CONFIMRED - Blackman to Derby

[Extended-Phenotype]

Players progress.

Players also have freak runs of form for short periods then return to their standard.

Aye but personally I think Blackman has looked good enough and scored well enough to suggest his good form was more than a series of flukes

[Hoop Blah]

Personally I disagree.

The goals weren't flukes, I just think he got on a little run of form where everything went right for him. I don't expect him to hit too many runs like that over the rest of his career.

[teignmouth hoops]

Apart from my earlier fear that we would sign Darren Bent my further fear is that Kanu will get even more game time now and we end up giving him yet another 3-year contract.

Totally agree, both are a waste of space, although Kanu can put in a decent cross when he can be arsed

[Extended-Phenotype]

We don't have to worry about the red herring now, we can play the central strikers up front and the wide players out wide. Sa and Vydra up front in a 4-4-2, or Vydra dropping deeper in a 4-2-3-1, with McCleary and one of HRK/Quinn/John out wide. And reinvest where we need to.

Yeah this.

Not really then

Our better players being cm's, id rather see Quinn, Norwood and Williams in a central three. Maybe stick three up front or HRK and McCleary wide with a target man.

Or something. 4-4-2 is penis.

[Sutekh]

I would say the Kanu this season is much improved on his form from the last 2 years.

[sandman]

Have we sold Blackman to cover our liability on the expensive disaster that has been Matej Vydra?

Come on now floyd, Vydra is just "too good for us" and the rest of our professional football players just "aren't on his wavelength". "Put Vydra through on goal and he'll start scoring" just like he did when he had three chances before half time on Saturday, the free header he hit the bar with against Brentford and the HRK pass that put him one on one with the keeper at Wolves.

[WoodleyRoyal]

We don't have to worry about the red herring now, we can play the central strikers up front and the wide players out wide. Sa and Vydra up front in a 4-4-2, or Vydra dropping deeper in a 4-2-3-1, with McCleary and one of HRK/Quinn/John out wide. And reinvest where we need to.

Yeah this.

Not really then

Our better players being cm's, id rather see Quinn, Norwood and Williams in a central three. Maybe stick three up front or HRK and McCleary wide with a target man.

Or something. 4-4-2 is penis.

Penetrative

[CountryRoyal]

Not really then

Our better players being cm's, id rather see Quinn, Norwood and Williams in a central three. Maybe stick three up front or HRK and McCleary wide with a target man.

Or something. 4-4-2 is penis.

Penetrative

Too rigid.

[TommyF]

I think this could prove to be a big loss for RFC - but not because Blackman has gone but the effect his going has.

What must players like Gunter, McCleary or Norwood be thinking - we're struggling to score and we sell the player who has scored a third of our goals? I can only see this impacting badly on the side as they suddenly feel they don't really have support or that the owner lack belief in the side to achieve.

I remember Steve Coppell's second season in the prem when the players that finished 8th one season got relegated the next. I always felt it wasn't the failure to bring in quality that cost us but that the players here felt let down by not being invested in.

[Maguire]

What must players like Gunter, McCleary or Norwood be thinking

Gunter: "Garath looks so dreamy in his new boots"

McCleary: "Why does that fassyhole keep staring at me?"

Norwood: "What shall I get added to my sleeve tattoo/who's running in the 1520 at Chepstow?"

[UpThePrem]

I think this could prove to be a big loss for RFC - but not because Blackman has gone but the effect his going has.

What must players like Gunter, McCleary or Norwood be thinking - we're struggling to score and we sell the player who has scored a third of our goals? I can only see this impacting badly on the side as they suddenly feel they don't really have support or that the owner lack belief in the side to achieve.

Not convinced this is the case. If you look at the goal celebrations, these three are never to be seen with him following a goal. If the rumours are to be true that he was not a good team player, the three you have highlighted are the most likely to like him leaving. McCleary will get more game time, Gunter will partner McCleary on the left who he is far better with and Norwood may well have far better outlets now he has gone. I think it could improve all three of them.

