Yesterday's was my first of the season (due to hols) so I am prepared to be shouted down by anyone that has better knowledge than me, but I thought Jenkins was shocking yesterday. It wasn't his poor distribution, it wasn't his lightweight challenging, or the ease with which he was shaken off the ball, it was the impression he gave me of being uninterested in putting in 100%. Jogging or walking around, head down - a general lack of enthusiasm, from a relative youngster who still has a lot to prove. If I had been a player on the fringe of the first team, or on the bench such as Walker who was given about 1 minute yesterday, I would have been fuming. Compare his effort with that of Sordell, whose effort was terrific (even if some of his decision making wasn't), it was like chalk and cheese. We can't afford the best players and so we can't afford to have "hangers on" in our team. It is time to give someone else a run, if only to give young Ross a kick up the jaxey. Having said all that, I wasn't too despondent yesterday, more positives than negatives in my view. If Murphy hadn't (yet again) played a blinder against us and if the referee had a pair of testicles, then we probably would have got a deserved win
Theres only one ross jenkins. some have reservations about big chris - but there was another lanky CF of years gone by who had a slow start at the 'orns and came good...........
Ross jenkins was extremely poor and deserves to be dropped. I just find it hard to believe that there is a CM who doesnt want possession. His position requires great technique in controlling and passing the ball yet he shys away from it and never offers himself to be passed to. Although in saying that, he wasn't alone and forsyth looked terrible, aswell as eustace and yeates. The midfield didnt show up and its the main reason for not taking all 3 points.
I have to say i agree with you Steve. I never liked him last season and i made that plain. He is very lazy at times, he sits in the middle of the park and neither goes forward or back. He cant pass very well at all and does not seem to be making a lot of progress. I would rather see Whichelow or Mingoia play and earn their stripes. I can not comment on Walker as i have never seen him, but if he shows he wants it and can fill the spot then give the guy a go!!
he is like every other player - he does what he is told to do. If he is told to sit and defend or to mark a particular player then that is what he does. Having said that it was his shot that the keeper spilled for Yates to score the disallowed goal. The fact is we are set up with 2 defensive midfielders and most of us on here think that it should be only one with the other space going to a more creative player. The defensive set-up we are playing at the moment is leaving a huge gap at times between the attack and the central midfielders and is clearly not working.
Two defensive midfielders can work, provided you are playing a five man midfield. As Jack Cork and a 60 year old striker showed a couple of years ago under BR. We've played two defensive midfielders in a 4-4-2 in nearly every "meaningful" game since McGinn got injured. That's Mackay and Dyche's fault for not putting out a balanced side, not Jenkins' fault for getting himself picked.
...the trouble is, I don't really see what he does so I can't work out what he is told to do. On Saturday, I am sure he must of come off after 90 minutes thinking he could do another 90 minutes. If Dyche tells him to avoid getting stuck in, stop chasing back, stop getting forward and stop heading or passing to your own players then, you are right, Jenkins can't be blamed because he followed instructions perfectly. There was a a young black lad for Coventry called Bigirmana, or something like that, and he put Jenkins to shame with his effort and distribution.
If he's playing under instructions, then the instructions need to be changed. He does seem unclear what his role is at the moment and he lacks the pace and guile to make an individual impact. I think Mingoia looks at least a bit more mobile and deserves a chance.
I agree with hornethologist, RJ looks uncomfortable on the ball and is not shining through as he should given that he has been with Watford a number of years now and should be firmly established in the squad. Instead we have a player who is only in the squad due to a lack of options in that midfield role. RJ is simply not stepping up into that role and I must confess to feeling very frustrated whenever I see him in the starting line up.
My friend trains with the first team...and he says Jenkins is one of the best. Obviously a lot changes when it's a real match :/......
Madmoose....remember Liam Henderson, a really good player in the reserves. He used to bang em in for fun, in one match I think he got about 4 goals but what was he like in the first team squad!?!
