Ian Harte

[marcusopp]

As all of the other discussions topics seem to be about him, let's have one actually about Ian Harte.

Yes, he's slow. But always has been. If we had a quick centre half, it wouldn't be a problem at all.
He's got the best first touch in the side, great composure, great dead ball, great passing, good in the air, good positioning (means his pace isn't as much of a problem) and he's a great voice in the team.
The main reason it looked terrible against swansea was because our side had pushed up the pitch at the centre, assuming we wouldn't give it away immediately, so Harte was isolated against a younger, faster player.
When their winger knocked it past Harte, he was moving towards the player, meaning hw had to stop, turn, then make chase, meaning he was miles behind.
I think it was a master stroke signing him, and i'm delighted we've got him in our side.
PS, is Morrison fast?

[Ian Royal]

Reading's strengths in recent years, playing similarly to the way we do now with most of our attacks down the flanks, came from having full backs who could get forward and overlap.

You are quite right that Harte is a good player and brings a lot to the team, but as long as we are focusing our attacks down the flanks and having two defensive minded midfielders, like we do currently, I think we do need overlapping forwards to make us most effective.

When you then add in his lack of pace defensively and combine it with centrebacks who either aren't brilliant in terms of positioning or aren't very mobile it's a problem.

It doesn't make us shit. It just makes us more vulnerable to certain styles and types of players and makes us easier to defend against.

It would be a mistake to replace him with say a Williams early season form, but equally it would be a mistake to keep playing him if we can find a decent left back who can get forward and overlap.

There's also the question of just how much does he have left in the tank?

Great player to have as experienced back up, personally I'd like to see us move on strengthern Left back as one of our biggest priorities.

[URZZ]

Reading's strengths in recent years, playing similarly to the way we do now with most of our attacks down the flanks, came from having full backs who could get forward and overlap.

You are quite right that Harte is a good player and brings a lot to the team, but as long as we are focusing our attacks down the flanks and having two defensive minded midfielders, like we do currently, I think we do need overlapping forwards to make us most effective.

When you then add in his lack of pace defensively and combine it with centrebacks who either aren't brilliant in terms of positioning or aren't very mobile it's a problem.

It doesn't make us shit. It just makes us more vulnerable to certain styles and types of players and makes us easier to defend against.

It would be a mistake to replace him with say a Williams early season form, but equally it would be a mistake to keep playing him if we can find a decent left back who can get forward and overlap.

There's also the question of just how much does he have left in the tank?

Great player to have as experienced back up, personally I'd like to see us move on strengthern Left back as one of our biggest priorities.

+1

It's a huge ask but I'd like to see a new left and right back because Griffin is in the same class as Harte, and before I hear Harte gets goals etc, yes perhaps but I still concur with Ian, we need pacey fall backs to support our wingers. I would also love a new central defender to partner Mills and a forward.

Won't happen though, keep dreaming.

[The Doctor]

As all of the other discussions topics seem to be about him, let's have one actually about Ian Harte.

Yes, he's slow. But always has been. If we had a quick centre half, it wouldn't be a problem at all.
He's got the best first touch in the side, great composure, great dead ball, great passing, good in the air, good positioning (means his pace isn't as much of a problem) and he's a great voice in the team.
The main reason it looked terrible against swansea was because our side had pushed up the pitch at the centre, assuming we wouldn't give it away immediately, so Harte was isolated against a younger, faster player.
When their winger knocked it past Harte, he was moving towards the player, meaning hw had to stop, turn, then make chase, meaning he was miles behind.
I think it was a master stroke signing him, and i'm delighted we've got him in our side.
PS, is Morrison fast?

agree with most of this. harte was the signing of the season! he'll do for one more season but yes we do need a pacey centre back, and that is neither mills or pearce. morrison can't be slower than those two! swindon thought a lot of him and he was their young player of the season the season before we snapped him up. he's got all the attributes to be a success here and will hopefully show that in pre-season.

[Ian Royal]

Reading's strengths in recent years, playing similarly to the way we do now with most of our attacks down the flanks, came from having full backs who could get forward and overlap.

You are quite right that Harte is a good player and brings a lot to the team, but as long as we are focusing our attacks down the flanks and having two defensive minded midfielders, like we do currently, I think we do need overlapping forwards to make us most effective.

