Roy Hodgson believes that Watford's supporters can be the club's best weapon in the Championship, as he prepares for his final match in charge.

The 74-year-old was unable to prevent the Hornets' catastrophic slide back into the Championship, during a punishing season of top flight football in which there have been a few disagreements between himself and the club's fans.

However, ahead of the last match of the season, the ex-England manager said that the the people in charge of running the club now have to deliver a team capable of providing the supporters with the positivity he believes they deserve after such a gruelling campaign.

"I think the supporters have been good," said Hodgson. "I've said it on a few occasions, losing all the matches that have happened at home this year, I think the supporters have done extremely well to keep coming and to keep trying to support us in the best way they can.

"Probably the best thing that this club can put forward, in terms of being okay now in the Championship, I think will be that support.

"It is the fact that people believe in Watford, they like Watford football club, they are used to there being some good years and some bad years, but whatever happens, they're going to be behind Watford and I think it's up to the people now who run their club to make certain that the team that they give the new coach to work with is capable of doing what those supporters want. And I certainly think that will happen.

"And I certainly believe that this group of players, with some additions, hopefully will be good enough to get themselves out the Championship."

Hodgson admitted it had been tough mentally to manage this team during such a difficult season, but also said his struggles will likely make it easier for him to walk away after today's match at Chelsea.

"It's not been good," he continued. "It hasn't been helped by a lot of the factors around us of course, which we've had to deal with. So I can't honestly say that it's not been stressful and that it's not been difficult at times to make certain that I and Ray, who I can put in the same boat, keep our heads right and keep our focus right and keep on doing what we think needs to be done to try and get results. That hasn't been easy at all.

"And I suppose you could also argue that it makes it a bit easier to walk away. If we'd have been getting more success with it, then perhaps we would have found it even harder to walk away from it."