Malky Mackay has decisions to make for Barnsley trip

3:20pm Friday 14th November 2008

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Injury worries have become a thing of the past of late and after impressive performances from some of the fringe players on Tuesday night, Malky Mackay has some tough decisions to make ahead of tomorrow’s game at Barnsley.

For weeks the Watford side almost picked itself due to the numerous injury problems, but now Watford’s caretaker boss could have his first managerial headache, with only goalkeepers Mart Poom and Scott Loach and midfielder Gareth Williams unavailable.

In the 1-0 win on Tuesday, Lloyd Doyley, Adrian Mariappa, Leigh Bromby and Jobi McAnuff all put in improved performances but, without doubt, one of the key performers was 17-year-old Ross Jenkins.

“There are selection problems of a nice way for a change so going forward that is always the way you would have it,” Mackay said yesterday (Thursday).

Speaking after Tuesday night’s game, the caretaker boss explained: “Ross has been on the club’s books for a long while now and we were aware of his progress and he has been in and around the first team for a little while now.

“He has a great temperament and I knew without question that if he goes out there tonight, then there are no problems with him freezing, absolutely none.

“The fact that he went on there and gave me the performance he did, and showed the maturity he did, shows the lad in a very good light. And you also saw Lee Williamson next him and Jay DeMerit behind him talking him through a lot of things and just made it a nice comfortable night for him.

“I think every player out there showed they are in contention for the game on Saturday. If you go out there and produce the goods, then you have a chance to play the following week.

“If you go in there with consistency, show you have got the talent, the willingness, the application to actually go and play at that level for Watford then you are definitely in with a shout for playing the following week. As for age, if you are good enough then you're old enough.”

Mackay’s position is still unclear but he said he is only concentrating on the trip to Oakwell.

“We go to Barnsley now and play there,” he added after the mid-week win at the Liberty Stadium. “That is all I am looking for, results week after week and making sure that the players are in a mental state of mind to play, they are physically and mentally ready and they are up for it and they have the confidence to show the ability that I know they have. That is all I am interested in at the moment.”