Le Fondre - Come and get me plea

[Eaststandman]

I don't buy that Adkins is ruining the club. He told Gooding recently that he needs a big clear-out. He wouldn't say that if he was happy with the players he had. If you give him the time and windows to ship some out and bring in his own players, I'm confident peoples opinions would change. He has a decent record for a reason. These players just aren't good enough, even for direct football which we have reverted to recently. That may be partly down to attitude as well.

Rodgers said just the same before he was sacked and yet McD got the useless players a safe 9th, play offs next season and then Champions.

I said when Adkins was appointed that it would take 20-25M and a complete change of squad to get Reading to play the possession passing game as the players we had were not that type. But there was no money and so Adkins is failing and will continue to fail. Unless we suddenly have 35M plus to invest this window (as it is always more expensive to buy players at this time of year) the only hope for this season is to sack him and revert to playing the way we used to. The alternative is to play the very long game and be patient for several years changing the squad and bringing youth through – but new owners will not have long term patience.

Whether it is fair or not I very much doubt that Adkins will in change by the end of the season.

Pretty short sighted for a manager to rubbish his playing staff, when he is also going to have to rely on them to succeed and help keep his job, isn't it?

[Big Ern]

Woodcote, I'm interested to know why you pine so much for Le Fondre starting when neither Adkins or McDermott fancied him as a starter, and more importantly, we create so little chances that he would be a passenger anyway?

Just curious, not digging. Sharp has a bit more to his game and Adkins is very big on what he see's in training, so I can understand his preference for Sharp starting ahead of him. As for Blackman, well he has a lot of strengths that Alf doesn't. Playing out wide being one, holding the ball up being another, and is apparently one of the best players in training every week. Alf can put the ball in the net, but that's it.

FWIW I'd have him in the side in a 4-4-2, but only when we're creating chances to be able to afford to accommodate him.

He is without question the most bitter RFC 'fan' on this site. Seriously if I hated the Reading set up that much I'd just stop supporting them.

He is not bitter, he is just a moron.

Real difference Alf made today.

[Uke]

Pretty short sighted for a manager to rubbish his playing staff, when he is also going to have to rely on them to succeed and help keep his job, isn't it?

To be fair, in the current climate, I don't think NA has the long sighted option on his plate

[Mr Angry]

Thought Alf played well today. Showed a battling spirit and quality touches and link up we have rarely seen from him. Only had a couple of half chances to be fair.

Some of his control of the balls lumped towards him was sublime today, but the inescapable fact is that he had a free header 12 yds out in the middle of the penalty area that he failed to get on target; that wasn't a "half chance", it was a gilt edged, 100% sitter of a chance, and was an absolutely appalling miss which should have seen us get a replay.

[kwik-silva]

Thought Alf played well today. Showed a battling spirit and quality touches and link up we have rarely seen from him. Only had a couple of half chances to be fair.

Some of his control of the balls lumped towards him was sublime today, but the inescapable fact is that he had a free header 12 yds out in the middle of the penalty area that he failed to get on target; that wasn't a "half chance", it was a gilt edged, 100% sitter of a chance, and was an absolutely appalling miss which should have seen us get a replay.

Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that he hasn't been able to get any game time and is in 0 form?

[ScottishRoyal]

Thought Alf played well today. Showed a battling spirit and quality touches and link up we have rarely seen from him. Only had a couple of half chances to be fair.

Some of his control of the balls lumped towards him was sublime today, but the inescapable fact is that he had a free header 12 yds out in the middle of the penalty area that he failed to get on target; that wasn't a "half chance", it was a gilt edged, 100% sitter of a chance, and was an absolutely appalling miss which should have seen us get a replay.

That's harsh, it was a looped ball in from Taylor tat was a touch too high for him. I was in line with his effort and there was no way he could get above that ball to keep it down, it was a just few inches too high.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I thin that Adkins has put the entire team up for sale with those comments, lets see if anyone comes in for any of them, I bet many will not have other clubs banging at the doors as they would hope.

ANd whatever happens we are stuck with Ledge and Roberts due to injuries, that is two hefty wages out of the budget.

[From Despair To Where?]

the only hope for this season is to sack him and revert to playing the way we used to. The alternative is to play the very long game and be patient for several years changing the squad and bringing youth through – but new owners will not have long term patience.

We have no choice but to go for the latter. Reverting to how we used to play will just leave us to be in the same situation in 2 or 3 years time, asking the same questions.We have to accept that if we want a team that can survive in the Premiership, we will have to put up with a couple of turgid years in the Championship building a team capable of playing the right sort of football to get up and stay up.

Look at the team McGhee inherited. He had the nucleus of a half decent team made up of a crop of very good youngsters (Williams, Taylor, Lovell) and some experienced old heads (Gilkes, Gooding) but the rest were shit. It took him 2 years to get it right and the football we played in the interim was awful but each year he brought in two or three players to fit the team he wanted and the playing style evolved.

Likewise Coppell. He inherited four or five players that would form the nucleus of the 2005/06 team (Murty, Shorey, Harper Sidwell) but the team evolved each season with the addition of two or three players who were a) good enough and b) fitted the team dynamic.


To get where we need to be will take time and I believe that Adkins, or whoever is managing the club in 9 months time if it isn't Adkins, needs both time and backing from the board, whoever that may end up being.

