Watford FC boss Roy Hodgson has refused to give up on their Premier League survival hopes despite suffering a heavy defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
The Hornets are placed second from the bottom of the league with 22 points, seven points below the relegation zone with five games left to play.
Speaking after their loss to Man City, the Englishman said: “We’re going to need to do better to get points from our next batch of games. We won’t find ourselves under the same stress and pressure as today, so then comes a different challenge of how much we can cause the opposition problems.
“We’ve got to try and engender the hope we need to give ourselves a chance. I haven’t had the feeling we’ve lost games because of a lack of spirit or heart; we’re getting punished for most, if not all the mistakes we’re making.
“Ray (Lewington) and I came in with high hopes of keeping the club from relegation. It’s not happening yet, but it’s not over yet. This job is no harder comparatively than any other job I’ve had and we’re still working to encourage the players to believe they can deliver what’s required in these final five games.”
Watford will face Burnley, Palace, Everton, Leicester City, and Chelsea in their remaining league games.
