For Claudio Ranieri working with Watford was always likely given his close friendship with the club’s owner, Gino Pozzo and his father Giampaolo.

The Tinkerman has been friends with the family for two decades and they have tried to work together on several occasions during that time, but until now something has always got in the way.

This relationship, coupled with Ranieri’s appreciation of English football, meant that as long as Claudio still had the passion for the work, there was always a chance he would end up at the helm at Vicarage Road.

That is exactly where he finds himself now, with a significant job to do.

Forty points is the aim for the Italian this season. From there, he hopes he can be given the chance to build.

“Watford is a good team, I’ve known the Pozzo family for a long time,” Ranieri said.

“Once, 20 years ago I met the father of Mr Gino Pozzo, Mr Giampaolo Pozzo. He wanted me at Udinese, but we didn’t achieve it.

“Then when Mr Gino Pozzo called me after the Leeds defeat and asked me about coming to Watford, I thought, ‘why not?’.

“I am very happy to come back to the Premier League - one of the best leagues in the world. I am an ambitious man and I hope to bring Watford to safety at the end of the season and to also improve next season.

“I think about 40 points. There are 33 points to achieve now. I don’t know against who, I don’t know what will happen in every match. I want to fight.

“Now we have to be safe. Do you remember me at Leicester – my goal was always 40 points.

“40 points is what we have to achieve. Next season we will see if we can get 41, after 42, after 43 that’s my idea.”

After announcing his plans to try and build, Ranieri was quizzed about his long-term prospects with Watford, given that he is now the sixth head coach within a spell stretching back just over two years.

For him, it is nothing new, with many Italian clubs operating in the same way.

Instead he is thinking only about the task at hand.

He also wished his predecessor Xisco Munoz, a man he coached as a player at Valencia, well in his search for a new job.

“Look, in Italy it’s normal to change the manager,” he said.

“In Italy, if you look now there are three or four managers who are changing teams. We have to do our best now, I can’t think about previous manager.

“Xisco was my player in Valencia, I hope he can find a new solution very soon, but I have to do my best.”

Things could not be much more difficult for Ranieri’s first game in charge, with title contenders Liverpool visitors at Vicarage Road this weekend.

The Italian knows all about the man who will be in the opposition dugout on Saturday for the lunchtime kick off.

“I watched [Jurgen Klopp’s] training sessions a long time ago when he was at Borussia Dortmund, for one week,” said Ranieri.

“He is a very good manager, he has won everything, and I am happy to meet him on Saturday.”

Saturday’s match will not be the only difficult moment for Ranieri this season and the new head coach issued a plea to supporters to help the team as much as they can.

“Stay with us,” he said. “We’ll arrive at very difficult moments, but together we can do everything.”