[harry]

We have no choice but to go for the latter. Reverting to how we used to play will just leave us to be in the same situation in 2 or 3 years time, asking the same questions.We have to accept that if we want a team that can survive in the Premiership, we will have to put up with a couple of turgid years in the Championship building a team capable of playing the right sort of football to get up and stay up.

Look at the team McGhee inherited. He had the nucleus of a half decent team made up of a crop of very good youngsters (Williams, Taylor, Lovell) and some experienced old heads (Gilkes, Gooding) but the rest were shit. It took him 2 years to get it right and the football we played in the interim was awful but each year he brought in two or three players to fit the team he wanted and the playing style evolved.

Likewise Coppell. He inherited four or five players that would form the nucleus of the 2005/06 team (Murty, Shorey, Harper Sidwell) but the team evolved each season with the addition of two or three players who were a) good enough and b) fitted the team dynamic.


To get where we need to be will take time and I believe that Adkins, or whoever is managing the club in 9 months time if it isn't Adkins, needs both time and backing from the board, whoever that may end up being.[/quote]

Hmm patience ... now that's a concept out of keeping with the modern era of "must succeed in an instant, money is everything" football.

[jellytot]

He overrates himself. He missed a sitter against Brighton. He should have put that header away.

[sandman]

Bit too high for him tbf.

[loyalroyal4life]

He overrates himself. He missed a sitter against Brighton. He should have put that header away.

Give the guy a chance, he has only started this game recently. Give him a run and sure he will get goals (subject to adequate service)

[SPARTA]

He overrates himself. He missed a sitter against Brighton. He should have put that header away.

Give the guy a chance, he has only started this game recently. Give him a run and sure he will get goals (subject to adequate service)

Even though he's rarely performed when he's started? The guy is great as an impact sub when you through everything at getting a goal back, but he offers very little when he starts. Something McDermott and Adkins both clearly agree on.

[jellytot]

Give the guy a chance, he has only started this game recently. Give him a run and sure he will get goals (subject to adequate service)[/quote]

Even though he's rarely performed when he's started? The guy is great as an impact sub when you through everything at getting a goal back, but he offers very little when he starts. Something McDermott and Adkins both clearly agree on.[/quote]

Yep. Not many sides will buy a striker just for impact of the bench. Until he has a run of starting and scoring then I do not see him attracting PL offers or even decent Chumpionship offers. No one will want to spend 2 to 3 m to get him at the moment. Also he is a good penalty taker.. how many of his goals have been pens? A few. I want to see him do well but he needs to start banging them in. To be fair we create bugger all and have not done for 18 months or so. To be a striker at RFC is to be frustrated and starved.

[HoneyRoastHoax]

Against Brighton he didn't bother chasing any defenders down, they are very capable passing from the back but under no pressure its easy for them. You saw the difference when Pog came on and all of a sudden we had a lot more possession.

The ball was passed into his feet from the wing when he was side onto the goal and a defender at his back. He missed the ball and it trickled harmlessly passed him.

He missed an absolutely free header 6 yards from goal.

He did a flick at goal in the first half.

This is literally all I recall him doing.

I appreciate everything he has done for us but if he was a new signing and put in that performance I would be horrified. You're only as good as your last game.

[moonwalklikebas]

What annoys me most about this is the fact that he was playing in League two and performing very well at the level 58 in 105 apps.

With a league crying out for goalscorers we were the only team (Along with sheff wed who put in a bid) to take a gamble on him.

In his first season we got promoted and in his second we gave him the chance to ply his trade in the best league in the world....and after two seasons (The best of his career) he is sticking the 'for sale' sign up because he believes he is bigger and better than the club that took a punt on him.

By all means Ill quite happily drop the egotistical little prick back in Rotherham!!

[sandman]

So basically. Jason Roberts is a massive money grabbing b'stard, who has no intention of playing for us again and is using us to enhance his media career. Whilst Adam Le Fondre is a complete pr*ck, who we'd happily drop off in Rotherham because he wants to play for us.

[Harrydog]

i dont believe Roberts' sick pay is costing us anything as this would be recouped under an insurance claim

[paddy20]

What annoys me most about this is the fact that he was playing in League two and performing very well at the level 58 in 105 apps.

With a league crying out for goalscorers we were the only team (Along with sheff wed who put in a bid) to take a gamble on him.

In his first season we got promoted and in his second we gave him the chance to ply his trade in the best league in the world....and after two seasons (The best of his career) he is sticking the 'for sale' sign up because he believes he is bigger and better than the club that took a punt on him.

By all means Ill quite happily drop the egotistical little prick back in Rotherham!!

Players like to play! It does nothing for their covenant if they are not playing. Its their career and players have to get the best deals for themselves. They are not partisan fans and football isn't their hobby like it is for us. Le Fondre has a manager that doesn't really rate him. So why shouldn't he look after his family and go somewhere that would appreciate him?

[Royal Biscuitman]

Reverting to how we used to play will just leave us to be in the same situation in 2 or 3 years time

If the aim was to get up by any means playing short term football that wouldn't work in the Premiership, then we grab our big slice of the big premiership money, write off the season and use it all to rebuild the team then that might work..... we effectively did that last time but without the money being reinvested.