CONFIRMED - Michael Hector to Chelsea

[Simon's Church]

he's the new Rio

This.

Id be looking for £15-20m if we sold him, he's at least twice as good as mings.

[urz13]

Mistake prone atm but he'll grow out of that. He's the best natural tackler I've ever seen in a Reading shirt, he just seems to wrangle the ball off the opponents even in the most impossible situations. £7m+

[RoyallyFcuked]

Basically everyone on here used to really aggressively overhype McCarthy and would be hyper critical of Adam Federici even when we won the league and Federici was the best player in the team for large parts of the season. So I turned that around and started mimicking them and being hyper critical of McCarthy, they couldn't see their own behaviour and got really upset.

I've never really, possibly a few times in jest, disliked McCarthy but I also think that while he is good the "future England number 1" stuff spouted about him on here is and was a more than a little over the top. He may get in the squad and maybe play a few friendlies but he's not displacing Hart anytime soon. There are other prospects who are just as good as him, who are also younger and have room to grow.

We have had the same sort of hype with Hector. His first home game last season against Ipswich at home saw a passing post match comment from Anton Ferdinand about how Hector's display was reminiscent of his brother turned into a week of "he's the new Rio" on this portal. Sean Morrison, our ex captain who had just left for Cardiff, was inundated with messages on social media calling him all the names under the sun and crowing about how we didn't need him because we had Hector. Remember, this was after Hector had played one game.

I do get it, you bring a player through your own system who is even moderately good and people automatically want them to succeed, it's the same at all clubs. However, the only one that has really gone on to become an established PL regular and somewhat justify the HNA? hype is Gylfi.

Thanks for clearing that up, but it would have just been easier to say you got upset because McCarthy is a better keeper than your hero Federici.

Also, I don't think it was overhype about McCarthy being England No1 in the future. His shot stopping is second to none, at least as good as Hart. His positioning is excellent and he also reads where opposing players are going to put the ball really well. Also rarely makes a mistake, in fact on the final day of last season he played for QPR vs Leicester and spilt a long range shot from which Vardy scored the rebound. This was genuinely the first 'cost a goal' mistake I can remember seeing him make, and the same can't be said of many top keepers who have been through phases where they made mistakes, Hart included. The only thing he needed to work on was his kicking, and I think he has improved that somewhat.

Really pleased that Pardew has effectively saved Alex's career by taking him from QPR to a club going in the right direction in Palace, I reckon Pards Reading connections may have had a part to play in that.

Intrestingly though, McCarthy was unlucky because he supposedly chose QPR over Liverpool as he thought he would get more playing time. Turns out that wasn't the case because of the form of Rob Green but considering how bad Mignolet was for parts of last season McCarthy could well have been Liverpool's no 1 keeper now.

On Hector, he should definitely stay with us for at least another season or two, then again I would say that. At this moment I'd say his worth at least £8m and he is only going to get better.

[Platypuss]

McCarthy - starting for the Palace first XI
Federici - on the bench for Bournemouth

Both decent keepers, but facts >>> opinions.

[sandman]

Football is a game of opinions. Pele wasn't looking at a spreadsheet of stats when he called it the beautiful game.

Speroni is injured btw.

[RoyallyFcuked]

I know he is

Even if McCarthy has to give his place back to Speroni when he's back, it still won't be too long before he is No 1 at Palace

[Hoop Blah]

I do agree with sandman that the hype about McCarthy was over the top, and the England Number 1 stuff was typical of it, but he's also a very good keeper and, for my money, better than Federici with a lot of potential to get better.

He should've got the nod over Federici earlier than he did (one of McDermott's first mistakes of his last season in charge) but rightfully became first choice when they were both fit and available.

Despite some of his silly off field stuff which makes him out to be a bit of a tit I hope he kicks on now and becomes the keeper he should've developed into by staying at Reading instead of getting his head turned by QPR and their Premier League money.

It's a rare thing but sandman makes a pretty good point by comparing the plaudits Hector has received with McCarthy. He's decent enough but a long way short of being a reliable Premier League centre half.

[LWJ]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

[Tommio]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

Where have you heard this?

[Mr.Swainey]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

Where have you heard this?

Another prisoner.

[LWJ]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

Where have you heard this?

A source within the club

[LWJ]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

Where have you heard this?

Another prisoner.

You're so obsessed and I don't even know who you are.

[John Smith]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

I'd take that. Put it towards a big name striker

[YateleyRoyal]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

I'd take that. Put it towards a big name striker

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink?

[Coppelled_Streets]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

I'd take that. Put it towards a big name striker

You should know this club better than that!! We'd be lucky to 1/3 of it, if that even.

[melonhead]

im not sure we can say for sure with the new owners how they will deal with the money from a big player being sold
they seem (relatively) happy to spend money so far

[CountryRoyal]

Most promising CB we've had in as long as I can remember. Ferdinand and McShane won't be around for ever.

Keep.

[Tommio]

Accept any offer of £6m and above.
We have McShane and Ferdinand that are playing excellently. Keown and cooper are more than good enough for back up.

[Royal Ginger]

£5.5m bid made by 'premiership' team.

I'd take that. Put it towards a big name striker

And therein lies the problems with the modern football fan and the economy of the game.

[windermere_royal]

Is Appiah still at Palace?, I wouldn`t say no to him coming back here as part of the deal