While Luton’s league position gives Watford fans plenty to crow about, head coach Tom Cleverley is ignoring the table ahead of Sunday's derby at Vicarage Road.
The Hatters have not won in seven games under manager Matt Bloomfield, and haven’t tasted victory since before Christmas.
That sequence has sent them to the foot of the table, and a 1-1 midweek draw with Plymouth – who sit directly above them – means Luton will arrive at Vicarage Road bottom and a win away from safety.
That, though, does not enter Cleverley’s considerations.
“The league table has no relevance for me this weekend ahead of this fixture, and neither does recent form,” he stressed.
“It’s a clash of styles, and a clash of styles is always interesting.
“There are a lot of angles to look at it, but what I won’t be looking at it from is where they are in the league.”
The style that Cleverley refers to is a very direct way of playing with Luton getting the ball forward as quickly as possible.
“I’m a football purist but I absolutely don’t turn my nose up at other styles,” said the Watford boss.
“There is more than one way to win in this game, and they are very effective at what they do.
“There is no football snobbery here. I see a certain way of my team playing which is a different style to theirs, but there is more than one way to win.”
What the Hornets head does admit is that when taking on a team that is physically big and strong, you do have to factor that in.
“Certainly it plays a part in team selection, and also it places an importance on imposing your style upon them,” he explained.
“We can’t just accept that it’s going to be a game of this and that: we have to compete at this and that, but we also have to impose ourselves on them.
“The home advantage of this fixture has also swayed that.”
Cleverley said he was not surprised to see the Hatters being direct under Bloomfield.
“No because short-term results are important to all of us in this industry and when you’re bottom of the league with a new manager that’s perhaps even more the case.
“So I’m absolutely not surprised at their way of playing.
“I think they can count themselves a bit unlucky to only take one point from their last two games.
“Against Sheffield United, they went back to older ways, were very effective at it and deserved a draw.
“On Wednesday against Plymouth I thought they deserved to beat Plymouth playing the same way.
“It’s an effective style of football they play, and our players will have no excuses that they weren’t ready for it because we have prepared towards that.”
Watford will look to build on a much-needed win of their own at Middlesbrough last Saturday.
“It was all about the result last weekend.
“I felt against Norwich with 10 men for most of the game we performed well, at Sunderland we were excellent, and then against Leeds in possession we were good but got extremely hurt without the ball.
“There were three solid performances but no wins, and so it was important that at Middlesbrough we managed to get the performance and the result.
“That gave us belief and confidence for this game.”
