How the current lot may develop under Rodgers

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

I can't help but get really excited about what seems to be Rodger's style of coaching.

He's said he wants to concentrate on developing the footballing side of the players' games as opposed to just getting them running.

Talk on other threads suggests he's got players like McAnuff, who has always had undoubted quality, playing week in, week out.

It's got me thinking this would be the first Summer ever for me where I couldn't care less if we brought no new transfers in at all.

So here's the players I think could become great under Rodgers and frighten the hell out of the rest of the Championship due to their current strengths and what they need to develop:

Federici

Strengths: Young, great shot stopper, excellent distribution.
Weeknesses: Probabably needs to command his area and the back 4 a bit more.

Rosenior

Strenghths: Quick, great going forward, tough and bang up for it all the time.
Weeknesses: Slips up a bit, gets caught a little out of position, gets silly bookings resulting in reds sometimes.

Pearce

Strengths: Solid, composed, good in the air, good attacking threat from corners and set pieces, organises the defence well.
Weeknesses: Looks good enough on the ball, may need more confidence on it though, not as dominant at the back as he could be yet.

Bikey.

Strengths: Hard as nails, really classy/confident on the ball (can really ping a big pass), great threat from set pieces, quick and strong.
Weeknesses: Decision making when in possession, temperament, maybe being played out of position.

Armstrong

Strengths: Intelligent footballer, passes the ball well, fans player of the season
Weeknesses: Could get forward more, slightly lacking in pace.

Midfield gets a little more contentious, but it's just my pick:

Matejovsky

Strengths: Intelligent passer of the ball, best footballer at the club (potentially in the league), can score wonder goals.
Weeknesses: A bit Paul Scholes in the tackling department, yet to boss a game for Reading, injury prone(?).

Karacan

Strengths: Great engine, will run through walls, box to box, gets in the odd goalscoring position.
Weeknesses: A bit anonymous during games, physical presence not great, doesn't score many goals.

Tabb

Strengths: Tenacious, great little footballer, intelligent, hard as nails again.
Weeknesses: Not really sure if he can play as an out and out winger, or what his real position is.

Kebe

Strengths: Quick, bags of skill, scores bags of goals in training, plenty of assists last season when hw got decent crosses off.
Weeknesses: Hugely inconsistent, can look really awkward, misses sitters in games.

Long

Strengths: Got a thunderbolt of a shot on him, stacks of pace (always reminds me of Nicky Forster at his best), still very young with plenty of raw talent, Rep Of Ireland full international, wins penalties.
Weeknesses: Doesn't bully defenders, maybe a little too small, can look a little lost with time on the ball.

Noel Hunt

Strenghts: Great in the air, fighter, scored plenty of goals last season (for games played - 11 in 27).
Weeknesses: Keeps getting knocked out!, not a lot else really.

Add to that the youngsters that were out on loan, Henry & Church especially gaining big reputations. Dave Mooney scoring goals for Norwich, Scott Davies head and shoulders above most midfielders in League 2 with 13 goals from midfield.

Then we've got arguably last season's best keeper in League 2 returning in Ben Hamer, and finally, Bryn Gunnarsson and Kalifa Cisse who could probably get in most teams in the Championship this season.

I think there were maybe only 3 players who have physical attributes they can't do much about, but in reality, there are hundreds of players who've made the grade with the same things holding them back.

So there will be panic merchants moaning that 'such and such have signed ......' and 'We'll be lucky to stay up with this team' but they'll be the same people who will think last season (our 4th best finish in our history?) was a disaster, and that Reading are a crumbling ruin of a club.

Reality is, if Rodgers does what he says he's gonna do, this is probably going to be the most exciting season coming up for some time.

Let's just hope I'm right eh!

[LoyalRoyal22]

Good thread mate. But Matejovskiy did boss the away game at doncaster, when we played 4-5-1

[bottom left hand corner]

Tabb

Strengths: Tenacious, great little footballer, intelligent, hard as nails again.
Weeknesses: Not really sure if he can play as an out and out winger, or what his real position is.

Weaknesses:
Height maybe

But I can see where your coming from that Rodgers could get the best out of some of the players that are almost certainties to stay

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

Good thread mate. But Matejovskiy did boss the away game at doncaster, when we played 4-5-1

I wasn't at that one, but yet another positive I spose.

[Dirk Gently]

Tabb

Strengths: Tenacious, great little footballer, intelligent, hard as nails again.
Weeknesses: Not really sure if he can play as an out and out winger, or what his real position is.

Weaknesses:
Height maybe

But I can see where your coming from that Rodgers could get the best out of some of the players that are almost certainties to stay

He's the new Richie Bowman - I think now he's been tried out in central midfield he'll stay there for life.

