Shorey weighing up his options

[Huntley & Palmer]

not really that it is much of a surprise to be honest but Hammond has spoken out about Shorey's future. Dodd if already elsewhere but could not find it :

Reading defender Nicky Shorey has put contract negotiations on hold until the end of the season.

Shorey, who is under contract with the Royals until 2009, is believed to be the target of the Premier League's top four and Reading are keen to tie the full-back to a long-term deal.

However, Shorey has decided to put talks on hold until the summer - and it is thought the England international is waiting to see if Reading avoid relegation this season before making a decision on his future.

Reading director of football Nick Hammond does, however, remain confident positive negotiations will take place in the summer.

"In all honesty I think we will look again in the summer and see what the situation is then. He still has a year on his contract to run after this season," Hammond told the Reading Evening Post.

When asked if he thought Shorey was waiting to see if Reading maintain their top-flight status, Hammond added: "You'd need to speak to him in that respect.

"I think he'd already made the decision (about whether he wanted to sign a new deal) at the start of this season and there's no reason why that has changed.

"The important thing now is that he performs well up until the summer and then we will speak again."

Now I know that we usually wait on certain players until they enter the last year of their contract before negotiations begin but it looks as if Nicky has decided to wait and see how it goes. 100% understandable given our current league position. Will there be comparisons with Sidwell if he decides to not extend his current deal so he can leave on a Bosman in 2009, or will the club have learned a lesson and try and cash in if he refuses. Either way, as long as he gives 100% playing for us then I don't care either way. He hasn't had the best of seasons and has admittedly looked as if his head is elsewhere but could we replace him without spending £3 million or more? I don't think so

[RoyalBlue]

Telling him that he's going nowhere if we get relegated might help him refocus his mind on the vital importance of our last four games!

[readingbedding]

If we stay up, sell him as soon as we can.
If we go down, sell him as soon as we can.

He's gone anyway.

That's what I would do.

[Stranded]

Telling him that he's going nowhere if we get relegated might help him refocus his mind on the vital importance of our last four games!

Possibly, it is a potential concern that players who are waiting and seeing could hold back a bit thinking - "Well, if we go down I'll be off anyway" - and look at not getting injured as a priority.

Having said that I believe that Shorey will remain professional over the next 4 games.

[Huntley & Palmer]

If we stay up, sell him as soon as we can.
If we go down, sell him as soon as we can.

He's gone anyway.

That's what I would do.

Finding a replacement could be a problem, I think it is actually more in our interests to play him till his contract runs out (ala Sidwell) then let him go on a free. If we can't find a decent quality of player to come here, then God knows how we would find a replacement left back good enough for the Premiership.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Possibly, it is a potential concern that players who are waiting and seeing could hold back a bit thinking - "Well, if we go down I'll be off anyway" - and look at not getting injured as a priority.

Having said that I believe that Shorey will remain professional over the next 4 games.

1st Sentence - Agreed
2nd Sentence - Ive seen nothing to support the second sentence.

In his head, his Reading career is over.

[poohs pure]

not really that it is much of a surprise to be honest but Hammond has spoken out about Shorey's future. Dodd if already elsewhere but could not find it :

Reading defender Nicky Shorey has put contract negotiations on hold until the end of the season.

Shorey, who is under contract with the Royals until 2009, is believed to be the target of the Premier League's top four and Reading are keen to tie the full-back to a long-term deal.

However, Shorey has decided to put talks on hold until the summer - and it is thought the England international is waiting to see if Reading avoid relegation this season before making a decision on his future.

Reading director of football Nick Hammond does, however, remain confident positive negotiations will take place in the summer.

"In all honesty I think we will look again in the summer and see what the situation is then. He still has a year on his contract to run after this season," Hammond told the Reading Evening Post.

When asked if he thought Shorey was waiting to see if Reading maintain their top-flight status, Hammond added: "You'd need to speak to him in that respect.

"I think he'd already made the decision (about whether he wanted to sign a new deal) at the start of this season and there's no reason why that has changed.

"The important thing now is that he performs well up until the summer and then we will speak again."

