Watford's Dean Austin has admitted that Swansea are a magnificent side ahead of tonight's clash with the South Wales side

After Swansea's 2-0 win over Steve Coppell's Reading earlier last month, Hornets boss Brendan Rodgers was warned by the Royals manager that the Liberty Stadium club would go close to going up as the assistant  manager revealed on Watford's official site he said, “He said to me "Watch Swansea, they will go close". I said "What, play-offs?" and he said "no, no, no, close to going up. They are the best team I have seen in this division for a long, long time - outstanding in every department, watch them".

Watching, Roberto Martinez's side with caution the former Crystal Palace man knows that Watford will have to be at their very best to stop Swansea pushing hard for promotion, “So we've been watching them and we've got to halt them tomorrow. We know what we've got to do and we've got plenty of work on our hands.”

“Being at Southend last year, we came up against Swansea twice and I watched them on four or five occasions. They are a magnificent team to watch. It will be interesting to see them play tomorrow night on our pitch, because it won't be the easiest for them with how they play the game. They really do play the game the right way and are a superb team. Hopefully we can get in among them and give them a game."

Martinez has achieved a lot in a short space of time but the Spaniard has left his mark on the footballing community and Austin  has added himself to the growing list of admirers of the talented Catalan.” He has done an unbelievable job there in a short space of time and he wants to play the game the right way. They are a joy to watch and they play to the level that we want to get our team playing at here.”

"If you do well as a manager with what people will say is an 'unfashionable' club - although they're not really with their brand new stadium and resources - then he will make a good name for himself.”

Watford are already aware of the threat posed by talisman Jason Scotland but has insisted that the Vicarage Road side will impose themselves on Swansea this evening , "Jason [Scotland] has had a good 18 months, having come back down from Scotland. He did well for them last year scoring over 20 goals and the way that they play will definitely help him, because they are creating loads and loads of chances. He is doing very well in taking quite a few of those chances."

"We are always aware of what an opposition side brings to the table and we will always be aware of their strengths and their weaknesses, but we will always emphasise our own game because we have got good players in our team.

"We can score goals and we can hurt anyone in our division if we can play and continue to play the way we have in the last four games. If we can take that work ethic and desire into games, with our ability, then I feel confident we will be fine.

"I think that if we were to take six points out of the next two games then people might start to look at us and go "they're okay, they're really going to push on now", but we're really in a fight at the moment, it's not going to be easy and no-one is going to roll-over for us.

"It's in our hands, we feel we have got more than enough to get ourselves well out of the mire. It's alright talking the talk, but you've got to walk the walk."

Photo: Action Images

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