Juraj Kucka has backed Claudio Ranieri to keep Watford in the Premier League this season ahead of a Boxing Day trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Hornets have not played a game since throwing away a lead to end up losing away at Brentford on December 10 due to an outbreak of Covid-19, but now find themselves heading into a week in which they will play three matches.

Currently, Watford are just two points ahead of the relegation zone and only three points above bottom place, and need to find wins to move themselves away from the battle at the bottom of the table.

Kucka believes that consistency is the key to doing that and that Ranieri is the man to lead the team to safety.

“What I’m focused on now is doing my best for the team, we have to find the right balance to build on performances, rather than having a good one and then a so-so one,” he told the club website.

"Ranieri] is not only famous here, he is famous worldwide. Everyone knows who Ranieri is, he has so much experience and has been in the industry for so many years so we all know his quality. He is the right person to keep us up.”

Reflecting on the defeat at Brentford, Kucka said it was now important for Watford to show their supporters that they are up to the challenge.

He said it is up to other people to judge whether or not he and his teammates are performing as they should be.

"During the game there are different moments, for 10 minutes you can play perfectly and the other 10 minutes you can drop deeper. This is because of the opposition in front of you," he said.

"What we need to do is show the fans and everyone that we are there to fight, and to win the game.

“I don’t like to talk about myself, I like to let others talk about my performances and focus on the team as best I can. I know I’m up for it, I want other people to judge me.”