HARPER IS POSSIBLY NOT VERY GOOD.......

[79Royal]

Oh my God, we lost at home. Let's all panic, blame Harper and give absolutely no suggestions as to what to do next.
.

I think you'll find a lot of suggestions offered by those on here.

No, what I've read is a bunch of angry fans blaming the the captain and calling for Graeme Murty to come back. The same Graeme Murty whom almost everyone seemed to think had played his last game for Reading only a few months back. I've read posters suggesting that Tabb or Marek will come in and transform a failing team. And I've read posters banging on about how Coppell is too loyal. None of that amounts to sensible suggestions. The problem is the team as a whole, not just Harper. Changes are needed yes, but finding a scape goat only serves to make you feel better. When Harper does finally drop to the bench and if we still don't win, you'll no doubt find someone else to blame.

[Ozymandias]

.......When Harper does finally drop to the bench and if we still don't win, you'll no doubt find someone else to blame.

Gunnarson. Blame Gunnarson.

[2.8 lita injection]

Harper is has many positives, his positional sense is superb, his work rate is top notch and his hassling ability is brilliant but everthig else is below average.

He was always suited as a water carrier to another, now that Sidwell has gone he has been guessing for many games now.

Matejovsky has more footballing ability in the little toe of his weaker foot than the wavy arms guy.

[AlexY25]

calling for Graeme Murty to come back.

Maybe if we had Murty playing DMC instead of that zombie salmon Cissé who can't pass, then we'd be playing a little better!
Sure he's been right back for years, but I'm sure he could play DMC too, he can't possibly be worse than what we've got there now.

I feel like Cissé is a much bigger problem than anyone else in the team, he just not a footballer. He's a cumbersome and calamitous defender playing out of position, and really we need someone with a modicum of passing ability. Anyone will do.

Bikey for Cisse
Marek for Harper

[2.8 lita injection]

calling for Graeme Murty to come back.

Maybe if we had Murty playing DMC instead of that zombie salmon Cissé who can't pass, then we'd be playing a little better!
Sure he's been right back for years, but I'm sure he could play DMC too, he can't possibly be worse than what we've got there now.

I feel like Cissé is a much bigger problem than anyone else in the team, he just not a footballer. He's a cumbersome and calamitous defender playing out of position, and really we need someone with a modicum of passing ability. Anyone will do.

Cisse was poor today but at least he CAN win a header & he can run with the ball & pass it forward.

I would rather have karacan/brynn & matejovsky, i am prepared to watch matejovsky give the ball away a lot. It is better than we are witnessing......

[79Royal]

calling for Graeme Murty to come back.

Maybe if we had Murty playing DMC instead of that zombie salmon Cissé who can't pass, then we'd be playing a little better!
Sure he's been right back for years, but I'm sure he could play DMC too, he can't possibly be worse than what we've got there now.

I feel like Cissé is a much bigger problem than anyone else in the team, he just not a footballer. He's a cumbersome and calamitous defender playing out of position, and really we need someone with a modicum of passing ability. Anyone will do.

Cisse was poor today but at least he CAN win a header & he can run with the ball & pass it forward.

I would rather have karacan/brynn & matejovsky, i am prepared to watch matejovsky give the ball away a lot. It is better than we are witnessing......

I can only think of one time that Marek gave the ball away today and at least when he gives it away, it is usually in their final third. In general, I don't think of Marek as particularly wasteful in possesion. I agree with you though, it's time to start Marek and give him protection in the form of Bryn or Karacan.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Come on here time and time again and defended Harper.

Not today, him and Cisse were shocking. Bryn and Marek deserve to start next game. I'm not one of Marek's fans, but thought we looked much better with him out there today.

[SteveRoyal]

So who gets the captains armband. The team lacked discipline and leadership Again no real bite in any particular area of the pitch. Doobs played a solid defensive game for probably three quarters of the game.

Pearce

Good call.


In about 5 years.

Giving him the captaincy now would be one hell of a risk - he may not be able to cope with the pressure of captaining the side and as a result his form would drop dramatically.
Or, he'd perform better than he has done recently and we'd love him even more.
The first is more likely, methinks.

Oh, and...

For those claiming Harper is a scapegoat - just look at his facts.
You can probably get Snowball the spastistics man to find them, but he got the ball once in fifteen minutes in the second half, and managed to pass it to Cisse/Kebe; managing nothing inventive with it. I don't care if he's a defensive midfielder, he should be able to do something brave with the ball.

PS: Love ya Snowball.

[2.8 lita injection]

Maybe if we had Murty playing DMC instead of that zombie salmon Cissé who can't pass, then we'd be playing a little better!
Sure he's been right back for years, but I'm sure he could play DMC too, he can't possibly be worse than what we've got there now.

I feel like Cissé is a much bigger problem than anyone else in the team, he just not a footballer. He's a cumbersome and calamitous defender playing out of position, and really we need someone with a modicum of passing ability. Anyone will do.[/quote]

Cisse was poor today but at least he CAN win a header & he can run with the ball & pass it forward.

I would rather have karacan/brynn & matejovsky, i am prepared to watch matejovsky give the ball away a lot. It is better than we are witnessing......[/quote]

I can only think of one time that Marek gave the ball away today and at least when he gives it away, it is usually in their final third. In general, I don't think of Marek as particularly wasteful in possesion. I agree with you though, it's time to start Marek and give him protection in the form of Bryn or Karacan.[/quote]

Marek was very good when he came on, neat & moved the ball FORWARD. The ball to lita near the end was too much for lita

Marek, he follows possession, i still find it hard when the reading players dont realise that he will always be a short pass away after giving......

