Steve Hunt - Please calm down

[Ian Royal]

his antics

1) Comedy slide tackle on a corner flag.

2)

3)

Have to admit to struggling a bit here. Do help me out.

I can't imagine people on here will be having ago at Hunt for a humorous goal celebration ages ago that was in marginal bad taste should his form drop.

I imagine they'll be slating him for poor passing, and being an innefectual winger who hasn't scored for ages. Oh and having girly hair and being a short Irishman.

[Millsy]

Still think he was entirely innocent in connection with the Cech incident and no blame appears to attach over the clash with Gillespie - however he does seem to attract controversy!

It appears that his role is to ruffle the opposition with his energy and "in the face" style but after the game on Saturday I felt myself wishing that he hadn't caried out the two footed tackle on the corner flag as part of the goal celebration. It seemed very inappropriate after all the aggression that had surrounded his clash with Gillespie.

Reading had a superb disciplinary record last season with very few bookings and (if I am correct) no sendings off. This time there have been more cards and more ontroversies. Most of these have been as a natural result of the increased pressure on the premiership game and Reading can claim to remain a fair team. However, we don't really need players to act over-aggressively or in a provocative way.

I am sure that Messers Madejski and Coppel will agree - and will probably have a quiet word with the player.

Sorry mate I hate to wholeheartedly disagree but I do.

The Cech thing was *totally* accidental as you say.

And, erm... thats it. !!!

Unless you count getting whacked then punched in the face as a sign of being aggressive/controversial????!!! Infact did you even see his reaction to any of that? I'm far from agggressive but if someone had hit me in the face you can bet my instinct would be to beat the f*ck out of them fiercely. Hunt just stood there wiping his head looking upset and confused and had to be consoled by Murty.

It seems the only point you have as shades points out is the comedy tackle into the corner flag. Hardly inappropriate. If I was him I'd run straight to the SUFC bench and gesture 3-0 with glee.

Sorry but you couldn't be more wrong and it's the sort of thing I'd expect Colin to say. Poor old Hunt is just quite unlucky!

[Coppelloadofthat]

Did anyone hear Andy Jacobs on TalkSport (Chelsea fan of course) talking about Hunty's celebration and trying to insinuate that it's evidence that he "Plays with a rage"

[CholseyRoyal]

All that apart, I have watched him take that shot at goal dozens of times and still can't work out how he managed to flick the ball with the outside of his left boot, goalwards whilst virtually upside down in mid-air. Absolutely fantastic, beats most bicycle kicks IMHO

[working class hero]

I think that Hunt is a great player -for RFC - and is more than just a squad member. He adds something with his drive and grit and has a great competitive spirit.

Regarding Chelsea I think it has been blown out of all proportion. Perhaps he regrets challenging so hard when it was clearly going to be Cech's ball - but the collision was an accident.

I think that he was probably not blameless in the Gillespie episode. It is odd that within seconds of coming on a player should lash out at an entirely innocent player....
I reckon Hunty has a bit of the Dennis Wise in him and just before Gillespie lashed out it seemed to me that Hunt was giving it lip and possibly tugging at him. Whilst Gillespie had to go I would note that he basically seemed to be trying to push Hunt away. He clearly did not elbow him and I reckon that for what seemed to be minimal contact one might have thought Hunt had been shot with a bazooka.

I am sure that those who believe that anything done by an RFC player is OK would have been incensed had the roles been reversed.

I now await the abuse that will inevitably follow whenever anyone tries to be objective.....

[Denver Royal]

I think that Hunt is a great player -for RFC - and is more than just a squad member. He adds something with his drive and grit and has a great competitive spirit.

Regarding Chelsea I think it has been blown out of all proportion. Perhaps he regrets challenging so hard when it was clearly going to be Cech's ball - but the collision was an accident.

I think that he was probably not blameless in the Gillespie episode. It is odd that within seconds of coming on a player should lash out at an entirely innocent player....
I reckon Hunty has a bit of the Dennis Wise in him and just before Gillespie lashed out it seemed to me that Hunt was giving it lip and possibly tugging at him. Whilst Gillespie had to go I would note that he basically seemed to be trying to push Hunt away. He clearly did not elbow him and I reckon that for what seemed to be minimal contact one might have thought Hunt had been shot with a bazooka.

I am sure that those who believe that anything done by an RFC player is OK would have been incensed had the roles been reversed.

