STEPHEN HUNT - IS HIS TIME UP?

[LUX]

I'm amazed (actually, no I'm not) at the regularity of the anti Shunt threads (the "i'm officially bored of..." one last season was priceless. It only ended this September when he was replaced by Long as being the generally accepted "useless" one).

as Glenda Slagg would put it: Steven Hunt, arencha sick of him?

You'll all be crying on here if/when he goes.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Without Stephen Hunt's assists this season, we would probably be bottom half.

Ah, so there isn't another pro at the club capable of quality delivery from a set piece ? I don't think the debate is "he's in poor from so sell him". I think it more along the lines of is he worth the £5m needed to buy him ? For me the answer to that is no and I'll be surprised if another club stumps up the money in this window.
Maybe another debate would be could we buy a better player for the £5m that we'd get for him ? And if so who would we buy ?

By the way, I very much hope he stays and gets back to the form he showed earlier this season. He's an important part of our side, just not worth £5m IMHO

[cmonurz]

To the question could/would we buy a better player than Hunt, I'd say that the answer is a resounding no. It would disappear much lik Kitson's £5m did.

[londinium]

Other than Doyle can anyone think of a better player for us this season???

Thought not.

I would turn down £5 million, as with Hunty we will get back to the Premiership, without him, we won't.

I can think of quite a few, especially in recent weeks when Hunty has been very poor. I think we all need to look past dead ball situations a bit. Yes, we have scored often from his set piece delivery but we happen to have a lot of players who are very good in the air at set pieces. Think through the set piece goals and ask yourself whether it was the exceptional delivery or the exceptional movement / header that was the dominant factor in the goal being scored. Mostly it is the latter.
In open play he has created only a fraction of what Kebe has created. Kebe may be frustrating at times but he gets into dangerous areas so often that, should his final ball continue to improve, he will be the one that clubs are chasing.
As a final thought, had Shorey still been here and taking free kicks, would Hunty be deemed to have had a good season so far based on the rest of his contribution ?

I am talking about the season as a whole not just the last few weeks, but if you want to count them. Hunt crossed for both our goals against Cardiff and Saints that earned us draws was in the team that won the previous 2 games.... where was Kebe? oh yes suspended for stupidity... no good to us in the stands is he and at saints??.. as bad as Hunt except didnt provide the cross for the point.

As for the Kebe crap, I am a great Kebe fan but Hunt has actually created more in open play leading to our goals than Kebe has.

And as for the 'because he take the free kicks and corners' argument for him having so many assists. This is because he is the best in the team at them that is why he takes them. Hence the reason Shorey used to take them.

In my opinion without Hunt we wouldn't be were we are today in the league and if we sold him we would slide slowly down the table as there is no immediate replacement within the ranks and nobody on the market as good as him available that would actually want to come to Reading.

[Fezza]

To the question could/would we buy a better player than Hunt, I'd say that the answer is a resounding no. It would disappear much lik Kitson's £5m did.

Can't say I agree, a portion of the Kitson money was spent on N Hunt, who for me is a better player. Are you suggesting the club should have spent the rest of the money just for the sake of it? I'd rather we kept operating in a sensible manner given the economic climate.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

"As for the Kebe crap, I am a great Kebe fan but Hunt has actually created more in open play leading to our goals than Kebe has"

Err, Londinium. Hunty has 2 assists in open play. Doyle v Swansea and NHunt v Coventry. Might be 3 as I'm not sure who crossed for Bryn v Cardiff. I have Kebe down for 7. As an interesting aside, Bobby Convey also has 2 having only spent only 4 or 5 hours on the pitch this year. I wonder if he is any good at set pieces

Cmonurz. Indulge me for a minute. Assume you can spend the money. Could we lose Hunty and end up in a net position of strength having spent the £5m on another player. Could be a straight replacement for Hunty. Or maybe a new striker with Convey / Henry coming into midfield. What do you think ?

[FiNeRaIn]

Can't say I agree, a portion of the Kitson money was spent on N Hunt, who for me is a better player

Kitson= proven championship scorer over a number of years who proved he could play in the prem, noel hunt hasn't proved either yet and has a pretty one dimensional style of play.

[Terminal Boardom]

Said it before and I will say it again. Over-rated and not woth any of the hype surrounding him. The bulk of his game is running around a lot. That does not make a quality footballer. Cash in on him now. Out of curiosity, does he have a non-promotion release clause in his contract?

