Javi Gracia has said it is "impossible" for Watford to win games by playing without aggression.

Speaking after his side's defeat to West Ham in their final Premier League game of the season, Gracia said that he was not sure why results had once again tailed off at the end of the campaign.

The Hornets have only won one game since their FA Cup semi-final victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers, when they beat bottom of the league Huddersfield Town away from home, and Gracia said his team needed to rediscover the efficiency that saw them make an impressive start to the season.

"We need to recover that efficiency to have more chance to win the games," he said.

"If you don’t take the chances and after, in the first attack you concede a goal, it’s impossible to win games.

"In the first part of the season I think we defended better set pieces, or situations like today. We were more aggressive to defend and more aggressive to attack.

"In the first 15 minutes I think it was good, but after we need to improve to defend better that situation.

"Against Chelsea, in my opinion, the first 45 minutes were really good, and after we conceded two goals from two set pieces.

"I don’t know if there is a reason to play better in the first part or play worse in the last games because every game was different."