Scott Davies.....

[andrew1957]

I like this lad. I really do, I think he could be a fantastic player for us.

My only problem is that there's nowhere you could fit him into our squad.

You could slot him in midfield alongside Karacan, but then we'd have a midfield 4 of McAnuff, Karacan, Davies and The Sig - and whilst this may be quality on paper, the lack of experience would definitely hinder the amount of quality on show.

Then you have to think about Matejovsky, Tabb, Howard, Cisse all on the bench for the team. He could do a job next season when/if we sell Cisse and Matejovsky; but by then it might be too late.

Everyone keeps eluding to this 'lack of experience' but I can't think of many occassions this season when, taking Sigurdsson for example, he's done something I've openly questioned and thought he showed immaturity.

With the four listed above, I'd play Davies on the right, McAnuff on the left, and Siggy and Karacan through the middle. That way we'd have two decent flanks, we'd get the best out of Siggy in the middle, and we'd also have Karacan who I believe to be our best all-round central midfielder when playing 4-4-2.

Agreed - our young players have been a success this year on the whole - in many cases (with some exceptions) it has been our experienced players that have let us down.

[Ian Royal]

Amen to that.

And I think that a lot of people are rather overstating the inexperience of these players. Sig has about the fewest first team games of the lot, yet is the best and is arguably our player of the season. Despite being played out of position most of the time.

Karacan has close to a season's worth of Championship games under his belt now. Davies has excelled at three levels of English football and looked very promising at this level in his early season displays. McAnuff is hardly lacking in experience.

Pearce, again has close to a season's worth of Champ games under his belt.

Church, Cummings, Bertrand & maybe HRK are the only younger players who are really affected by any inexperience in my opinion. With Bertrand probably having the most experience yet suffering the most from mistakes that look born out of inexperience.
And he's played every game barring an injury.

[brendywendy]

that would be because bertrand has been very good all season
?

[Ian Royal]

that would be because bertrand has been very good all season
?

I really don't think he's been that good. I certainly think he's been pretty weak defensively and whilst he gets forward quickly and well, hasn't actually contributed a whole lot to us in terms of creating goals.

[Blue Hooped Moose]

I too don't buy this "not enough experience" gubbins. The players have to start somewhere and I say at least give them a try.

I remember when Matty Robinson was injured (at the time one of our better performers, which speaks volumes on the talent we had at our disposal!! ) and we played an inexperienced youngster called Nicky Shorey...

[brendywendy]

that would be because bertrand has been very good all season
?

I really don't think he's been that good. I certainly think he's been pretty weak defensively and whilst he gets forward quickly and well, hasn't actually contributed a whole lot to us in terms of creating goals.

i think the defencive unit has been weak, which transfers to individuals like berti, fed, ivar and pearce on occasion, which causes them to make individual errors
but overall, surely berti has been one of the stand out performers of the season?

hes in my top 3 anyway

[Royal_Delight]

that would be because bertrand has been very good all season
?

I really don't think he's been that good. I certainly think he's been pretty weak defensively and whilst he gets forward quickly and well, hasn't actually contributed a whole lot to us in terms of creating goals.

i think the defencive unit has been weak, which transfers to individuals like berti, fed, ivar and pearce on occasion, which causes them to make individual errors
but overall, surely berti has been one of the stand out performers of the season?

hes in my top 3 anyway

Together with Sig and McAnuff?

[Royal_Delight]

Didn't he score quite a number of goals during his loan at Aldeshot? His tenacity could do us good and besides, a duo of Davies and Sig banging in goal would be awesome.

[Ian Royal]

I think he's vastly overrated. He has been fairly good compared to a lot of the players and is one of Rodgers better signings.

He just doesn't defend very well with silly lapses and too often I've seen him evading one challenge by kicking the ball inside straight at another player when the break is on if he knocks it straight down the wing to chase.

But frankly I'd pick Sigurdsson, McAnuff, Karacan & Church all ahead of him for contenders in POTS

[Ian Royal]

Didn't he score quite a number of goals during his loan at Aldeshot? His tenacity could do us good and besides, a duo of Davies and Sig banging in goal would be awesome.

Davies has a career ratio of goals at something stupid like 1 in 3. Something a striker would be content with anyway. Certainly got approaching 30 career goals if not more.

[brendywendy]

I really don't think he's been that good. I certainly think he's been pretty weak defensively and whilst he gets forward quickly and well, hasn't actually contributed a whole lot to us in terms of creating goals.

i think the defencive unit has been weak, which transfers to individuals like berti, fed, ivar and pearce on occasion, which causes them to make individual errors
but overall, surely berti has been one of the stand out performers of the season?

hes in my top 3 anyway

Together with Sig and McAnuff?

yup- has to be IMO

[Hoop Blah]

Didn't he score quite a number of goals during his loan at Aldeshot? His tenacity could do us good and besides, a duo of Davies and Sig banging in goal would be awesome.

Davies has a career ratio of goals at something stupid like 1 in 3. Something a striker would be content with anyway. Certainly got approaching 30 career goals if not more.

Think it's more like 1 in 4, but still good for a midfielder, even if it is one played in quite an attacking way, in a similar way to Lampard and Gerrard so his role is to often to score, and often at a level well below ours (even as a youngster it's easier but it does show his eye for goal and knack of getting in the right place to score).

[Factfinder]

“We can all see what a good footballer he is and that’s why Reading want him back.


That's what Gary Waddock said about him.

[SteveRoyal]

Whatever happens,
Davies > Cisse

[royal_cornwall]

scores goals for fun.

Personally I think we're actually talking closer to £1m for Davies to de sold. Probably not that much, but not far off.

Are you for real?

£1m? we're in a relegation dog fight and he's out on loan

[Maguire]

brendy, I'd agree that the pick of the players thus far have been Bertrand, Sigurdsson, and McAnuff. How anyone could pick Church, well, the mind boggles.

I don't really understand all the love for Davies though. I'm not writing him off or suggesting he has no future with the club, but when he was in the first team att he start of the season he simply wasn't all that good. We loaned him out for a reason, and it wasn't because he was on high wages, put it that way.

[Terminal Boardom]

Shades of Richie Bowman. I always felt that Richie was too good for the 4th but not quite good enough for the 3rd. Could this be applies to Davies? Too good for League 1 but not for the CCC?

I still think he deserves a punt though. Even if it is as an impact sub with 25-30 to go.

[Garrincha]

My mate has played with and against Howard & believes Davies is a more accomplished player

Kevin Betsy?

No comment

[Thaumagurist*]

We should keep Davies and sell Matejovsky.

I don't think anyone will want to buy him at the moment as he's injured!

[Ian Royal]

scores goals for fun.

Personally I think we're actually talking closer to £1m for Davies to de sold. Probably not that much, but not far off.

Are you for real?

£1m? we're in a relegation dog fight and he's out on loan

Neither of which bare any relevance to his price tag.