Ex Players

[Snowflake Royal]

Lets face it, we got lucky getting him in the first place to get a season and a half and £8m out of him.

He was always too good for us.

This is how I see it. He also could have walked away for nothing had he so wished so £8m is more than ok with me in the grand scheme of things.

Unless our financial figures for next season say that the £8m we received was required so we didn't break FFP regulations again, I'd argue the case that we might have actually benefitted from having another season of him this season as he would have won us so many more points as well now I reckon and just lost him for nothing.

It's not as if we rely on player sales to fund ourselves anyway. Obviously the money is great but I feel like we've taken a massive hit on him already as it is just through poor planning as per usual.

We're flat not funded, hence the embargos and deductions.

It's not poor planning to put an £8m release fee on a ~ 16 year old who dropped out of a top academy

[YorkshireRoyal99]

This is how I see it. He also could have walked away for nothing had he so wished so £8m is more than ok with me in the grand scheme of things.

Unless our financial figures for next season say that the £8m we received was required so we didn't break FFP regulations again, I'd argue the case that we might have actually benefitted from having another season of him this season as he would have won us so many more points as well now I reckon and just lost him for nothing.

It's not as if we rely on player sales to fund ourselves anyway. Obviously the money is great but I feel like we've taken a massive hit on him already as it is just through poor planning as per usual.

Interesting point. Obviously don't know for sure but if I had to guess I'd say that £8m might have been the difference between us being where we are now or being Derby County.

I doubt that personally. That would rely on the owners putting us into administration and pulling the plug on the money altogether and leaving is up to appointed administrators to find us a buyer. I can't imagine we would have fallen into administration without it. As much as £8m is a lot of money for a Championship club, in the grand scheme of things, it's a small drop in the ocean for our owners considering they were (possibly still are) on the Forbes Billionaires list.

I think the only way we'd go into administration is if the owners jumped ship, similar to Mel Morris and Zingarevich as well previously. As I say, we haven't been relying on player sales to fund the club since the Dai's arrived.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

This is how I see it. He also could have walked away for nothing had he so wished so £8m is more than ok with me in the grand scheme of things.

Unless our financial figures for next season say that the £8m we received was required so we didn't break FFP regulations again, I'd argue the case that we might have actually benefitted from having another season of him this season as he would have won us so many more points as well now I reckon and just lost him for nothing.

It's not as if we rely on player sales to fund ourselves anyway. Obviously the money is great but I feel like we've taken a massive hit on him already as it is just through poor planning as per usual.

We're flat not funded, hence the embargos and deductions.

It's not poor planning to put an £8m release fee on a ~ 16 year old who dropped out of a top academy

No, but it is poor planning to not improve his contract when it became apparent he was breaking into the first team. For example, after 20 first team games, his wages moved from £3k p/w to £5.5k p/w and his release clause moves from £8m to £10m. Anybody in football would have known that, at 17, he was going to make it at this level. He was breaking into our team then, why we didn't offer him a new deal then that tied him down for years and put a hugely improved release clause in his contract, I do not know.

[Snowflake Royal]

His first breakthrough season he looked good but lacked end product.

By the time he delivered end product, he was already going.

He clearly only ever saw us as a stepping stone to bigger things. He didn't want to commit to us longer term.

[Plymouth exile]

His first breakthrough season he looked good but lacked end product.

By the time he delivered end product, he was already going.

He clearly only ever saw us as a stepping stone to bigger things. He didn't want to commit to us longer term.

That was obvious after scoring in a home game last season, he ran to the camera and mimiced signing his name.

[URZZZZ]

At the risk of repeating what’s been said numerous times to you, these players would likely have not have had the careers they’ve had if they’d stuck it out here

Given how poor and ineffective Loader was who was given a fair few opportunities with us, will that be a mistake if he becomes a top player?

Whilst I agree with the fact that these players would have not had the careers they have now by staying with us, I do believe we made a mistake in not having clauses, such as a buy back clause of percentage of next sale on most of these. The only one I can think of is Stacey.

