Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has described Watford as the best team outside the top six and he believes a third victory on the trot for the Bluebirds is an impossible achievement.

Cardiff would climb to 13th place by claiming a third successive top-flight win tonight, something they have not managed since April 1961 and Warnock is not optimistic about their chances.

He said: “To get three wins on the trot in the Premier League for a club like Cardiff is nigh-on impossible.

“Watford are probably the best team in the league outside the top six.

“They’re a strong physical side who have got good players and, although it was 3-2 down there, they beat us well.

“But in adversity you tend to pull together and that’s been the situation here.

“What’s happened has made us play more of a tempo. We’ve got good players, and it’s about believing in ourselves.”

Watford head coach Javi Gracia has spoken highly of the Bluebirds manager and has tried to convince his own players they need to win the match as much as their hosts do.

Cardiff are sitting close to the Premier League relegation zone, while the Hornets are looking comfortable in eighth on 37 points.

However, Gracia wants his side to remain ambitious in their pursuit of a strong finish to the season.

He said: “I don’t know how difficult it is for him [Warnock], but I know how difficult it is for us to win on Friday.

“They are in their best moment of the season because they won two games, playing there will be difficult for us.

“His experience and quality helps him. Cardiff have changed something with the team, they have another balance and now I think they are competing better.”

The Hornets have already beaten Cardiff City once this season, 3-2 at Vicarage Road.

Watford were 3-0 up before two late goals set up a nervy finish.

Gracia said his side have reviewed that match so that they can learn from their mistakes.

He said: “We have worked on that game, today we have seen some images from that game.

“We can take some ideas from that, but it will be different.

“They are playing with different players, some of them in different positions and they are playing a little bit different.

“They are winning and they’ve won two games, they will have confidence and playing against these teams in this moment of the season, you know they need the points and playing away will be very demanding but I think we’re very demanding.”