CONFIMRED - John O’shea signs for Reading

[Old Man Andrews]

And 37? There's hope for my prpfessional career yet I spose. Like him, I'm also 37 and shit.

Do you have multiple major honours?

He came runner up to me at the Bell End of the Year awards 2014 if that counts.

[bluerinse]

Ron Gourlay and John O'Shea were good mates when they were at Manchester United together. So I think it is Gourlay doing a mate a favour. If he does sign, I think it will be the most bizarre signing ever!

[TiagoIlori]

I’ve let it sink in now a while so I’ve reached my conclusions. Does he provide excellent off the field skills? 100%. On the field? No, the blokes past it.

I cannot get my head around why we’re signing someone to be a cheerleader. We may as well sign Bobby Charlton and Pele too. He might not be a good coach, nor can he play 46 games a season. It’s an unnecessary risk we don’t really need to take.

[Old Man Andrews]

I’ve let it sink in now a while so I’ve reached my conclusions. Does he provide excellent off the field skills? 100%. On the field? No, the blokes past it.

I cannot get my head around why we’re signing someone to be a cheerleader. We may as well sign Bobby Charlton and Pele too. He might not be a good coach, nor can he play 46 games a season. It’s an unnecessary risk we don’t really need to take.

You don't know Pele can't play 46 games a season. How dare you cast that aspersion.

[CountryRoyal]

Regardless of why, this is about as inspiring as gluten free ryvita.

The thought of him actually lining up for us is too hard to bare.

[Sutekh]

Ron Gourlay and John O'Shea were good mates when they were at Manchester United together. So I think it is Gourlay doing a mate a favour. If he does sign, I think it will be the most bizarre signing ever!

As long as he is no more than emergency cover for the defensive line and understood he is primarily here to understudy the existing coaches and lead sessions while completing his badges it's really not an issue.

It will be an issue if Morre then disappears and another couple of central defenders aren't brought in.

As for stifling Holmes and Andresson, that's not likely for one season as I would expect both to be made available for loan where they'll be more likely to get regular first team football.

[John Smith]

I’ve let it sink in now a while so I’ve reached my conclusions. Does he provide excellent off the field skills? 100%. On the field? No, the blokes past it.

I cannot get my head around why we’re signing someone to be a cheerleader. We may as well sign Bobby Charlton and Pele too. He might not be a good coach, nor can he play 46 games a season. It’s an unnecessary risk we don’t really need to take.

What baffles me most is that not everyone is in agreement with this opinion. Bizarre

[Snowball]

And 37? There's hope for my prpfessional career yet I spose. Like him, I'm also 37 and shit.

Do you have multiple major honours?

Mars Bar for Spelling, age 10

Twix for handwriting, age 11


Downhill from there

[Snowball]

And 37? There's hope for my prpfessional career yet I spose. Like him, I'm also 37 and shit.

Do you have multiple major honours?

He came runner up to me at the Bell End of the Year awards 2014 if that counts.

That makes no sense. He was a shoe-in winner

[muirinho]

Do you have multiple major honours?

He came runner up to me at the Bell End of the Year awards 2014 if that counts.

That makes no sense. He was a shoe-in winner

yeah, but that was the other years. 2014, they decided somebody else should get it. A bit like Chris Gunter winning Wales player of the year because they were bored of giving it to Balesy

[11. Lee Payne]

Anyone remember when we signed Anton Ferdinand and no one really bought in to this at all. Albeit he was crocked for quite some time, he actually looked classy. Also we had first hand experience of how bad he could be having tonked West Ham with him in the side.

Still looked a class above what we already had.

I think O'Shea might just be one of them, although he was an integral part in the league's leakiest defence last year.

[Cape Town Royal]

Regardless of why, this is about as inspiring as gluten free ryvita.

The thought of him actually lining up for us is too hard to bare.

Agree - At least when Weiser signed there was that 'he's from Liechtenstein' I wonder how good he is / could be mystery? If O'Shea signs, right now cannot actually think of another signing we have made that has inspired me less..! Maybe last seasons lack of excitement is not helping, but I just cannot see how in any way this would be a step forward?

