I rather hope Harper and Shunt leave now

[Southbank Old Boy]

Best result, not sure it was the best performance though

Dont forget that Wolves lost half of their midfield during that game (one early, one relatviely late on) and around that stage of the season it was very rare for any of our central midfielders to play 90 minutes and so it's not the same as relying on the likes of Karacan and Gunnar for a prolonged spell

[Woodcote Royal]

I'm not even suggesting they'd be my first choice pairing (which wouldn't included Bryn these days) but Karacan did enough to show that, given the chance, he might replace Harper as effectively as Armstrong has replaced Shorey........................and we all know that such a notion would have seen the same blinkered observations from the same sources even just a few months ago.

Furthermore, IMHO only stuffing Liverpool surpasses our Performance at Wolves in 2008 regardless of injuries..............we were very impressive that night right across the team and the result didn't flatter us.

[Southbank Old Boy]

I have high hopes for Karacan and agree he has the potential to develope into a decent replacement for Harper

I do think that his time isnt quite upon us yet though, and he probably needs another season or two coming in and out of the side before he's at the level that we wouldnt miss Harper

[Royal Rother]

When it's involves beating the league leaders 3-0 on their own patch it says a great deal about certain blinkered views here.

Lust like Sidwell before them, Hunt and Harper are replaceable should the need arise..................not that I want this to be the case.

One match. Replacing someone for one game is not replacing them permanently.

THREE matches. (As I pointed out yesterday...)

Cisse/Harper is the only midfield partnership that has really worked this season...

You might be surprised to know that our best run of the season was with Karacan and Gunnarsson.

4-0 Swansea
3-0 Wolves
3-1 Burnley

We then annihilated Preston away in the 1st half only to lose 2-1 in the end because the strikers didn't convert the chances created....

[KC Royal]

I'll be sad to see Harper go, if he does.

He's been such a key figure in all that we've achieved in the Pardew and Coppell era's and it's a shame that so many people don't appreciate the selfless work he puts in week-in week-out. I also imagine that he's a key voice and character in the dressing room and out on the pitch and he sums up our hard work ethic and never say die hard work and spirit.

In Karacan we have a pretty similar player, but Harpers drive and experience will be invaluable during the run in and I hope we don't miss him as much as I expect we might.

Hunt can go, not too fussed about that one as he's over rated and is seriously getting on my tits over the last few months.

That was actually mentioned as one of the reasons Boro wanted him back in the summer. I'm a big fan of Harper, as you say a lot of the work he does goes unnoticed and it would be very sad to see him go, but im not sure how much we'd miss him given his below par form this season and the fact that CM is our strongest area. I also don't think hes worth anywhere near £5m, but how much of that is down to the large sell on fee we'd have to pay to Arsenal I dont know. I get the feeling that being captain hasnt actually helped his form though, it seems to add pressure if anything.

As for Hunt, im not his biggest fan but the fact that even though he's been below par in the last couple of months and yet still set up goals shows his value to the team. Personally i think we'd struggle to replace him.

[juanpablo]

awww poor old Stevie nobody wants him

[Horsham Royal]

awww poor old Stevie nobody wants him

Wrong. Coppell wants him. That's why he's still here.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Two of our most experienced midfielders, both with Premiership seasons under their belt. To be honest, I am surprised that we have kept them this long and I think most people won't realise how much they contribute until they have gone.

Would leave us with a central midfield of Boris, Matejovsky, Cisse and Karacan. One is near the end of his career with another at the very birth of his in this league let alone one up and the other two struggled to produce the goods in the Premiership.

Yet we produced our best result of the season, at Molineax, with a central midfield of Karacan and Gunnarsson.............................

That would be the injury weakened Wolves side, who then picked up further injuries to key players during the game. Gunnar was unable to play a whole season in the Prem due to injuries, he will be older and slower if we get back there again. Jem has promise but playing him week in week out in the Prem would crush him at his age. Oh and that wonder midfield partnership was also together in the loss at Preston and the draw with QPR, it was then split up for the loss at Burnley.

[readingbedding]

Hope really is a delicate thing isn't it?