When you then add in his lack of pace defensively and combine it with centrebacks who either aren't brilliant in terms of positioning or aren't very mobile it's a problem.

It doesn't make us shit. It just makes us more vulnerable to certain styles and types of players and makes us easier to defend against.

It would be a mistake to replace him with say a Williams early season form, but equally it would be a mistake to keep playing him if we can find a decent left back who can get forward and overlap.

There's also the question of just how much does he have left in the tank?

Great player to have as experienced back up, personally I'd like to see us move on strengthern Left back as one of our biggest priorities.

+1

It's a huge ask but I'd like to see a new left and right back because Griffin is in the same class as Harte, and before I hear Harte gets goals etc, yes perhaps but I still concur with Ian, we need pacey fall backs to support our wingers. I would also love a new central defender to partner Mills and a forward.

Won't happen though, keep dreaming.

More than happy with Cummings myself, and would like a new centreback instead of Mills. Happy to acknowledge though that with him personal dislike is colouring my opinion more than I would normally let it.

[PEARCEY]

We have in Alex Pearce a perfectly capable centre-back. We have in Shaun Cummings a perfectly capable right back. We have in Alex McCarthy a perfectly capable keeper. We have in Matt Mills another perfectly capable centre-back. All four are young. So for that reason I don't have a problem with Ian Harte remaining in the side to give an experienced edge to a young back five.
Harte was only exposed once on Monday when Dobbie waltzed past him. His lack of pace was not the reason why we lost.

[Forbury Lion]

Ian Harte can play in central defence, in fact he was playing there before we signed him and in an interview shortly after joining he commented about how long it's been since he played as fallback and how it would take him a while to get his fitness levels up to cope with it.

Although Ingimarsson and Khizanishvili have departed, I wouldn't be surprised to see us sign a left back with pace to bolster the defence with Harte moving back to the middle.

[Wimb]

Reading's strengths in recent years, playing similarly to the way we do now with most of our attacks down the flanks, came from having full backs who could get forward and overlap.

You are quite right that Harte is a good player and brings a lot to the team, but as long as we are focusing our attacks down the flanks and having two defensive minded midfielders, like we do currently, I think we do need overlapping forwards to make us most effective.

When you then add in his lack of pace defensively and combine it with centrebacks who either aren't brilliant in terms of positioning or aren't very mobile it's a problem.

It doesn't make us shit. It just makes us more vulnerable to certain styles and types of players and makes us easier to defend against.

It would be a mistake to replace him with say a Williams early season form, but equally it would be a mistake to keep playing him if we can find a decent left back who can get forward and overlap.

There's also the question of just how much does he have left in the tank?

Great player to have as experienced back up, personally I'd like to see us move on strengthern Left back as one of our biggest priorities.

Totally agreed, I'm not going to think we're weak if we've got Harte in the team next year, but we will have a weakness against pace and we could do better.

[Ian Royal]

We have in Alex Pearce a perfectly capable centre-back. We have in Shaun Cummings a perfectly capable right back. We have in Alex McCarthy a perfectly capable keeper. We have in Matt Mills another perfectly capable centre-back. All four are young. So for that reason I don't have a problem with Ian Harte remaining in the side to give an experienced edge to a young back five.
Harte was only exposed once on Monday when Dobbie waltzed past him. His lack of pace was not the reason why we lost.

Mills is the only centreback we have with much mobility - excluding Morrison who I don't know much about - he tends to play right side, which means we are left with a not very mobile centreback next to Harte.

And again, it doesn't address the need to have a full back overlapping to prevent it being too easy to double up on the winger and cut off half our attacking strength.

[Hoop Blah]

Harte had a decent season, can't deny that. When it comes to free kicks around the edge of the box there aren't many I'd rather have standing over it than Harte.

Personally I thought he'd weaken us defensively more than he did, largely because he'd been converted to a center half in recent years, but his goals contribution has outweighed the weaknesses he has contributed too (he has strengthened it compared to McDermotts other left back purchase though so it's credit in the bank for him there in some ways).

He had a dodgy spell before McDermott dropped him but by and large he's done ok so fair play to him.

[The Doctor]

We have in Alex Pearce a perfectly capable centre-back. We have in Shaun Cummings a perfectly capable right back. We have in Alex McCarthy a perfectly capable keeper. We have in Matt Mills another perfectly capable centre-back. All four are young. So for that reason I don't have a problem with Ian Harte remaining in the side to give an experienced edge to a young back five.
Harte was only exposed once on Monday when Dobbie waltzed past him. His lack of pace was not the reason why we lost.