We have experienced cover in McShane, so given our record for injuring anything that walk's why would we want to take the risk on a 37 year old who lets be honest has hardly set the world alight since leaving Man Utd. Even there for the last few seasons (correct me if i am wrong) he was nothing but a squad player who had that look of a player that would be leaving as soon as his contract ran out.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I really don't get what the risk is? He wont be on top dollar at 37 years old and he is getting coaching experience so that is likely to be a bartering tool that reading use to get wages down further. Its a one year contract with no fee. and we get another experienced voice in the dressing room. And for all those saying McShane is that voice, not sure he is the right example of experienced leader, given his somewhat petulant attitude to reading supporters this season.

He'll be versatile and I suspect will be used against opposition where pace is less of an issue.

If we are signing him on even a two year contract with the expectation that he is playing most of the time then that is a risk but the way this is being reported it isn't a risk. Aluko on mega bucks for 4 years was a big risk. Swift on a 5 year deal with his current endless hamstring injuries was, in hindsight, a big risk.

is he the answer to readings defensive woes? No. But is he a risk? No.

[Denver Royal]

If he comes here, it will be to coach and act as emergency cover, not to start.

If O'Shea comes here, he may compete for a starting spot, and Clement will pick the best eleven each week. Aside from Moore (assuming he's here, which isn't a given), I'd say we don't have any clear stand outs, so it might be open competition in camp and pre-season. Clement will let them fight it out and whoever plays best will win out.

[Zip]

Clement had said he wanted to bring in players that would improve the starting line up. O’Shea falls well short of that. Why bring him in as a player? Just bring him to the club as a coach.

[The Cube]

Does he provide excellent off the field skills? 100%. On the field?

As I understand it from Sunderland fans, he is a strong leader off the field, and uses that strength to lead almost the entire squad to the pub for a lengthy session on a daily basis. They also thought that he had a heavy say in who did and did not play, which isn't exactly what a manager would want to bring into a club.

[maffff]

And 37? There's hope for my prpfessional career yet I spose. Like him, I'm also 37 and shit.

Do you have multiple major honours?

Mars Bar for Spelling, age 10

Twix for handwriting, age 11


Downhill from there

Voted most likely to dwell on past achievements, age 12

[Snowflake Royal]

For those of you not sure what the problem is, we'd be paying someone 5 years older than the players we already have that people call past it, for them to be cover, when we need to be strengthening the first XI not bloating the bench and U23s with has beens who need to stay fit in case they're needed, just so we can pay for him to find out if he can coach or not.

And if you think we'd be paying him a youth team wage rather than a first team wage, you're dreaming.

I'd rather we signedChris Gunter's clone and played him at left back across from the original.

He'd be a horrendous signing based solely on his past with Utd and recognisable name. Exactly the sort of signing that's seen us fail an struggle financially. Exactly the sort of signing that saw Sunderland fail.

[Denver Royal]

Clement had said he wanted to bring in players that would improve the starting line up. O’Shea falls well short of that.

Who knows, in Clement's mind O'Shea just might be an improvement to the starting lineup. Not saying it will definitely happen, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if O'Shea came in and beat out Ilori and McShane in pre-season.
As a new manager, none of the incumbents are really 'his' players, and the order of things might look quite a bit different next season. O'Shea has played in def-mid, too.

[Hound]

He'd be a horrendous signing based solely on his past with Utd and recognisable name. Exactly the sort of signing that's seen us fail an struggle financially. Exactly the sort of signing that saw Sunderland fail.

I very much doubt that Clement, who has been coaching the likes of Real, Chelsea and Bayern is swayed by a big name like John O’Shea

And to be fair, he had 7 years at crappy Sunderland, 5 of which they at least retained their Prem status with him as a first Teamer. He certainly didn’t fail there in those years

In saying that I don’t really see the logic in the signing either. Maybe it is a short term midfield ‘leader’ which may suggest Meyler isn’t happening