Even both Olise and Richards I'd class as a failure. We've basically received £8m for the pair when we could have got £30m+ for the pair. Yes, Bayern might not have taken him if it meant they had to pay a fee but someone in the PL would have paid £10m for Richards and Olise could have commanded up to £25m himself quite comfortably. We've lost out on a hell of a lot of money or talent just through poor planning.

Whilst Loader was given a few opportunities, they were hardly consistent and whilst he didn't really produce much for us, he could have benefitted from game time elsewhere. A lot of clubs will send players out on loan to the lower levels of the Football League or even to affiliate clubs abroad, whereas we don't. The only times I remember this is Tom Holmes, who is now regarded as a good, first team regular, and Aluko to China. Whilst the latter didn't mean much, the former would have benefitted from this, even if it was only for a few games. I believe Dorsett is out on loan now as well at Rochdale so that should benefit him as well as Andresson, but my point is it's not exactly common for our top youngsters.

We've got the likes of Oxford, Swindon and Wycombe in our local area who play at a level below us, or at the top end of L2 in Swindon's case. Why the likes of some of our more promising youngsters don't go and get 1-2 seasons worth of game time at those clubs, I don't know. Loader would have done well in either L1/L2, even for half a season. Andresson needs a full season somewhere, as does Dorsett again, preferably in L1, as does Abbey, as does Samuels, as does Bristow, maybe even Azeez as well etc.

And that’s probably the rub. Whether footballers “make it” has a large element of luck. If we had kept Adkins around (aside from his fascination with Akpan), stuck to the Madejski model of selling before we bought, and used young players out of necessity, chances are that a lot of the players we’ve discarded would have made it here, barring injury. The thing which caught out both Cox and Antonio was that they were fifth choice and we were in the Premier League - letting them drop to League One was probably the right thing to do. But our constant changes of manager have meant that we’ve not always been strategic about developing and retaining players.

Agree with most of that post but really don’t think Adkins had a fascination with Akpan, in fact quite the opposite

Comfortably behind Baird, Williams and Guthrie and only got a run when we were down to the bare bones in midfield. Was dropped again as soon as midfield options returned even after he’d started doing OK

Similar pattern in S2, had a decent ish run next to Norwood - was dropped for Williams as soon as he was back (Williams and Norwood were a poor duo) and then vanished off the face of the earth

[Brogue]

His first breakthrough season he looked good but lacked end product.

By the time he delivered end product, he was already going.

He clearly only ever saw us as a stepping stone to bigger things. He didn't want to commit to us longer term.

Indeed

[Hendo]

Unless our financial figures for next season say that the £8m we received was required so we didn't break FFP regulations again, I'd argue the case that we might have actually benefitted from having another season of him this season as he would have won us so many more points as well now I reckon and just lost him for nothing.

It's not as if we rely on player sales to fund ourselves anyway. Obviously the money is great but I feel like we've taken a massive hit on him already as it is just through poor planning as per usual.

We're flat not funded, hence the embargos and deductions.

It's not poor planning to put an £8m release fee on a ~ 16 year old who dropped out of a top academy

No, but it is poor planning to not improve his contract when it became apparent he was breaking into the first team. For example, after 20 first team games, his wages moved from £3k p/w to £5.5k p/w and his release clause moves from £8m to £10m. Anybody in football would have known that, at 17, he was going to make it at this level. He was breaking into our team then, why we didn't offer him a new deal then that tied him down for years and put a hugely improved release clause in his contract, I do not know.

Maybe we did and he turned it down?

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We're flat not funded, hence the embargos and deductions.

It's not poor planning to put an £8m release fee on a ~ 16 year old who dropped out of a top academy

No, but it is poor planning to not improve his contract when it became apparent he was breaking into the first team. For example, after 20 first team games, his wages moved from £3k p/w to £5.5k p/w and his release clause moves from £8m to £10m. Anybody in football would have known that, at 17, he was going to make it at this level. He was breaking into our team then, why we didn't offer him a new deal then that tied him down for years and put a hugely improved release clause in his contract, I do not know.

