The £2M signing..

[Stranded]

I wouldn't say it's hard to grasp.

We spent the money on Mills as we rate him and at the time needed a CB most urgently.

Since we signed him, O'Dea has become available and we have chosen to go for him because he is a better player. Mills will train and wait for his chance again.

I doubt he or the club are worried about the size of the fee just some fans.

[bubibe]

Hmmm.

Just seems strange that he's not giving him any sort of chance at the moment. All this "not match fit" stuff gets on my nerves too.

Why does signing him means we have to play him if, in training so far, he's not as good as the two who started?

Arguably the money could have been better spent elsewhere. Up front, for example.

Like could have got Lambert of Bristol Rovers for less than half that & not one for the future - for here and now.

[Vision]

When he was bought we didn';t know O'Dea would be available - but what the hell? We now have quality centre-back cover, and you can be sure at least one of Pearce and O'Dea will be injured and/or suspended at some part of the season.

Looks bleak for Ivar, though....

Hmmm...I still suspect some desperation at the end of the window. Would we really have brought O'Dea in had Mills slotted in comfortably? With Cisse as such reliable cover?

To be honest from what I've seen of O'Dea so far I think we would. A player of genuine class in my view and available even on a shortish loan doesn't end up at the likes of us very often.

[Royal Lady]

I wouldn't say it's hard to grasp.

We spent the money on Mills as we rate him and at the time needed a CB most urgently.

Since we signed him, O'Dea has become available and we have chosen to go for him because he is a better player. Mills will train and wait for his chance again.

I doubt he or the club are worried about the size of the fee just some fans.

not really a"cutting the cloth" exercise though, is it.

[CMRoyal]

When he was bought we didn';t know O'Dea would be available - but what the hell? We now have quality centre-back cover, and you can be sure at least one of Pearce and O'Dea will be injured and/or suspended at some part of the season.

Looks bleak for Ivar, though....

Hmmm...I still suspect some desperation at the end of the window. Would we really have brought O'Dea in had Mills slotted in comfortably? With Cisse as such reliable cover?

To be honest from what I've seen of O'Dea so far I think we would. A player of genuine class in my view and available even on a shortish loan doesn't end up at the likes of us very often.

Yeah, true enough. It would signal a step-change in the club's outlook though - sod the new signing's confidence or ego, if we can find someone better for the short-term, so be it. Ruthless.

(Or maybe we just didn't want Forest to have him.)

[Wimb]

I wouldn't say it's hard to grasp.

We spent the money on Mills as we rate him and at the time needed a CB most urgently.

Since we signed him, O'Dea has become available and we have chosen to go for him because he is a better player. Mills will train and wait for his chance again.

I doubt he or the club are worried about the size of the fee just some fans.

not really a"cutting the cloth" exercise though, is it.

Oh RL honestly. Usually I can at least understand where you're coming from but on this I don't understand your point.

Mills has made several starts this season and has also been on the bench for the last two games. We have our current captain taking up one spot and a Champions League standard player who somehow we've managed to sign in the other spot.

How can you describe it as a waste of money? He's going to be here far longer then O'Dea and as has been pointed out it's great to have a player like that on the bench if something happens to the current pair. If we hadn't got O'Dea and Ivar had an injury setback what would you be saying then? spending money on an experienced and proven player at this level seems perfect to the 'cutting the cloth' mantra

Give the lad a fecking chance

[roberto_11]

Hmmm.

Just seems strange that he's not giving him any sort of chance at the moment. All this "not match fit" stuff gets on my nerves too.

Royal Lady, no disrespect, but how often have you trained as a professional sportsman. Failing that, have you even played a sport properly at a high level?

Im going to guess at no.

If like others are saying Mills had no pre season, it means that he missed out on at least 6 weeks of the most intensive physical training which the players get during the course of a season. This training is essentially a kickstart for the season after the summer break and provides the base fitness which, providing they stay injury free, will remain over the course of the season.

By missing the pre seson, this means that it will take a lot longer to get him completely up to speed with the other players, because if he trains that hard now, he will be fatigued by the time the games come around twice a week, obviously impeding his performance. For Mills it is more a case of a gradual increase in fitness over the next few months with playing the odd game untill he is up to speed with the other players.

