Watford Observer Interview

WTE is my bet

…..there’s a reply from Andrew that the interview is over 4500 words. I don’t think any other player knows that many.

 

"He wasn’t bothered & wasn’t that fit” = Ozan Tufan

“They were miserable & made it miserable" = Roy Hodgson & Ray Lewington

"I thought that attitude was a disgrace" = Danny Rose

My bets, place yours.

 

Agree with the first two, but going Foster on the last

 

You may have nailed it, but it could apply to many of them tbf.

He must be talking about players who have left, as no one is going to dig out a current teammate.

 

Could the interview be with somebody who has left us recently too?

Hard to imagine a currently contracted player would be so outspoken about the club, even if the criticism is about the past and there are positives spoken about how well things are changing now.

Edir. I noticed Andrew’s tweet does imply it’s a current player. But isn’t 100% implicit

 

Cleverley. Eyeing up that captains armband with a scathing interview.

 

Can't be Cleverley seeing as he was injured half the season.

WTE was taken out of the team for his lack of ability

Gosling frozen out all year so unlikely.

My money is on Cathcart. The one that put up with all the hate. Played out of position to help the team.

 

Any insight into the madness of last season is a huge step forward in the 'lessons learnt' though

 

I reckon it’s Gosling

 

My guess:-

He wasn’t bothered & wasn’t that fit” = Danny rose

“They were miserable & made it miserable" = Ranieri and his coaching team

"I thought that attitude was a disgrace" = The club re Dennis and Nigeria call up

 

My guess is it’s WTE or Kabasele - but could also be Bachmann. Those 2 are probably the right amount of outspoken but not really bothered about how it plays out…

Can’t see it being Cleverley or Cathcart. Doesn’t fit their personality.

‘Not bothered and not fit’ - Has to be Tufan.

‘Miserable and made it miserable’ - Hodgson and Lewington

‘Attitude/disgrace’ - Foster (But that would likely rule out it being Bachmann)

 

Actually it could be Cleverley. He plays Countdown in single player mode and there’s a couple of 8 and 9 letter words on that link

 

Just can't see anyone slagging off Foster publicly, however unprofessional and annoying he may be. Would be pleasantly surprised though.

 

I just can’t think who else the attitude/disgrace thing would be about. It won’t be a current teammate as I just can’t see Andrew French printing that - so we are looking at players who have left over the last year? Or it’s about former coaches?

Actually - there were widespread rumours about Ranieri not even turning up to training. I reckon that may be it….

 

Is there a big reveal as to who the player is tomorrow?

Could be very interesting, but let's see whether it just says everything was terrible last season and everything is great now.

 

Interview by - Kaba

"He wasn’t bothered & wasn’t that fit”= King

“They were miserable & made it miserable" = Roy Hodgson & Ray Lewington

"I thought that attitude was a disgrace"= Foster

 

Surprised one of Gino’s lap dogs hasn’t appeared yet to tell us we can’t discuss it and it’s not relevant.

 

Won't be Foster that they're talking about. Got the impression he was popular with the players.

Doesn't necessarily have to be a player from last season... Could just as easily be talking about Capoue the year before if it's a player who's been at the club for a while.

 

I wonder what this means:

 

It's so funny how everything is so difficult for you to understand

 

If you'd read (or posted) the three connected tweets you'd have your answer.

Coopsy: Andrew, is there any chance this might have a negative impact on the squad or person this close to the season?

Andrew French: I don’t think so - the club were represented in the room and heard each question and answer.

Coopsy: Fair enough. If the club were happy then it was obviously something that's needed to be said. Can't wait to read it!

 

Yes I read the tweets, I specifically meant the bit in the one I posted, as in “the club were represented in the room”.

If someone from the club was there (who?) then ultimately is this just a PR stunt by the club?

If the club were represented and happy, it’s hardly the player gone rogue revealing all sorts of secrets story it appears to be.

 

Will just mean a member of the Comm’s team was present and didn’t shut anything down.

Wouldn’t be surprised if this the club and Edwards on manoeuvres - I suspect they want a fully clean slate and no clouds from last season (on the pitch) remaining.

 

Yeah, see my post above. Just makes me feel a bit uneasy it’s probably a PR stunt from the club, we get this every time a new manager comes in in one form or another. The previous regime get chucked under the bus, rinse and repeat. Meanwhile the powers that be get a pass.

 

As Burnsy says, this will be a member of the communication team who facilitate such interviews. Totally normal practice.

 

I think perhaps we need to give some credit occasionally really? Andrew French is a great guy and wouldn’t be hoodwinked easily.

Yes the owner has done things which means scrutiny will be ongoing for some time to come - but sometimes it’s probably just going to be best to see things for what they are.

Everyone who has read what I have to say over the years knows I’m not sticking my fingers in my ears - I have huge questions over certain matters that remain unanswered. But I do also think to an extent we have to let the club try and turn the page without always thinking what the ulterior motive is.

Not particularly aimed at you at all…many of us, including me, are guilty - but we can remain critical without having to be relentlessly negative/jump to the negative view.

I’m sure there will be many who read what is said tomorrow and be staggered how the club let it slide - and that deserves rightful criticism and questioning. I’d still like to see Duxbury and Gino answer that personally. But I hope a large part of discussion is dedicated to the fact that the ‘untold rumours’ have been aired and the squad/manager are moving on positively.

 

Totally normal for a club sanctioned interview, yes.

 

Having worked at a club, players are usually very reluctant to speak out against other players publicly so the idea they'd do it because the club told them to seems very unlikely to me. I am surprised the club would let a player openly slag off previously players in the press as they're usually incredibly protective about everything. The amount of stuff they used to block us from using was painful. Watford do seem to have a very lax approach to player comms though (see Foster, Deeney etc.).

A player would normally not be allowed to speak to any media without the club sanctioning it (unless they're talking at events for personal brand deals etc.)

 

I guess it depends if they name the player who was interviewed tomorrow or not. If they don’t then I don’t see the point of the club agreeing to an anonymous interview, or the player for that matter, unless it’s all deliberate.

 

Andrew French has already said that the interviewee will be named and those who he is talking about are almost exclusively named too.