January Transfer Window Investment?

[marlowuk]

The transfer window is fast approaching but what investment, if any, does Reading need to make?

GK - We have two very good keepers. Like all players one may have an off-day and any keeper having an off-day will be punished but we are solid in this position.
WB - I'm happy with Bridge, Gunter and Cummings and, to a lesser extent, with Kelly. Jobi can also do a job there.
CB - We miss Mariappa!! Pearce, Caspers and Morrison are slow and very shaky when opposition forwards run at them. Baird seems average at best. This must surely be priority 1 for any investment. Or bring Carrico back?
Midfield - We have an embarrassment of riches. McCleary, Royston, Williams, Guthrie, Jobi, Obita, HRK ..
Strikers - Pog, Alf, Sharp (and Roberts!!??) are all experienced and proven goal scorers and Blackman seems, at last, to be delivering.

We also have some very promising youngsters on our books.

Apart from our central defence we are strong and have better, more skillful players than most other clubs in this league. We are under-achieving with a good squad when the Reading history (by and large) has been to over-achieve with a limited squad. I know we have had more than our fair share of injuries and I accept that NA is trying to instill the passing game into the side. I support that but it isn't working at the moment. We have seen some flashes of what we can achieve early in the season (first half against Watford for example) but very little lately. The potential is there but it is not being realised!

Our problems are:-
We are more vulnerable than most sides to any team that breaks quickly on the counter-attack
We give up the fight for the midfield too easily allowing the opposition too much freedom to mount an organised attack
We cannot cope with any team that presses us high up the pitch. Our defenders (Bridge excepted) don't have the tactical vision or technical skills
We are crap at throw-ins - we give the ball away at ours and we do not challenge theirs
The opposition always seem quicker to pounce on loose balls
There seems to be a lack of passion.

Two of those problems (1 and 3) can be partially solved by buying one or two faster and more skillful central defenders but in the main they are problems of tactics and motivation. This is down to NA and his team - their man-management, tactical nous and motivational skills. I want to give NA time but it's difficult to have that patience when no improvements whatsoever are visible.

Yes - I know this post is too long but at least I've got it off my chest!

[bobby1413]

We need to deal with the queues in the concourse at half time before anything else. I'm fed up of having to miss the last 5 minutes of each half just to get my half-time beer.

[Royalwaster]

Good post followed by the usual HNA imbecilic comment.

I think your analysis is pretty good but I'd disagree with:

a) strength of WBs - when fit, I think Bridge and Gunter are more than adequate, but we've really been struggling without a proper replacement at LB; Cummings and Kelly are both RBs
b) abundance of riches in CM - I'd say we have an abundance of good wingers, but the crucial weakness is a lack of DMs with Karacan and Leigertwood out injured; IMHO we're so much missing the physical presence of someone like Legs in our promotion season - we only started looking serious contenders when he got into form that season (and Roberts joined us)

I totally agree about your comments about being outmuscled in CM - time and time again I notice how other teams seem to win the 50:50s ... it looks sometimes like luck (i.e. they get the lucky rebounds) but it's been happening all season so it is clearly a problem. I think this would be solved by addressing b) above.

[paddy20]

Good post followed by the usual HNA imbecilic comment.

I think your analysis is pretty good but I'd disagree with:

a) strength of WBs - when fit, I think Bridge and Gunter are more than adequate, but we've really been struggling without a proper replacement at LB; Cummings and Kelly are both RBs
b) abundance of riches in CM - I'd say we have an abundance of good wingers, but the crucial weakness is a lack of DMs with Karacan and Leigertwood out injured; IMHO we're so much missing the physical presence of someone like Legs in our promotion season - we only started looking serious contenders when he got into form that season (and Roberts joined us)

I totally agree about your comments about being outmuscled in CM - time and time again I notice how other teams seem to win the 50:50s ... it looks sometimes like luck (i.e. they get the lucky rebounds) but it's been happening all season so it is clearly a problem. I think this would be solved by addressing b) above.

