Bye Bye Oster

[hughsies no.1]

cheers for all your hard work johnny Oster. i thought he played really well at derby and i hated how he was used as a scapegoat pretty much all season until people realised the likes of doyle werent performing.

ths does make me believe that sc has made a decision about his future as surely he would have some input on who is staying and going. so i guess the next statement on the os will be on his future.. :S

please stay steve!

oh and one more thing. kightley to replace oster please!

[earleyroyal]

Oster/DLC would've been good squad players at least in the CCC, leaves our squad very very thin if we release people like that and don't bring any in, considering a few of our first-choice players are likely to go.

This is the way it works every season, though. Players out of contract and surplus to requirements are the first to go, as they have to find new clubs. Next will be the contract players who insist on leaving, or the club want to hawk off cheaply. Then the horse-trading begins on the rest. So, it's very premature to start worrying about the thinness of the squad.

Note the word in bold - never too early to start worrying

[earleyroyal]

this has just made my day!!!! maybe we can now have someone on the wing who can actually run!!!!

We have that in Hunt, I'd rather have someone who can play football but there you go, some of us turn up to watch football and some of us to watch endurance running events obviously.

[Humanistic]

Good luck John. Quite liked him as a player, but ultimately there wasn't enough end product from his play really; zero goal threat and didn't often beat a defender with pace or skill.

Sad to see DLC go as well- he must be one of the best reserve players Reading has ever had.

[Royal Rother]

This season we need to add battling grit, not more clever, intricate stuff.

Ooooo no, I don't agree with that... it was free-flowing clever passing and attacking football that took us up as the most clear cut winners of that league ever seen.

The myth that battling grit is what is needed was surely blown to kingdom come in that amazing achievement. The only team who showed any semblance of similar style this year (WBA) went up as Champions.

Give me more of the beautifual game please!

[AthleticoSpizz]

A vacancy now exists with the departure of Johnny 'scapegoat' Oster.

Any ideas who it will be?

You are absolutely spot on though - there will be one. The boo boys can't live without a scapegoat!

Bring back Keith Jones I say!!

A sign of the times, I know, but that was the same sad thing that came into my head when I heard the announcement.

Good luck and thanks John...........the likes of you and Chris Makin will remain our unsung heroes eternally.

[Hoops1871]

this has just made my day!!!! maybe we can now have someone on the wing who can actually run!!!!

What, like Kebe? The guy who feels it's OK to strike if he wants away from a club?

Unfortunately you also need to be able to control a football.

When did Kebe ever go on strike and suggest he wanted away from the club? Or have I missed something?

I think Kebe went on strike or threatened to go on strike at the club he was at loan at before he joined Reading - because he wanted away and to come to a PL - ooops I mean CCC! - team

[Leamington Royal]

This season we need to add battling grit, not more clever, intricate stuff.

Ooooo no, I don't agree with that... it was free-flowing clever passing and attacking football that took us up as the most clear cut winners of that league ever seen.

The myth that battling grit is what is needed was surely blown to kingdom come in that amazing achievement. The only team who showed any semblance of similar style this year (WBA) went up as Champions.

Give me more of the beautifual game please!

Can't agree with that I'm afraid - yes RFC (and WBA) both played more stylish football than the other teams, but all the players dug in and worked hard for 90 minutes. They never let other teams rest. Even the most die hard Oster advocate would admit he doesn't do that. That's why I think he isn't the right kind of player. Cultured players can also have grit - e.g. Little, Kitson, Harper, Doyle. I don't mean 11 Sonkos, Duberries or Parkinsons.

[Royal Rother]

Fair enough. But I think we need to add more free-flowing football than grit... There wasn't an awful lot of either on display last season, but possibly a little less of the former!

[RoyalBlue]

When did Kebe ever go on strike and suggest he wanted away from the club? Or have I missed something?

I think Kebe went on strike or threatened to go on strike at the club he was at loan at before he joined Reading - because he wanted away and to come to a PL - ooops I mean CCC! - team

Now I wonder where our two 'strikers' (of the industrial type) got the idea from! And to think we Brits used to have the reputation of being a nation of strikers! Mere amateurs compared to our French neighbours.

Given that the French tend to favour blockades, what a shame that our French speaking 'strikers' didn't impose a blockade on our goalmouth for the last part of the season!!

[I was there at Elm Park]

I think Kebe went on strike or threatened to go on strike at the club he was at loan at before he joined Reading - because he wanted away and to come to a PL - ooops I mean CCC! - team

Oh yeah I forgot that. Interesting no one's arguing about Duberry getting a new contract. Looking back we probably shouldn't have signed him and got a top class defender to improve us, instead of Dubes who I think was a stop gap for Sonko being injured. Saying that when ever he's been called on I think he's done okay but his inability to pass is infuriating. That means we have Ivar, Dubes, Sonko, Pearce, Bikey, Sodje and Bennett at centre back, plus Cisse can play there. I expect that means we won't be signing anyone in that position though I expect the last 3 to be sold.

[AbovetheI]

DLC - The most professional player we've had in ages. A thoroughly nice chap to boot.

[Royal Rother]

Ivar, Sodje and Bennett to go - poss Sonko as well.

2 from Bikey, Cisse, Duberry and Pearce would be fine with me. No need for more than 4 Central Defenders in the CCC surely?

[Royal Rother]

DLC - The most professional player we've had in ages. A thoroughly nice chap to boot.

I, for one, abhor such violence.

[AthleticoSpizz]

DLC - The most professional player we've had in ages. A thoroughly nice chap to boot.

Agreed, and thoroughly worthy of his own thread

[rhroyal]

Ivar, Sodje and Bennett to go - poss Sonko as well.

2 from Bikey, Cisse, Duberry and Pearce would be fine with me. No need for more than 4 Central Defenders in the CCC surely?

Get rid of Ivar? Are you mad? The only way I could say that happening is if a Premiership club come after him, which maybe a promoted side might but otherwise I couldn't see that happening.

[PEARCEY]

Regardless, the club believes that the player who was our first choice right winger for much of the premiership is not worth keeping for the division below.

Thats over-stating it. He didn't start many games over the last two seasons.
I wish him well...he got far too much stick IMO

[RG30]

It's a big call by the club to offer Little a new contract. For a start he's been as injury prone as any player we've had on the books in recent years for a variety of injuries. At 33/34, questions will be asked as to whether he can still hack it, given the fact he hasn't started a competitive match for over a year and he's also I suspect 1 of the top earner's in the squad, mainly because he came on a free transfer.

Awarding Duberry a new contract was the right call, his last spell at Championship level saw him play in a Stoke side that had conceaded the least amount of goals until the point of his departure. SC has always stated he likes to have plenty of goalkeepers on the books, and given Federici's playing at the Olympics in August then we'll need Hamer around. Davies had a good season at Aldershot last season, but whether he can step up to the challenge and have an impact remains to be seen.

As for the departed players, no real shocks but wish them all the best.

[Rawlie19]

A vacancy now exists with the departure of Johnny 'scapegoat' Oster.

Any ideas who it will be?

step forward Stephen Hunt

We'll only boo him if we draw Sunderland in the cup shirley?

[dantheloyalroyal]

Thank goodness he's off. In some ways i'd like to have seen what he can do in the Championship, but nevertheless, but from the majority of his performances he's put in, I don't think we'll be missing him one bit.

As for De La Cruz, it's a shame to see him go. He's been rather good overall, and with Halls off too, doesn't that leave us with just Murty, Rosenior and Shorey? De La Cruz should have had his deal extended.