I now await the abuse that will inevitably follow whenever anyone tries to be objective.....

Complete and utter bollox!

[M4 Junction 11]

I post complete and utter bollox!

Why moan about Hunt who, for all his short-comings, gives 100% each game?

Maybe because some feel his shortcomings outweigh his giving 100%?

All we are are saying is give Hunt a chance !!

[ScottishRoyal]

Still think he was entirely innocent in connection with the Cech incident and no blame appears to attach over the clash with Gillespie - however he does seem to attract controversy!

It appears that his role is to ruffle the opposition with his energy and "in the face" style but after the game on Saturday I felt myself wishing that he hadn't caried out the two footed tackle on the corner flag as part of the goal celebration. It seemed very inappropriate after all the aggression that had surrounded his clash with Gillespie.

Despite the slating you've gotten I admit at the time I also winced a bit when seeing this. Seemed to me to be an incredibly daft thing to do... that pole must have been inches from taking the lino's eye out... the Oliver Holt press bandwagon would have just loved that...

Have to agree. To steal Coppells line his celebration was 'antagonistic and the wrong gesture to make at the wrong time'.

With regards to the elbow it was completely unjustified and deserveda red card, however as someone else said, Gillespie wouldn't have reacted like that for no reason. Perhaps Hunt does have a Dennis Wise streak? As far as arguing with Warnock was concerned he needed to walk away, as Sidwell and Murty were trying to get him to do. Some refs will book players for that sort of thing.

[Avon Royal]

Still think he was entirely innocent in connection with the Cech incident and no blame appears to attach over the clash with Gillespie - however he does seem to attract controversy!

It appears that his role is to ruffle the opposition with his energy and "in the face" style but after the game on Saturday I felt myself wishing that he hadn't caried out the two footed tackle on the corner flag as part of the goal celebration. It seemed very inappropriate after all the aggression that had surrounded his clash with Gillespie.

Despite the slating you've gotten I admit at the time I also winced a bit when seeing this. Seemed to me to be an incredibly daft thing to do... that pole must have been inches from taking the lino's eye out... the Oliver Holt press bandwagon would have just loved that...

Have to agree. To steal Coppells line his celebration was 'antagonistic and the wrong gesture to make at the wrong time'.

With regards to the elbow it was completely unjustified and deserveda red card, however as someone else said, Gillespie wouldn't have reacted like that for no reason. Perhaps Hunt does have a Dennis Wise streak? As far as arguing with Warnock was concerned he needed to walk away, as Sidwell and Murty were trying to get him to do. Some refs will book players for that sort of thing.

You're right. The sooner we can have robot players with no emotions the better.

[westendgirl]

I think that Hunt is a great player -for RFC - and is more than just a squad member. He adds something with his drive and grit and has a great competitive spirit.

And apparently all within the rules of the game as he got his FIRST yellow card of the season at Everton last week. Maybe other players and managers may not like his way of play but referees obviously don't see much wrong with it.

And comments about our disciplinary record this season as opposed to last season are also unfounded. Yes we have had 3 reds when we had none last year but we have had the least yellows in all the premiership and even with those reds are very close to the right end of the table.

[papereyes]

Reading had a superb disciplinary record last season with very few bookings and (if I am correct) no sendings off. This time there have been more cards and more ontroversies.

and yet, relative to the rest of the league ... we're bottom of that table again.

Odd that.

[southbank1871]

I think that Hunt is a great player -for RFC - and is more than just a squad member. He adds something with his drive and grit and has a great competitive spirit.

Regarding Chelsea I think it has been blown out of all proportion. Perhaps he regrets challenging so hard when it was clearly going to be Cech's ball - but the collision was an accident.

I think that he was probably not blameless in the Gillespie episode. It is odd that within seconds of coming on a player should lash out at an entirely innocent player....
I reckon Hunty has a bit of the Dennis Wise in him and just before Gillespie lashed out it seemed to me that Hunt was giving it lip and possibly tugging at him. Whilst Gillespie had to go I would note that he basically seemed to be trying to push Hunt away. He clearly did not elbow him and I reckon that for what seemed to be minimal contact one might have thought Hunt had been shot with a bazooka.

I am sure that those who believe that anything done by an RFC player is OK would have been incensed had the roles been reversed.

I now await the abuse that will inevitably follow whenever anyone tries to be objective.....