[Fezza]

Can't say I agree, a portion of the Kitson money was spent on N Hunt, who for me is a better player

Kitson= proven championship scorer over a number of years who proved he could play in the prem, noel hunt hasn't proved either yet and has a pretty one dimensional style of play.

How has "Dave" done since his drink drive conviction?

Injury prone and lacking in commitment, I can't say I'm upset he's gone. Also Hunt is proving a much better partner for Doyle (who couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo last term).

If it makes you feel better though remove "a better player" and replace with "less of a self obsessed cock".

[londinium]

Can't say I agree, a portion of the Kitson money was spent on N Hunt, who for me is a better player

Kitson= proven championship scorer over a number of years who proved he could play in the prem, noel hunt hasn't proved either yet and has a pretty one dimensional style of play.

How anybody can think that NHunt is better than Kitson is beyond me.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Can't say I agree, a portion of the Kitson money was spent on N Hunt, who for me is a better player

Kitson= proven championship scorer over a number of years who proved he could play in the prem, noel hunt hasn't proved either yet and has a pretty one dimensional style of play.

Have to agree with you there FiNeRaIn. He is very good in the air when we get crosses into the box but average in other facets of the game. I think sides have found us out a bit in the past 8 weeks. They have shut our wide men down (often via 5 in midfield) which in turn cuts down on the number of crosses we get into the box. Hence Noel has appeared to struggle a bit.
That's why I think a new striker is a top priority for us. And it needs to be a player that fits our style of play i.e can run the channels, win first and second balls, keep the ball and score his fair share of goals. Plenty of those around I know

[Terminal Boardom]

I think sides have found us out a bit in the past 8 weeks. They have shut our wide men down (often via 5 in midfield) which in turn cuts down on the number of crosses we get into the box.

Which reinforces what I have said previously is the lack of a Plan B when Plan A doesn't work.

[2.8 lita injection]

I still dont quite understand the negativity to Shunt, i know his form has been up and down this season but when he isnt playing well his energy, workrate & positional sense makes him an asset to the team.

Given his assists & his improved crossing quality Reading will be a weakened team without Shunt and i would be very worried if he was sold.

[Terminal Boardom]

I still dont quite understand the negativity to Shunt, i know his form has been up and down this season but when he isnt playing well his energy, workrate & positional sense makes him an asset to the team.

Given his assists & his improved crossing quality Reading will be a weakened team without Shunt and i would be very worried if he was sold.

Seems to me that there is an over-reliance on shunts set piece deliveries which is not a million miles away from the reliance on Nicky Shorey. Where is the variety? But take away the huffing an puffing what is left?

[SteveRoyal]

considering conveys finished

He's only 25. He hasn't had a decent run of games since 2006 and I'm pretty sure he's been injured fairly recently - though I could be wrong.
Give him a run of games and then judge him as "finished".
Even so, I'd buy a replacement as Robson-Kanu should not be relied upon.

[Deathy]

After another shocker by him yesterday,wondered if it was time to cash in.
Can be a liability at times and probably getting too big for his boots.

Agreed. Nail on head.

Plenty of huff and puff but he wants out, he's always been inconsistant, and we get the odd decent cross and not a lot more from him.

£5m?? C'ya. And LOLz at who ever pays that silly amount of money for him.

[SteveRoyal]

£5m?? C'ya. And LOLz at who ever pays that silly amount of money for him.

Steve Bruce of Wigan?

[Deathy]

£5m?? C'ya. And LOLz at who ever pays that silly amount of money for him.

Steve Bruce of Wigan?

Well... lol. He is a Bruce signing. Huff n puff, a battler... But never in a million years is Stephen Hunt worth even £2.5m, so if we get £5m, we're laughing.

[brendywendy]

considering conveys finished

He's only 25. He hasn't had a decent run of games since 2006 and I'm pretty sure he's been injured fairly recently - though I could be wrong.
Give him a run of games and then judge him as "finished".
Even so, I'd buy a replacement as Robson-Kanu should not be relied upon.

dont get me wrong, not necessarily my opinion-just tahts the way its starting to look
thought he did ok for half an hour yesterday for instance
get him match fit and that will improve

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Hunty has just been nominated for Powerade Player of the Month Makes you wonder whether the judges just pick random names out of a hat. Now his Sep / Oct form would justify inclusion but not his Dec form I'm afraid.
We had a great month as a team but should any Reading player be among the league nominees for December ?