Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick would be foolish to ignore Watford FC factor at Vicarage Road: View | OneFootball

Boro must respect Watford's home record so far this season when they visit Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough head to Vicarage Road on Saturday to take on Tom Cleverley's Watford, as Boro look to make it three consecutive wins in the Championship.

The Teessiders enter the game fresh off the back of two impressive victories over Stoke City, and most recently West Brom respectively.

As for the Hornets, their league form has weakened slightly after winning all of their opening three Championship fixtures, but they have only taken three points once in their last five league outings.

However, despite Middlesbrough being the in-form side heading into Saturday's clash, Carrick and his team would be foolish to think that this weekend's game will be a straightforward affair given Watford's home record...

Watford have made Vicarage Road a fortress so far this season

In every division, there's always that handful of grounds that so often trip opposition teams up and are circled as being among the toughest places to go and get a result. As far as the Championship is concerned, Vicarage Road certainly falls into that category.

Why that's the case is tough to put a finger on, but when you enter the Hornets' nest, you had best be prepared to get stung.

Indeed, Cleverley's Watford side are yet to taste defeat at Vicarage Road so far this season, winning three and drawing one, whilst scoring eight goals and conceding just three.

Those three victories came over Stoke City, Derby County, and most notably and indeed recently, Sunderland. As such, Middlesbrough should be under no illusions as to how tough a task they will have on their hands this weekend.

They can take spirit from their performance in this exact fixture from last season, as Boro ran out 3-2 winners thanks to a Riley McGree double and a second half winner by Josh Coburn.

Boro will head to Hertfordshire full of confidence after midweek showings

Despite Watford taking three of their four Championship wins so far this season at home, Middlesbrough will be respectful of that record, but they won't be lacking confidence of securing a result either.

Before Tuesday night, Carrick's men hadn't proven that they could go to a particularly tough away environment and win, having suffered frustrating defeats against Derby County and Sunderland, with their only away league win coming against bottom-side Cardiff City.

But at The Hawthorns, Boro put in a textbook away performance against the league leaders on the night. Middlesbrough were compact and well-organised in defence, repelling everything the Baggies threw at them, and that gave Hayden Hackney the opportunity to grab a late winner.

Carrick and his coaching staff will no doubt have been tuned into Watford's away trip to Deepdale on Wednesday night, and they will have been encouraged with that they saw.

Preston punished a poor Hornets side on the night, keeping a clean sheet and bagging three goals on their way to a comprehensive victory.

Watford passed up numerous big chances inside Preston's penalty area, with multiple one-on-one chances spurned. The goals they conceded would've been highly frustrating for Cleverley, as all three looked avoidable for various reasons.

So, whilst Vicarage Road hasn't been a particularly happy hunting ground for any opposition side this season, - Coventry City have been the only team to take a point from Watford's back garden so far - Middlesbrough will see Saturday as another big chance to register a positive result.

With the likes of Norwich City and Sheffield United to come, Boro will be desperate to take as much positive momentum into a tricky period of fixtures.