Younes Kaboul has urged Watford to take inspiration from reigning Premier League champions Leicester to fuel their bid for a top-10 finish.
The Hornets eased themselves above the halfway mark with a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Sunday - their third in five outings - to suggest that last season, which saw them end their first campaign back in the top flight in 13th place, was no fluke.
Kaboul was a Sunderland player at the time, but has seen enough since heading for Vicarage Road in the summer to believe they can improve upon that this time around.
He said: "Yes, because we have got quality in the group. Leicester proved last season anything can win the Premier League - I'm not talking about this, of course, but that shows you the mentality now of other teams.
"When I say other teams, it's the other teams out of the top four, five, maybe even six now. For the rest of the teams, anyone can surprise anyone. That's the Premier League."
Watford, of course, have changed manager in the meantime with Quique Sanchez Flores having made way for Walter Mazzarri, and the Italian insisted after the game at the Riverside Stadium that he is setting neither limits nor targets, but simply taking each game as it comes.
However, 30-year-old central defender Kaboul is adamant that he and his team-mates are determined to build upon the club's achievement last season.
Asked if they could do that, the Frenchman said: "Well, it depends. The first season, you always get that spark because it's new, bring back in the Premier League, so last season, the club did very well.
"The target this season is to do even better if possible; if not, to be like last season. But we always look to do better, of course.
"To be in the first half of the table would be perfect for the club."
The Hornets' latest three points came from a drab encounter on Teesside which was illuminated by wing-back Jose Holebas' wonderful 54th-minute strike, a long-range effort which left Boro keeper Victor Valdes grasping at thin air.
Kaboul said: "He's got that quality. I said to him before the game, 'You have got a good shot and you have to use it more and more', and he was rewarded with this beautiful strike.
"There was no chance for the keeper to save it."
Watford's joy was in stark contrast to Boro's misery with Aitor Karanka's men now having taken only two points from the last 18 on offer ahead of next Saturday's trip to Arsenal, a return which leaves them perched precariously just above the drop zone on goal difference.
Skipper George Friend said: "Any loss, whether it's in the cup, against the top teams in the league or against people we think might be in and around us, they are all hard to take.
"The manner of the loss sometimes is harder than other times, but I don't think we deserved to lose that one.
"It's fine margins. We perhaps didn't create enough, but to come away like that is frustrating. But we are a resilient group, the manager has got a good collective feeling here and we will bounce back."
Source: PA-WIRE
