NO LONGER A RUMOUR - Bikey signs for Burnley

[Ian Royal]

What does it take to get it through people's thick skulls that defence was not an issue for us last season!


Are you serious? Please look at the amount of goals we conceded thanks to Duberry losing his man in the box, backing away or hoofing it aimlessly back to the opposition.

We didn't concede a lot, but the ones we conceded, certainly at home, were largely avoidable.

Bikey will score more, keep possession more and generally be better than anyone we have.

Yes I'm serious. Our defensive record was pretty consistent through out the season and we had one of the best defensive records in the Championship.

Our scoring record post XMas was pretty awful. Bikey was guilty of hoofing the same as everyone else.

Bikey will score more? Doyle, NHunt, SHunt, Long will all have something to say about that as will others.
Keep possession more? Harper has been described by many at the club as one of the best passers and ball retainers. Maybe his absence had something to do with things.
Be Better? Well that's very meaningful isn't it!

What a load of nonsense.

[Sun Tzu]

Alex Pearce has a pretty decent goalscoring record. Over a season I reckon he'd match Bikey (making a sensible comparison as, I suspect, was intended !).

I'd also back Pearce to waste less possession than Bikey. Bikey loves the extravagent pass and when one goes right it looks great, but most don't. Pearce is more conservative but therefore wastes less.

Pearce and Bikey both have their strengths and I suspect might make a decent pairing, Bikey's pace and Pearce's game reading ability, both strong in the air, both pretty phtsical.

[Broxroyal]

Alex Pearce has a pretty decent goalscoring record. Over a season I reckon he'd match Bikey (making a sensible comparison as, I suspect, was intended !).

I'd also back Pearce to waste less possession than Bikey. Bikey loves the extravagent pass and when one goes right it looks great, but most don't. Pearce is more conservative but therefore wastes less.

Pearce and Bikey both have their strengths and I suspect might make a decent pairing, Bikey's pace and Pearce's game reading ability, both strong in the air, both pretty phtsical.

Let's hope we get the chance to see that pairing. I too think that could work.

[statto]

I think it was fairly clear that I was talking about Bikey scoring more than any of our defenders.

The only nonsense here is the suggestion that Bikey should be sold because of his "attitude problem".

To be honest, I'd have an attitude problem if I saw Duberry picked over me week in week out.

[Ian Royal]

Bikey should be sold IF WE CAN GET £2m+ because he can be unreliable and is error prone.

To clarify: It's not his attitude which is a problem, it's his mentality. He seems to have difficulty controlling himself, switches off too often and hoofs/plays himself into trouble too much.

Great talent, but if we can reduce the wage bill to make room for new blood AND get over £2m for him then it's good business.

[Royal Lady]

Bikey is like the old Hicksy/Hetzke type of player but without quite so much of the hoof ball. We need a strong character like him. I'll be very very sad if we sell him.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The Mirror reckons Bikey is another player with a release clause in his contract - in this case the sum is £3 million.

[Mike Hunt]

The Mirror reckons Bikey is another player with a release clause in his contract - in this case the sum is £3 million.

I don't think that anyone will bid that amount for him....

[Dirk Gently]

The Mirror reckons Bikey is another player with a release clause in his contract - in this case the sum is £3 million.

I thought just about every player had a release clause in their contracts - and if not an official one there'll be an unofficial one, agreed between club and player.

[Sun Tzu]

The Mirror reckons Bikey is another player with a release clause in his contract - in this case the sum is £3 million.

I thought just about every player had a release clause in their contracts - and if not an official one there'll be an unofficial one, agreed between club and player.

Every club will have a figure that they will sell a player for, even if it's not written down.

I don;t think it is quite as formalised here as it is abroad where it does seem a standard contractual clause.

[Jobbo no.11]

maybe not marseille and is only the news of the world but it is interesting to see he has a release clause.http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/4 ... g-ace.html


"READING'S Andre Bikey, 24, could make a rapid top-flight return with Fulham or Stoke.

The Cameroon defender, who made 37 appearances for relegated Royals, has a £3million release clause in his contract."

[Ian Royal]

maybe not marseille and is only the news of the world but it is interesting to see he has a release clause.http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/4 ... g-ace.html


READING'S Andre Bikey, 24, could make a rapid top-flight return with Fulham or Stoke.

The Cameroon defender, who made 37 appearances for relegated Royals, has a £3million release clause in his contract.

I don't call a year especially rapid. Unless that's a report from last summer you're using to show the release clause

[Royalwaster]

maybe not marseille and is only the news of the world but it is interesting to see he has a release clause.http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/4 ... g-ace.html


READING'S Andre Bikey, 24, could make a rapid top-flight return with Fulham or Stoke.