[Woodcote Royal]

Two of our most experienced midfielders, both with Premiership seasons under their belt. To be honest, I am surprised that we have kept them this long and I think most people won't realise how much they contribute until they have gone.

Would leave us with a central midfield of Boris, Matejovsky, Cisse and Karacan. One is near the end of his career with another at the very birth of his in this league let alone one up and the other two struggled to produce the goods in the Premiership.

Yet we produced our best result of the season, at Molineax, with a central midfield of Karacan and Gunnarsson.............................

That would be the injury weakened Wolves side, who then picked up further injuries to key players during the game. Gunnar was unable to play a whole season in the Prem due to injuries, he will be older and slower if we get back there again. Jem has promise but playing him week in week out in the Prem would crush him at his age. Oh and that wonder midfield partnership was also together in the loss at Preston and the draw with QPR, it was then split up for the loss at Burnley.

That would be 2 injuries picked up on the night which, back on planet earth, doesn't justify a 3-0 home defeat.

On the other hand, who was in central midfield when we lost to Southampton and Swansea? Did any of these players get dropped?

[Ian Royal]

Iwelumo who was pretty prolific at the time? There was a defender as well wasn't there?

How would we have done if we lost SHunt, Doyle and Kebe?

[Woodcote Royal]

We lost 3 of our back four in the corresponding fixture and still won 1-0...................I think that's a fair comparison.

[TommyF]

Just to get a little bit 'on topic':

Hopefully, Harper and Hunt can now pick themselves up and bloody well concentrate on their football. Both are capable players but both have seemed off the boil at the moment. Sadly, when Hunt is off the boil the whole team seems to get that way - so lets see the royals pick up back to the 'late early season form' (you know what I mean - the really good stuff when we tonked everyone!)

[SteveRoyal]

We lost 3 of our back four in the corresponding fixture and still won 1-0...................I think that's a fair comparison.

Thanks to an OG.
Don't get me wrong, the defence was superb - but we won thanks to an OG.

[Snowball]

We lost 3 of our back four in the corresponding fixture and still won 1-0...................I think that's a fair comparison.

Thanks to an OG.
Don't get me wrong, the defence was superb - but we won thanks to an OG.

No we didn't. We won because we were the better side, and because there was an early OG
we didn't have to find another goal.

But do you forget that their goalie had to make two great saves to keep them in it


and that Federici had to make 99 saves (or was that 1 comfortable one?)

[Southbank Old Boy]

We lost 3 of our back four in the corresponding fixture and still won 1-0...................I think that's a fair comparison.

Thanks to an OG.
Don't get me wrong, the defence was superb - but we won thanks to an OG.

No we didn't. We won because we were the better side, and because there was an early OG
we didn't have to find another goal.

But do you forget that their goalie had to make two great saves to keep them in it


and that Federici had to make 99 saves (or was that 1 comfortable one?)

great saves?

do you mean the one from Hunts free kick? It was decent but not great, it was straight down the middle of the goal and if that went in he'd have got slated. He made a good save low down at full stretch amongst bodies though. That was a good piece of work, but again, not sure it was great

[Amongst the sheep]

Let's hope that Hunt gets his head right, sacks his agent and gets us the assists needed to finish in the top 2 come May.

[Woodcote Royal]

do you mean the one from Hunts free kick? It was decent but not great, it was straight down the middle of the goal and if that went in he'd have got slated. He made a good save low down at full stretch amongst bodies though. That was a good piece of work, but again, not sure it was great

You can't be serious

For Noel Hunt's impressive piledriver to have been "straight down the middle" the goalposts would have had to have been about a metre apart

I strongly suggest that you take another look at that effort which was pretty much heading for the top right hand corner.

[The whole year inn]

New contract for S. Hunt, year extension.

Presumably with the release clause removed

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/2/9140

[gazzer, loyal royal]

New contract for S. Hunt, year extension.

Presumably with the release clause removed

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/2/9140

he rejected one before the transfer window. We wanted to move the release clause back till the summer, but he was convinced he was off.

Pretty sure the release clause will now be higher and he's now on the same money he was on in the prem