Disappointment was the overriding emotion for new Watford head coach Nigel Pearson after his side's 2-0 defeat away at Liverpool.

The Hornets missed some big opportunities but forced the league leaders to work hard for their 34th consecutive top flight victory.

Following the game, Pearson said he thought Watford should be going back with more than just optimism after a much improved performance.

"It's disappointment for us today because regardless of where we are in the league when you come here, it's going to be one hell of a tough game ," he said.

"We were aware that it was going to be a case of risk and reward. You have to be disciplined when you come here, you need a very strong team ethic, but I thought we also made life difficult for Liverpool - we created some unbelievably good goalscoring situations [we were] unable to convert them today and it's of scant reward that we leave here with nothing for our efforts in terms of points, but I was very pleased with the collective work ethic today.

"Hopefully that's a shift in what we've looked like at times this season, but we can't go from one extreme to another, we've got to play with that intensity in every game, if we do that, there's a real possibility of turning the corner and then building some momentum, but we have to make it happen ourselves."

Pearson said the next step for him and his assistant Craig Shakespeare was to find out the root cause of Watford's problems and begin repairing the side as they look to wipe out a six point gap currently standing between them and Premier League survival.

He also spoke of the importance of togetherness and said he needed the whole club to work as a collective to change things around.

"When I joined last week and when Craig joined me, we knew that have at our disposal some good players," he said.

"When you consider where we are, the number of points that we have and the circumstances of this season of still being without a home win, there's got to be more to it and I think what we have to do, all of us as staff, is to work with the players to help them find the belief themselves.

"We can't give them that, we hopefully can help facilitate that and give them the framework to do that, but ultimately players have to go out on the field and play. They played with a lot of conviction today and, yes there are disappointed players in our dressing room, but I also sensed a togetherness which is going to be important.

"Whatever you do, whatever world you live in, whatever workplace you work in, I think the hardest thing is to feel isolated and we can't do that to each other because our own situation at the minute is going to determine how we work. We have to continue to build a collective identity."