The Cameroon defender, who made 37 appearances for relegated Royals, has a £3million release clause in his contract.

I don't call a year especially rapid. Unless that's a report from last summer you're using to show the release clause

So Stoke have realised they signed the wrong black player last summer - racist bastards!

[Southbank Old Boy]

maybe not marseille and is only the news of the world but it is interesting to see he has a release clause.http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/4 ... g-ace.html


READING'S Andre Bikey, 24, could make a rapid top-flight return with Fulham or Stoke.

The Cameroon defender, who made 37 appearances for relegated Royals, has a £3million release clause in his contract.

Think a lot of the newer contracts have had clauses put in them

[Wizard]

LOL @ Andrew Bikey

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/4 ... g-ace.html

[PistolPete]

I was at the Tooting game - everything that is good and bad about Bikey occured...

He was colossal (with ease) and then...absurd... He decided that it was a good idea to dribble round the two Tooting forwards, got tackled and was incredibly lucky that Tooting managed to miss their golden opportunity.

In the same game Bikey stroked the ball powerfully onto the post from a 30 yard freekick.

What seems obvious is that Rodgers doesn't seem prepared to invest his growing reputation in Bikey - I just do not buy the theory that Rodgers is preparing for the first 3 games of the season and not the season as a whole. I see Bikey as very much like Titus Bramble; all the attributes to be a great defender just needs either a leader besides him or age and experience. He played the game against Tooting and Mitcham barely saying a word to the 16 year old next to him - not a great sign of someone who is prepared to shoulder responsibility.

In my opinion Readings major investment this summer should be a defensive rock and leader to play along side Bikey at the back, someone that he will listen to and someone that he respects - otherwise Bikey will fail and we may be better off with 3m in the bank. Just my opinion...

[Southbank Old Boy]

I was at the Tooting game - everything that is good and bad about Bikey occured...

He was colossal (with ease) and then...absurd... He decided that it was a good idea to dribble round the two Tooting forwards, got tackled and was incredibly lucky that Tooting managed to miss their golden opportunity.

In the same game Bikey stroked the ball powerfully onto the post from a 30 yard freekick.

What seems obvious is that Rodgers doesn't seem prepared to invest his growing reputation in Bikey - I just do not buy the theory that Rodgers is preparing for the first 3 games of the season and not the season as a whole. I see Bikey as very much like Titus Bramble; all the attributes to be a great defender just needs either a leader besides him or age and experience. He played the game against Tooting and Mitcham barely saying a word to the 16 year old next to him - not a great sign of someone who is prepared to shoulder responsibility.

In my opinion Readings major investment this summer should be a defensive rock and leader to play along side Bikey at the back, someone that he will listen to and someone that he respects - otherwise Bikey will fail and we may be better off with 3m in the bank. Just my opinion...

He had that in Doobs and Ivar but it didnt seem to do the trick as far as Coppell was concerned

I would like to see us sign an outstanding central defender though

[PistolPete]

I think Doobs and Ivar are decent leaders, the problem is I'm not sure Bikey respected them as players.

If Bikey was paired with a player that was not only a leader but someone who was better than him I could imagine Bikey becoming one of the best defenders in the world - I mean it!

It would have to be an incredibly shrewd signing and expensive at that. Sadly, because of this, I think he will be better off sold.

Seeing as we cant buy the defender that is better, a team like Fulham with Hangeland, Tottenham with King or Woodgate, Nelson at Blackburn, Upson at West Ham or even Anton Ferdinand at Sunderland would do well to bring the best out of Bikey. Shame...

[Wycombe Royal]

I think Doobs and Ivar are decent leaders, the problem is I'm not sure Bikey respected them as players.

If Bikey was paired with a player that was not only a leader but someone who was better than him I could imagine Bikey becoming one of the best defenders in the world - I mean it!

It would have to be an incredibly shrewd signing and expensive at that. Sadly, because of this, I think he will be better off sold.

Seeing as we cant buy the defender that is better, a team like Fulham with Hangeland, Tottenham with King or Woodgate, Nelson at Blackburn, Upson at West Ham or even Anton Ferdinand at Sunderland would do well to bring the best out of Bikey. Shame...

I stopped reading at that point. Doobs has/had zero leadership skills. When he played with Pearce it was Pearce who did all the talking and organising.

[PistolPete]

Well read on - it's not all crap! (oh, and by the way, Duberry was club captain at Stoke)(oh, and second by the way - It was the previous poster who said that Duberry was the leader not only me...)