Watford's match against Sheffield United this weekend will be "huge" according to midfielder Tom Cleverley, as their winless start to the Premier League continued on Saturday.

The Hornets have now gone seven league games without a win this season, although their winless streak now stretches back 11 matches.

Following disappointing performances in defeats to Manchester City and Wolves, Cleverley admits things have to improve, starting at Vicarage Road this Saturday, where he sees the visit of the Blades as an opportunity for Quique Sanchez Flores to finally turn things around, after starting his second spell in charge with a difficult run of fixtures.

"We've been poor in the last couple of games," said Cleverley.

"But Arsenal, Man City away, Wolves away is not the easiest three fixtures to come into and, with no disrespect to Sheffield United because they're a really competitive side, but we have to be really at it next weekend.

"We know that - we've been in the game long enough to know that next Saturday's a huge game."

Cleverley claimed that the club is lacking in confidence at the moment and that the 8-0 defeat to Manchester City made him feel "like a kid".

After the Wolves game, he suggested that a bit of improvement, coupled with a stroke of luck, could help get Watford in a more positive mind frame and that last week's Carabao Cup victory over Swansea City shows the squad can perform a lot better than they have been in the league.

"For a couple of days you're a little bit embarrassed and as a 30-year-old man you're made to feel a little bit of a kid," he said about the City game.

"I think the Tuesday game helped us, it was a positive result and we were hoping that would lift spirits going into today and unfortunately it hasn't.

"In these games the first goal's massive. Both teams are quite organised and there's not much in the game and unfortunately it went their way today. We can't put it all down to that. We know we need to improve."