Mills is the only centreback we have with much mobility

are you kidding? time and time again last season he was caught napping and took an age to turn. pearce may be slower but id fancy my chances against mills. you also know that you can wond him up and he'll snap back at you. plenty of ability but he has a lot to do before he's premiership class, although he gives you the impression he thinks he's already there.

[Ian Royal]

We have in Alex Pearce a perfectly capable centre-back. We have in Shaun Cummings a perfectly capable right back. We have in Alex McCarthy a perfectly capable keeper. We have in Matt Mills another perfectly capable centre-back. All four are young. So for that reason I don't have a problem with Ian Harte remaining in the side to give an experienced edge to a young back five.
Harte was only exposed once on Monday when Dobbie waltzed past him. His lack of pace was not the reason why we lost.

Mills is the only centreback we have with much mobility

are you kidding? time and time again last season he was caught napping and took an age to turn. pearce may be slower but id fancy my chances against mills. you also know that you can wond him up and he'll snap back at you. plenty of ability but he has a lot to do before he's premiership class, although he gives you the impression he thinks he's already there.

That's a different point to whether he's mobile or not, linked to his brain not his physique. I wholeheartedly agree he gets caught napping and out of position. And is cynical and easy to wind up.

Pearce reads the game very well, but he's quite slow and and not particularly well balanced.

[rfc2001]

I wouldn't mind harte for one more year, as long as the other side has pace, which Cummings does. Can't deny Harte brings composure on the ball, we need that.

As for a new centre back not a clue what will happen. like to see Pearce step up.

ultimately we need a quicker defence.

[NR_Royal]

On Football Manager, Morrison is a fair bit slower than Pearce...

[Hoop Blah]

I've never seen Morrison play but looking at him I don't have any hopes that he's got a turn of pace.

That could be wide of the mark but nothing I've heard suggests it is either. He's another traditional stopper by all accounts, so I'd see him as back up to Pearce if the season started tomorrow.

[Hiram K Hackenbacker]

I agree

[CayeneMatt]

Back to Ian Harte, one thing that was touched on earlier is he's a great reader of the game.

He's not usually caught out of position. I've watched him closely from the lower west, and he definately has a 6th sense as to where the balls going to go.

Mills doesn't have that, but then he has 10 years less experience.

[Top Flight]

Harte is a fantastic player and certainly has something to bring to the table. He definitely offers us something unique.

However, I think on balance, Reading would be more successful with someone like Bertrand at left back, overlapping McAnuff. We would be more effective going forward in open play. We would have a faster full back better equipped to deal with pacy wingers like Dyer or Sinclair. And McAnuff played much better in partnership with Bertrand than he has in partnership with Harte. When two defenders double up in McAnuff it makes his task that much harder. When he goes 2 V 2 with Bertrand helping him, we get far more crosses into the box.

Since however, that we can't afford Bertrand, and we are unlikely to find that sort of quality, Harte whilst not being the complete full back, still brings something really useful to the table and that is as everyone knows, his magical left foot.

[marcusopp]

Back to Ian Harte, one thing that was touched on earlier is he's a great reader of the game.

He's not usually caught out of position. I've watched him closely from the lower west, and he definately has a 6th sense as to where the balls going to go.

Mills doesn't have that, but then he has 10 years less experience.

Harte's reading of the gam e is excellent, but I think you've done Mills an i justice there. When the ball's loose in the box, it's usually a Mills block or header which get's us off the hook.
Maybe Harte at centre half is a good shout, a calming influence over the others.

[CayeneMatt]

Back to Ian Harte, one thing that was touched on earlier is he's a great reader of the game.

He's not usually caught out of position. I've watched him closely from the lower west, and he definately has a 6th sense as to where the balls going to go.

Mills doesn't have that, but then he has 10 years less experience.

Harte's reading of the gam e is excellent, but I think you've done Mills an i justice there. When the ball's loose in the box, it's usually a Mills block or header which get's us off the hook.
Maybe Harte at centre half is a good shout, a calming influence over the others.

On the basis that Harte has too much experience and dead-ball quality to be left out, putting him centre half to the left of Mills could be a good shout.

Trouble is... is he not a bit too short for a centre half?