Maybe we did and he turned it down?

Then I'll refer back to having performance-related bonuses in his contract which would also increase the release clause on his contract each time as well.

Even still though, if he turned down a new deal, I'm positive something would have come out about that by now.

[SCIAG]

Whilst I agree with the fact that these players would have not had the careers they have now by staying with us, I do believe we made a mistake in not having clauses, such as a buy back clause of percentage of next sale on most of these. The only one I can think of is Stacey.

Even both Olise and Richards I'd class as a failure. We've basically received £8m for the pair when we could have got £30m+ for the pair. Yes, Bayern might not have taken him if it meant they had to pay a fee but someone in the PL would have paid £10m for Richards and Olise could have commanded up to £25m himself quite comfortably. We've lost out on a hell of a lot of money or talent just through poor planning.

Whilst Loader was given a few opportunities, they were hardly consistent and whilst he didn't really produce much for us, he could have benefitted from game time elsewhere. A lot of clubs will send players out on loan to the lower levels of the Football League or even to affiliate clubs abroad, whereas we don't. The only times I remember this is Tom Holmes, who is now regarded as a good, first team regular, and Aluko to China. Whilst the latter didn't mean much, the former would have benefitted from this, even if it was only for a few games. I believe Dorsett is out on loan now as well at Rochdale so that should benefit him as well as Andresson, but my point is it's not exactly common for our top youngsters.

We've got the likes of Oxford, Swindon and Wycombe in our local area who play at a level below us, or at the top end of L2 in Swindon's case. Why the likes of some of our more promising youngsters don't go and get 1-2 seasons worth of game time at those clubs, I don't know. Loader would have done well in either L1/L2, even for half a season. Andresson needs a full season somewhere, as does Dorsett again, preferably in L1, as does Abbey, as does Samuels, as does Bristow, maybe even Azeez as well etc.

And that’s probably the rub. Whether footballers “make it” has a large element of luck. If we had kept Adkins around (aside from his fascination with Akpan), stuck to the Madejski model of selling before we bought, and used young players out of necessity, chances are that a lot of the players we’ve discarded would have made it here, barring injury. The thing which caught out both Cox and Antonio was that they were fifth choice and we were in the Premier League - letting them drop to League One was probably the right thing to do. But our constant changes of manager have meant that we’ve not always been strategic about developing and retaining players.

Agree with most of that post but really don’t think Adkins had a fascination with Akpan, in fact quite the opposite

Comfortably behind Baird, Williams and Guthrie and only got a run when we were down to the bare bones in midfield. Was dropped again as soon as midfield options returned even after he’d started doing OK

Similar pattern in S2, had a decent ish run next to Norwood - was dropped for Williams as soon as he was back (Williams and Norwood were a poor duo) and then vanished off the face of the earth

Akpan was also comfortably worse than Baird, Williams, Guthrie and Norwood. Still got picked ahead of Tshibola and made 63 appearances for us.

[Sutekh]

And that’s probably the rub. Whether footballers “make it” has a large element of luck. If we had kept Adkins around (aside from his fascination with Akpan), stuck to the Madejski model of selling before we bought, and used young players out of necessity, chances are that a lot of the players we’ve discarded would have made it here, barring injury. The thing which caught out both Cox and Antonio was that they were fifth choice and we were in the Premier League - letting them drop to League One was probably the right thing to do. But our constant changes of manager have meant that we’ve not always been strategic about developing and retaining players.

Agree with most of that post but really don’t think Adkins had a fascination with Akpan, in fact quite the opposite

Comfortably behind Baird, Williams and Guthrie and only got a run when we were down to the bare bones in midfield. Was dropped again as soon as midfield options returned even after he’d started doing OK

Similar pattern in S2, had a decent ish run next to Norwood - was dropped for Williams as soon as he was back (Williams and Norwood were a poor duo) and then vanished off the face of the earth

Akpan was also comfortably worse than Baird, Williams, Guthrie and Norwood. Still got picked ahead of Tshibola and made 63 appearances for us.

