STEPHEN HUNT - IS HIS TIME UP?

[Royal With Cheese]

Personally, I really like him and agree he makes us a better team when he is playing but if his head is elsewhere, then he should follow it.

That's fine - as long as we get the valuation that is clearly built into his contract. If we don't then Hunty is clearly not the player he thinks he is.

[Hoop Blah]

Stephen Hunt of the last 6-8 weeks reminds me of Nicky Shorey for large periods of last season.

Playing very much within himself and for himself. Hoping to be the shining star and avoiding injury.

Makes you realise just how good Sidwell's attitude was.

Personally, I really like him and agree he makes us a better team when he is playing but if his head is elsewhere, then he should follow it.

When was the last time he didn't play? I can't remember but was just wondering how we coped and how would we cope if he went for good?

[fozziebear]

Definately no, why would he won't to go?
Everton Tottenham or Sunderland are the only clubs he will go to,Not sure if they all have the money to get him.The relagation fight that the clubs in will hopefully make him stay with us and help us get back into the premiership.
Hopefully Kevin Doyle and Noel could persuede him to stay,Don't think Convey is better than Hunt?

[Royal Lady]

I'd be surprised if Convey is still here after the transfer deadline tbh.

[Hoop Blah]

I'd be surprised if Convey is still here after the transfer deadline tbh.

I'd probably be more surprised that anyone remembers him enough to come and make a bid!

[Big Foot]

I'd be surprised if Convey is still here after the transfer deadline tbh.

Why? I can't see anyone wanting to come in for him, I imagine he'll be off of most club's radar and he's struggled to adapt to life in Reading let alone any other part of the country; so if he's to stay in England he'll surely want to do so at Reading?

An American club coming in for him would be more probable though I guess...

[Royal Lady]

I'm sure he'll go back to US, yes.

[Royal With Cheese]

I'm sure he'll go back to US, yes.

Do they have the same transfer windows in the US? Or could he go any time he wanted?

[Royal Lady]

I think they'll put him on the transfer list and if no UK club comes in for him, he'll retire and go back to the US.

[Hoop Blah]

Would the MLS be willing to pay a fee for him in January when I think he'll be available in the summer for nothing?

Alternatively would Coppell let him go for nothing now if he isn't really going to be involved? It would be a hell of a gamble letting Convey go for nothing without a suitable replacement for him bearing in mind we might also lose Hunt at the same time.

[bcubed]

If Hunt concenrated on being a hard working member of a hard working team, he'd be a vauablemember. However, his approach recently smacks of someone who thinks he's too good for this level and has stopped doing the basics, instead constantly attempting the sensational.

Yesterday he had a cross land to him on the corner of the six yard box, he had time to control and shot he could have put it back across the goalmouth, instead he blazed a volley off for a throw. If he can't get his head right he should go, if he can i'd like him to stay.

I like SHunt as I think he can be an asset to the team, but how would you get him to stay tho schards?

The only way he's going to stay is by nobody offering the £5m.

Personally, if I were Coppell and the board and someone offered £4.5, maybe even £4m I'd take it as I totally agree with Schards about the way Hunt has been playing recently. He seems to have suddenly become quite the big time charlie and I'd wonder if that can be re-addressed, especially by Coppell who doesn't seem the type to confront the problem (as with Lita and Kitson he's just got rid).

I like Hunt and he has been brilliant for Reading.
Yesterday was a day to forget - perhaps his worst ever performance

When he is good he plays to his strengths - yesterday he seemed to think he was Ronaldo and tried all sorts of things that he probably can't even pull off in training 9 times out of 10.

I wonder why it is that Reading players get too big for their boots. Kitson Shorey and perhaps Sonko all come to mind.
Is this an aspect of Coppell's style of management? Is he just too laid back and too reasonable to be able to deal with "stars" or "would-be stars"?

If so we better get rid of Hunt as soon as possible or the team will suffer the way it did with Kitson last season. The strength of any Coppell side side has always been the team being bigger than the individual parts. No room for prima donnas especially when they are nowhere near as good as they think they are

[facaldaqui]

We know that Hunt goes through less impressive spells. He's best when fresh, and it seems like his brother may be too. So lets be realistic: he is a key part of the team. Don't forget that his corner led to Fed's goal and that his was the assist on Doyle's header at Birmingham, which looked like a planned move. It would be folly not to keep him; good job Coppell runs this team and not Hobnobbers.

[floyd__streete]

SHunt was appaling yesterday - again. His delivery from set pieces this season has been outstanding, but he cannot cross from open play - his crosses yesterday were an absolute joke - and struggles to control the ball. Plus, we could easily live without his off the ball shenanigans.

[RFCBoy]

Time to cash in, had an awful game yesterday with misplaced passes, crosses, shots and that terrible free kick. Summed up his performance with the worst cross i've seen him put in when he smashed it out for a throw on the other side of the pitch.
If any club is dumb enough to put in a bid, on recent performances, i'd take the moeny and run as we could buy a few decent players with £5-7 million.

[facaldaqui]

So are you saying that because in the last game he put in the worst cross you've ever seen from him that he can no longer cross? My interpretation is that Hunt's game suffers more than most players' from games in quick succession.

And, by the way, we don't need the money. Coppell is already in a position to buy players, if he wants.

[Hoop Blah]

So are you saying that because in the last game he put in the worst cross you've ever seen from him that he can no longer cross? My interpretation is that Hunt's game suffers more than most players' from games in quick succession.

And, by the way, we don't need the money.

I don't think it's the quick succession.

Hunt is one of the players that Coppell trusts to play through fixture congestion and I wouldn't say those games that come in quick succession are the ones he struggles in. It does seem that Hunt is a a pretty hot and cold player though. He has runs of form where things come off for him and he looks half decent. Those spells are broken up by spells like the one he's been in for a while now where he loses his touch, can't cross or pass and gets far too frustrated and ends up taking it out on the opposition.

To cut a long story short, he's just not that good to perform consistently around his best ability.

[brendywendy]

hes been below par for a fair few games now in a row for me

somethings up-but could just as easily be fatigue than wanting out though-
though there are some similarities to shorey, and even hunt before the last window etc

just wish he would go back to being the 100% worker who also worked very hard on his technique and showed massive improvements

[North Somerset Royal]

SHunt was appaling yesterday - again. His delivery from set pieces this season has been outstanding, but he cannot cross from open play - his crosses yesterday were an absolute joke - and struggles to control the ball. Plus, we could easily live without his off the ball shenanigans.

That was true for the most part but in the dying minutes it was his excellent cross that Doyle almost headed in for the winner. To my mind Hunt has always been a player of the "headless chicken" variety who runs about a lot without much end product. However every now and then he produces some good stuff and in IMHO he is worth his place as his energy and agression often unsettles teams. Fact is that Convey is now past it and we have no one else anywhere near good enough to replace Hunt.

[lozz2601]

Time to cash in, had an awful game yesterday with misplaced passes, crosses, shots and that terrible free kick. Summed up his performance with the worst cross i've seen him put in when he smashed it out for a throw on the other side of the pitch.
If any club is dumb enough to put in a bid, on recent performances, i'd take the moeny and run as we could buy a few decent players with £5-7 million.

Yeh, but the question is would we?
I'd say sell him if there was a guarentee that we'd spend a decent amount of money on a replacement. If the money is just going to stay unspent I'd rather keep Hunt, bad as he's playing at the mo.

[brendywendy]

of course theyd spend some money in replacing hunt
considering conveys finished,
just like when we replaced shorey/kitson etc