Andre Bikey

[Abbo]

If Carew had scored once, twice

Don't you go letting the facts stand in the way now.

He had three shots saved, a shot smacked into the side netting and twice set up Young who missed hopelessly.

I'm going to shut my trap now, and hope that i'm proved conclusively wrong.

[Spud]

Your not wrong that Rooney/saha/Larsson aren't capable of dragging him a round a lot more, cos they are, but for a player with zero(ish) top flight experience who stopped a been there done that type player like Carew from scoring today was a good days work and at this stage in his RFC career looks a better prospect than Sonko did...laughing at hoofed clearances anyone?

[Millsy]

I see what Abbo's talking about. He did get shots in, so do we praise Bicycle Boy or Hahneman/ Lady Luck?

However it has to be said that he certainly did make it hard for Carew to get decent shots in (I remember one in particular where he made things so difficult for Carew that he could only get a weak shot off.)

Still confused, but thinking he was probably to praise for making things difficult.

[G Force 1871]

[quote="Spud"]Your not wrong that Rooney/saha/Larsson aren't capable of dragging him a round a lot more, cos they are, but for a player with zero(ish) top flight experience who stopped a been there done that type player like Carew from scoring today was a good days work and at this stage in his RFC career looks a better prospect than Sonko did...laughing at hoofed clearances anyone?[/quote]

Er yeah we did that from his performance against Wigan

FWIW I was really impressed with Bikey today, kept Carew quiet. He gave away a few free kicks, but against a striker of Carew's style and size any CB would.

I too can see him beconming a very handy player, you can tell he's a midfielder becasue when he has time on the ball he looks very good, i think positioning and concentration (or lack of) are his main weaknesses, but I see SSC getting the best out of him.

[Mozzle]

What amazed me today was how he ignored the referee when he'd made a blatent foul on the edge of the box, and walked away when Clattenberg was blowing his whistle at him.
Sidwelll gave him a bollocking for not giving the ref some respect.

Hopefully the Reading way is being instilled in him somehow, he does seem to have a somewhat nonchalant attitude to the officials, including his reaction after getting sent off against Chelsea.

Would that have been a contributory factor in his caution?

I don't think so, the ref went straight to his pocket as soon as he blew for the foul.

I also thought that Bikey didn't actually notice the ref wanted to talk to him. Sidders had to tell him and when he turned round he looked genuinely shocked to get the booking.

[BonBoh]

Hey guys,
Bikey would be a great signing for us. I expect he will be a free transfer at the end of the season so why not? He would have had a year's experience and would only get better within the team and will have a much better understanding of the system.
Don't forget, he has been stuffed into different positions on nearly every appearance. What's this, his 4th successive appearance as a CB?
We have also had 2 clean sheets in the last 2 games with him in there and he is keeping Duberry on the bench.

I think we have a nice gem in the making. I also think his ball control is better than Superman's.
Come next season, our back 5 will be awesome and just think what it cost us? Wet Sham paid more money for just one player who was worth 3 times the amount of our whole defence and look where they are...

Sign Bikey, Stevie Coppell!
All others please stop moaning. Give the lad a chance and some support.

[G Force 1871]

What amazed me today was how he ignored the referee when he'd made a blatent foul on the edge of the box, and walked away when Clattenberg was blowing his whistle at him.
Sidwelll gave him a bollocking for not giving the ref some respect.

Hopefully the Reading way is being instilled in him somehow, he does seem to have a somewhat nonchalant attitude to the officials, including his reaction after getting sent off against Chelsea.

Would that have been a contributory factor in his caution?

I don't think so, the ref went straight to his pocket as soon as he blew for the foul.

I also thought that Bikey didn't actually notice the ref wanted to talk to him. Sidders had to tell him and when he turned round he looked genuinely shocked to get the booking.

I thought that he knew the ref was going to book him so he deliberately walked away to try and avoid it.

[phil in cornwall]

If you want to know about Carew check out

http://www.spokenpoetry.co.uk/eye.htm

On the day before the game, Stevie Coppell, out he came.
He said "Bikey, you will mark the mad Carew."
Andre, he did moan, said "I'm only here on loan",
"But I'll do the very best that I can do..........".

Feel free to add more verses.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I am literally sick of hearing everyone gunning Bikey down. There's a fella that sits a few seats away from me who is constantly complaining when Bikey makes a mistake, but when he does well and is effective you don't hear a peep out of him! Argh!

There was an occassion today where Bikey stood Carew up on the right touchline after Murty had dived in with a challenge but had completely missed the ball. Bikey got close to Carew and didn't let him move, waited for the right opportunity to make a tidy challenge before shifting the ball a yard and clearing his lines.

I turned round to this moaner and pointed out just how well Bikey was doing.

Whenever Ingimarsson had to deal with Carew today, he gave him enough space to turn as he seemed catious of his strength and didn't one get close to him. The Ice-man struggled it has to be said.

Bikey, on the other hand, made Carew work extremely hard for the few scraps that were on offer. Carew shook Bikey's hand on a few occassions as if to say "well done, it's been difficult playing against you". All this, and from a midfielder who doesn't speak much English, playing in a foreign country with players he doesn't really know, in a position that is new to him? Sign the boy up now, Steve!

