Ex Players

[From Despair To Where?]

Brentford - Reading 2002. That game.

Brentford had ingimarsson, Dobson, Owusu, Sidwell and Hunt in their starting lineup.

And Coppell was manager.

Jay Tabb was coming through the ranks at the time at Brentford as well. Was Sonko also not a Brentford player in his early days?

Ok, might not have been in that specific game, but seemed to have pulled a lot from Brentford years ago.

Sonko joined the following season. Tabb was there that season but only made 3 appearances.

[Snowflake Royal]

Probably Simon Osborn as well.

yep and keith curle - just checked on the HNA? match reports

ady, gilkes, osborn, curle, mcghee and lee

Would that be the game Gooding crippled Gilkes and Ady scored an own goal?

[From Despair To Where?]

Gooding crippled Gilkes in the 2-1 League win. It was the added on time for Gilkes' injury where Archie scored both our goals.

Ady scored an oggy in the 4-2 League Cup win.

[Snowflake Royal]

Gooding crippled Gilkes in the 2-1 League win. It was the added on time for Gilkes' injury where Archie scored both our goals.

Ady scored an oggy in the 4-2 League Cup win.

Ahhh, wasn't sure if they were the same game.

I've never felt anything like that Archie winner.

[URZZZZ]

I can remember being so freaking excited when we signed Vydra.

On paper, Vydra and Sa as a front two should easily have been enough for promotion, especially with the likes of an inform Blackman, McCleary, Norwood etc behind

Fulham game completely derailed our season (or to be more precise, 10 minutes of the Fulham game!)

Real shame as that squad was easily a top 6 challenging team, but I guess it shows how mentally lacking the squad has been in recent years, with such an adverse reactions to freak results

[Sutekh]

I can remember being so freaking excited when we signed Vydra.

On paper, Vydra and Sa as a front two should easily have been enough for promotion, especially with the likes of an inform Blackman, McCleary, Norwood etc behind

Fulham game completely derailed our season (or to be more precise, 10 minutes of the Fulham game!)

Real shame as that squad was easily a top 6 challenging team, but I guess it shows how mentally lacking the squad has been in recent years, with such an adverse reactions to freak results

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I can remember being so freaking excited when we signed Vydra.

On paper, Vydra and Sa as a front two should easily have been enough for promotion, especially with the likes of an inform Blackman, McCleary, Norwood etc behind

Fulham game completely derailed our season (or to be more precise, 10 minutes of the Fulham game!)

Real shame as that squad was easily a top 6 challenging team, but I guess it shows how mentally lacking the squad has been in recent years, with such an adverse reactions to freak results

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

The game lives in my memory for a weird reason. At 2-1, I was looking at X Scores at the time, they said that we went 3-1 up after scoring in the 53rd minute, they even had Nick Blackman down as the goalscorer with Norwood getting the assist. Within about 10 seconds X Scores corrected this to say it was actually 2-2 and Fulham scored and then within 60 seconds of that Fulham scored again. Mentally, I went from watching us being 3-1 up and flying to 3-2 down and then we all know what followed after that.

[Snowflake Royal]

I can remember being so freaking excited when we signed Vydra.

On paper, Vydra and Sa as a front two should easily have been enough for promotion, especially with the likes of an inform Blackman, McCleary, Norwood etc behind

Fulham game completely derailed our season (or to be more precise, 10 minutes of the Fulham game!)

Real shame as that squad was easily a top 6 challenging team, but I guess it shows how mentally lacking the squad has been in recent years, with such an adverse reactions to freak results

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

Thing is, it was Clarke's misuse of Vydra that ruined him here. And Blackman's purple patch was already over before Clarke left.

Had he stayed, we'd have drifted down the table. John, Piazon and co were only interested when we were looking at promotion, once that was out they downed tools

[From Despair To Where?]

I'm not entirely sure Ola John ever upped tools.

I remember that summer window though. For 2 days we went bonkers signing "name" players from big clubs and they all played in the same fcuking position. Meanwhile we had no left back but signed Taylor on loan from Wigan despite already having already maxed out our allowed number of loan players.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm not entirely sure Ola John ever upped tools.

I remember that summer window though. For 2 days we went bonkers signing "name" players from big clubs and they all played in the same fcuking position. Meanwhile we had no left back but signed Taylor on loan from Wigan despite already having already maxed out our allowed number of loan players.

Didn't we go about 5 years with either too many RBs and not enough LBs or too many LBs and not enough RBs?

Cummings, Gunter, Kelly
Armstrong

Obita, Blackett, Richards
Gunter

I can't remember the last time we looked like we had a clue how to build an actual squad rather than just run around grabbing whatever was on offer regardless of need or suitability.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I'm not entirely sure Ola John ever upped tools.

I remember that summer window though. For 2 days we went bonkers signing "name" players from big clubs and they all played in the same fcuking position. Meanwhile we had no left back but signed Taylor on loan from Wigan despite already having already maxed out our allowed number of loan players.

Taylor was the first loan player we signed that summer. We ended up getting 4 over the space of 2 days, including Michael Hector back after he moved to Chelsea.

