopes his Watford players will remember how they felt getting thrashed 6-1 at Liverpool when the two Premier League sides go head-to-head again on Monday night.

The Hornets are all-but safe for another season in the top flight, sitting on 40 points.

Manager Mazzarri, though, is determined the campaign will not just fade out over the closing five matches, which sees fixtures against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City.

First up is the visit of Jurgen Klopp's men who tore Watford apart when the clubs met on Merseyside in early November, a result which saw the Reds at the top of the table.

Mazzarri wants his players to channel their frustrations of that miserable night at Anfield when they aim to make amends in front of the Vicarage Road faithful.

"I reminded them (about the Liverpool result) to motivate them," Mazzarri said.

"We have seen in English football that if a team with less value does everything well, they can win against much higher teams.

"I have the duty to try to get everything out of my players, all of the positive energy."

Mazzarri maintains Watford must take the game to Liverpool, who need the points to keep up their top-four challenge, and not just look to exploit potential weakness on set-pieces as Crystal Palace did last weekend.

"Every time we go forward, we try to score," Mazzarri said at a press conference.

"If we look at stats, sometimes they're right, but we need to find other ways to score as well, not just through set-pieces and corners.

"In order to get a positive result there are lots of different factors and one of them is luck."

The Hornets could again have to do without defender Craig Cathcart, who is doubtful because of a knee problem.

Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami, meanwhile, has just returned to the squad after a spell out with a hamstring injury and will also be monitored.

Source: PA