[POLL] Is Aluko really that poor?

[Millsy]

He seems to be everyone's favourite scapegoat and part of me wonders if it's because of his transfer fee and another part of me wonders if he is actually that bad.

I remember we had similar thoughts about Kebe, who was a similar sort of player. Hang around looking shit and lazy but then just burst into action and create something out of nothing. Noone can forget the moment he scored and ran over to us with his hand to his ear responding to our criticism. The rest is history as he ended being a legend. He does what he wants etc.

Do we have a similar situation with Aluko who must have this talent in there somewhere. When the team isn't so shit might he do something spectacular and have his own hand to ear moment,?

(Edit: poll added as requested)

[NewCorkSeth]

Add a poll.

[Hound]

Regards the OP

Answer is ‘yes’

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Yes. yes he is that poor.

I had given him more than a season to judge him saying there is a decent player in there somewhere. I dont judge players on the transfer fee as tbh its not their fault some one pays that much money for them.

[Sanguine]

I think so. He has a lot of the technical fundamentals to be a good footballer, but lacks a standout ability. In that sense I don't think he is that much like Kebe, who could beat a man with the ball, and also a cheetah in a 50m metre race. Aluko is fast-ish, good-ish on the ball with a few tricks, can hit a decent-ish shot from distance, positional sense is alright.

In short, he is a pretty bog standard Championship/League One level player.

[leon]

He seems to be everyone's favourite scapegoat and part of me wonders if it's because of his transfer fee and another part of me wonders if he is actually that bad.

I remember we had similar thoughts about Kebe, who was a similar sort of player. Hang around looking shit and lazy but then just burst into action and create something out of nothing. Noone can forget the moment he scored and ran over to us with his hand to his ear responding to our criticism. The rest is history as he ended being a legend. He does what he wants etc.

Do we have a similar situation with Aluko who must have this talent in there somewhere. When the team isn't so shit might he do something spectacular and have his own hand to ear moment,?

Add a poll and we'll see, shall we?

[strap]

Do we have a similar situation with Aluko who must have this talent in there somewhere. When the team isn't so shit might he do something spectacular and have his own hand to ear moment,?

No, but I can see where you are coming from.

Aluko is on a long cushy contract and doesn't give a oxf*rd. Kebe came to us as a punt albeit at £500k a big punt for us back in the day. He came good a couple of seasons after joining us. Aluko is an established LCh player with a big reputation (at least in his own head). He has done nothing whatsover to justify his record fee and huge wages, and has never shown anything like his HCFC form. He's basically taking the piss out of RFC.

[Kulshaw72RFC]

One of our top 10 worst ever players in recent years imo.

[Hound]

Wrote on the other thread - he left Fulham as he wanted a long contract - no other reason, which should immediately have raised alarm bells

He got his long contract which will take him through to retirement. He has no love for Reading, the fans don’t like him, the other players know he is on a big salary, which no doubt fuels some resentment

He joined a crap team and he clearly has no real motivation to do anything about that. He wasn’t great in the first place

There is no way he is turning this around.

Just cut our losses and forget all about him

[Crotts]

When he joined us I remember that the Fulham fans who were happy to see him go (especially for such a tidy sum) said that he was skilful but with no end product. We are not even seeing the skill let alone the end product apart from the odd exception like his solo goal against QPR last season.

[Lower West]

Doesn't look happy playing the position he's been asked to fill. Square peg in round hole. Probably a really nice talented guy. Not all transfers work out. Look at the players Man City have gone through over the past few years.

Longer term Clement would offload. Once there's a better option available. Hopefully Harriott will make a comeback in a few weeks time.

[Kulshaw72RFC]

I would rather have Eni Aluko in our team. I am 99% sure she could do a better job.

[72 bus]

, positional sense is alright.

LOL
His positional sense could not be worse if we sent him on blindfolded.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yes. Yes he is that bad. At least if you mean in terms of performance and what he contributes to the team. Talentwise he is actually fairly quick and skillful. He's just so mindnumbingly oxf*rd thick when it comes to how to play.

Take your Kebe comparison. Kebe was a younger raw individual with no English league experience. It took him time to settle in and was one to develop.

Aluko is an experienced senior pro who knows the Championship well. And yet his entire game is wrong. He simply doesn't know how to play as a winger. He plays too deep, too central, dwells on the ball and constantly turns into a challenge in the congested middle. Hes frequently awol positionally, takes four touches when he needs two, plays at a walking pace and barely helps his full back when he is there. And don't tell me he's told to play like that, because none of our other wingers do for all their faults.

He is quite literally the last senior outfielder I'd put on the team sheet. I'd play half a dozen people out of position at right wing over him.

I hate the idea of wishing injuries on a player and yet I find myself feeling that way about him.

[andrew1957]

Have to say I try to give players the benefit of the doubt. For example I think Gunter is much better than he gets credit for on here. But Aluko really has been awful since joining. Either he never was very good, or his knees are shot, or he is low on confidence, or he just could not care less - but whatever the reason he has been a huge waste of money so far. I would rather we played an Academy lad than see him start a game for RFC again.

[Snowflake Royal]

I've recently come to appreciate Coppell in a whole new light. On top of all of his other wonderful achievements and traits, when he bought an expensive waste of space, he stuck them straight in the reserves to rot and got shot asap. Fae, Halford. oxf*rd off, bye bye.

These days, we keep playing them in the hope that someone will see they're shit and still buy them. Or they'll miraculously come good. Pogrebynak, Drenthe, Aluko, Vydra (not shit but a total shambles here)... etc etc. It's like we think we should get what little we can for our money. No. oxf*rd make their life miserable and push them into seeking out another club, because no one's going to come knocking for our shit white elephants.

[Zip]

Wrote on the other thread - he left Fulham as he wanted a long contract - no other reason, which should immediately have raised alarm bells

He got his long contract which will take him through to retirement. He has no love for Reading, the fans don’t like him, the other players know he is on a big salary, which no doubt fuels some resentment

He joined a crap team and he clearly has no real motivation to do anything about that. He wasn’t great in the first place

There is no way he is turning this around.

Just cut our losses and forget all about him

Did he join a crap team? We had just finished third in the League somhe must have thought he was joining a club with a great chance of making the top flight

[Snowflake Royal]

Wrote on the other thread - he left Fulham as he wanted a long contract - no other reason, which should immediately have raised alarm bells

He got his long contract which will take him through to retirement. He has no love for Reading, the fans don’t like him, the other players know he is on a big salary, which no doubt fuels some resentment

He joined a crap team and he clearly has no real motivation to do anything about that. He wasn’t great in the first place

There is no way he is turning this around.

Just cut our losses and forget all about him

Did he join a crap team? We had just finished third in the League somhe must have thought he was joining a club with a great chance of making the top flight

Him joining made us crap.

[Zip]

I've recently come to appreciate Coppell in a whole new light. On top of all of his other wonderful achievements and traits, when he bought an expensive waste of space, he stuck them straight in the reserves to rot and got shot asap. Fae, Halford. oxf*rd off, bye bye.

These days, we keep playing them in the hope that someone will see they're shit and still buy them. Or they'll miraculously come good. Pogrebynak, Drenthe, Aluko, Vydra (not shit but a total shambles here)... etc etc. It's like we think we should get what little we can for our money. No. oxf*rd make their life miserable and push them into seeking out another club, because no one's going to come knocking for our shit white elephants.

I wouldn’t include Pog with the others mentioned. He did ok with us

[Hound]

Is he even actually quick? Think that’s a myth