Often disagree with your posts, but this is pretty much spot on. Like you say, you'll get some abuse as you're implying that a Reading player may be less than whiter than white, but Hunt almost certainly must have said something to Gillespie and did go down like he'd been snipered from the contact.

However, if it wasn't for the whole Cech incident, which I honestly believe was unintentional, hardly anything would have been mentioned.

[Royal Rother]

The way I saw it Hunt was not within shirt pulling distance, and was walking backwards when the arm made contact with him - the impact was much more likely to send him down because he already had backward momentum.

He did not go down like a sack of spuds, he went down on his bottom which further supports this view. Those who play act do not go down on their arse because that is not a particularly dignified way to fall. He did not roll around like many do in those circumstances, he got up pretty quickly.

When Gillespie came and had a second go at him he did not raise his hands to fend him off, he kept them by his side, he hardly reacted at all, and he did not go down, which, again, many other football pros being paid fortunes would have done.

Now I have differeing views to many about Lita on here so I appreciate it is all about opinions that differ that helps makes this board a bit of fun, but how any Reading supporters can put ANY blame on Hunt for Saturday's incidents is beyond me.

[southbank1871]

Now I have differeing views to many about Lita on here so I appreciate it is all about opinions that differ that helps makes this board a bit of fun, but how any Reading supporters can put ANY blame on Hunt for Saturday's incidents is beyond me.

I'm just suggesting that there's a chance he wasn't completely blameless in the whole incident. If he wasn't tugging his shirt or didn't say anything at all, why the hell would Gillespie have just lashed out like he did?

[Royal Rother]

Because Warnock sent him on to do just that?

[rotherwick_royal]

Take away the edge and you take away Hunt's best asset. Coppell's said on many occasions he doesn't want Hunt to change the way he plays, and is clearly delighted with his form in the last few months.

I think that none of these comments would have been made if it wasn't for the Cech incident, which is strange as everybody here agrees that it was not deliberate. As for comparing him to Dennis Wise, this is unfair as Wise had a nasty streak I've not seen in Hunt. I would compare him in attitude to Scholes, who gets in a few scrapes but who nobody would call a dirty player.

[londinium]

Still think he was entirely innocent in connection with the Cech incident and no blame appears to attach over the clash with Gillespie - however he does seem to attract controversy!

It appears that his role is to ruffle the opposition with his energy and "in the face" style but after the game on Saturday I felt myself wishing that he hadn't caried out the two footed tackle on the corner flag as part of the goal celebration. It seemed very inappropriate after all the aggression that had surrounded his clash with Gillespie.

Reading had a superb disciplinary record last season with very few bookings and (if I am correct) no sendings off. This time there have been more cards and more ontroversies. Most of these have been as a natural result of the increased pressure on the premiership game and Reading can claim to remain a fair team. However, we don't really need players to act over-aggressively or in a provocative way.

I am sure that Messers Madejski and Coppel will agree - and will probably have a quiet word with the player.

Utter rubbish.

Play it as you see it Hunty... each team has its hard man... if Hunty is ours then so be it (more of a kitten than a tiger though isn't he). I doubt Arsenal and United fans would have wanted Viera and Keane to have eased up.

[alad]

Still think he was entirely innocent in connection with the Cech incident and no blame appears to attach over the clash with Gillespie - however he does seem to attract controversy!

It appears that his role is to ruffle the opposition with his energy and "in the face" style but after the game on Saturday I felt myself wishing that he hadn't caried out the two footed tackle on the corner flag as part of the goal celebration. It seemed very inappropriate after all the aggression that had surrounded his clash with Gillespie.

Reading had a superb disciplinary record last season with very few bookings and (if I am correct) no sendings off. This time there have been more cards and more ontroversies. Most of these have been as a natural result of the increased pressure on the premiership game and Reading can claim to remain a fair team. However, we don't really need players to act over-aggressively or in a provocative way.

I am sure that Messers Madejski and Coppel will agree - and will probably have a quiet word with the player.

Spot on, Hunt is a liability and his card is marked. His antics are giving Reading a bad name, Convey would never act like that.

[Ian Royal]

alad, legend has nicked your log in and is sucking Convey off via his posts again.

stop trying to be clever and controversial. you're not very good at it.

[SpaceCruiser]

his antics

1) Comedy slide tackle on a corner flag.

2) Jumped on the mascot

3)

Have to admit to struggling a bit here. Do help me out.

I've added another one. Though somebody else will have to do the third one.