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Ross Jenkins says Watford 'shouldn't have lost' at Oakwell

11:54am Monday 17th November 2008

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Ross Jenkins said the players were devastated after Watford lost to Barnsley in his league debut.

Jenkins has played in every Carling Cup round this season but made his first start in the Championship in the 2-1 defeat at Oakwell.

It was the youngster’s first defeat in first-team football and the second-year scholar said the loss hit everyone hard, as Watford remain in the relegation zone.

Jenkins said: “Reserve games are more about learning, this is about winning and getting points. Everyone is devastated about today (Saturday) and we shouldn’t have lost and we shouldn’t have conceded them goals but that is football.

“It is all down to concentration. As a team we were doing well and one slip up and we were under the cosh for a bit, but I thought everyone worked hard and pushed on and I think it was a good team performance but we just need to correct those errors.”

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Your Say YourWatford Observer

Feff, Rickmansworth says...
3:06pm Mon 17 Nov 08

Said young professional, Ross Jenkins, "as a team we were doing well"; everyone worked hard and pushed on"; "it was a good team peformance". Without wishing to be unkind to the young man, how much does he know about Championship football? Or was this just spin to appease the supporters, knowing that nobody would want to take him to task. Does MM agree with Ross? I have nothing against MM. He was left with a pathetically weak squad (Tommy Smith excluded)but he really should not encourage youngsters to give their opinions so early in their careers. Also, I agree that MM made mistakes against Barnsley. Hoskins and O'Toole should have been in the team from the start. Up front we need Hoskins and Rasiak; in midfield Smith, McAnuff, O'Toole and Williamson; at the back Demerit, Harley and any other two, because all the rest are as useless as each other. In goal we have no choice but to keep Lee. What a sorry state we are in.

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ab11uk, watford says...
4:30pm Mon 17 Nov 08

I think we seriously have to ask

Have we had a worse goalkeeper than Richard Lee?

Hvae we had a worse left back than lloyd Doyley?

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WFC4ever, Watford says...
4:44pm Mon 17 Nov 08

Probably but we've had other decent players in the squad to replace them or those rubbish in the past have not been that well paid compared to now (apart from Vialli era)....

The fact a young guy in his 1st league start has to speak afterwards says something...

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VoR, Watford says...
5:33pm Mon 17 Nov 08

HELL....Some people aren't happy if they're not moaning, but to question why young Jenkins took the interview beggars belief, they take in turns and whoever wants to, they do.
What do you want to see happen, MM holding his hand, stand behind him and whisper what should be said?
All that's happening here is RJ is being given his wings...to feel a part of the side and fully integrated, do you want to deny him that?

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scotshorn, Aberdeen says...
7:25pm Mon 17 Nov 08

You're right VoR, if moaning was an Olympic sport, there'd be a few medalists posting here. I can't see anything wrong with Ross Jenkins being quoted in the WO, in fact I'd find it odd if the press hadn't sought him out after his first Championship start. After a couple of impressive performances, what better way to bring home to him that he is a part of the first team? Simple psychology really.

To ab11uk - a quick answer (took all of 2 minutes thought) to both questions - yes. Strangely enough, their names rhyme - Cowan & Rowan.

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
9:08pm Mon 17 Nov 08

VoR is being as obtuse as ever. He knows Ross Jenkins was given the job of speaking to the press because this would receive less criticism than if Lee did, or McAnuff, or Doyley - one of the less favourite players. This is unfair on Jenkins, or don't you really care, VoR. Voice of Reason? You're taking the Malky!

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VoR, Watford says...
10:02pm Mon 17 Nov 08

Ahhhh Feff, I see what you're trying to do, Failed miserably.....Good try tho'
I'm always intrigued to know what goes on in a WFC supporters brain, however little they are!

So your saying the interviewer had to quickly change his questions and couldn't quiz this player too much seeing that he wasn't a senior member of the team.
Poor young Ross, I feel ever so sorry for him.
UNBELIEVABLE!

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Roger68, St Albans says...
10:33pm Mon 17 Nov 08

Well if you want to take the shine off a young footballers league debut and undermine his confidence at the same time, one way to do it is to criticise his post-match interview and suggest that he should never have been picked for the team in the first place. Jenkins was not responsible for this defeat, and he has played a big part in the Cup victories. He is one of the most promising (indeed already most accomplished) players at the club. Hopefully he will be with us for a long time and will demonstrate his value many times over. Fair enough to criticise a senior player like Priskin who has had many opportunities to prove his worth , and failed, but who was incomprehesibly preferred to Rasiak/Hoskins on Saturday. But support and praise, not sniping, is what Jenkins merits just now.

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cliff46, watford says...
10:59pm Mon 17 Nov 08

I found it interesting to read what a seventeen year old making his league debut thought about the experience. He looks as if he is going to be very useful player and I think it a great pity that the cynics among us are already prepared to have a dig at him.
It has been obvious for weeks that we need a defensive midfielder to help protect out wobbly defence and I would have thought Eustace had the experience to fill that role, failing that maybe Bangura but if Jenkins can do it then thats great and a bit of support for the kid might help.
To say the squad is rubbish is nonsense but they do have to get their fingers out soon or Simpson won't have anything worth selling apart from O'Toole and Smith.

