HARPER IS POSSIBLY NOT VERY GOOD.......

[Royal Rother]

No, but his (apparent) loyalty is unusual so it would be nice to see it appreciated a bit more.

[CMRoyal]

In the Reading Chronicle today the headline on the back page was something like "COPPELL LEAPS TO THE DEFENSE OF HARPER" which made me gobsmacked.
I'll try and find a link to read the article, but it really made me begin to doubt Coppell.
He went on about how he had the chance to leave to 'Boro both last summer and the window just gone, but chose to stay.
Coppell also talked about his years of service to the club.

... it doesn't excuse his poor performances this season.

The link:-

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport ... s-defence/

As ever it's best to read the content rather than react to the headline - as I read it, SC is mainly responding to those who claim that Harper's form is affected by transfer speculation.

[brendywendy]

either way i dont think hell be dropped this week now
and who knows maybe hes right

[Royal Rother]

The Royals’ boss explained: “We lost at the weekend so I can change as many as I want.”

Hmmm. Maybe he hasn't fully grasped this management lark after all...

[Sarah Star]

either way i dont think hell be dropped this week now
and who knows maybe hes right

That's funny, I was thinking the opposite.

Reading that article confuses me. I thought the club said they'd had no bids for players, so how could Harper turn them down?

[juanpablo]

BIKEY DEFENSIVE MID

MAREK INFRONT OF HIM

WIN THE LEAGUE

HTH'S

[Terminal Boardom]

Harper IS actually a good player. It is just that he needs someone of the ability of Sidwell alongside to bring the best out of him. It is not so disimilar to when we had a young Michael Barnes playing for us. He was pants until Micky Nutton came on loan from Chelsea. His game improved immeasurably during his loan with us.

[Terminal Boardom]

BIKEY DEFENSIVE MID

MAREK INFRONT OF HIM

WIN THE LEAGUE

HTH'S

What is it about the phrase "BIKEY IS NOT A MIDFIELDER" that you don't understand?

[The Rouge]

BIKEY DEFENSIVE MID

MAREK INFRONT OF HIM

WIN THE LEAGUE

HTH'S

I would change that to:

PLAY CISSE WITH MAREK IN THE MIDDLE

PLAY THE BEST (FORM) TWO OUT OF DUBERRY/BIKEY/PEARCE

DONT BE AFRAID TO REPLACE HUNT OR KEBE WITH TABB WHEN THE TIME COMES

TRY DOYLE BACK WITH N.HUNT WITH LITA OFF THE BENCH

= WIN THE LEAGUE

[Terminal Boardom]

BIKEY DEFENSIVE MID

MAREK INFRONT OF HIM

WIN THE LEAGUE

HTH'S

I would change that to:

PLAY CISSE WITH MAREK IN THE MIDDLE

PLAY THE BEST (FORM) TWO OUT OF DUBERRY/BIKEY/PEARCE
DONT BE AFRAID TO REPLACE HUNT OR KEBE WITH TABB WHEN THE TIME COMES

TRY DOYLE BACK WITH N.HUNT WITH LITA OFF THE BENCH

= WIN THE LEAGUE

Why stop with playing the form defenders? The starting XI should be based on who is on form - as long as the shape of the team is not compromised. We all have our own favourites but it wont work putting square blocks in round holes. Unfortunately, we are not privvy to what takes place on the training ground.

[The Rouge]

I am not stoping short of playing the form players, but if you change te team all the time you dont get the understanding that can be developed from knowing each others games. I firmly believe our first 3/5 of our magnificent first season in the premiership was mosty down to shorey + hunt/convey and murty + little knowing each others games inside out + confidence that comes from winning.

Doyle, N.Hunt, Cisse, Rosenior, Armstrong etc willl have the odd mediocre game but do you drop them every time that happens. No, not in my book.

[Royal Rother]

I don't think Convey had much to do with it.

[floyd__streete]

James Harper - pictured this or any other Saturday - performing the captain's role with distinction, shortly before being subbed off after 69 minutes for being absolute toss.

[Millsy]

Harper = scaepgoat.

Good enough to be integral part of the best team in RFC history.

Good enough to win the league with the highest point scoring team in English football.

Good enough to get to 8th in the Prem.

Good enough to so far lead us to being favourites for autopro.

Yet all of a sudden when defence is injured/dodgy, when different keeper is in, when front line can't score in a brothel it's suddenly Harper that's the problem and "not very good".

How very odd.

[Slinky]

Harper = scaepgoat.

Good enough to be integral part of the best team in RFC history.

Good enough to win the league with the highest point scoring team in English football.

Good enough to get to 8th in the Prem.

Good enough to so far lead us to being favourites for autopro.

