There are four more league games to be played before action pauses for international matches, and Tom Cleverley is aiming to have Watford back in the top six by then.

The Hornets were in the play-off places earlier in the campaign but then a run of only seven points from a possible 24 has seen them slide.

Nonetheless, they are still ninth and just three points away from sixth-placed Blackburn, who visit Vicarage Road on Saturday.

“The target now is to be at the next international break in the top six,” said Cleverley.

“I’m at the forefront of being disappointed with recent results and I feel like we’ve left a few points out there.

“We want to be aiming higher and we want to have a mindset of not settling for being ninth.

“But it’s been a sticky run of results, and it’s certainly been a difficult run of fixtures when you look back on the games we’ve had.

“Now we want to look forward, and we’re pleased we’ve got a home fixture to try and turn it around and get us on the right path.”

The last six games were certainly far from the easiest: Norwich (a), Sunderland (h), Preston (a), Middlesbrough (h), Luton(a) and Leeds (a).

However, teams aspiring to be in the top six need to be gleaning more than six points from any group of six games.

“Yeah that six-point return is below par, and it’s the games at Preston and Luton – and the performances we gave – that should alarm all of us,” admitted Cleverley.

“They were really poor performances against teams where we should be picking up points. There’s no hiding away from that.

“And that’s where consistency plays a part.

“We’ve played our best football against the top teams, and I’d include Manchester City in that.

“Now when we’re playing against some teams who may not be in the top six come the end of the season, we have to reproduce that level of performance with the same level of respect for the opposition because that is what this league is all about.

“You have to replicate a certain level of performance 46 times a season.”

Watford started the season with three consecutive league wins but have won only one of their last four – would perceptions be different if things had happened the other way round?

“We’re more frustrated within the camp than anything else because we missed an opportunity to cement ourselves in the top six,” said Cleverley.

“It’s still early enough in the season for us to be in the realms of one result either way leaving you saying it’s been a positive start or it’s been it’s a very part start.

“I think a win on Saturday and we can certainly see it as us being on the right track, and we’ll be there or thereabouts the top six.

“But there is an element of frustration lying around the last two games and I hope we take that out on Blackburn in the right way.”