A chance encounter with managing director Jim Rodwell

Sometimes you just find yourself in the right place at the right time. Or the wrong place, from someone else’s perspective.

About 40 minutes after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Watford and shortly after Nathan Jones had completed his press conference, I came out of the media entrance at the back of the Elton John Stand and crossed the road to head back to Watford Junction.

I then became aware of two men walking in front of me, although I heard them before I realised who they were. Whether or not they saw me, there was no reason for them to notice me. I wasn’t wearing any colours, having watched the game from the press box.

The pair were managing director Jim Rodwell and board member Paul Elliott, and they were clearly discussing the game they had just watched, probably speaking more freely than they would have been able to do earlier in front of their Watford counterparts.

Unfortunately for them, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy if you are talking in a loud voice in a public place, as was the case with Rodwell.

What snagged my attention was his remark: “He’s not covered himself in glory today. I think he should have gone before.”

Elliott agreed. Soon after that we came to a junction and I chose to cross the road and take a different route back to the station. I hadn’t set out to overhear their conversation or even seen them beforehand and I didn’t intend to eavesdrop. But I had heard what I heard.

Crucially, that didn’t include a name. My initial assumption was that they had been discussing Charlton manager Nathan Jones, which would be highly embarrassing to them, but on reflection it could have been a player.

Then again, the potential candidates among the 16 used at Watford is small. Six of the starters and one of the substitutes were new signings over the summer. They could not have “gone before”. 

It seems unlikely that Rodwell meant Tyreece Campbell, Lloyd Jones or Alan Mwamba.

That leaves starters Kayne Ramsay, Conor Coventry and Miles Leaburn, as well as substitutes Charlie Kelman, Sonny Carey and Harvey Knibbs, who only played for 30 minutes each.

Ramsay had made a number of mistakes in the game but was only starting his second match after injury. Kelman too has recently returned and seems an unlikely target.

Knibbs and Carey were not obvious cases to single out for criticism on the day. Both Coventry and Leaburn were publicly criticised by Nathan Jones post-match when he spoke to the press, but it isn’t clear that either have had a recent opportunity to leave.

None of these players is departing right now anyway, and Rodwell doesn’t pick the team. If, on the other hand, he did mean the manager, that seems significant, at least giving an indication of some thinking inside the club. 

I spoke to the media team on Saturday evening to give them the opportunity to provide any context that they wanted and said that I wouldn’t share the detail immediately.

I have yet to hear back further. Chances are they have nothing to add.

Rick Everitt's match report for the News Shopper is here.