Just for the record, Hope is now 30 and has just joined Atherton Laburnum Rovers in the North West Counties League Division One North (step 6 of non league) after a leaving a Finnish club last summer.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Went to watch Hungerford vs Billericay on Saturday. Two ex-Royals in the Billericay line-up - Simon Cox was coach and an unused sub and Greg Halford was at centre back (and scored a penalty). I was never quite sure why Halford's stay at Reading was so brief, although have heard lots of rumours! He was playing second tier football as recently as 2018 but is 37 now so getting a bit slower, if that's possible.

[paultheroyal]

Went to watch Hungerford vs Billericay on Saturday. Two ex-Royals in the Billericay line-up - Simon Cox was coach and an unused sub and Greg Halford was at centre back (and scored a penalty). I was never quite sure why Halford's stay at Reading was so brief, although have heard lots of rumours! He was playing second tier football as recently as 2018 but is 37 now so getting a bit slower, if that's possible.

Does he still take the throw ins?

[Rudolph Hucker]

Halford hardly left the centre circle apart from going up to take his pen. Played like Alan Hansen in his prime and hardly broke in to a jog at any time. Went off with an injury towards the end and left with a strapped up knee but possibly just a sign of a twenty year career...

[oldebiscuit]

Went to watch Hungerford vs Billericay on Saturday. Two ex-Royals in the Billericay line-up - Simon Cox was coach and an unused sub and Greg Halford was at centre back (and scored a penalty). I was never quite sure why Halford's stay at Reading was so brief, although have heard lots of rumours! He was playing second tier football as recently as 2018 but is 37 now so getting a bit slower, if that's possible.

There were rumours of Charlie and attitude problems.

[South Coast Royal]

I see that Olise has chosen France rather than England for the future.
I wonder of Viera was an influence on his decision.

[Snowflake Royal]

I see that Olise has chosen France rather than England for the future.
I wonder of Viera was an influence on his decision.

He's always been keen to play for the most successful side possible.

Let's face it, that's definitely France for him on the International stage.

[Hendo]

I see that Olise has chosen France rather than England for the future.
I wonder of Viera was an influence on his decision.

He's always been keen to play for the most successful side possible.

Let's face it, that's definitely France for him on the International stage.

I mean, he also chose to represent them at U18 level as well back in 2019, so it is hardly a surprise.

Also playing for France at U21 level wouldn't stop him from playing for England at a senior level - if France somehow fell off a cliff.

[Dirk Gently]

Went to watch Hungerford vs Billericay on Saturday. Two ex-Royals in the Billericay line-up - Simon Cox was coach and an unused sub and Greg Halford was at centre back (and scored a penalty). I was never quite sure why Halford's stay at Reading was so brief, although have heard lots of rumours! He was playing second tier football as recently as 2018 but is 37 now so getting a bit slower, if that's possible.

There were rumours of Charlie and attitude problems.

Yeah, but I just think in the end he didn't settle properly. He expected to play every week as he'd cost so much, and the other players didn't like that and didn't really let him into the group. The big downside of the sort of "group collective team spirit" that was such a major factor of the 106 point team is that it makes it really hard for anyone new to get into that tight group. He was too young, a bit too full of himself and the others didn't really accept or welcome him.

[SCIAG]

I see that Olise has chosen France rather than England for the future.
I wonder of Viera was an influence on his decision.

He's always been keen to play for the most successful side possible.

Let's face it, that's definitely France for him on the International stage.

I mean, he also chose to represent them at U18 level as well back in 2019, so it is hardly a surprise.

Also playing for France at U21 level wouldn't stop him from playing for England at a senior level - if France somehow fell off a cliff.

Indeed - he hasn’t yet “chosen” France.

That said, given he would be competing with Foden and Saka, I don’t think England would be the right choice. Obviously he’d have strong competition playing for France as well, but Griezmann isn’t going to be around forever and Dembele’s injury record is awful so I think there’s a clearer path for him.