So, roughly sixteen years after he last pulled on a Watford shirt, Richard Jobson was back at Vicarage Road. While he'd been away, he'd commanded a seven figure fee when transferred from Oldham to Leeds, been called up to the England squad six times, and been credited with saving Manchester City's Division One promotion season by Joe Royle. Not bad for a career that had been constantly interrupted by knee injuries.

Having worked with Jobson at Watford and with England, Graham Taylor moved swiftly to bring him in as a defensive partner for Robert Page when Darren Ward suffered a potentially serious injury. Now thirty-seven and falling down the pecking order at Maine Road, he returned to Watford still looking lean and elegant, if greying on top.

He went straight into the side that had been undefeated in the fifteen First Division games since the start of the campaign. We were promptly stuffed at home by Sheffield Wednesday, conceding twice direct from corners, including an own goal by yer man. A few days later, we were beaten at Tranmere. Although Ward made a quick recovery to replace Jobson after those two games, the sudden slump in form continued - at the time of writing, the Hornets have suffered five consecutive defeats.

Certainly, against Sheffield Wednesday, you could've guessed that our two central defenders had probably been introduced to each other an hour or so previously. Put simply, there was no marking at set pieces. In that respect, Jobson's presence did contribute to the end of that long unbeaten run.

Nevertheless, it'd be incredibly harsh to place too much responsibility at his door. He performed well enough in the circumstances. Ideally, we would've had cover for Ward within the squad, removing the need to introduce a stranger into a strong defensive unit. Besides, it's fair to say that the team was showing signs of wear and tear before his arrival, and that more familiar faces have made more significant errors during the run of defeats.

Not his fault, then.