800k fee agreed for Michael Duberry

[Wycombe Royal]

but 800k? Stoke will be laughing to be fair.

Not if their defence falls to pieces and their play off push falters.

[Royal Fleet]

I would disagree. For 800k, we have a centre back who can come straight in and do a job for us. If he converts one loss into a draw or one draw into a win, by means of a good performance that we wouldn't have got from Sodje or Bikey, then he will have paid for himself.

Also a good experienced head to have round the place. He will be desperate to succeed as well as this is his last big chance.

Trust SSC!

[JS28ZoD]

Trust SSC!

PREACH!

[RG30]

If the deal goes through, then I think it's an excellent bit of business. Already has Premiership experience, he'll have a point to prove and at 31, he's still got 3-4 years left in this division. Just have to look at the sucess of Wigan last season who had De Zeeuw and Henchoz in for the majority of the season.

[Hoop Blah]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

[TFF]

There should be a forum for rumours and gossip

If it was a rumour, then it would be there

It already is...

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56379

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56529

But it is now confirmed and this thread was already talking about it. Some people are a little too anal.

Confirmed he is at Reading having his medical.

Agreed, I might apply to be a mod.

This thread was general transfer speculation (Coppell on 107) which developed into a Duberry thread and got its title changed.

[YoungRoyal]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

so what about Bennett?

[Big Ern]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

so what about Bennett?

You can play more than 1 centre back in a game you know.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

I think we would have happily paid 500K for a defnder who can slot straight in, is playing well and is part of a very tight defence.

the £300k extrais the January premium - I dont think its that big a price to pay. Duberry has always impressed me.

I still think we might end up signing Barnett by the way.........

Not in this window we won't that would be lunacy.

Other side of the coin to my initial reaction of 'what the fcuk???' is he's an experienced defender having a very good season and at this minute would probably be a more reliable option than some of the current crop. What does it say for Sodje's future?

but 800k? Stoke will be laughing to be fair.

I can see where Coppell is going with this. Im not that keen on Duberry to be fair, and yes 800k is too much, but i do feel we need a slightly more experienced head at centre back. Bikey can be impressive one game, wofeul the next, while im afraid to say that Sodje is just a level too far in the premiership. He's athletic and great in the air but always looks nervous and positional play is poor- if you dont have that by the age of 27 you are simply going to struggle in the prem-I'd be suprised if he is not offloaded.Bennett will take some time in adjusting to Reading- i dont think he will walk in like Doyle/Long has.Aaron Brown for all his promise will not get a chance here so i would say he would be off too by the summer.

Bikey is the one who Coppell has to really mull over- i personally think he still could come good, but will Coppell have run out of patience by the seasons end??. Mate i have absolutely no idea about!! We could still be in for the like's of Barnett today, but i think Coppell is more likely to do a deal for a CB in the summer, especially if Sodje and Brown have gone.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

so what about Bennett?

Bennett will I'm sure prove to be a good bargain - but its going to take him a while to get up to speed given him ionly just returning to pre season training in Ireland. Bennett offers competition in the medium term whereas Duberry can hopefully slot straight in. This now gives us 4 decent central defenders with hopefully Pearce developing further and Mate being given another chance.

The future looks bealker for Bikey and Sodje however.

[Huntley & Palmer]

There should be a forum for rumours and gossip

If it was a rumour, then it would be there

It already is...

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56379

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56529

But it is now confirmed and this thread was already talking about it. Some people are a little too anal.

Confirmed he is at Reading having his medical.

Agreed, I might apply to be a mod.

This thread was general transfer speculation (Coppell on 107) which developed into a Duberry thread and got its title changed.

Perhaps you should, it seems like your ambition in life,

[Hoop Blah]

Reasonably pleased with this signing.

We need a centre back to partner Ivar, not hinder him like Bikey and Sodje have. Doobs knows whats he's doing and still has the physical attributes that made him a very good but raw prospect when he broke through ten years ago.

I'm waiting for some bad news on Sonko to come out and which means Doobs becomes a direct replacement for Sonko in the squad for the remainder of the season. With Bikey and Mate leaving in the summer then he becomes 3rd or 4th choice centre back, depending on other player movements, for next season.

A decent signing in my book.

so what about Bennett?

He's a gamble on a player that might make the step up. Much like Bikey and Mate were probably last minute gambles and Sodje was bought in as cover, Bennett is seen as a long term investment for little outlay. He won't be fit/sharp enough for Premiership football for a few weeks yet anyway.

Doobs is a quick fix to our current centre back issues.

[readingbedding]

I do rate the lad but do we need him and at that price????

We now have Bennett, as well as Bikey, Sodje, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, Pearce, Halford. (this is presuming Brown is going as part exchange)

Lot of money for someone who may not start and would leave us a little bit top heavy in that position.

I suspect Coppell has a few doubts about Sodje?
Perhaps Andre too.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

I can see why they have signed him but to be honest, I think it is steep. For just over double that, Sheff Utd signed one of the countries best young CB's.

but equally they paid 3.5 mill for 28 year old claude davis.............

[Gordons Cumming]

Do we think the imminent signing of Duberry will have been the reason for Bikey's nervous performance last night?

[M4 Junction 11]

I do rate the lad but do we need him and at that price????

We now have Bennett, as well as Bikey, Sodje, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, Pearce, Halford. (this is presuming Brown is going as part exchange)

Lot of money for someone who may not start and would leave us a little bit top heavy in that position.

I suspect Coppell has a few doubts about Sodje?
Perhaps Andre too.

On the radio last night Coppell said it was a close call whether to use Sodje or Bikey and he only used Bikey because he was a bit more physical but there was not much between the two.

[Hoop Blah]

I do rate the lad but do we need him and at that price????

We now have Bennett, as well as Bikey, Sodje, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, Pearce, Halford. (this is presuming Brown is going as part exchange)

Lot of money for someone who may not start and would leave us a little bit top heavy in that position.

I suspect Coppell has a few doubts about Sodje?
Perhaps Andre too.

The fact Pearce was on the bench would suggest that Sodje is now behind him in the pecking order.

[Big Ern]

Looks like the Stoke faithful are fairly pleased with the prospect of this deal

http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?si ... =530117296

&

http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?si ... =530116880

[Hoop Blah]

On the radio last night Coppell said it was a close call whether to use Sodje or Bikey and he only used Bikey because he was a bit more physical but there was not much between the two.

Even our honest Mr Coppell isn't going to come out and say that Sodje was nowhere near selection after the way we defended against Birmingham is he?

I was hoping the interviewer would then go on to ask why he wasn't even on the bench then!

[loyalroyal1]

Do we think the imminent signing of Duberry will have been the reason for Bikey's nervous performance last night?

Bikey's performance owes more to the fact that he is simply not a premiership quality player, and neither does he show much potential for becoming one either.

Although Duberry is unlikely to improve he is nonetheless a natural centre half who will provide good cover for Sonko and he will probably give Ivar a scrap for his place when Sonko returns. £800k well spent in my view as I suspect we'll get a full season out of him next year as well.

This move gives us Sonko, Ivar, Bennett and Duberry as our centre halfs, and presumably means goodbye to Sodje and Bikey - neither of whom look good enough.