Ex Watford player John Barnes believes his former side could be battling relegation this season but thinks the fans and togetherness could help them avoid the drop.

Despite starting with an impressive win over Aston Villa, the Hornets have since suffered two away defeats against Brighton and Tottenham.

However, Barnes feels they have shown enough from their opening three matches to suggest they can compete this season.

"I don’t read too much into the start of seasons with two or three games gone," he told BonusCodeBets.

"Watford have been competitive in all their games, they look organised, they look like they can score goals and pick up points. But it’s a little bit early to be talking about how we think teams are going to fare.

"Of course, we know teams like Norwich and Watford are probably going to be there or thereabouts in the bottom half of the table, but if they stay together and the fans stick with them they have a chance.

"They don’t look out of their depth. They aren’t where they want to be, but they still look competitive."