You're Reading manager for the Jan transfer window

[Gordons Cumming]

. Maybe Khizanishvili....................... going out, ...

That's just ridiculous.

[RoyalBlue]

Even Scunny have stated they wouldn't take Williams back

Because they say they can't afford his wages. I wonder whether we've offered to pay some of his wages whilst he is out on loan. Would seem a sensible thing to do!

[RoyalBlue]

Who would you bring IN?
Who would you ship OUT?

What's the budget?
What are the board requirements?

Personally, I would expect it to be a case of reduce numbers/wage bill and perhaps if lucky £150k available for a striker unless transfer funds come in, in which case that will increase.

Requirements - push for play offs on a shoestring.

So, on the above I would work backwards and pick the players that I need to keep and everyone else can go. Priority has to be a striker and the budget won't allow for a Dave Kitson or even a Jamie Cureton, So we're looking for a Lloyd Owusu.

I fear your summary will be correct.

I would suggest that the Chairman wants the club 'debt free'. It could be suggested that this is a good thing for the club going forward but I would suggest it is far better for a chairman who says that he wants to sell and will obviously get a better price for his shares if the club is debt free.

[muddyfeet]

Even Scunny have stated they wouldn't take Williams back

Because they say they can't afford his wages. I wonder whether we've offered to pay some of his wages whilst he is out on loan. Would seem a sensible thing to do!

the fact we're paying him too much is depressing enough!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

You can't always just "get rid" of players who are under contract - even if another club does want them they may not be prepared to accept the cut in wages. (Would you?)

So if you have to pay off a player's whoel contract you save nothing.

Rubbish, a player can be told that he is not in the plans, and it could be that RFC make up the difference, so thats the saving there. Same as we pay some for Kivs, also could be good for the new club, as they gte a player they could not usually afford, and the chance for him to make an impression andpossibly sign for them on a new deal at the end of it.

It is what Hammond is good at, deals with clauses.

As for the OP, sell or shift Howard, Cummings, Williams, Mooney and one of the 3 strikers!!

Try to get Lambert in from Soton

[handbags_harris]

I really can't remember Howard doing anything worthwhile when he came on at Hull.

Antonio, though, made a big difference and he will frighten defences.




I believe it will hurt us to lose Fedders but we need to look to the future. Sign him on a new contract with an escape clause, or allow him to go for a bit of money (probably meaning mid-table this season) and develop Anderson/Mcarthy.

To just drift close and closer to him going for nothing, and starting a new season with a new keeper seems bonkers.

What does "worthwhile" mean? Didn't play a defence splitting pass setting up a chance? Didn't score a 20-yard free kick? Worthwhile is very subjective and one of those things you can't measure by statistics in my opinion, and what Howard did do was something neither Karacan or Leigertwood are equipped to do - find space in the middle of the park, pick the ball up off the defence and set up attacks, something he does very effectively. I would also point out that this sort of player is exactly the sort of player that Reading fans never seem to take to. The previous incumbent of that role was one James Harper.

With regards Scott Davies, I was also excited by him, particularly his performance against Forest on the first game of last season however the fact that he is now 22 (23 in March) and continually gets shipped out on loan to Wycombe and Aldershot suggests to me that the management feel he isn't good enough. Wycombe wanted to buy him last season but couldn't afford the fee. He doesn't have a future here so cut the losses and shift.

Maybe I'm being harsh on Bell-Baggie, but Bignall has all the makings of a lower league striker in all honesty. 20 years old, still young yes, but the fact that he hasn't played a regular stint of games like Karacan (who is less than a year older) or Church (18 months older) suggests that, much like Davies, the management feel he isn't good enough.

[Ian Royal]

I don't know about January, but I think this should be the last season at the club for:
Mooney, Kelly, Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, Bignall, (sadly) Davies, one of Williams / Harte / Armstrong and one of Tabb / Karacan / Leigterwood. And maybe Long, but he's definitely an end of the season jobbie unless someone offeres big big money.

I'd say we need at least a one striker, or attacking midfielder, preferably both - in which case we could afford to let Howard go to free up more wages space, though I'd be then tempted to keep Davies as back up.

I wouldn't be too upset to see Mills leave for a decent fee and a replacement come in for him.

[handbags_harris]

Try to get Lambert in from Soton

To be fair, they signed him for £1 million, and they won't let him go for anything less than £3 million, surely. No amount of wheeling and dealing will enable us to afford that, or indeed his wages if we could afford the transfer fee.

[specialjon]

I'd sign legs permanently and then look around to see if there was any decent target men strikers around available at a reasonable price to provide us with something different up front. But wouldn't get ripped off for someone who isn't that much better than what we've got.

Get most of the youngster and edge of squad players out on loan (Mooney, bell-baggie, bignall, kelly etc....) and then have a proper clear out in the summer. I don't think january is the time to have sweeping changes that's for the summer so you can have a proper pre-season with new players in.