Yet all of a sudden when defence is injured/dodgy, when different keeper is in, when front line can't score in a brothel it's suddenly Harper that's the problem and "not very good".

How very odd.

spot on, very much agreed

[Barry the bird boggler]

Can we stop slagging players off of when we're 3rd with 2 games in hand which would take us top of the table.

Our current issues are mainly down to poor management and tactical decisions more than anything else although, admittedly, SEVERAL players don't seem on form at the moment.

SC needs to have a plan B when we get a 5 man midfield appearing against us. The best thing that can happen now is that someone tries it again but we still go on to dismantle them by several goals as then other teams would start thinking twice.

I don't recall threads moaning about Harper 2,3,4 years ago and his games not changed since then.

[Barry the bird boggler]

James Harper - pictured this or any other Saturday - performing the captain's role with distinction, shortly before being subbed off after 69 minutes for being absolute toss.

Despite what I say above, this is still ...

[loyalroyal4life]

James Harper - pictured this or any other Saturday - performing the captain's role with distinction, shortly before being subbed off after 69 minutes for being absolute toss.

Looks just like him!!

[loyalroyal4life]

Coppell leaps to Harper's defence

Which way now? Captain James Harper (centre) is not guaranteed a start against Nottingham Forest with boss Steve Coppell threatening changes.

ROYALS boss Steve Coppell is warning fans to lay off James Harper after revealing the under-fire captain has rejected two moves to the Premier League since the summer.

Coppell believes Harper’s decision to turn down Middlesbrough last July and again in January proves his undeniable loyalty to the club.

But in recent weeks the 28-year-old has come under severe criticism from Royals fans and some sections of the local media who want Coppell to drop him for Marek Matejovsky in central midfield.

They argue Matejovsky will add more creativity and a spark to a side that has won only two of their last eight games and has not scored a goal in an alarming 452 minutes of action.

But Coppell, who is certain to make changes for the visit of Nottingham Forest this Saturday, insisted: “James is a committed Reading man, pure and simple. He could easily have gone to a different club last summer and again in January but he didn’t want to leave.

“His heart is very, very much in Reading. He loves it here and his commitment has never been less than 100%.

“He has played a big part in the club’s success over many years now and that should never be forgotten.”

It is believed Royals accepted £3.5 million for Harper last summer but the ex-Arsenal trainee did not want to leave. The same thing happened in January when he also attracted interest from Wigan and Fulham.

Harper, currently the club’s second-longest serving player after Graeme Murty, will now be sweating on his place for this weekend’s crucial clash at the Madejski Stadium.

Coppell added: “I always think it’s wrong for managers to defend players. The fact is performance and results determine everything in football.

“Fans see what they see, they aren’t stupid. They make up their own minds. All I will say is that there is still a long way to go and a lot of games ahead in a short space of time. It’s a defining period for everybody and I say 'Bring it on.’”

Matejovsky, 27, is desperate for an extended run in the side after a season hampered by the ankle ligament injury he suffered at Forest on the opening day of the season.

Harper was hauled off after an hour of last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat by Bristol City and the Royals played their best football of the afternoon when Matejovsky replaced him.

Coppell, though, argued: “There is an old adage in football – it’s easy to play well when you are 2-0 up or 2-0 down. But Marek is a quality player, no doubt, and he gives us something different.

“I suppose that applies to everyone because even though we have enough players to field two teams, they don’t mirror each other. Each player brings something different to the table and we can see that with Marek.”

Matejovsky, along with Jay Tabb, Noel Hunt and Brynjar Gunnarsson, were pulled out of the reserves this week, fuelling speculation that some will start against Forest.

The £1.4 million Mlada Boleslav signing said: “I’ve waited for my chance. I had half-an-hour at the weekend and next time maybe I will be in the first 11, I don’t know.

“I hope I will start. I feel very good, I have no problems with my ankle and I have played a lot of reserve games. But I must wait for the manager to tell me I am playing.

“I am happy here but I want to play. However, that is a question for the manager.”

Coppell could now wield the axe and make wholesale changes with Leroy Lita, Jimmy Kebe, Alex Pearce and Adam Federici all under threat.

The Royals’ boss explained: “We lost at the weekend so I can change as many as I want. But the important thing right now is not who plays and who doesn’t, it’s that everyone stays focused on what we are trying to achieve.”



I thought SSC said no bids were made for any of our players in January??? Is he the biggest undercover lier at the club>???

[CMRoyal]

I thought SSC said no bids were made for any of our players in January??? Is he the biggest undercover lier at the club>???

He could be dissembling, but reading between the lines the reporter says "it is believed" teams bid for him, and SC himself goes no further than to say James "could have" left, ie Boro (for example) might have made an offer last summer, which James rejected, and the offer still stands. So, that would be no firm offer in January but James in a position where he could leave if he wanted.