Well I think it must be an issue between the ears as he undoubtably has talent and was one of our better players earlier on in his career. All players have have bad runs - they mostly come out of it through shear hard work in both training and on the pitch. Crowds generally forgive poor touch, poor passing, poor finishing, etc IF they can see someone trying their best. That's what he needs to do. Better still though, drop him. Give someone else a chance.
For different reasons I agree. An in form Eustace is undroppable, and from what Dyche has said and done so far he clearly favours 4-4-2. I don't think Jenkins is the right player for the system even if he is playing to the best of his ability, unless Eustace has a bad patch or we go 4-2-3-1.
I remember Tim Sherwood getting much the same stick at Jenkins' age.....and look what he went on to achieve. He was discarded by Watford far too early in his career. Jenkins does however need a creative midfielder with him rather than JE (or JE needs a creative midfielder with him). But then creative midfielders command decent salaries - just ask Cowie.
I think Jenkins should be given a little more time to improve, if you look at the bigger picture he's been in and out of the side with niggly injuries over the last couple of years - i recall him making a great pass for Sordell to set up Forsyth at Burnley (im aware one moment in 3 games doesnt redeem him but it proves he has the ability). I definitely agree that him and Eustace in a 4-4-2 is not the answer though, Whichelow or Mingoia would be far better options.
Jenkins is a holding player, he should only play alongside Eustace in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He hasn't got the confidence or the creativity to push forward and help the forwards. Would love to see Bauben or Walker given a go, perhaps even Mingoia. I like Jenkins, a couple of years ago he looked like a really good player, but then he hardly played last season. I've only seen the Burnley game so far and he can pull the strings of a midfield in my opinion.
Who here agrees that Walker should be given a shot after the game he had against Bristol Rovers?? Mooney and Price had only good things to say about him where as we have had very few good things to say about Jenkins.
Did you actualy watch the game BHD? I actually like Walker and would like him to be given a run in the team. Whilst commentators talked nice things they didn't have much else to talk about and let's face it, we didn't put away a 2nd Division team. Those fans that went to the game didn't rave about him & the fact that he might have played slightly better than the rest (depending on your opinion) doesn't really count for much when you look at the result. JE won't go on forever & indeed he may be scaled down on his appearences this season - Jenkins, despite his young age now has a lot of Championship experience and he plays the role he is told to play. The obvious fact is the team need to be set up in midfield differently, it could be with Jenkins & Eustace or either one of them but we must accomodate a more creative player, one that links the defence/midfield/forwards together more naturally than at present.
With the speed at which Eustace is picking up yellow cards, we will have the chance to try a new mid-field combination sooner rather than later. I think Jenkins is a good player alongside a more forward thinking partner--as when he played alongside Cork. A perfect fit would be Jenkins and Mutch. Birmingham will not loan him again though. Hearing our gravel-voiced manager talking after the Bristol match was a bit depressing.He kept alluding to the "constraints" he is working under in bringing in new players--financial presumably, though Bas made a big point about the playing budget being increased earlier in the season. Dyche also mused that sometimes players you bring in work out, --and sometimes they don't, and have to be dropped. Was that a message for Ilewumo or Deeney? He admitted he is "desperate" to bring in a striker-- agents, and lower league clubs with players for sale, take note! Though the players we have brought in are competent enough, and would probably find a place in most Championship squads outside the top 6 (except Ilewumo) none of them strikes me as a game changer/match winner. Any team that aspires to a top half finish in this division needs a couple of outstanding players as well as a supporting cast, plus a bit of strength in depth. We have the supporting cast and more strength in depth than last season--but no outstanding players in any department. So, though I was called "negative" for saying so, I continue to predict no more than three points from the first 5 games, no more than three points from the 5 games after that, and a bottom 6 position all season.Final outcome--uncertain.
Unfortunately i did not get to watch the game chris, i can only go on what the commentators said and they were talking about him a fair bit and questioned why SD took him off when he had had a good game but Forsyth looked tired. I was simply offering an option to fill the creative midfield gap as others have said Buaben is not up to it yet.
