Watford vs Leicester City - Mazzarri wants Watford to channel anger against Leicester

Posted Saturday, November 19, 2016 by PA

Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri hopes his players are just as angry as him when they look to bounce back from the 6-1 defeat against Liverpool by beating Leicester.

The Hornets were swept aside at Anfield before the international break as the Reds moved to the top of the table.

The result matched the club's worst in the Premier League and Mazzarri is expecting a response from his players when they get back into action at Vicarage Road.

"I hope if the team is angry, as I am, then we will have a good game in terms of the way they play," the Italian said at a press conference.

"At the end of the day, a game can be decided on some individual episodes, but if they are as angry as me it will be a great performance.

"Unfortunately the loss against Liverpool came just before the break and the only time I managed to see the whole squad has been only since Wednesday.

"I have spoken to them and I can guarantee the game against Leicester will be completely different.

"What I said to the players stays within the dressing room. They know what happened and what I said - but now it's up to them to go and show me they understood what I want, and I have no doubt they do.

"I expect a game completely different from the one we had against Liverpool, but I want them to show it on the pitch rather than me talk about it."

The loss to Liverpool brought to an end Watford's four-match unbeaten Premier League run, which had lifted them into the top half of the table.

While Leicester have impressed on their debut in the Champions League this season, the Foxes are struggling for consistency in the Premier League, sitting in 14th.

Mazzarri said: "It is difficult for them with playing in the Champions League with the same team, it is difficult for them to repeat what they did last year.

"This was a football miracle last season, it is very difficult to repeat the same this year and I am sure Claudio (Ranieri) knows this as well."

Leicester boss Ranieri insists the Foxes have a plan to stop former big-money target Troy Deeney.

The striker will face the champions for the first time on Saturday since they had multiple bids, including one of B£25million, rejected by Watford in June.

The 28-year-old signed a new five-year deal at Vicarage Road in July after scoring 15 goals in his debut Premier League season last year, which convinced Leicester to try to sign him

Deeney could score his 100th goal for the Hornets against the Foxes at Vicarage Road having netted three this season but Ranieri backed Robert Huth and Wes Morgan to keep him quiet.

"Wes and Robert are very good players and they know how to stop (Odion) Ighalo and Deeney," he said, having signed Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon for B£30million instead.

"I'm not disappointed (Leicester failed to sign Deeney), as now we have Slimani. Deeney is a very good player but not only for me but for Watford.

"He is an intelligent player, a hard worker and knows the football very well. He can score a goal or make a last pass as a number 10 - and he is a good player.

"The market is the market and you have a range of players. At the beginning you try to bring in what you want and afterwards you have to change and find a new solution."