It's strange, we had some decent players that season for the little we spent considering where some have played at. Alex Fernandez currently at Cadiz in La Liga, Orlando Sa moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv and then Standard Liege (where his strike rate was better than 1 in 2) etc. Not stellar or anything, but still a decent level compared to where we have been since that season.

We have struggled for a number of years to have a balanced squad I think.

[From Despair To Where?]

Fernandez and Taylor never really got a look in because we loaned a bunch of show ponies.

[Snowflake Royal]

Fernandez and Taylor never really got a look in because we loaned a bunch of show ponies.

Wasn't Fernandez injured most the time, or was that the other chap who barely featured and went on to excel in Europe... C something?

[From Despair To Where?]

That was Daniel Carricco.

[Snowflake Royal]

That was Daniel Carricco.

That's the one

[Orion1871]

On paper, Vydra and Sa as a front two should easily have been enough for promotion, especially with the likes of an inform Blackman, McCleary, Norwood etc behind

Fulham game completely derailed our season (or to be more precise, 10 minutes of the Fulham game!)

Real shame as that squad was easily a top 6 challenging team, but I guess it shows how mentally lacking the squad has been in recent years, with such an adverse reactions to freak results

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

Thing is, it was Clarke's misuse of Vydra that ruined him here. And Blackman's purple patch was already over before Clarke left.

Had he stayed, we'd have drifted down the table. John, Piazon and co were only interested when we were looking at promotion, once that was out they downed tools

Don't agree. Vydra had several chances in front of goal that season and he just couldn't finish any of them.

One that sticks out was against Wolves away when HRK put him though one on one. He was clear of the defenders, misjudged the pass, took a poor touch sideways and the defenders got back to stop him.

[URZZZZ]

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

Thing is, it was Clarke's misuse of Vydra that ruined him here. And Blackman's purple patch was already over before Clarke left.

Had he stayed, we'd have drifted down the table. John, Piazon and co were only interested when we were looking at promotion, once that was out they downed tools

Don't agree. Vydra had several chances in front of goal that season and he just couldn't finish any of them.

One that sticks out was against Wolves away when HRK put him though one on one. He was clear of the defenders, misjudged the pass, took a poor touch sideways and the defenders got back to stop him.

Could argue it’s a confidence thing though isn’t it? Look at Vydra’s career to date, he rarely has an “average” season, usually at either end of the spectrum

Huge expectations, large fee for what was a loan signing and a fragile player all pointed to one thing if he didn’t start too well. Which ultimately happened

[Snowflake Royal]

A very good Fulham side though it has to be said. Couldn't quite believe Reading were 2-0 up at half time esp. as I thought looked a bit "iffy' at the back and so it proved, cue fairly uncommon loss of two goal lead as quick as possible on restart. If only Clarke hadn't have been such a total plank he might have made something of that season (and have become a favourite Reading manager).

Thing is, it was Clarke's misuse of Vydra that ruined him here. And Blackman's purple patch was already over before Clarke left.

Had he stayed, we'd have drifted down the table. John, Piazon and co were only interested when we were looking at promotion, once that was out they downed tools

Don't agree. Vydra had several chances in front of goal that season and he just couldn't finish any of them.

One that sticks out was against Wolves away when HRK put him though one on one. He was clear of the defenders, misjudged the pass, took a poor touch sideways and the defenders got back to stop him.

Clarke played him out of position and he struggled, that combined with the expectation and pressure of the proce tag ruined his confidence to the point he couldn't finish his dinner.

He was always a fragile confidence player who was hit or miss, and Clarke basically did everything to ensure he was miss.

[Sutekh]

Thing is, it was Clarke's misuse of Vydra that ruined him here. And Blackman's purple patch was already over before Clarke left.

Had he stayed, we'd have drifted down the table. John, Piazon and co were only interested when we were looking at promotion, once that was out they downed tools

Don't agree. Vydra had several chances in front of goal that season and he just couldn't finish any of them.

One that sticks out was against Wolves away when HRK put him though one on one. He was clear of the defenders, misjudged the pass, took a poor touch sideways and the defenders got back to stop him.

Clarke played him out of position and he struggled, that combined with the expectation and pressure of the proce tag ruined his confidence to the point he couldn't finish his dinner.

He was always a fragile confidence player who was hit or miss, and Clarke basically did everything to ensure he was miss.

Just so many of Reading's name signings have been compromised by idiot management not playing them to their strengths eg Stam and Grabban.

[Orion1871]

Don't agree. Vydra had several chances in front of goal that season and he just couldn't finish any of them.

One that sticks out was against Wolves away when HRK put him though one on one. He was clear of the defenders, misjudged the pass, took a poor touch sideways and the defenders got back to stop him.

Clarke played him out of position and he struggled, that combined with the expectation and pressure of the proce tag ruined his confidence to the point he couldn't finish his dinner.

He was always a fragile confidence player who was hit or miss, and Clarke basically did everything to ensure he was miss.

Just so many of Reading's name signings have been compromised by idiot management not playing them to their strengths eg Stam and Grabban.

Talking of Stam. He's on the new episode of the Gary Neville podcast, The Overlap. He's claiming he wasn't given enough money to spend in the summer after the play off final.