Kitson to struggle...

[spickroyal]

I obviously hope I am very wrong but I fear that Kitson will struggle badly next year. Whilst his goal tally was impressive last year, I think he was playing at the top of his level in a very succesful side where chances were at a premium.

In the premiership, I think you need to offer a little more than Kitson does and by that token, I think he may well go missing in games. As I say, I hope I am wrong but I look at Lita and Doyle as the preferred partnership and think that both have the qualities to be very successful. I for one would be happy to accept anything around £1.5M - £2M for Kitson.

I think I am probably on my own here but would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts (and ultimately have my mind changed please!)

[Row Z Royal]

I don't think you're completely wrong, as he'd sometimes go missing in CCC games.

He does lack pace and strength (on occasions) but he's the best technical finisher we have. Doyle and Lita (though both getting better daily) won't find the net from the same number of chances as Kits. It will just be the case that they wil get more chances.

Kitson still has a lot to offer Reading and I dont think people should write him off.

He's our Peter Crouch (who is in my TFF team).

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

In the premiership, I think you need to offer a little more than Kitson does and by that token, I think he may well go missing in games. As I say, I hope I am wrong but I look at Lita and Doyle as the preferred partnership and think that both have the qualities to be very successful. I for one would be happy to accept anything around £1.5M - £2M for Kitson.

Have you seen how inflated the market is at the moment? We should be able to get a lot more then that for a player which is worth around 20 goals a season in the CCC. I dare say, some of those clubs WILL be able to afford that as well.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I obviously hope I am very wrong but I fear that Kitson will struggle badly next year. Whilst his goal tally was impressive last year, I think he was playing at the top of his level in a very succesful side where chances were at a premium.

In the premiership, I think you need to offer a little more than Kitson does and by that token, I think he may well go missing in games. As I say, I hope I am wrong but I look at Lita and Doyle as the preferred partnership and think that both have the qualities to be very successful. I for one would be happy to accept anything around £1.5M - £2M for Kitson.

I think I am probably on my own here but would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts (and ultimately have my mind changed please!)

Spooky, I was about to post the same thing

I too think he will struggle, as you say hope I am wrong; this is the first time since SC took over that I am actually negative about anything to do with RFC

[Alan Partridge]

Is this groundhog day? I am sure this has already been discussed! For what it's worht i think Kitson will be ok, as long as he doesn't get disheartened and start getting frustrated like he did at times last season. He's a very good player and when on form is a class act. I think Leroy is going to be our main man next season (just a hunch) but all 3 of them our going to be massively important for us next season.

[Stranded]

He could struggle yes as this is a big leap but the thing he has on his side is that he has been making big leaps all his career:

Non-league to Cambridge and Cambridge to us. He strikes me as the type of player who wants to prove to himself that he can do it at the highest level, so we may well see the same determination we saw when he first joined us.

I think a lot of his going missing in games is down to two things: never being fully fit (every time he seemed to be back to fitness he'd have a setback) and perhaps he'd proved to himself he could hack at the CCC level and eased back a bit knowing that he'd still get the chances/goals he craves as a striker.

[shadesrwrf]

I'm looking forward to August 19th.

[Row Z Royal]

I'm looking forward to August 19th.

Yep. My mate's 21st.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

...Whilst his goal tally was impressive last year, I think he was playing at the top of his level in a very succesful side where chances were at a premium...

And what about the season before where he bagged 19 goals in a far poorer team playing some awful route one football?

I think Kitson will do well next year - as long as he wants to do well. If he gives 100% and works to get into the areas that he usually finds the net from, he'll be ok. As Row Z says, he's second to none technique-wise and is very skillful for a tall player. He knows how to play to his strengths and he's been one of the main focuses of this team for long enough that his team mates do as well.

From the striker's point of view, I'd be looking very forward to this season. We're lucky that we have three players all capable of scoring 15+ who each offer something different to the team. Playing against a defence of four 6ft plus powerhouses, Lita might struggle to find chances, but Kitson's always a threat in the air and could cope with such a challenge. Each of them offers the team a different option and that's why we'll be ok in terms of goals next season.

[starbug]

Kits will do fine. He also offers something different to Doyle/Lita/Long & even Cox. Thinking about it I'm loving the options we have up front, especially with Lita on-fire in recent games. They will all have their ups and downs but we have enough quality to swap them around and still have a formidable partnership. As long as Coppell doesn't start playing one up front

[Platypuss]

Is this groundhog day? I am sure this has already been discussed! For what it's worht i think Kitson will be ok, as long as he doesn't get disheartened and start getting frustrated like he did at times last season. He's a very good player and when on form is a class act. I think Leroy is going to be our main man next season (just a hunch) but all 3 of them our going to be massively important for us next season.

Five pages worth here:

http://hobnob2.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44310

[ellpryjon]

Is this groundhog day?

post of the day

[spickroyal]

Is this groundhog day? I am sure this has already been discussed! For what it's worht i think Kitson will be ok, as long as he doesn't get disheartened and start getting frustrated like he did at times last season. He's a very good player and when on form is a class act. I think Leroy is going to be our main man next season (just a hunch) but all 3 of them our going to be massively important for us next season.

Five pages worth here:

http://hobnob2.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44310

Sorry, I am just not a regular on the team section.

Interesting views although my mind hasn't been changed just yet. I still feel he lacks that bit of quality and I agree with an earlier 'hunch' that Lita will be our main man this coming season.

Hope I am wrong and that Kits weighs in with 15+...in fact 10 goals would be fine.

[Chaney]

Dont forget he actually reads this forum guys, stand by for a slating in the media if you are proved wrong

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Should spur him on then if he reads stuff like this

[Row Z Royal]

Dont forget he actually reads this forum guys, stand by for a slating in the media if you are proved wrong

Why a slating?

The good and the bad gets voiced on here.

I hope he reads all this stuff so that he understands the fans feelings etc. Sometimes, a barracking from the crowd only has a negative response from a player, while constructive criticism on here is more concise.

If reacting to the thoughts of a few brings out top class performances then great. If he reacts negatively then it is his fault for not taking the criticism in the right way.

Furthermore, players slagging off the fans is in nobody's interest, let alone a player's.

[Royalee]

What a load of absolute balls.

[Sam Tubber]

a load of absolute balls.

[Arch]

And here is my highly valuable contribution. I haven't the first clue which of our players will do well and which will fail. As shades says, roll on August 19th.

[1960]

Last year we had strikers in depth. Every time Kits got injured Lita stepped in and vice versa, so we always had two on the pitch. Remember the play-off against Wolves when we lost Fozzy? Nobody left to score any goals.

Furthermore Kits does add a dimension. He holds the ball up better than Leroy and, when in the mood, he tackles back superbly. He will still score goals at this level - good in both feet and a big strong header of the ball. And remember he won't always be playing against John Terry. Bramble/Boumsong and Zak Knight he will relish. There are other dodgy defenders who I can't remeber off the top of my head.

Kits will be OK. Talk about selling him is absurd. Cox and especially Long will be good, but are not ready yet. It would be insane to leave us with just two strikers. One of them out for a length of time and we would be buggered. Lay off Kits I say.