Play Simon Cox Please..............

[Royal Lady]

Given that you're both on friendly terms with Long, RL & Schards, do you proffer your opinion of him to his face?

I've met him twice, Schards hasn't met him I don't think. I haven't seen him in over a year.

[Wycombe Royal]

I presume you are referring to the extension. Given that there has still been no announcement, do you think it's possible, just possible that the club is now agreeing with my opinion that it isn't prudent and, therefore, you now agree with me?

I was actually referring to you in general, and my view on the extension hasn't changed. I don't agree that deman has fallen enough not to warrant doing it, but obviously relegation would change that. I have no idea whther my view agrees with the club or not and I don't really care. That is how I see it.

[The 17 Bus]

Given that you're both on friendly terms with Long, RL & Schards, do you proffer your opinion of him to his face?

I've met him twice, Schards hasn't met him I don't think. I haven't seen him in over a year.

And when asked about meeting you and having a lift in your mini he forgot

[Bowman's Quiver]

Having seen Cox play first hand for Swindon I would summise that he's just about found his level.

I don't understand the hysteria from some on here.

[RG30]

The same people who are moaning are probably the same ones who moaned about Jonny Hayes getting released in the summer, yet Hayes showed nothing to warrant his place. Now at Leicester, but I pressume he hasn't played many games.

[Hoop Blah]

The same people who are moaning are probably the same ones who moaned about Jonny Hayes getting released in the summer, yet Hayes showed nothing to warrant his place. Now at Leicester, but I pressume he hasn't played many games.

I seem to remember RL taking a shine to Hayes, but personally speaking I never thought he had enough about him.

I think Cox probably hasn't got enough to survive at this level either but he did show enough promise that I felt he should've had a fair crack of the whip in the first team. The glimpses he showed were promising but he never had the chance to prove he wasn't capable.

[Royal Lady]

Hayes is at Northampton. HTH.

My daughter knows him, I've never met him.

[royaldownunder]

Would have been worth keeping Cox if we were offered £7million for Lita by Bolton... on current form.. this looks like it would have been a deal worth looking at... I can only assume it was to keep our relegation rivals from a potentially risky signing (as Lita... when he can be bothered to get his arse in gear is a damn good player). I only wish (and hope) he has the motivation to prove coppell wrong and make a serious striking impact on the team (particularly now when Doyle seems to be having a quiet patch and he has a chance of making it back it the 1st team).

COME ON LEROY PROVE US WRONG SHOW US YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[Geekins]

Hayes is at Northampton. HTH.

My daughter knows him, I've never met him.

Isn't he a complete tw@ though? always acted it on the promotion day strutting in like he won us the league!

Oh and his website

[Royal Lady]

Hayes is at Northampton. HTH.

My daughter knows him, I've never met him.

Isn't he a complete tw@ though? always acted it on the promotion day strutting in like he won us the league!

Oh and his website

I have no idea, I've never met him and didn't know that his website existed. HTH.

[RoyalBlue]

He obviously wasn't good enough in training or in reserve matches.

Any way I have said all I'm going to say on this subject. People far more qualified than any of us have decided he isn't good enough for our first team and their track record says that it is unlikely they are wrong this time.

I agree. Had coppell let players go who have gone on to bigger and better things then I would be inclined to agree that its a shame that Cox went. But Tyson and Henderson are the youth products that spring to mind who Coppell let go and neither of them have gone on to bigger and better things. So I think Cox wasnt quite good enough. Ultimately as soon as Long came along there was a rival of a similar age. The mangement think that Long is better than Cox - and they know the players better than us.

Henderson hasn't done too badly and, if the management have really cocked things up on the transfer front this season, may well be enjoying bigger and better things than most of our squad next season. Indeed if we hit injuries/suspensions between now and the end of the season we might have been grateful to have a player such as Henderson in our squad.

Why couldn't we have kept both Long and Cox on our books? If Cox wanted first team football and SC didn't feel it was the time to give it to him here, he could have been sent out on long term loan again.

[Royal Rother]

Henderson hasn't done too badly and, if the management have really cocked things up on the transfer front this season, may well be enjoying bigger and better things than most of our squad next season. Indeed if we hit injuries/suspensions between now and the end of the season we might have been grateful to have a player such as Henderson in our squad.

Oh good grief - will you get bored soon?

[Lower West]

Having seen Simon Cox play for Swindon 6 times this season, I haven't seen anything to suggest that he would make an impact at this level currently. He needs regular football to develop and get physically stronger. Even at League One level he gets muscled off the ball far too often. Has skill though and will grace in the Championship in the next 2/3 seasons.

No doubt Reading have built in sell on clauses into the contract so the Academy will benefit from his transfer move.

[Platypuss]

How can he push on if he's not selected again for the first team and then farmed out to Swindon on loan?

He obviously wasn't good enough in training or in reserve matches.

How many reserve games would he have played for us in this season?

[The 17 Bus]

amybe there lies part of ther problem, it is time there wa sa proper reserve league that actually gave those not in the 1st team some games.

[RoyalBlue]

I notice they introduced another future Swindon star to the crowd at half-time today. Joshua Barrett who is scoring goals for fun for the Academy U10s!

Came across a copy of The Whiff(ooh missus!) issue #12 (Sept 1999) the other day. In it there was a report from a Fans Forum. John Madejeski's opening comments included a big up for the new FA Youth Academy and the statement that in 3-4 years time we should have good, locally developed players coming through. Well given how badly that particular project has overrun (and probably overspent) perhaps he ought to be having some very strong words with those responsible.

[Lower West]

Trouble is in that period Reading are playing at a far higher level. Developing players that walk into into a premiership team at are far and few. The issue is that Simon Cox for example should have been loaned out earlier, ie as soon as he was signed as a pro to a League 2 team. Then maybe he would have developed further.