I'd keep scott davies as I like the lad, not sure why but that free kick against peter cech has a lot to do with it. Don't think he's good enough in a 4-4-2 but could work in a 4-5-1. But I haven't seen him enough and trust the management at the club to know more than me.

Khizanishvili is an insteresting one for me, because I'd keep him till the summer but depending on how Mills and pearce continue to do i.e. be first choice, then the wages that Zurab would want probably would mean I wouldn't sign him to warm the bench. Currently i find it bizarre that he does warm the bench for us.

[Snowball]

Know nothing about Bignall out on loan but thought he looked VG
when he scored two in the League Cup. Looks the sort of player
who needs a big/tall partner and they work as "Smash and Grab"


Would not surprise me to see him do well in a couple of years

[MmmMonsterMunch]

OUT - Ivar & Boris. Love them dearly but probably two of the highest earners at the club yet currently contribute nothing.

OUT - Williams

OUT - Kelly (if he's not gone already??)

OUT - One of the many GK's we have

IN - A decent bloody striker!!!! Lambert, Maynard, Holt, Kitson......lets face it anyone we can get our hands on. Wouldn't turn my nose up at 2 strikers coming in TBH.

[Kitson12]

I'd be happy if the only activity was Howard out. Useless oxf*rd.

[FiNeRaIn]

In: Charlie Austin and Adam Lallana.

Out: None, our wage bill is a fraction of what it was last season and our squad isn't particularly big, possibly a reserve on loan like kanu, church or antonio.

[Ian Royal]

Know nothing about Bignall out on loan but thought he looked VG
when he scored two in the League Cup. Looks the sort of player
who needs a big/tall partner and they work as "Smash and Grab"


Would not surprise me to see him do well in a couple of years

He's started 3 games with 5 subs and scored no goals in his spells at Saints and Bournemouth so far this season. His overall record is 28 (17) 7 - which isn't overly impressive but not awful either. Church's loan record wasn't great and he's doing pretty good for us now.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Marcus Williams's nightmare needs to end so just get rid...

Just like everyone would have said about Second Cummings this time last year.....

[Big Foot]

Know nothing about Bignall out on loan but thought he looked VG
when he scored two in the League Cup. Looks the sort of player
who needs a big/tall partner and they work as "Smash and Grab"


Would not surprise me to see him do well in a couple of years

He's started 3 games with 5 subs and scored no goals in his spells at Saints and Bournemouth so far this season. His overall record is 28 (17) 7 - which isn't overly impressive but not awful either. Church's loan record wasn't great and he's doing pretty good for us now.

So what's your opinion? instead of covering all the bases

[handbags_harris]

Marcus Williams's nightmare needs to end so just get rid...

Just like everyone would have said about Second Cummings this time last year.....

As I have stated, he also needs to go. Not adequate enough cover for me whatsoever.

[surrounded by saints]

Try to get Lambert in from Soton

To be fair, they signed him for £1 million, and they won't let him go for anything less than £3 million, surely. No amount of wheeling and dealing will enable us to afford that, or indeed his wages if we could afford the transfer fee.

saints fans still rave about antonio,so why not bite the bullet and offer him in px.much as i like antonio,i dont think hes getting the match time his displays deserve. having said that,cant help thinking that lee barnard would be a much better option from saints.

[Royal Rother]

I really can't remember Howard doing anything worthwhile when he came on at Hull.

Antonio, though, made a big difference and he will frighten defences.

I believe it will hurt us to lose Fedders but we need to look to the future. Sign him on a new contract with an escape clause, or allow him to go for a bit of money (probably meaning mid-table this season) and develop Anderson/Mcarthy.

To just drift close and closer to him going for nothing, and starting a new season with a new keeper seems bonkers.

What does "worthwhile" mean? Didn't play a defence splitting pass setting up a chance? Didn't score a 20-yard free kick? Worthwhile is very subjective and one of those things you can't measure by statistics in my opinion, and what Howard did do was something neither Karacan or Leigertwood are equipped to do - find space in the middle of the park, pick the ball up off the defence and set up attacks, something he does very effectively. I would also point out that this sort of player is exactly the sort of player that Reading fans never seem to take to. The previous incumbent of that role was one James Harper.

And before that Keith Jones.

[handbags_harris]

Try to get Lambert in from Soton

To be fair, they signed him for £1 million, and they won't let him go for anything less than £3 million, surely. No amount of wheeling and dealing will enable us to afford that, or indeed his wages if we could afford the transfer fee.

saints fans still rave about antonio,so why not bite the bullet and offer him in px.much as i like antonio,i dont think hes getting the match time his displays deserve. having said that,cant help thinking that lee barnard would be a much better option from saints.

Nope, I would keep Antonio. He has a major role to play in the future at this club.