Spot on. I think apart from left back, midfield is our major problem. Although Guthrie looks good on the ball he has little impact on the game. He often loses his player and gives the ball away in crucial positions. Williams runs a lot but is a poor marker and seldom tackles. I think a good ball winner and tough tackler in midfield and push Guthrie further forward is the answer. Also not sure about Sharp. Certainly no better than Le Fondre.

[Handsome Man]

Why use the word investment? It's just spending.

[SPARTA]

Too many changes to list them all. There's the obvious LB, CB, CM, ACM, ST and then you really need to ship out a lot of players who are either no good enough, or just don't want to be here any more. We could probably do with 8-10 in and out, but you'll need the summer to accomplish that.

[Zana Badawi]

A whole new back four - we have the best keeper in the league and one of the best back up keepers in the league. We need to protect them.

[bcubed]

We need to deal with the queues in the concourse at half time before anything else. I'm fed up of having to miss the last 5 minutes of each half just to get my half-time beer.

Can't see any change here I'm afraid, but it's more likely than any real investment in players

[SydenhamRoyal]

We need to deal with the queues in the concourse at half time before anything else. I'm fed up of having to miss the last 5 minutes of each half just to get my half-time beer.

I agree. It doesn't take much tactical decision making to start pulling pints 5 minutes before half time, to have them lined up for fans. Some organisational skills from the supervisors behind the bars, so that everyone, from the front line back to the deep lying pint makers, knows their job, and some motivation from the management to the staff to move their frigging arses for just 20 minutes of their shift.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

b) abundance of riches in CM - I'd say we have an abundance of good wingers

Although I'd agree with the word abundance I struggle with the word good! I really think our strikers have struggled with decent service and delivery - notably from the wing.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Ideally:

+LB
+CB
+AM
+DM

Reality:

0 "We were close on a couple of players but we are happy with what we've got"

Pessimistically:

-GK
-ST
-ST
-W

[Jaytee]

We have an embarrassment of riches. McCleary, Royston, Williams, Guthrie, Jobi, Obita, HRK .

Not sure about this statement. FWIW I think that it is our midfield that make our defence look slow . The defence are under too much pressure as the midfield are either too far away (hence the hoofs) or too close . We also don't seem to have enough "bite" when we don't have the ball. Most teams that come to the Mad Stad put a on lot of pressure quickly when they are not in possession. We seem quite happy to let them play in their own half and back off far too much.
Guthrie is class but we depend on him too much. Williams needs to be more consistent and be stronger in the tackle. Royston is definitely an impact player (entertaining to watch though) and should never play 90 mins (unless he loses a couple of kilos!!). The wingers need to sort out crossing the ball from open play - some of the crosses have been appalling. Pog seems to have got himself sorted this season and holds the ball well, but not sure any real partnership has developed with Billy or Alf.
If we could get a midfielder with Jem's niggling abilities but just a tad bigger and stronger (YaYa) , and perhaps another CB (JT).
Berbatov up front would help.
I was trying to be serious at the start but I've lost the will now.
Forecast for tomorrow is not promising - perhaps it will be off and we can drink all day!

[SPARTA]

We have an embarrassment of riches - Jobi, HRK.

[RoyalBlue]

Why use the word investment? It's just spending.

Thank you John Madejski!

And that attitude is the crux of the problem. Of course it is damn investment. Madjeski likes to keep harping on about the club needing to be run like a business - well successful businesses tend to invest significant sums of money in their human resources.

And talking of the investment needed to improve the business, is there any chance that Hammond and co might be a bit quicker out of the starting blocks this January? Wolves have already announced that they have agreed a deal in principle with Milwall to sign James Henry, so I suspect that their paperwork will go through the moment the window opens.

It would be nice to think that Hammond has got us in a similar position with a couple of Adkins' targets. That having been said, I would be at all surprised if we get another helping of 'the funds were available but the right players weren't'.

[poohs pure]

Why use the word investment? It's just spending.

Thank you John Madejski!

And that attitude is the crux of the problem. Of course it is damn investment. Madjeski likes to keep harping on about the club needing to be run like a business - well successful businesses tend to invest significant sums of money in their human resources.