Now I know that we usually wait on certain players until they enter the last year of their contract before negotiations begin but it looks as if Nicky has decided to wait and see how it goes. 100% understandable given our current league position. Will there be comparisons with Sidwell if he decides to not extend his current deal so he can leave on a Bosman in 2009, or will the club have learned a lesson and try and cash in if he refuses. Either way, as long as he gives 100% playing for us then I don't care either way. He hasn't had the best of seasons and has admittedly looked as if his head is elsewhere but could we replace him without spending £3 million or more? I don't think so

Top four!!!!!

Is Mr G Raff in the building????

Shorey is a weasel faced tosser who can go as soon as he wants in my opinion.

He hasn't put any effort in for months and is not even good enough for Leyton Orient let alone a top four outfit.

No i don't know who would be better and I don't really care.

JM is also an egomaniac bag of arse who should be made to carry out his threats of making Reading FC a premier league club because we certainly arent at the moment.

[readingbedding]

If we stay up, sell him as soon as we can.
If we go down, sell him as soon as we can.

He's gone anyway.

That's what I would do.

Finding a replacement could be a problem, I think it is actually more in our interests to play him till his contract runs out (ala Sidwell) then let him go on a free. If we can't find a decent quality of player to come here, then God knows how we would find a replacement left back good enough for the Premiership.

I know, but Sidwell played out of his skin in his last year, Shorey looks like a pale shadown of himself.
From what I have seen, (from a man who will leave), he's not happy here and his performances has suffered.
If Coppell can get him back to his best next season, then yeah keep him.

There has been conversations about his performances and the penny has not dropped.

It's football, players move on - when he joins West Ham, he'll be fine.

If Shorey hasn't got round to realising that he's with Reading FC until the end of the Contract, then it's good for him and more importantly for us that we let him go asap.

He could do what Sidwell did and make a top 4 club interested in his last year, but I cannot see it.

[Gordons Cumming]

Who cares?

[readingbedding]

I care, because I don't like seeing RFC players coasting in their last year of their contract.

If he stays, I hope he gets back to form, because he is a tremendous left back, the best we've ever had.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

I care, because I don't like seeing RFC players coasting in their last year of their contract.

If he stays, I hope he gets back to form, because he is a tremendous left back, the best we've ever had.

Second best IMO. I'd take Stevie Rich all day long.

[readingbedding]

Highest pitched voice known to man.

V good and loyal player for RFC, but i can't remember whether he was Left or Right back...

[jumpers for goalposts]

Top 4 indeed! I'm sure Cashley, Clichy, Evra, and Riise are quacking in their boots! Still, he is an EnglOland internationalOL these days

[CMRoyal]

Top 4 indeed! I'm sure Cashley, Clichy, Evra, and Riise are quacking in their boots! Still, he is an EnglOland internationalOL these days

Riise? On the bench these days more often than not, surely? I can see Nicky being a good covering left-back for all of the big four, and he'd pretty much be first choice for any team below them. Even though he's been half asleep for large parts of many games this season, he's still self-evidently a class act, and I think we should just cut our losses and get as many pound notes as we can for him, because mentally he's left the club already.

[Royalee]

Can't blame him really if the club is going backwards.

[Two Minutes]

it is thought the England international is waiting to see if Reading avoid relegation this season before making a decision on his future.

Shame he's just waiting to see, rather than doing something about it on the pitch.
And shouldn't "England international" read one-(two-?)cap wonder?

He's been my favourite player for years but his heart's not in it anymore.

[brendywendy]

Top 4 indeed! I'm sure Cashley, Clichy, Evra, and Riise are quacking in their boots! Still, he is an EnglOland internationalOL these days

[Gus the teenage cow]

Shorey is average, i'd bite your hands and feets off if you gave me 5 million for him, hasn't played well all season yet is guaranteed his game

[jumpers for goalposts]

Top 4 indeed! I'm sure Cashley, Clichy, Evra, and Riise are quacking in their boots! Still, he is an EnglOland internationalOL these days

I accept my murking

[RG30]

Shorey owes nothing to this football club. He's been an immense pro since the day he arrived and a superb addition to our squad. He's been so consistent over a period of time, and maybe the speculation regarding his future has affected his game this season but he's not in a minority that's for sure. Hopefully he'll play his part in securing our Premier League future for next season, and if he wants to leave good luck to him, good luck to the club in getting as high a transfer fee as possible, I suspect he'll probably be valued in the £5million - £7million bracket. The difficulty will be finding a long term replacement.