[RoyalBlue]

Harper NEVER talks to the team. And as for that rubbish about not talking to Dellor because "he slagged him off in the paper last week" - grow a pair Harps - whether he did or he didn't, YOU'RE the oxf*rd captain, so do your oxf*rd job.

Harper is always talking to the team, how you can say he doesnt is beyond me. He gets slated constantly for pointing and talking as opposed to getting stuck in so, who do you think he is talking to when he does that?

You can often see him geeing up players and having a word with the ref

So who gets the captains armband. The team lacked discipline and leadership Again no real bite in any particular area of the pitch. Doobs played a solid defensive game for probably three quarters of the game.

With the mention of Doobs I think you answered your own question. He is a player who leads from the front (or should that be back!) in a blood and guts way (literally) in the style of a certain Mr A Williams.

Did you ever see Adie play?

There styles are hardly comparable

I probably saw him play far more times than you. And if you care to read properly what I wrote, you will see that I wasn't comparing their playing styles but rather their leadership skills and their commitment to the team and club cause.

[Millsy]

Aren't we all missing the point here that is the defence that was rubbish against Brizzle?

Two soft goals from set pieces thanks to terrible defending/marking.

The rest of the game turned scrappy as we were always chasing it against a determined and good side but it wasn't Harper (or any other midfielder's fault) that we let those two goals in was it?

[cmonurz]

Matejovsky has more footballing ability in the little toe of his weaker foot than the wavy arms guy.

If that's the case, how much salary is Marek going to take before he produces a man of the match performance?

[brendywendy]

he looked poor, though seemed more passionate and gritty than usual, i thought anyway, was much more physical from him today, but definitely below average. and thats been happening alot too.

they will always struggle against 5, so there is some scapegoating going on
it does seem odd that when the whole team to a man(bar armstrong and pearce) play like they just woke up, everyone goes hunting for a single player to blame
be it harps, kebe, hunty, lita ,seol, oster, shorey, hughes etc

that said, glad to see copps looking to make changes, which is a step forward, and i fully expect matejovski and nhunt to start, with tabb at least coming on, if not starting. id be tempted by brynn or karajan for the other CM berth too
and pearce for captain.
those out to take a long hard look at themselves.

personally i dont think kebe was anyway near the worst of the lot, and seemed to me to be the source of anything half useful we did today. lita was extremely selfish and profligate again, doyle off colour, hunt again poor,harps, cisse out passed and out muscled, even doobs struggled at the set pieces, so it looks awful but.....and its big but, when cm is swamped by a better passing side with 5 in the middle against our 4(again), wingers cut off due to double marking and the aforementioned CM not being able to get or pass the ball(again)another awful performance after a break in our schedule(again) and it makes me believe this was more of a tactical/set up problem than the players themselves, and i question the managements approach to it.

[Royalee]

Harper is has many positives, his positional sense is superb,

Positional sense? Jesus I'd hate to see you play if you think he has brilliant positional sense.

[Schards#2]

Matejovsky has more footballing ability in the little toe of his weaker foot than the wavy arms guy.

If that's the case, how much salary is Marek going to take before he produces a man of the match performance?

About the same amount as until he gets selected.

[cmonurz]

Harper is has many positives, his positional sense is superb,

Positional sense? Jesus I'd hate to see you play if you think he has brilliant positional sense.

People who want Harper out of the team undermine their argument when they choose to criticise absolutely everything about him, including arguably his greatest skill, which is his positioning, availability for the pass etc. He isn't playing great, but he is the team's 'engine' in the sense of his positioning and willingness to take the ball.

[CMRoyal]

Matejovsky has more footballing ability in the little toe of his weaker foot than the wavy arms guy.

If that's the case, how much salary is Marek going to take before he produces a man of the match performance?

Well, if Armstrong hadn't played so well, Marek's brief appearance yesterday would have walked man of the match for us, which would have been a start.

However, anyone who thinks swapping Harper for A N Other CMer will solve the team's problems is in for a nasty surprise. Much as I rate Marek, if we continue to play the way we always play, Harper's name will have to be first on the team sheet because nobody else can turn 4 v 2 into a nearly-even contest. In short: IT'S NOT HARPER'S FAULT!

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Harper is has many positives, his positional sense is superb,

Positional sense? Jesus I'd hate to see you play if you think he has brilliant positional sense.

People who want Harper out of the team undermine their argument when they choose to criticise absolutely everything about him, including arguably his greatest skill, which is his positioning, availability for the pass etc. He isn't playing great, but he is the team's 'engine' in the sense of his positioning and willingness to take the ball.

...and do what with it????????????????????

[Handsome Man]

Matejovsky has more footballing ability in the little toe of his weaker foot than the wavy arms guy.

If that's the case, how much salary is Marek going to take before he produces a man of the match performance?

Well, if Armstrong hadn't played so well, Marek's brief appearance yesterday would have walked man of the match for us, which would have been a start.

What game are you talking about?

[cmonurz]

I already said, he hasn't been playing great. On the top of his game, Harper (in my opinion at least) plays an attacking version of the 'Makelele role' for us. When he isn't playing brilliantly, you end up with the player we have now - bags of energy, and a man where he needs to be, but ultimately no product.

Stop frothing for two minutes, ffs.