With Ivar returning from a long term injury and Cisse not really a centre back, this is why O'Dea was bought in as excellent cover during this period. The reason we spent 2 million on Mills is that he is 23 and Rodgers regards him as a player who will be able to play comfortably at Premiership level in the future. The reason we didnt spend 1.8 million on Smith is because he is 29 and has played in the Premiership before and never really cut it.

Not really rocket science.

[Wycombe Royal]

The reason we didnt spend 1.8 million on Smith is because he is 29 and has played in the Premiership before and never really cut it.

I agree with you on the fitness stuff, but the reason we didn't spend £1.8m on Smith is because he chose Portsmouth over us.

[Royal Lady]

Why the hell did we bother going for Smith in the first place then, if you say he's old!

[roberto_11]

The reason we didnt spend 1.8 million on Smith is because he is 29 and has played in the Premiership before and never really cut it.

I agree with you on the fitness stuff, but the reason we didn't spend £1.8m on Smith is because he chose Portsmouth over us.

Ha yeah good point, but I meant the reason why we were haggling for a very long time

[Norfolk Royal]

Hmmm.

Just seems strange that he's not giving him any sort of chance at the moment. All this "not match fit" stuff gets on my nerves too.

Royal Lady, no disrespect, but how often have you trained as a professional sportsman. Failing that, have you even played a sport properly at a high level?

Im going to guess at no.

Wrong, she was the all-England extreme ironing champion in 1987.

[Row Z Royal]

Madejski's a tight-fisted, sewn-up-pocketed miser - moan moan moan

Reading have spent £2m - moan moan moan.


What a bunch of wasters.

[roberto_11]

Why the hell did we bother going for Smith in the first place then, if you say he's old!

Rodgers liked him from his time at Watford, thought he would be an excellent player for us at this level. Because of his age and record in the Premier League, the (slightly tight) club didnt value him at the 1.8 million which Watford were asking. As the transfer window deadline was looming, and having signed no other forwards, out of desperation we agreed to pay a bit more, but then Pompey nipped in at the eleventh hour and snapped him up.

[Royal Lady]

RZR - what are your thoughts on this season so far - you haven't had much of an opinion.

I'm ASKING why on earth a £2 million player is sat on a bench, I don't see it as moaning, I'm curious because from where I'm looking at the situation, it seems a waste of money - SOME people have managed to explain the situation as THEY see it, and for that I am grateful and maybe understand things a bit better.

[AF1]

Why the hell did we bother going for Smith in the first place then, if you say he's old!

roberto_11 exposed himself as a racist scumbag on another thread RL, put him on your iggy list and 4get

fwiw I 'gree wiv you, utter waste of money if hes going to sit on the bench, injured or not

[Royal Lady]

//Moderator hat on - Racist you say? // moderator hat off.

[Row Z Royal]

RZR - what are your thoughts on this season so far - you haven't had much of an opinion.

I'm ASKING why on earth a £2 million player is sat on a bench, I don't see it as moaning, I'm curious because from where I'm looking at the situation, it seems a waste of money - SOME people have managed to explain the situation as THEY see it, and for that I am grateful and maybe understand things a bit better.

And I already TOLD YOU that if in training he isn't showing himself to be as good as the two people who started ahead of him, then who are we to moan?

As DG pointed out, O'Dear became available unexpectedly and we, rightly, jumped at the chance.

A signing doesn't have a divine right to play.

[CMRoyal]

Madejski's a tight-fisted, sewn-up-pocketed miser - moan moan moan

Reading have spent £2m - moan moan moan.


What a bunch of wasters.

...says the person reading and responding to the thread.

[Row Z Royal]

Madejski's a tight-fisted, sewn-up-pocketed miser - moan moan moan

Reading have spent £2m - moan moan moan.


What a bunch of wasters.

...says the person reading and responding to the thread.

I'm just upping my post count, mate.

[roberto_11]

Why the hell did we bother going for Smith in the first place then, if you say he's old!

roberto_11 exposed himself as a racist scumbag on another thread RL, put him on your iggy list and 4get

fwiw I 'gree wiv you, utter waste of money if hes going to sit on the bench, injured or not

For the record dude, Michael Gilkes is one of my favourite ever Reading players