AIDY BOOTHROYD will benefit from the experience of being relegated according to Keith Burkinshaw.

Watford will fall through the Premiership trapdoor if they fail to beat Manchester City tomorrow (Saturday) and Boothroyd will then undergo the ultimate examination of his managerial skills when he bids to bring the club straight back up.

"Relegation is always painful, it's awful," said Burkinshaw, who was manager of Spurs when they were relegated in 1977.

"I know it will be hurting him inside. He's got a fantastic attitude and to the outside world he is always optimistic, bubbly and full of life.

"You have to go down to the bottom to realise how good it is to be near the top. It will be another challenge for him next season. His reputation will be judged on how he comes back from this.

"It will be great learning curve. What we did last season was beyond what most people thought we could achieve.

"He's got to show next season he can handle it and we've got to give it everything we've got to come back up.

"I think he'll be a top manager," Burkinshaw added.

"You need a bit of luck but I do think he's got the credentials to do it. I don't think I've seen anybody handle players better than he does."

Burkinshaw, who turns 72 in June, will continue to assist Boothroyd next season.

"I'll just keep going and help as best I can," he said.

"I'll help the manager make sure we have a solid outfit that is going to be up there next season.

"We've got to alter the way we play but it's really about the quality on the field.

"You have got to have good players on the field and it's essential we do that next season. We have got to change (the squad) a little bit."

Many felt Watford should have strengthened the squad last summer before a ball had been kicked and that by the time the window re-opened in January, it was too late.

Despite the lack of depth to the squad, Burkinshaw still fancied Watford's chances of staying up.

"I thought our work ethic would give us a good chance of staying up but that's not been good enough," he said.

"If we had of had that touch of luck I think we might have been alright. We missed Marlon badly, it was a big loss to us.

"We haven't score enough goals and if we could have had someone that will help us win games 2-1 or 1-0 I think we would have been up there.

"We've won only four games this season and there are four games left, so it's a big ask.

"We've just got to give it everything we have got until it is out of your reach."

Burkinshaw agreed Watford were way below par at Blackburn on Wednesday night and feels the players are starting to feel the strain of what has been a tough campaign.

"The performance disappointed me more than the result," he said. "We didn't play well, it was a poor performance.

"Normally this lot at Watford give it a real go but for some reason they looked jaded at Blackburn. Perhaps everything is getting on top of the players."