At Our Place

I don't disagree. But then he was stupid to use that as an example of his clear communication in that sense.

'I was clear in communicating what players wanted to leave the club - except I wasn't.'

 

Who would he have thrown under the bus?

 

Whoever made the decision to sign Dawson?

 

Yes hilarious.
If your original comment had been "Ah the old you've not seen them every week in training, practice games and have no idea of their personality, fitness and attitude argument" rather than the general "you're not a manager what do you know" comment, we'd have been in complete agreement.

 

And if the person of whom the question is asked clearly cannot hear it...

 

But the answer regarding Dawson could have been framed as such that 'just' signing him wasn't enough and not apportioning blame entirely on the player.

As I say, I think many answers could have been given more detail that needn't have been seen as targeting individuals.

I agree that the club needs to look forward and not back. I just wish they recognised there is a section of the fanbase who want a bit more closure on last season to be able to go forwards with the rest of the fans who are more willing to take things entirely at face value 24/7. Rather than uniting the whole fanbase, it seems they would rather just go with the majority percentage - but I can totally see why they've made that choice, even if I don't agree with it.

I think the chairman could have said more last night to make everyone get on the same page as that's clearly what he desires.

 

Frankly, I don't see the point of the club hosting these evenings when they can't/won't address the majority of elephants in the room.

I think that Duxberry would have been better served making a dozen more transparent statements via the club's social media channels over the past month about certain policies and players, rather than sitting for an hour looking disgruntled and flustered with tame fan questions.

 

Did anybody honestly believe he would give more than political responses to questions thrown at him?
He took the Mapps question on the chin and answered honestly to give him credit.

 

For all those who were upset by the club's failure to produce a tribute video or 'thank you' statement for Mariappa, here's a photo for you to remember him by... Thank You, Adrian

 

Did I expect him to? No. It was hope more than expectation. As I said, if you went to the last event, you knew what you were getting.

I can’t give him credit for the Mariappa answer though. I just don’t believe it’s a situation he’s only just become aware of.

The moment it became obvious talks were over with the player, then the club should have said something to be consistent with how they’ve treated other players who have left. And that would have avoided the awkward nature of the issue last night.

I don’t actually care about the fact it was Mariappa. And won’t sleep about the issue at all. I just think it was another sign that communication from the club is far from as good as Duxbury liked to claim it was. But what’s done is done!

 

Who do you want throwing under a bus? That is what you seem to be asking for.

If not, he’s given a reasonable public answer - the club recognises mistakes have been made at all levels and is working to improve.

 

I can't believe how much people are missing the point with Mariappa. He came through the academy, was a first team player for the best part of a decade and was club captain for a period. As well as that he has consistently done a huge amount of community work on behalf of the club.

Despite being a limited player he represents a great deal of what the club prides itself on and to not announce his departure seemingly out of spite is utterly classless and is an indicator of just how detached Duxbury and co are from the majority of Watford fans and the values that the club represents.

 

Read every answer I’ve given. Not once have I suggested he throws someone under the bus.

You think it’s a reasonable public answer. I think it was light on detail. More detail doesn’t equate to throwing people under the bus.

No one was asking for a forensic examination of what went wrong, or for individuals to be singled out.

 

What I recall from last night for those who weren't there (hopefully I haven't missed anything out):

Duxbury: We're here to talk about A, B, C and D
Guest Question 1: So tell me about A?
Duxberry: It would be unfair to talk about A
Guest Question 2: So, tell me about B?
Duxberry: We've given thought to B, but I won't talk about it here
Kid Question 3: Tell me about C?
Ivic: *mumbles something vague and non-committal whilst staring at the floor*
Clapper question 4: Would you like to be in the Premier League?
Duxberry: Great question! Talks passionately about progress, youth, DNA and flag waving.

 

How have we jumped to it being done 'out of spite'?

They arranged a massive celebratory charity dinner for the bloke last year which, if the pandemic hadn't intervened, showed they understood his service to the club. Was that utterly classless and detached too?

Unless it turns out negotiations ended a couple of months ago - and Leventhal I think was saying Mariappa was still an option around a fortnight ago, so that seems unlikely - then it's clearly been sorted by the apology given last night.

 

I don’t think it’s ‘clearly’ been sorted by what happened last night.

Apologising for not doing it isn’t the same as actually doing it!?

I agree with you - I don’t think it was done out of spite. And the dinner thing was a great event of recognition - which makes not even referencing his departure even weirder surely? Even if it was possible he was staying right up until 5pm Friday, there’s no excuse for not having something prepared to go out over the weekend (or any point before the embarrassment of having it brought up last night).

I think last night should clear up the error of judgment - but I think the player still deserves the respect his peers got.

 

He got thousands of respects a week paid into his bank account. He'll live.

 

If he wasn't going to answer questions, why organise a question and answer session?

He shouldn't have bothered, and I could have watched Emmerdale.

 

When I leave a job I don't expect the company to put out a video on twitter to show the highlights of me pushing a pen around my desk, thanking me profusely for doing the job I was paid to do. Why on earth should it be any different for a footballer?

 

Was it informative? No. Was it entertaining? No. Were fans motivated by it? No. So what was the point of it? A 'tick box' exercise so the management could say they had held a fans forum.

 

Total waste of time.

Not surprisingly, people (or to be exact, a person) who was fulsome in his answers at such previous events held at a time of success, suddenly became evasive and tactile. Not much mea culpa in evidence.

We are still no closer knowing why people who for several years ran our club very successfully should have suddenly taken their eye off the ball, with disastrous results. Did they get complacent? Did the money dry up? Were they simply bored and distracted? We still don’t know.

If they can’t be up front and honest with us about why they failed, how can we trust them to now succeed once more? How do we know that lessons have indeed been learnt?

I’d not be surprised if Ivic is already having a few doubts about what he’s got himself into, the lack of a left-back signing against his wishes highlighting that point. I hear Masina is out until March now? Of course, while we keep on winning (and long may that continue) then all will be rosy in the garden, but who knows what tensions will appear if we don’t.

 

This exactly. If he wasn't going to answer questions, he could have saved us all an hour and just not answered them in private.

 

When you do your job, 20,000 people don't sing and chant your name whilst you push your pen around the desk and then, rival companies don't send 3000 of their customers in to call you names.

 

COG

On a point of business, I proposea motion to change COG to mean 'Church of Gino.'

I think it gives a more cultish bent to the title and also it will confuse the hell out of the dozens of people who've asked what COG means, have finally got their answer and will now be confused that it's changed.

@GoingDown @Jumbolina @Burnsy @barely1egal @folkestone orn @NathWFC

Do I have a second?

 

Cult sounds a bit rock and roll.

 

Me calling Gino a cult is down to auto correct.

 

Masina is out till March now!??? What the hell so our medical team do to our players?

 

motion passed

 

they might, you don't know

 

Dunno, maybe you should ask Watford that question seeing as they do exactly that for pretty much every single player who leaves the club.