Ray Lewington has thanked the Watford fans for sticking by their team during what has been a dismal season back in the Premier League.

With only five matches remaining, the Hornets have registered just two home wins in the league so far, while matching the record for their longest run of consecutive home defeats.

The assistant, who was filling in on press conference duties for the unwell Roy Hodgson, said he was not sure why home form had been particularly grim during this campaign, but said the players needed to repay the fans for their efforts.

"I really can't tell you [why home form has been poor]," he said. "It's probably a lack of confidence, I would think.

"The crowd are not particularly harsh. There are many, many more clubs where the atmosphere would be a lot worse than it is at Watford. Watford is very good really, for the position we're in and the amount of games we've won at Vicarage Road.

"They're doing their best and we've got to try and do ours."

Asked if Watford's team was simply lacking enough players of Premier League standard, he suggested that a lack of experience had more than played its part in a league he believes is getting stronger.

"I think maybe in terms of experience, that could be a problem," he said. "This league is unforgiving, it really is. The so called 'easy matches' are difficult.

"You're playing Man City one week, who are so good and unbelievable and then Liverpool and that top six.

"But the middle teams that people say 'oh this is an easy one this week, you've got Villa or Southampton, it ridiculous. They're full of fantastic players and internationals, the Premier League's never been stronger. Never never ever been stronger.

"Consequently, the bottom part of the division may be the ones that people say 'you're okay this week', but you're still coming up against fantastic sides who probably, say 10 years ago, would be mid table and maybe a little bit better. But the league is so strong now, so you need a little bit of experience and and you need a little bit of luck and you need lots of confidence. And at the moment, we're not having that."