"So, that Junior's gone then. He didn't last long."

"Yeah."

"That Devaney doesn't seem to be doing much."

"No."

"D'you reckon we'll ever see him in the first team?"

"No."

"I s'pose we might get rid of him."

"Yeah."

"Looks like a panic signing, doesn't it?"

"No, because Devlin might have been injured and Young and McNamee might have been a bit rubbish so Aidy needed another winger about the place to...you know...make cups of tea, act as a ballboy at training, stand in a wall as target practice for Marlon and all that. I'm sure his time at Watford hasn't been wasted. At all. Aidy likes to be honest and straighforward with his players, though, so I guess he'll have to say something like, 'Martin, you're not very good. Bugger off to Barnsley,' and then wish him all the best. So, no, not a panic signing at all, oh no."

It's a bloody good job we're winning games of football, Mr Boothroyd....

Dave Messenger