George Friend has targeted a top-two finish with Middlesbrough in the Championship this season.
Boro saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end on Tuesday night at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 2-0 reverse at Molineux.
Despite the minor setback, Aitor Karanka's charges remain third in the league table, two points behind weekend opponents Watford.
"I think everybody looks at the Championship and looks up at the playoffs, top spot, because everybody beats everyone in this division so we should be looking high," Friend is quoted as saying by the Northern Echo. "Why should we not be aiming for those positions?
"You can't say we will definitely get those positions, but the manager sets high standards so hopefully we can show those high standards on the pitch and we will get to where we want to. This league does chop and change, you can either be up or down.
"Once you have a good run, seven or eight games, you can make a real impact on the league. We need to take advantage of being at home on Saturday; hopefully we will have a big crowd to intimidate Watford. They are a tough challenge, but every game is. We found that out on Tuesday at Wolves."
Middlesbrough follow up the Watford clash with a trip to face Rotherham United.