[Royal Rother]

Some of us have recogmised the potential in Bikey right since his first appearance. It right pissed me off when one game where his clearances were woeful then had him marked in many people's minds as a crap central defender and all in all a bit of a joke.

Bikey was very good again today, but Lita on the other hand....

[International Royal]

Some of us have recogmised the potential in Bikey right since his first appearance. It right pissed me off when one game where his clearances were woeful then had him marked in many people's minds as a crap central defender and all in all a bit of a joke.

Bikey was very good again today, but Lita on the other hand....

Bikey is getting better and better. I can't believe people who expect instant perfection. He cost nothing, he could be one for the future.

Leave Lita alone, he worked hard today and should have scored, but hey 10 in 10 before today......

[Royal Rother]

My comment re Lita is TIC, but his touch today was absolutely horrible. I'll forgive him!

[Ollie Kearns is in Buxton]

Agree with ya RR re today.

But if ever there was a player who you've got to take as a package, itz Leroy. Frustrating yet sublime!

That brace at PNE will always be memorable.

I see contined improvement in his workrate & team ethic - onward n upward.

[RoyalBlue]

What amazed me today was how he ignored the referee when he'd made a blatent foul on the edge of the box, and walked away when Clattenberg was blowing his whistle at him.
Sidwelll gave him a bollocking for not giving the ref some respect.

Hopefully the Reading way is being instilled in him somehow, he does seem to have a somewhat nonchalant attitude to the officials, including his reaction after getting sent off against Chelsea.

Would that have been a contributory factor in his caution?

I don't think so, the ref went straight to his pocket as soon as he blew for the foul.

I also thought that Bikey didn't actually notice the ref wanted to talk to him. Sidders had to tell him and when he turned round he looked genuinely shocked to get the booking.

The moment a freekick is awarded in that sort of position you expect your centre backs to quickly get into position to defend, which was exactly what Bikey was doing. I don't think he expected a card and was genuinely shocked that Crappenburg ('cos he certainly wasn't the Premier's best yesterday) was going to book him. Nothing at all to do with showing disrespect to the officials.

My comment re Lita is TIC, but his touch today was absolutely horrible. I'll forgive him!

I think the touch for his 'miss' had a lot to do with the fact he caught sight of the ball at the last moment as Kitson had hurled himself towards it and obstructed his view.

For someone criticised for being greedy by many, he was involved in some great link up play today and certainly couldn't be accuse of being lazy, closing defenders down, hassling them and tracking back to the extent that he ended up defending by our own corner flag on one occasion.

[Royal Rother]

Certainly not lazy but he missed a brilliant opportunity to put Sidwell clean through in the 2nd half. Lita was not going directly for goal but Sidwell was and for about 20 yards was pointing where he wanted it and Lita just didn't look up. That was poor.

His poor touch yesterday was not just that great opportunity created by Hahnemann's best piece of distribution in the whole Premiership season and Oster's decent gross, but on several other occasions. He really is a one-touch striker as his control is letting him down when making opportunities when in possession.

But one touch strikers are lethal so that's okay with me as long as he improves his control, which I'm sure he will.

[Woodcote Royal]

His positioning was very poor, and he will be sick of watching videos of that game by Weds.

Carew was his-type-of-striker.

I dread to think what the movement of Utd will do to him.

Not a fan, but thats also very much a mark of the very high regard I hold Sonko in.

Always looks different on the telly.

Indeed it does, and let me tell you lot that were there that his positioning on a number of occasions was dire.

I think he "got away with it" today. If Carew had scored once, twice (as he could have) would this still be an even debate?

Sonko he aint.

And Sonko was no better when this board went into meltdown because Adi Williams wasn't offered 2 year contract and left for Coventry, who gave him what he wanted.

In fact, there was no shortage of "Not good enough for the Premiership" type threads regarding Sonko last summer and now we have his performance against Man U being described as "world class"

Frankly, when we played Birmingham in the cup, I would not have swapped Upson for either, Bikey or, Sodje.

If only some of our fans could now accept that we have, in fact, got SHED LOADS of time (like at least 11 games ) for Bikey to show that he can save us large chunks of the kind of fee panic-stricken West Ham paid for a very injury prone defender from Brum.

Whilst Coppell acknowledges that, Bikey is not the finished article, he might well be by the end of the season.

Meanwhile, yesterday was the 2nd clean sheet on the bounce and, for the umpteenth time, Coppell is threatening to make chumps of those who refuse to give new players the time they need to settle down and show their true potential.

[Handsome Man]

I enjoyed Bikey up against Carew. Carew is a class player, but he never completely escaped Bikey's clutches and didn't score. The clearances will improve as well. Losing Sonko might not be such a gloomy prospect after all.

[doylefan]

i though Bikey played well yesterday, he has had some iffy moments as of late, but he proved himself against Villa.

He is getting better with each game he plays

[Royal Rother]

Very well said Woodcote.

[rg6royal]

thought that he played well yesterday and stopped carew from creating anything special.