GONE - Michail Antonio to Sheffield Wednesday

[Ian Royal]

There was only the manager preventing him from making it in our first team, for some reason only known to himself. It turned out to be a bad call and sooner rather than later.

It turned out to be a fantastic call. It got us in the playoffs, and then promoted.

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

And in what way were the two things linked? We didn't need to sell Antonio (could have loaned again if really necessary) and he didn't need to make the first team as a regular that season. So it would be wrong to say he was never going to play in our first team.

As for Kebe at his best - not seen very often was it? Where is he now? I would rather have someone more consistent which Antonio appears to be.

He had a year left on his contract, didn't want another loan and wanted regular first team football in the Championship.

We couldn't have loaned him again in the slightest.

[blueroyals]

Was not rated by Brian. He had two good prospects on the wing (HRK and Antonio), was not room for both and he made the wrong decision. His record on transfers was very poor, with hindsight.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

You're joking right?

[CountryRoyal]

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

You're joking right?

Kebe has 5 premier league goals.
Antonio has 0.

[paultheroyal]

I'll say it here and now - Antonio will never be a Premiership player and I will never post again if he does. That's how confident I am.

[Ian Royal]

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

You're joking right?

Kebe was basically God's (Little's) right hand man. Antonio hasn't been to a PO Final, hasn't won the Championship, hasn't played a single PL game yet (i think) and hasn't ever pulled his socks up in play whilst in possession of the ball against West Ham.

Come back at the end of the season if he does well and then maybe you can put your case forward. Until then wash your mouth out with soap you blasphemer.

[PremAddict]

Not sure if I'm disappointed or not to see Antonio leave. I saw enough of him to suggest that there was potentially a Premier League player in there but his opportunities at RFC were so few and far between that there can be no real conclusion drawn on his talents based on his time in a Reading shirt. Given the players Saints and Sheff Wed fans have seen in the past I'm inclined to believe they know a good player when they see one so, given that combination, my gut instinct is we've lost a possible gem.

In fact, I'll say it here and now - Michail Antonio will be a Premier League player within the next five years.

At least someone on this thread wrote wise words!

Way to call it Dave.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Kebe has 5 premier league goals.
Antonio has 0.

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

You're joking right?

Kebe was basically God's (Little's) right hand man. Antonio hasn't been to a PO Final, hasn't won the Championship, hasn't played a single PL game yet (i think) and hasn't ever pulled his socks up in play whilst in possession of the ball against West Ham.

Come back at the end of the season if he does well and then maybe you can put your case forward. Until then wash your mouth out with soap you blasphemer.

I'm not talking about what they have acheived in their careers as part of a team, I'm comparing them individually.

Antonio is a better footballer than Kebe, no question about it.

[Ian Royal]

Madness.

[floyd__streete]

Antonio is a better footballer than Kebe, no question about it.

One is now playing for a Premier League team, the other - AFAIK - doesn't have a club at all

[CountryRoyal]

Antonio is a better footballer than Kebe, no question about it.

One is now playing for a Premier League team, the other - AFAIK - doesn't have a club at all

He plays when he wants.

[SCIAG]

It turned out to be a fantastic call. It got us in the playoffs, and then promoted.

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

And in what way were the two things linked?

Because the reason we didn't pick Antonio was because we had three wingers who were head and shoulders (and in Kebe and McAnuff's cases, knees) above him. The players we picked ahead of Antonio got us promoted, and would probably have kept us up if not for McDermott's mistakes.

As for Kebe at his best - not seen very often was it? I would rather have someone more consistent which Antonio appears to be.

Antonio's had one excellent season. 14 goals and 12 assists for a winger is truly amazing. However, two years ago he got fewer assists than Robson-Kanu and only 4 goals. A year before that, 8 goals and 9 assists - very good, but Kebe did better than that three years in a row. Three years straight of scoring or creating a goal every three matches or something ridiculous - hardly rare to see him at his best.

Where is he now?

Irrelevant. You may as well ask why we selected Nicky Forster ahead of Simon Church when Forster's now playing for Staines.

[St. Brynjar]

Good luck to him. Didn't rate him at the time, didn't see him developing into a decent Championship player let alone a Premier League one, but he's proved me and a lot of other people wrong.

[Forbury Lion]

Antonio has only become the player he is because we let him go, Had he remained with us he may have developed along the lines of HRK, who hasn't lived up to his potential.

[melonhead]

Antonio's still a long way off being as good as Kebe at his best.

You're joking right?

clearly that is deadly serious.

[melonhead]

was decent enough. bit of a 'head down' unit. but nowhere near good enough for us at the time, and had to go to get games for his own career prospects.

shame, but you cant just stockpile players forever. (unless youre Chelsea)

[MoorgateRoyal]

I'm happy he's in the Prem, just wish it wasn't with West Ham. I think he has all the ingredients to be useful in the Prem.

When I was at uni he and the club were kind enough to provide me an interview for a project I was doing. I called him up on the morning of a game, and despite it being matchday he spoke to me for a long time, was very humble and spoke very well.

Since then I've always looked out for what he's up to.

[melonhead]

8 million quid though?!


the world has gone mad

[Woodcote Royal]

FFS

No one in any walk of life gets everything right. Which dealer on the stock market has never backed a loser?

For every Kitson, Doyle, Shorey, Sonko, Gylfi or Long, who were all signed for jack or shirt buttons and subsequently sold for millions, how many Antonio's have have there been He's the only one that comes to mind but feel free to add to what will be a very short list.

Most of our sucesss has been built on buying cheap and selling our best acquisitions for a huge profit. Any Reading fans moaning in this respect are having a giraffe

All the very best to Antonio, who just happened to be coming through the ranks with us at the wrong time. He backed himself and now has a fully deserved chance to prove he's worth a place at the top table.

[Forbury Lion]

feel free to add to what will be a very short list.

Allowing Sidwell to leave on a free is the only one that comes to mind, although in the case of Antonio, if we hadn't played him we would have lost him for free anyway.