Le Fondre - Come and get me plea

[Big Ern]

Without doubt Alfe is the best finisher in the club, but his overall game doesn't justify a starting position in the team. Shame as he is a "Likable" character, but he needs to do more outside the penalty box to cement a place in the starting 11

[floyd__streete]

Sharpe is just a fat Le Fondre. Would shrug my shoulders and walk on if both of them leave.

Almost a +1 here. I actually think that Sharp is a better footballer than Le Fondre. Tbh, I think that Keith Scott is/was a better footballer than Le Fondre.

General shoulder-shrugging indifference to them both, though.

[westongeezer]

Alf has wanted to leave the club for some time, in fact I had the fortune to get into his dads taxi by chance in OCT in Stockport, he told me Adam saw his future in the Prem........I begged to differ with him saying surely a few more seasons in the Championship would be better, He then went on to tell me that the club had set his price to high, I was under the impression that no one came in for him in the last window, the fact remains with Alf as good a striker as he is until we get some of the injuries out of the way his playing style don't work with the current squad, because getting a ball into any form of striking area is not good.

[RoyalBlue]

Without doubt Alfe is the best finisher in the club, but his overall game doesn't justify a starting position in the team. Shame as he is a "Likable" character, but he needs to do more outside the penalty box to cement a place in the starting 11

Spot on. I suspect that this is the reason he isn't getting more starts and I very much suspect that Adkins has told him. However, for reasons probably only known to himself, ALF doesn't appear to be taking it on board.

[Hoop Blah]

Le Fondre can't just change the player he is though.

What he can do is change his expectations and be more realistic about how a club at our level or higher is going to use him. If he doesn't like that then he'll need to drop down a rung or two on the ladder or find a team that is happy to carry a poacher like him. Unfortunately for him I think teams willing or able to do that pretty much died out 10-15 years ago.

[BR2]

Bit sad reading nearly all negative stuff on here about a player who made such an impact at our club in a fairly short period.
Rather than going to a lower division club I think he would be better suited to a Premier club where better chances are created for a striker-whether any Premier club would take a chance on him is another matter as Defoe is now finding that most managers are not now prepared to play somebody who "only" scores goals.

It is pointless keeping him as he clearly is not wanted by the manager, a manager who sees things in players that we don't see such as Kanu being a support striker and the 100 goals in a season is rather difficult to achieve when we consistently make no fewer than 2-3 chances per game.

This now feels like the time when the Archie and Nogan combination was broken up so that Quinny could bring in his mate to play long-ball and get free-kicks and penalties.
Most of us liked the movement and finishing of the two small strikers that got us so close to the Premier League ,as most of us have liked Alf's deadly finishing that did get us to the Premier League.

Our set-up is just a mess at the moment with no distinctive style of play but with a bit of money from Alf's sale we may get some funds to cover loan deals in the (many) positions where we need improvement-I'm not sure that just effectively swapping him for Sharp is good business nor much of a strengthening of our squad.

[Sanguine]

Le Fondre can't just change the player he is though.

What he can do is change his expectations and be more realistic about how a club at our level or higher is going to use him. If he doesn't like that then he'll need to drop down a rung or two on the ladder or find a team that is happy to carry a poacher like him. Unfortunately for him I think teams willing or able to do that pretty much died out 10-15 years ago.

Yep. Cureton's last year or so at Reading he suffered similar complaints that all he did was score goals - and once he stopped doing that, his days were numbered.

With the exception of Stoke, Michael Owen maintained an ok scoring record in his latter years, 30 in 79 at Newcastle, 17 in 52 at United despite rarely starting. But that's the point, he rarely started because where teams now play an 'attacking six' rather than more rigid formations, there's no room for someone who doesn't run the channels, hold the ball up, create for others etc.

[Millsy]

I say stick Alfie at left back.

[Sanguine]

Alfie's would sadly mirror my career, where having scored 36 goals in Bracknell Gunners' promotion season, I went goal-less for 9 games and was moved to left-back, where I saw out my days.

[BR2]

Alfie's would sadly mirror my career, where having scored 36 goals in Bracknell Gunners' promotion season, I went goal-less for 9 games and was moved to left-back, where I saw out my days.

Were you left-footed?
Seeing 5 right-backs on the pitch yesterday shows what a gap in the market there is for left-footed players?

[Sanguine]

Alfie's would sadly mirror my career, where having scored 36 goals in Bracknell Gunners' promotion season, I went goal-less for 9 games and was moved to left-back, where I saw out my days.

Were you left-footed?
Seeing 5 right-backs on the pitch yesterday shows what a gap in the market there is for left-footed players?

I was, still am in fact.

Trust me, watching streams of right-footed players at left-back for Reading and Liverpool does get a lefty dreaming!

[Libertine]

If Alfie wants out send him on his way.

There are a lot of problems with this team right now that are contributing to the lackluster efforts on the pitch.

1. Captaincy by committee, resulting in a lack of leadership/accountability to themselves amongst the players
2. Key players past their prime
3. Players who don't want to be here/can't adjust their games to our style who erode team chemistry
4. Injuries
5. Ownership uncertainty

NA is in the beginning of a rebuilding phase. He thought he could do it on the fly while getting us promoted again, he can't and the club needs to bring in players who want to be here, with a good dose of our younger in-house players given a chance, and can play the style NA wants us to play.

[KC Royal]

there's no pride in playing for a team anymore, just whoever pays the most.

Why would Le Fondre be proud of playing for Reading?

I think Le Fondre is a good player, but Sharp and Pogrebnyak (and Roberts lololol) are just as good if not better. If he is causing problems behind the scenes then I would send him on his way, with a great big "thanks for the memories".