[Royalwaster]

I notice you didn't even mention Harps .... maybe BR will teach him not to pass side-ways?

[Sarah Star]

It's got me thinking this would be the first Summer ever for me where I couldn't care less if we brought no new transfers in at all.

I was wondering this and you've explained why much better than I could. We know they can all play well. If Rodgers can get them more organised and consistent we'll be on to a winner.

Thanks.

Reality is, if Rodgers does what he says he's gonna do, this is probably going to be the most exciting season coming up for some time.

I have the same feeling, but I'm worried I'll be disappointed if the above improvements don't happen. He needs a bit of time to do it.

[rhroyal]

I agree it'll be exciting to watch Rodgers help them develop. In one summer though? He's not a miracle maker, it'll take at least a season to help these players move up to the next level.

[JimmytheJim]

we definitely need to spend money on a new winger, and we need cover at left back (harding?) and centre back. if doyle goes, we will need to replace him with a striker of very high calibre. but it will certainly be interesting to see how these players develop. i'm particularly interested in how henry, pearce and karacan come along. i can't see simon church playing a big role next season, but then i am really shit at predictions.

[rg6royal]

I'd probably play tabb on the right and kebe on the left next season. Cisse and Jem in the middle.

[Agent Balti]

As long as we play as a team, a proper unit of men and not just units of defence, midfield, attack - that will be a positive step in the right direction. Improving the players first touch; passing the ball without feeling intimidated by it; playing the sensible option, will all be step in the right direction. A lot of the play last year, not only by us, but the rest of the Championship, was technically really, really poor.

If we just see a small improvement on individual aspects per player then we'll see a great improvement technically. If he's as good a man manager as has been mentioned, he could give them a huge lift in personal confidence. Mentally, we stuffed it last season, we lost it just as much 'in the head' as we did on the pitch.

(How Rodgers can fix Tabb's 'weakness' of a lack of height barring using a rack may be a stretch *boom boom*)

[rg6royal]

When we get the ball down and play, we are capable of playing some really good stuff. Hopefully will see more of " the passing game " next season under Rodgers. I'm optimistic.

[Deathy]

Great opening post SKB. Really looking forward to the new season, even pre-season. After not looking forward to a single game since the turn of the year, I've got my mojo back!

[Darren Caskey's Dietician]

Great opening post SKB. Really looking forward to the new season, even pre-season. After not looking forward to a single game since the turn of the year, I've got my mojo back!

I agree. I've been dreading going to the MadStad since late feb when we started falling apart.

I'm really excited about next season. I am hoping to see a rejuvinated side, with some fresh faces, and some of our kids coming through. Hopefully BR will get us back to playing the exciting game we played a couple of seasons ago (up until the end of our first prem season, when Sidders left, and it seemed to start to come undone) with some creative movement, width, and some killer direct balls, with pace up top to make the most of them.

As excited as I am about seeing our kids, the one thing that really gets me thinking is what if Rodgers can get the team to start playing a game that allows us to make the most of Matejovski. I personally think he is the best player I have ever seen wear the hoops, but I don't think the team or Coppell managed to work around him effectively. If Rodgers manages to do this, and then gets Kebe to meet the potential he always shows, but never quite meets,I think we will undo most of the defences in the championship, especially when you look at some of the pace we have up front.

It's the beginning of what I hope will be a very exciting era at Reading.

[Ian Royal]

I'm also quite excited by the potential under Rodgers.

I would like to see a team a little like this. (assuming Doyle leaves)

.................Federici
Rosenior*, Pearce, Bikey, Armstrong
..................Harper
Henry, Matejovsky, Karacan/Tabb, Kebe
..................N Hunt

Hamer/Andersen, Cisse, Karacan/Tabb, Long & Church

Fairly strong without any signings at all.

*through gritted teeth.

[BonBoh]

Don't forget, we may lose some players.

I feel we might see the following leaving over the summer...

Bikey ( for some)
Harper
SHunt
Doyle

[Deathy]

Don't forget, we may lose some players.

I feel we might see the following leaving over the summer...

Bikey ( for some)
Harper
SHunt
Doyle

Bikey and Hunt, I hope do go. Prefer Doyle to stick about but highly unlikely. Harps is reliable, but we need more from him if he stays.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

You've missed out that Jay Tabb is our best tackler.

[The Rouge]

IF, big IF, Bikey can calm down and sort his head out, he is a Premier league standard defender. I think the madness at the end of the season may hopefully put off some buyers and I hope he stays.

[Millsy]

I'm sure Rodgers will be able to develop what we have into better players.

I'm quite excited by it too.

Afterall we may as well be excited about something seeing as he has no record in the transfer market.