And talking of the investment needed to improve the business, is there any chance that Hammond and co might be a bit quicker out of the starting blocks this January? Wolves have already announced that they have agreed a deal in principle with Milwall to sign James Henry, so I suspect that their paperwork will go through the moment the window opens.

It would be nice to think that Hammond has got us in a similar position with a couple of Adkins' targets. That having been said, I would be at all surprised if we get another helping of 'the funds were available but the right players weren't'.

Any business looks at the Return on Investment, as in what will we get in return for our investment? So, what will JM get in return for his investment? More players in long term deals that make any potential sale even more complicated, any business owner trying to sell up needs to have as little as possible contractual debt as the purchaser uses this to drive the price down. So in my mind, no signings in january would mean that he/AZ ARE looking to sell up.

[soggy biscuit]

What this thread needs is some wild speculation

[littlejohnnyoster]

We need to deal with the queues in the concourse at half time before anything else. I'm fed up of having to miss the last 5 minutes of each half just to get my half-time beer.

I agree. It doesn't take much tactical decision making to start pulling pints 5 minutes before half time, to have them lined up for fans. Some organisational skills from the supervisors behind the bars, so that everyone, from the front line back to the deep lying pint makers, knows their job, and some motivation from the management to the staff to move their frigging arses for just 20 minutes of their shift.

You'll be amazed how many bone headed fans insist on 'fresh' pints. They look as though they are trying to expose some scandal of serving old beer as new. They probably think we spit in it during the first half too. Funny thing is, most of these tossers are too drunk to notice how their fosters in a plastic pint cup bloody tastes....

[SPARTA]

We need to deal with the queues in the concourse at half time before anything else. I'm fed up of having to miss the last 5 minutes of each half just to get my half-time beer.

I agree. It doesn't take much tactical decision making to start pulling pints 5 minutes before half time, to have them lined up for fans. Some organisational skills from the supervisors behind the bars, so that everyone, from the front line back to the deep lying pint makers, knows their job, and some motivation from the management to the staff to move their frigging arses for just 20 minutes of their shift.

You'll be amazed how many bone headed fans insist on 'fresh' pints. They look as though they are trying to expose some scandal of serving old beer as new. They probably think we spit in it during the first half too. Funny thing is, most of these tossers are too drunk to notice how their fosters in a plastic pint cup bloody tastes....

You don't need to be drunk to know it tastes like water.

[RoyalBlue]

Why use the word investment? It's just spending.

Thank you John Madejski!

And that attitude is the crux of the problem. Of course it is damn investment. Madjeski likes to keep harping on about the club needing to be run like a business - well successful businesses tend to invest significant sums of money in their human resources.

And talking of the investment needed to improve the business, is there any chance that Hammond and co might be a bit quicker out of the starting blocks this January? Wolves have already announced that they have agreed a deal in principle with Milwall to sign James Henry, so I suspect that their paperwork will go through the moment the window opens.

It would be nice to think that Hammond has got us in a similar position with a couple of Adkins' targets. That having been said, I would be at all surprised if we get another helping of 'the funds were available but the right players weren't'.

Any business looks at the Return on Investment, as in what will we get in return for our investment? So, what will JM get in return for his investment? More players in long term deals that make any potential sale even more complicated, any business owner trying to sell up needs to have as little as possible contractual debt as the purchaser uses this to drive the price down. So in my mind, no signings in january would mean that he/AZ ARE looking to sell up.

Firstly I believe Madejski has made it pretty clear that both he and AZ are looking to sell up as soon as they can. Secondly he clearly stated that they both have a common interest, which was to get Reading back into the PL, presumably because that might make his current 49% worth something (currently it's probably worth bugger all). Thirdly there is no way that Adkins (or any other manager IMO) would be able to get our current squad back into the PL in the forseeable future.

As for what will JM get in return for his investment? Sweet FA at present as a minority shareholder with an absentee and seemingly reluctant owner. What might he get for investment this window? A stronger team pushing to get in the playoffs and therefore standing a chance of achieving point two above.

[floyd__streete]

We have an owner who is clearly disinterested and looking to flog his shares and some of you are talking about where you think the squad could do with strengthening in January

If some of you were horses it would be more humane to shoot you