[Pepe the Horseman]

What must players like Gunter, McCleary or Norwood be thinking

Gunter: "Garath looks so dreamy in his new boots"

McCleary: "Why does that fassyhole keep staring at me?"

Norwood: "What shall I get added to my sleeve tattoo/who's running in the 1520 at Chepstow?"

rofl

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Not really then

Our better players being cm's, id rather see Quinn, Norwood and Williams in a central three. Maybe stick three up front or HRK and McCleary wide with a target man.

Or something. 4-4-2 is penis.

Penetrative

Too rigid.

Hoping for another Semi?

[CountryRoyal]

When we really go for it, it can be quite leaky.

[Winston Smith]

I think this could prove to be a big loss for RFC - but not because Blackman has gone but the effect his going has.

What must players like Gunter, McCleary or Norwood be thinking - we're struggling to score and we sell the player who has scored a third of our goals? I can only see this impacting badly on the side as they suddenly feel they don't really have support or that the owner lack belief in the side to achieve.

You have literally just plucked that from thin air.

[stealthpapes]

This sort of thing happens. Take the money, rework the side, move on.

[loyalroyaldaz]

Reading chief executive Nigel Howe said the the move was "the right thing for all parties concerned" having failed to reach a new contract with the player after five months of negotiations.

"This deal will also allow us the chance to potentially re-invest in the first team this month, helping the manager to bolster his squad should the right opportunities arise during the transfer window," Howe said.


the "potentially re-invest" and "should the right opportunities arise" do not inspire optimism

Do the Thais actually have any money of their own? Both in the summer and now if you take this statement at face value suggests we need to sell before we can bring people in.

Keep up Sandman
The Thais have stated more than once that the club needs to be self sufficient and build its revenue to reinvest in the team. They took the debt on and will have to pay that back as well.
They have stated that the redevelopment around the ground will bring in more revenue to the football club and that is where thier financial clout will be focused right now.
Never going to bung brian £10m for players but if this sale puts £2m in the pot to use then thats what we have.
Just need to be realistic. We have a squad Still here that should be challenging still for play offs at least and should have been looking at top 2 !!!

[Royalwaster]

Totally agree - and well worth noting that at beginning of season not a single fan thought that Blackman would be a key player this season and would have happily sold him for £2.50 let alone £2.5million ....

[Vision]

It does make sense from a financial point of view but a part of my soul dies whenever I hear the phrase "good bit of business"

With regard to this supposed bad attitude thing. He's just been signed for 2m + by a man who knows all about him having coached him at Blackburn. If he was that much of a Billy Big Bollocks I'm not convinced Clement would be that keen to back him as athe final jigsaw piece in their promotion puzzle.

Horses for courses Vision.

McDermott may well have a different opinion on what makes for a good team and perhaps Blackman has developed his alleged attitude since he and Clement worked together briefly at Blackburn.

My point really is that people are very quick to assume certain things they know nothing about yet seem to ignore something which is a fact, however you may try to play down it's significance.

Glad you added alleged in there as it seems to me there is little to no evidence that suggests Blackman is a rotten apple ruining dressing room harmony, as many seem to contend, other than they don't like how he celebrates goals.

On the other hand a team containing a manager who has worked with the same player is happy to take him for a promotion push. Of course Blackman "may" have turned into a nightmare since and anyway Clement thinks since he's already got Tom Ince then another arrogant w@nker isn't going to make that much difference.

[Hoop Blah]

Clement only worked with Blackman for 3 months 4 years ago. I'm not sure how much weight that time would've carried in his thinking compared to a run of a 10 goals in 10 games a few months back.

I think the bad assumption of a bad attitude is also based on his workrate and selfishness as a player as well, but I do agree with your general point, people will believe what they want to about players if it fits their agenda (for the record mine is that I've never rated or liked him as a player).