Sidwell Replacement - Who would you go for?

[Hoop Blah]

Harper in my view needs to be worried about his spot next season, we need creativity in the middle of the park and we have absolutely none at the moment, especially when Steve leaves.

Harper (or a player in his role) is fundemental to the way we play. He keeps the ball moving at quite a pace through our midfield, either by switching the play, getting quick balls out wide or, probably his least used option, a ball into the front men. His creativity isn't in beating a couple of players and deft touches around the oppositions box ala Paul Scholes, but that isn't his role. As a team we've relied on our wide players to provide creativity and I think thats just as much down to Coppell as it is the players in our midfield. I'm not sure we're actually crying out for more 'creativity' in the middle, an ability not to lose possession would be quite good though!

Although Harper has gone off the boil in the last month I thought he was pretty good in Saturday but he, like every player in our squad, should be worried about his place next season.

On the Sidwell issue, we have to be looking to improve our side and not just stand still. To my mind that means that Gunnarson won't be in the starting eleven next season unless it's down to injuries, suspensions or serious lack of form from Harper and/or the couple of midfielders we bring in this summer (fingers crossed!)

[rob the royal]

why is coppell giving gunnarsson a chance to stake a claim then? i think coppell values him more highly than we do.

at the moment we pick our midfield duo from 2. if gunnarsson plays wel coppell may look at changing that to picking from the best of three, an give gunnarsson more of an opportunity next year than he has had this year. if he decides he's not up to it, then he will bring someone in who will be our 'new sidwell' and gunnarsson will remain as just the back-up

[Huntley & Palmer]

If only we could get someone like Boateng, I would be really chuffed

[Schards#2]

why is coppell giving gunnarsson a chance to stake a claim then? i think coppell values him more highly than we do.

If Gunnarsson had the fitness levels to play 90 minutes week in week out then i'd be happy to have him in Sidwell's shirt next year but he's the wrong side of 30 and few can sustain that level of energy and avoid the nagging injuries of older players (see Murty/Little).

[rob the royal]

why is coppell giving gunnarsson a chance to stake a claim then? i think coppell values him more highly than we do.

If Gunnarsson had the fitness levels to play 90 minutes week in week out then i'd be happy to have him in Sidwell's shirt next year but he's the wrong side of 30 and few can sustain that level of energy and avoid the nagging injuries of older players (see Murty/Little).

i think u miss the point. coppell isn't ever going to play him week in week out, he is just trying to determine whether he deserves to get more starts next year than this year.

[Huntley & Palmer]

If he deserved to get more starts then he would have done already, surely? He has been with us for two seasons

[nivek elyod]

When Colin and Sheff U get relegated, we should get Jagielka - he's a good player (and versatile...)

[Hoop Blah]

When Colin and Sheff U get relegated, we should get Jagielka - he's a good player (and versatile...)

I think Jagielka would be a perfect long term replacement for Gunnarason and is probably a better player too. Would be a good signing but probably over priced.

[Wycombe Royal]

When Colin and Sheff U get relegated, we should get Jagielka - he's a good player (and versatile...)

I think Jagielka would be a perfect long term replacement for Gunnarason and is probably a better player too. Would be a good signing but probably over priced.

And according to most Blades fans is a far better central defender than he is a midfielder.

We need a specialist midfielder who has an excellent range of passing - Jagielka does not fit that bill.

[Hoop Blah]

When Colin and Sheff U get relegated, we should get Jagielka - he's a good player (and versatile...)

I think Jagielka would be a perfect long term replacement for Gunnarason and is probably a better player too. Would be a good signing but probably over priced.

And according to most Blades fans is a far better central defender than he is a midfielder.

We need a specialist midfielder who has an excellent range of passing - Jagielka does not fit that bill.

I mean he'd be good signing as a replacement for Gunnarrson. Like for like if you listen to other teams opinions of Gunnarsson being a better central defender than midfielder.

I agree we need a replacement for Sidwell that is pretty much like for like, ie a box to box midfielder who can add a few goals and win us the ball back. Ideally I'd like one who didn't give the ball away as much as Sidwell.

[Wycombe Royal]

When Colin and Sheff U get relegated, we should get Jagielka - he's a good player (and versatile...)

I think Jagielka would be a perfect long term replacement for Gunnarason and is probably a better player too. Would be a good signing but probably over priced.

And according to most Blades fans is a far better central defender than he is a midfielder.

We need a specialist midfielder who has an excellent range of passing - Jagielka does not fit that bill.

I mean he'd be good signing as a replacement for Gunnarrson. Like for like if you listen to other teams opinions of Gunnarsson being a better central defender than midfielder.

I agree we need a replacement for Sidwell that is pretty much like for like, ie a box to box midfielder who can add a few goals and win us the ball back. Ideally I'd like one who didn't give the ball away as much as Sidwell.

But we don't need a replacement for Gunnarsson, and certainly not someone who would cost around £5m.

[rob the royal]

If he deserved to get more starts then he would have done already, surely? He has been with us for two seasons

as i said it's always been 2 from 2. harper and sidwell. coppell is evidently just pondering whether it should still be that way next season

[SpaceCruiser]

I suggest Phil Parkinson. He should stiffen up the midfield nicely.

[Huntley & Palmer]

If he deserved to get more starts then he would have done already, surely? He has been with us for two seasons

as i said it's always been 2 from 2. harper and sidwell. coppell is evidently just pondering whether it should still be that way next season

I think he is pondering whether Gunnar will still cut the mustard next season

[readingbedding]

If he deserved to get more starts then he would have done already, surely? He has been with us for two seasons

Players can improve you know, Gunnar's improved.
Not bad for a Notts Forest and Stoke reject.

Shame he's the wrong side of 30.

[Huntley & Palmer]

I'd imagine his leaving of Stoke wasn't his fault and was brought about by the removal of the Icelandic board and manager. He only played a handful of games for Nottingham Forest and Boothroyd let him go as he wasn't 100% on him and wanted younger and more willing players in. He was acknowledged as a better centre back than midfielder. I think this is why he is better off as a utility player than an out and out midfielder, hence why he won't ever be a starting player

[Tilehurst End]

The problem is we cannot afford the luxury of having a purely ball-playing midfielder. We are not like the Utds or Liverpools of this world who tend to play the ball across the back 4 until a midfielder comes and takes it off them. We play a high tempo game which normally involves getting the ball out to the wings and getting our fullbacks forward which is why we need athletic players in the centre as they will quite often have to cover for someone who has gone forward.

So ideally we need a player with sidwell's energy levels but a better user of the ball which, if we want someone of similar age, will be big bucks.
Or we could borrow the Tardis, go back a few years, and reclaim Neil Webb.

[LoyalRoyal22]

If he deserved to get more starts then he would have done already, surely? He has been with us for two seasons

Yeh but you would not drop Sidwell or Harper would you.

[Huntley & Palmer]

I would if we had someone capable of replacing them consistently for more than two or three games while they were injured.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

At the end of the day if Sidwell was contracted to Reading his price would be around the 4 million mark. Rightly or wrongly he is seen as Readings best performer and has shown his worth in his time here. If there ever was a time to replace a player 'like for like' in terms of the way he plays and how much his potential worth is then Sidwell is the case in point. We simply cant afford to ignore a replacement for him, and to get someone with the same stature may take the 3-4 million we could have got for him. Im not saying I dont rate Gunna but we cant be seen to be standing still on the transfer front if we do not replace our potential best player with someone of the same quality. I cant see us being able to afford anyone from the UK though i could be proved wrong- more likely we would be going down the Fae route.