Watford winger Ikechi Anya says manager Slavisa Jokanovic has the ability to keep them up next season in the Premier League.

Anya started Saturday's 2-0 win at Brighton - but with the team struggling to play with a five-man midfield Jokanovic replaced Anya with Daniel Tozser after just 26 minutes.

But the midfielder insists: "The manager looked at the game and saw things were not working and he decided to take me off.

"From our perspective the formation was not right, and playing with a four in midfield does not suit my characteristics.

"That is the way football is, the week before (against Birmingham) I came off the bench and we changed to a five in midfield and it really worked and we scored within minutes of me coming on. But this week it was the other way round and it worked again.

"It is definitely a strength of his to change things. And it is better to make a change after 25 minutes rather than with 25 minutes to go as it gives more time to get a result.

"In such a big game you want a fearless manager who is not afraid to make changes, and he does that."