Adrian Mariappa believes there is more to come from Watford and feels they haven’t always got the points their performances have deserved this season.

The Hornets will start 2019 ninth in the Premier League table following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, but they are only one point below seventh place as an intensive run of games continues with this week’s trip to Bournemouth.

Mariappa, who is in line to make his 300th appearance across two spells at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night, believes Watford have made a “decent start” to the campaign and said: “I think there’s been a real togetherness this season and we’ve had some good team performances and I think we can still improve which is always a good sign.

“There’s plenty of games we’ve played well in and haven’t got the points we should have done. And, likewise, we’ve come back from losing positions in games to draw and win which shows good character as well.

“To come away from some games disappointed to not have as many points as we could have done is, I think, a good sign at this stage of the season considering where we are.”

This is Watford’s fourth consecutive season in the top flight and the 32-year-old believes they have a squad capable of progressing further and being more than simply a Premier League club.

“We always want improvement,” Mariappa said after Saturday’s draw. “I think we believe in the squad and the players that we have that we can win games like today and, like I said, it’s a good thing that you can come away from games disappointed because it’s a squad that definitely can push forward and progress.

“There’s a good group of professionals who are very good players and it is hard to get in the side here with the competition for places. Every training session is competitive and that itself keeps everyone at it.

“There’s games coming thick and fast so everyone knows there’s an opportunity to play and when you play you want to take your chance. I think those things set the standards day-to-day.”