Ranieri’s comments have come after his side defied expectation to win 5-2 at Goodison Park last weekend. Prior to this, the Hornets had not won in their last three Premier League games.
“Of course the boost it gave the club was very important, as well as the three points on the table,” Ranieri told PA Media.
“But now, I’ve forgotten it. We must forget what happened. We must continue this way and now there will be a very difficult match, because every match in the Premier League is difficult.
“We must be very careful and play with a lot of intelligence. It is a dangerous, dangerous match on Saturday.
“Their team is a squad. They move all together. They know what they have to do, not only the first XI, but also the team who played against Chelsea (in the Carabao Cup),” he added.
In 2019, a 2-0 defeat by Southampton cost Ranieri his job as Fulham manager. He’d been in charge for just 106 days.
First game: Lose 5-0
Second game: Win 5-2Claudio Ranieri’s start to life with Watford ???? pic.twitter.com/gnysDxXLlM
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 23, 2021
The Premier League-winning boss says revenge is not on his mind, adding: “I think I lost my job at Fulham when I signed.
“There’s no revenge. It’s football. Always I want to do well for my team. But no revenge. I didn’t remember!”
King catches the eye
70-year-old head coach Ranieri was also impressed with striker Joshua King. His hat-trick at Everton was his first in the Premier League, but it was his all-round display which caught Ranieri’s eye.
“I said ‘well done’ to him but not for the hat-trick, but for how he played. He held the ball up very, very well. He gave the time for his team-mates, closed down every action very well.”
