800k fee agreed for Michael Duberry

[Mr Angry]

A pretty semsible purchase for, what in January, is the price you pay.

It seems to suggest that Sonks' injury is maybe worse than so far hinted at by the club, and, as PP said, if we have 4 quality central defenders to choose from where is the problem? We then have the luxury of being able to rest players as and when appropriate. This will also apply when Doyle is fit and Kitson fully match fit for the forwards.

Halford is one for the future, which just leaves 1 other bit of business to tie up........and one that MAY explain the Chairmans' comments of record signing.



Sidwell.

[ScottishRoyal]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

so what about Bennett?

Bennett will I'm sure prove to be a good bargain - but its going to take him a while to get up to speed given him ionly just returning to pre season training in Ireland. Bennett offers competition in the medium term whereas Duberry can hopefully slot straight in. This now gives us 4 decent central defenders with hopefully Pearce developing further and Mate being given another chance.

The future looks bealker for Bikey and Sodje however.

To be fair to Bikey, I think he's a central midfielder that has been played out of position a lot due to our shortage of centre backs. At CM he's looked good and fully deserves to stay next year. Sodje and Brown on the other hand will probably be off in the Summer, if not today.

[jenster81]

A pretty semsible purchase for, what in January, is the price you pay.

It seems to suggest that Sonks' injury is maybe worse than so far hinted at by the club, and, as PP said, if we have 4 quality central defenders to choose from where is the problem? We then have the luxury of being able to rest players as and when appropriate. This will also apply when Doyle is fit and Kitson fully match fit for the forwards.

Halford is one for the future, which just leaves 1 other bit of business to tie up........and one that MAY explain the Chairmans' comments of record signing.



Sidwell.

I heard alot about that last night at the game and if it's true i will be surprised that he played last night. never know.

[Big Ern]

A pretty semsible purchase for, what in January, is the price you pay.

It seems to suggest that Sonks' injury is maybe worse than so far hinted at by the club, and, as PP said, if we have 4 quality central defenders to choose from where is the problem? We then have the luxury of being able to rest players as and when appropriate. This will also apply when Doyle is fit and Kitson fully match fit for the forwards.

Halford is one for the future, which just leaves 1 other bit of business to tie up........and one that MAY explain the Chairmans' comments of record signing.



Sidwell.

I heard alot about that last night at the game and if it's true i will be surprised that he played last night. never know.

I think Mr Angry is intimating that Sidwell will sign a record contract with the club in terms of pay.

[jenster81]

A pretty semsible purchase for, what in January, is the price you pay.

It seems to suggest that Sonks' injury is maybe worse than so far hinted at by the club, and, as PP said, if we have 4 quality central defenders to choose from where is the problem? We then have the luxury of being able to rest players as and when appropriate. This will also apply when Doyle is fit and Kitson fully match fit for the forwards.

Halford is one for the future, which just leaves 1 other bit of business to tie up........and one that MAY explain the Chairmans' comments of record signing.



Sidwell.

I heard alot about that last night at the game and if it's true i will be surprised that he played last night. never know.

I think Mr Angry is intimating that Sidwell will sign a record contract with the club in terms of pay.

True, could go either way, but i don't think that Coppell or Mr Mad would say it like that personally when it comes to the players wages.

[AbovetheI]

Do we really need Duberry? Especially in what could be another "Martin Keown" situation. He was good in his day but i can't see him doing a job for Reading. This type if transfer scares me.

[Coppelled Streets]

Very good move by the club.
Totally agree with the post at the top about four quality centre backs etc.
Some people really need to have a closer look at who is ready for the first team squad and who is or isn't good enough!
As always, very shrewd.

[Mr Angry]

A pretty semsible purchase for, what in January, is the price you pay.

It seems to suggest that Sonks' injury is maybe worse than so far hinted at by the club, and, as PP said, if we have 4 quality central defenders to choose from where is the problem? We then have the luxury of being able to rest players as and when appropriate. This will also apply when Doyle is fit and Kitson fully match fit for the forwards.

Halford is one for the future, which just leaves 1 other bit of business to tie up........and one that MAY explain the Chairmans' comments of record signing.



Sidwell.

I heard alot about that last night at the game and if it's true i will be surprised that he played last night. never know.

I think Mr Angry is intimating that Sidwell will sign a record contract with the club in terms of pay.

Spot on.

[Nezhen]

Not happy about Duberry and certainly not please about 800k if that's true. We already have enough cover for SOnko, despite Bikey's obvious shortcomings last night. DLC can play centre-half as well you know !

