Watford vs Hull City - Walter Mazzarri warns Watford against complacency

Posted Saturday, October 29, 2016 by PA

Walter Mazzarri will take nothing for granted when Watford welcome struggling Hull to Vicarage Road.

Mike Phelan's Tigers sit 18th in the Premier League having lost their last five games, including a 6-1 defeat at Bournemouth earlier in the month.

Hull, newly promoted, started the campaign with a victory over reigning champions Leicester and followed that up with three points against Swansea.

They have not won in the league since that 2-0 success on August 20, with Phelan unable to take any points whatsoever since his appointment as permanent boss at the KCOM Stadium.

In contrast, Watford are enjoying their best-ever start to a Premier League season and have taken 12 points from Mazzarri's first nine league outings at the helm.

They were unlucky to be held to a goalless draw at Swansea last time out but Mazzarri is still expecting a tough test from Hull.

"In this new Premier League compared to last year, all the teams have become stronger," he said.

"The statistics you have shown are something we cannot look at. Middlesbrough were beaten at home by us and then got a draw the next week away to Arsenal at the Emirates."

Watford's start to the season has been slightly overshadowed by a recent Daily Telegraph report which alleges the club face sanctions from the English Football League for supplying falsified financial documentation during Gino Pozzo's sole takeover of the club.

Mazzarri stressed on Thursday that he has no concerns over the matter and does not expect to be hit with a points deduction, also saying none of his players have been questioning the ongoing investigation either.

"None of the players have asked anything to me or the club. I don't think there is anything to worry about. This will cause no distraction at all," he said.

The Italian is also not worried about the fact his side have won just once in the league at home this season, a memorable 3-1 victory over Jose Mourinho's Manchester United last month, having already hosted Chelsea and Arsenal at Vicarage Road.

"When we played at the beginning (of the season) we did not have the full, completed squad," he added.

"Then you have to take into consideration who you play. We have seen what Bournemouth can do. They are one of the teams in the best form.

"We are very happy with what we have done for home games."

Hull striker Adama Diomande has been suspended for three matches after the club opted not to appeal against his charge of violent conduct.

Diomande was alleged to have struck Bristol City midfielder Marlon Pack in the closing stages of Tuesday's EFL Cup win at Ashton Gate and the Tigers were considering their options after he was charged by the Football Association on Thursday.

The Norway international will miss out against Watford, plus next month's games against Southampton and Sunderland.

"Adama Diomande has been banned for three matches after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association," the club confirmed on their official website.

"The incident occurred in or around the 90th minute of Tuesday's night's EFL Cup tie at Bristol City.

"The club opted not to appeal against the charge."

The loss of Diomande is another untimely blow for Phelan, whose side have lost two successive league games since he was appointed permanent manager and slipped into the bottom three after last Saturday's fifth straight league defeat against Stoke.

Fellow striker Dieumerci Mbokani is still struggling with a hamstring problem, leading goalscorer Robert Snodgrass is sidelined due to an ankle injury and defender Andrew Robertson (calf) was recently ruled out for eight weeks.

Phelan said he had been unaware of the incident involving Diomande in Bristol.

"I didn't see it at the time because it was literally just as the referee blew the whistle so I only found out (on Thursday)," he said.

"Nothing was said about it. Nothing was brought to my attention after the game.

"What I do know is that during the game there was an incident where Dio took a knock in the nether regions and he felt that quite painfully.

"But nothing was done or said about that so it's just one of those things where people have brought this to the attention of the regulative body."