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
12:20pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Please may I say loud and clear that I am not criticising Jenkins as a player. Indeed, I agree that, judging by performances so far, he is our best defensive midfield player. I do, however, still think it was unfair to ask him to make the official WFC comments to the press after the Barnsley match and to feed him trite banalities to utter. Should he be a 1st team regular in midfield? I had suggested a midfield of Smith, McAnuff, O'Toole and Williamson. Whom should he replace? Most would say McAnuff but who would then play on the left? Smith is invaluable on the right, or behind the front two. O'Toole and Williamson are scoring goals. Only if Harley becomes an attacking left back can we afford to drop McAnuff. OK - I give in. Jenkins for McAnuff it has to be!

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luther67, watford says...
1:11pm Tue 18 Nov 08

This must be one of the most utterly pointless threads of all time. Player makes his full league debut, is asked how it went, and answers honestly. Do we really need to start questioning his right to reply? Or the club's motives for letting him answer a simple question? Do some of the posters on here just have nothing else to do all day? Quite astonishing...

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
3:34pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Luther 67 - you think Jenkins answered honestly? How naive are you? He said what he was told to say.
You believe he would have been allowed to say that the team played "crap"? I agree with you last sentiment - "quite astonishing".

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cliff46, watford says...
4:40pm Tue 18 Nov 08

I agree with Feff that Harley should be left back because for a £750,000 defender Sadler has been very dissapointing this season.
He was ok defensively last season. I just hope he doesn't turn out to be another one of Addie's long list of transfer mistakes.

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scotshorn, Aberdeen says...
4:44pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Feff - have to disagree with you. A quick textual deconstruction of the words purporting to be his in this and other articles, suggests not only the same speaker, but - given the grammar, syntax etc - a slightly erudite 17 year-old.

In my humble, but professional opinion.

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
6:18pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Scotshorn - erudite, thank you! 17 year old - I wish! Add 50 or so to that! I am puzzled by the phrase "words purporting to be his". However erudite I am, please explain. Also, in what way is your posting a "professional" opinion? Are you a professor of linguistics, like Professor Higgins, or are you VoR in disguise?

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VoR, Watford says...
7:18pm Tue 18 Nov 08

hello.......
Now what have I done?
I think you're missing the point of scotty's post somewhat!

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scotshorn, Aberdeen says...
7:47pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Feff - I'll try to couch this in simpler language as you appear to have completely misunderstood my last posting. My opinion can be deemed to be professional not because I am a professor, but because have an appropriate degree and twenty years experience in, as you term it, 'linguistics'.

I used the term 'purporting' because, like you, I can't be totally sure that the journalist responsible for this piece was being 100% honest with his use of speech marks.

Happy chappy?

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scotshorn, Aberdeen says...
7:53pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Oh - and by the way, I'm not VoR in disguise.

At least, I don't think I am!!

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
8:20pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Scotty - I am indeed now a "happy chappy" - except when it comes to WFC. I am delighted you have the appropriate degree. I have one too. I am also glad you are not VoR in disguise. I apologise for the insult. Do you think he too has an "appropriate" degree? Or is he self-trained. Whichever - he is amusing. Sometimes!!!

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VoR, Watford says...
8:23pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Definitely not, I don't have that sort of accent.
Did you pick up on the fact that Feff has a mild case of a stammer? His real name is Phillip, it's just that he can't quite say it properly.....Bless!

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Feff, Rickmansworth says...
9:04pm Tue 18 Nov 08

Feff - stammer - Phillip? You win, VoR. I haven't a clue what you're on about. King George VI had a stammer and, perhaps, a middle name of Phillip, but I promise you that I am not your former monarch and that I have not come back to haunt you. So "bless" to you too!

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diehardhornet, watford says...
3:51pm Thu 20 Nov 08

for MM to get Jenkins to do the interview says alot yeh??..

we only seen him in 4 CC games and 1 League..(won4,loss 1)MM obv see's him and the other players day in day out. should we not respect MM decision rather than question him all the time?
putting a YOUNG boy down SOME of you isnt going to help him at all,dont you want watford to win/do well?!?!?

as for the doyley comments maybe the other full-backs have been awful in training or just off there game(it happens), and that o'toole just wont fit into a 2-man central mid as he has no defensive skills(which you need as a 2 in there).

just my opinions, will take a few games to see MM ideas as Aidy was in charge for a long time.takes time to shake of old habits ect...

My team:(when fit) 4-4-2
LOACH
DOYLEY DMERIT WARD MARRIAPA
SMITH JENKINS WILLO JOBI
HOSKINS RAZIAK


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Ross Jenkins made his league debut against Barnsley after numerous Carling Cup run outs. Picture: Action Images Ross Jenkins made his league debut against Barnsley after numerous Carling Cup run outs. Picture: Action Images

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