Record signing will be Zamora by all accounts, looks like it is finally going to happen !

[Big Ern]

Do we really need Duberry? Especially in what could be another "Martin Keown" situation. He was good in his day but i can't see him doing a job for Reading. This type if transfer scares me.

There is a big difference bewteen the 2 players, approx 9 yrs.

[Big Ern]

Not happy about Duberry and certainly not please about 800k if that's true. We already have enough cover for SOnko, despite Bikey's obvious shortcomings last night. DLC can play centre-half as well you know !

Record signing will be Zamora by all accounts, looks like it is finally going to happen !

Duberry is not a rold beater but has been in fine form for Stoke and has played at this level before. not one for the future, but will cover until Sonks is back and provide added competition.

Not sure why you think that Zamora will now happen.

[Wycombe Royal]

DLC can play centre-half as well you know !

At 5ft 9?

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

People continuing to question this is ridiculous? why are people making out 800k to be a lot of money has no one realised that next season if you finished bottom of the prem you would be guaranteed at least 66.6 million in tv rights and premiership placing? and you lot are moaning about 800k for a centre back who is captain of the best defence in the championship? christ almighty.

Hes 31 yes but even till the end of the season, if he gets us a few wins then whats everyone moaning about

[Tilehurst End]

Who says he's a back-up player. Don't forget there are only 4 teams in the division that have conceded more goals than us and we've had our first choice back line most of the season.

[YoungRoyal]

Where did the Chairmen's comments about us being about to make another club record buy come from?? He does say strange things at times..

All ive heard is the Radio Berkshire interview after we signed Bennett, he was asked if were going to sign anyone else and he replied

"Absolutely. This isn't the end by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm not going to tell you any names."

This was before the Halford signing and i havent heard anything about breaking the club record?

[Fat Leather Jacket]

People continuing to question this is ridiculous? why are people making out 800k to be a lot of money has no one realised that next season if you finished bottom of the prem you would be guaranteed at least 66.6 million in tv rights and premiership placing? and you lot are moaning about 800k for a centre back who is captain of the best defence in the championship? christ almighty.

Hes 31 yes but even till the end of the season, if he gets us a few wins then whats everyone moaning about

Couldnt have said it better myself.

[Platypuss]

Do we really need Duberry? Especially in what could be another "Martin Keown" situation. He was good in his day but i can't see him doing a job for Reading. This type if transfer scares me.

He's 31!

Younger than Murty and DLC - and the same age, within days, as Little and Gunnarsson.

No one calls them geriatrics, do they?

[Woodcote Royal]

Given the kind of deals that have been taken place this month (nearly £10m for Ashley Young ) how anyone can say 800k is too much for a centre half with Duberry's experience is quite beyond me.

Of course Stoke fans are delighted to get this kind of dosh for a player who would have been free in the summer but they don't exist in the same economic climate as us.

An excellent low risk piece business by Steve Coppell...........just what we needed to see us through to the end of our first fantastic season in the promised land

[Barry the bird boggler]

While I quite agree with the fact its good business at 800k and probably makes a certain amount of sense, seems that we now have a surfeit of centre halves and suggests that SC does not feel that Bikey or Sodje are up to the job of playing at this level - yet. Will that lead to unease in the camp I wonder...

I've never particularly rated Duberry, he's OK but never a player that I thought would go places (other than Chelsea, Leeds, Stoke and now Reading)!

What are the Stoke fans saying?

[From Despair To Where?]

All this stuff about having too many defenders - absolute nonsense. Take a look at the real situation:

Sonko - potentially out for the season
Bennett - unknown quantity at pre season levels of fitness
Sodje - Yet to prove he can make the step up
Golbourne - On loan at Wycombe
De La Cruz - out of contract at the end of the season
Bikey - on loan and looks out of his depth at the back
Mate - On loan and out for the season.
Halford - I think signed more for his versitility than for any 1 position
Halls - who knows whats going on with him. Can't see him being here next season.
Gunnarsson - a central midfielder playing out of position. If you're going to include him as a defender you might as well include Convey as he once played wing back, and Hunt as he filled in at LB last season.

So of our 4 regulars, one is out injured. Of the 9 others, 3 are out of contract at the end of the season and none has staked a claim for as place, 1 is away on loan, 1 is playing out of position, 1 is on the missing person's register, 1 isn't up to it and the other 2 are, as yet, unproven.

What duberry gives us is ready made experience in the centre for a reasonable outlay (£800,000 may still be a lot by our standards but it's oxf*rd all in the premiership) and also buys us time for Pearce to develop.

Our priority in the summer has to be a goalkeeper.