Daryl Janmaat believes Watford must take the positives from a committed display against Liverpool, rather than dwell on the disappointment of Monday’s 1-0 defeat.

The Hornets matched their opponents for much of the 90 minutes at the Vic and it took a stunning overhead kick from Emre Can to separate the two sides.

Defeat ended a run of three wins in a row at home, but Janmaat says there are plenty of plus points to take from the game, which saw Watford nearly snatch a draw when Sebastian Prodl hit the bar late on.

“We can take some positives from tonight and we played well as a team,” Janmaat explained.

“We had some chances and they had some as well. They weren’t really big chances, but I think a draw would have been a fair result today.

“We were unlucky that they scored a goal like this. In the end we almost scored with Prodl, but it didn’t happen.”

Perhaps the most obvious criticism to be levelled at Watford in the wake of the loss was their failure to abandon a defensive setup upon conceding just before half-time.

Walter Mazzarri opted for a 3-5-2 formation as the hosts looked to stifle Liverpool and Watford only really threw caution to the wind in the closing stages.

Janmaat felt the tactic, which saw the Dutch international deployed as a left wing-back, worked well and argued Watford were always likely to be on the back foot against a side of Liverpool’s class.

“For me, I like both 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 and the manager likes to look at opponents and then decide what is best for every game,” he said.

“I tried to push forward on the left and played on the other side as well today. Against a side like Liverpool you defend more than you attack.

“They are a quality team which force you back, and that is normal. You want to attack but that is not always possible.”

For Janmaat, the past month has provided a positive end to a season blighted by injuries and he has enjoyed a consistent run in the side.

Just 14 league starts highlights a frustrating debut campaign in Hertfordshire for the 27-year-old, but he is enjoying getting regular football.

He said: “I have had some bad injuries but now I am fit and I want to look forward. The last few games I think I have shown some good performances.

“Of course it is a little bit sad that I was injured a lot, but now I am fully fit and can show what I can do.”