And I am fairly sure it was Sidwell who mentioned his family as a reason why he wanted to go to Chelsea, along with just wanting to take the chance whilst he could. He was still dedicated on the pitch.

I distinctly remember it as Sidwell but actually before the Chelsea link came up, in the summer before going into the first Prem season, and the hoo-hah on here that it caused. I don't know if it still exists but there was a thread that ran throughout that season all about it, 80 odd pages or something

He was dedicated on the pitch, but from what I was told at the time he was actually talking to a couple of clubs that summer that were interested in him (Charlton and Man City IIRC; both mentioned in the Mensah thread I came across recently on UR&G) and I do believe that if we'd signed Fae or Dean Whitehead that summer the club would have cashed in on him. Particularly as I remember Alan Smith (the ex Palace manager and mate of Coppell) on 5 Live discussing Shorey (when the rumours of West Ham surfaced in 2007 towards the end of the window) and saying that we would sell if we found a replacement.

[From Despair To Where?]

This now feels like the time when the Archie and Nogan combination was broken up so that Quinny could bring in his mate to play long-ball and get free-kicks and penalties.
Most of us liked the movement and finishing of the two small strikers that got us so close to the Premier League ,as most of us have liked Alf's deadly finishing that did get us to the Premier League.

.

And therein lies the key, both Nogan and Lovell had so much more to their game than just scoring goals. In fact, Lovell started off more as a goalscoring midfielder. As someone else has already pointed out, the single reason why Le Fondre has not started more games above League 1 is that his overall game is not up to the demands of modern attacking tactics and formations.

Other clubs will have scouted him and seen those limitations. He looks great on a 5 minute MOTD highlight reel but not for 90 minutes, that's why no-one has come in for him, not the club setting his price too high.

[KC Royal]

I don't feel a bond with any of these players. I have to be honest and say I couldn't care less who goes this month, or in the summer. I just hope we bring in some players who have the heart and energy we miss, and are used to having here. The more we see of the Jake Taylor's the better!

The"bond" comment was spoken a lot around us today. Murtt, Doyle, Kitson, Shaka etc....

Compared to a Gunter, Guthrie, Pog....just not there is it!

I remember similar being said on here fairly early on in the 2011/12 season...
What we need are players to hang around for a few seasons or players coming through the academy. Sadly, due to financial constraints and the better players wanting to move on having had a taste of the PL, I fear the days of us building a side are gone, so let's hope the academy players can come through. I thought Ugwu would at least have made the bench this season by now.

[RoyalBlue]

Why would Le Fondre be proud of playing for Reading?

I think Le Fondre is a good player, but Sharp and Pogrebnyak (and Roberts lololol) are just as good if not better. If he is causing problems behind the scenes then I would send him on his way, with a great big "thanks for the memories".

And I am fairly sure it was Sidwell who mentioned his family as a reason why he wanted to go to Chelsea, along with just wanting to take the chance whilst he could. He was still dedicated on the pitch.

I distinctly remember it as Sidwell but actually before the Chelsea link came up, in the summer before going into the first Prem season, and the hoo-hah on here that it caused. I don't know if it still exists but there was a thread that ran throughout that season all about it, 80 odd pages or something

He was dedicated on the pitch, but from what I was told at the time he was actually talking to a couple of clubs that summer that were interested in him (Charlton and Man City IIRC; both mentioned in the Mensah thread I came across recently on UR&G) and I do believe that if we'd signed Fae or Dean Whitehead that summer the club would have cashed in on him. Particularly as I remember Alan Smith (the ex Palace manager and mate of Coppell) on 5 Live discussing Shorey (when the rumours of West Ham surfaced in 2007 towards the end of the window) and saying that we would sell if we found a replacement.

Having given it further thought, and been given some memory prompts as above, I think Sidwell probably was the guy. However, I'm pretty sure he didn't say it until right towards the end of his time with us and certainly not when he still had 18 months left to run on his deal. What's more he deservedly held down a starting place right till the very end by giving 100% to the team and club on and off the pitch. He was an all-round team player with lots of different talents in his locker. In contrast ALF is primarily a goal poacher with a fairly limited team contribution if he is not being set up with chances.

[Mr Angry]

I have it on good authority that Sidwell was on £9K a week at the start of our 1st season in the Prem; others were on similar and took the wage increases offered to them (up to £15K/16K pw). Sidwell valued himself as being worth more than that, and came out with the infamous "I need to provide for my Family" quote that led to - amongst others - Woodcote's blood pressure rising to dangerous levels.

Sidwell was superb during the season, and at no time did his performances drop; all the time Coppell and Hammond were doing their best to convince him to sign a new contract, in the end offering him £25k pw. But by then he was determined to leave - Coppell was to say later that the club knew he wasn't staying by the turn of the Year. Despite that, Coppell continued to play him almost until the end of the season (iirc he was first dropped for the Charlton away game, but I stand to be corrected).

When he was signed by Chelsea it was a genuine surprise, especially for a supposed £50K a week; if accurate, it totally justified his own self belief and self worth.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Spot on Mr A, as the season went on his value grew as he showed he could cut it in the Prem, and is the only one still there, scoring again for Fulham yesterday.

[RoyalBlue]

Spot on Mr A, as the season went on his value grew as he showed he could cut it in the Prem, and is the only one still there, scoring again for Fulham yesterday.

What a shame we didn't make a move for him before the start of 2012/13 when he was out of favour at Fulham.

[3points]

I thought Sidwell was only on 4k per week, and was offered 15k at the start of the Prem season. Either way, he's still one of my favourite Reading players because he showed true professionalism throughout that season, unlike a number of others have done subsequently.