Ex Players

[SCIAG]

Really don't know what Coppell and the club were smoking in 2007. Pretty much a whole season knowing Sidwell would be going but when he did there was no move to bring in a replacement despite a few being readily available. Think the club spent all the effort in trying to get Scott Brown but when he effectively said he wasn't interested in playing for a tiny no-mark club there wasn't a plan B and we ended up with Fae despite being relatively awash with cash after moving Halford on for £3m+. Could have had Matthew Taylor and George O'Reilly at the time, both experienced in the PL and would have considerably strengthened the defensive part of the club's game.

Not sure who you're thinking of. Matthew Taylor was a left midfielder who was not available at the time, could have got him in the January window when he moved to Bolton.

Can't think of who you mean by George O'Reilly.

The really smart play would have been signing Blaise Matuidi and Ivan Rakitic, both of whom moved clubs for modest fees that summer and performed well at a high level. But that's pure hindsight.

[SCIAG]

I think with Convey he took a year to settle, and in his third season, we didn't miss him because Hunt really stepped up and Seol came in and was massive. I thought Seol, for all his faults, was a huge player. We were a hard working, well organised side and he just threw in a huge dose of flair into the mix.

Seol, of course, was a record signing in his own right.

Other record signings who come to mind...

Matt Mills - ~£2m
Adrian Mariappa - ~£3m
Tiago Ilori - ~£3.75m

Of whom, Mills was a mixed bag, Mariappa was a good player in a shambolic side, and Ilori was a huge disappointment.

But tbh it doesn't feel right to call Convey a "qualified" success. For me personally, if I was picking the greatest Reading team in my lifetime it would have Convey in it. Like, sorry to Gilkesy and McAnuff but Convey was on another level. (I think the only way he doesn't make it is if I both decide I want Gylfi and I want 4-4-2, which means Gylfi going out to the left) I don't think we can ask much more of a record signing than getting us promoted and arguably being our best ever player in his position. With apologies to those who remember Gordon Cumming.

FWIW Cumming played on the right.
You are probably right in saying that Convey was our best ever because he is assessed as a Premier League player.

Two before him, Gilkes and Tommy Jenkins were brilliant for the level that we were then playing at - both were transferred to top level clubs (IIRC Saints were top level then) but were never very good at that level although in the case of Jenkins I think he might have been a success but injuries had a major impact. He cost £500 but we sold him for £60,000 just 5 months later, what a deal for a lower level club in 1969.
Ironically I was transferred to a job in Southampton (for no transfer fee) in 1970 but never got to see him play for them.

Same goes for Paul Canoville who had his career ruined by one terrible injury but was great when with us.

Back in the 60s we had George Harris who scored 25 goals one season playing as an orthodox left-winger.
He had brilliant spring and many of his goals were headers-he got 26 goals the next season but the club didn't keep him for long for whatever reason and he remained a lower league player-we thought a higher level club would come in for him.

So yes, Convey it is but we have had a few that have been ok.

Canoville is a good shout, have heard him described as essentially far too good for us and only with us because Chelsea racially abused him.

I wasn't judging Convey as a top-flight player. Convey only managed about half a dozen games in the top flight before he got a career changing injury (which led to Hunt starting against Chelsea). I was mostly going off the 106 season where he was electric.

If I was judging it based solely on the top flight, I'd argue for McAnuff but realistically it would have to be Hunt.

Do appreciate you adding the historical context though - not really heard of Jenkins or Harris and always interesting to learn more.

[stealthpapes]

Really don't know what Coppell and the club were smoking in 2007. Pretty much a whole season knowing Sidwell would be going but when he did there was no move to bring in a replacement despite a few being readily available. Think the club spent all the effort in trying to get Scott Brown but when he effectively said he wasn't interested in playing for a tiny no-mark club there wasn't a plan B and we ended up with Fae despite being relatively awash with cash after moving Halford on for £3m+. Could have had Matthew Taylor and George O'Reilly at the time, both experienced in the PL and would have considerably strengthened the defensive part of the club's game.

Not sure who you're thinking of. Matthew Taylor was a left midfielder who was not available at the time, could have got him in the January window when he moved to Bolton.

Can't think of who you mean by George O'Reilly.

The really smart play would have been signing Blaise Matuidi and Ivan Rakitic, both of whom moved clubs for modest fees that summer and performed well at a high level. But that's pure hindsight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_E ... ummer_2007

fill your boots

[Stranded]

George Puscas currently on the bench for Bari in the 1st leg of the Serie B relegation play-out.

Loser of the tie drops to Serie C.

[Franchise FC]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

[WestYorksRoyal]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

[Orion1871]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Yep.

Reading about them, their owners sound and look like a right bunch of twats, but pleased for Kelly.

[Clyde1998]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

[Snowflake Royal]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

[Chameleon]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

At L1 he'll be mercilessly bullied by the big lumps who aren't great technically that most teams have at CB. Morro etc would have him for breakfast.

[JedMaxwell]

If he's able to find pockets of space in the right areas, it won't matter who he's up against as he will be able to use the ball before he gets battered.

The issue is when there isn't that space, and he has to battle against more physical midfielders and basically do shuttle runs up and down the pitch.

But it's the same for Lewis Wing largely - if he has to chase a big quick bugger all over the pitch he's not very effective, but when he picks the ball up between the lines he makes a difference.

[Sutekh]

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

At L1 he'll be mercilessly bullied by the big lumps who aren't great technically that most teams have at CB. Morro etc would have him for breakfast.

and, of course, in L2 he wouldn't have been "bullied" at all...

[Hound]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

[Sutekh]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

[From Despair To Where?]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

Did him no favours interviewing him next to the keeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FnuF6I8Jw4

[biff]

Used to ball around Buckskin (rough bit of Basingstoke) in a matte black wrapped 4x4 very early on in his career. Probably felt so it couldn't be keyed.

[Sutekh]

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

Did him no favours interviewing him next to the keeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FnuF6I8Jw4

[URZZZZ]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

[Snowflake Royal]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

Norwood has certainly proved a lot of people wrong. Such a good player we wasted by having no real plan and just throwing players together who would never work well.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I remember Norwood being one of our better players, even if he has hit more heights subsequently. Wouldn't say we wasted him, and got a good fee when he left.

But agree the system never really suited Kelly. The idea that physicalism was the issue is classic stone age English football thinking - he will have had lumps kicked out of him in L2. Is he smaller than Messi?

Reminds me of the rest is football pod where Micah Richards said Messi's only weakness is his heading, and Lineker retorted we're the only country in the world who would say that.