CONFIRMED - DAVE KITSON SOS (SAVE OUR SEASON!)

[Tommy Youlden's Ears]

FFS. What a stupid one-eyed thread. Maybe he was greedy, maybe he f'd up. But he has been (and could again be) great. Frankly if he's mediocre and yet scores the goal that takes us up, then shall we complain?

Thought not.

[test icicles]

To be fair the deal suited us a lot and I doubt once £5.5 million was offered for Kits the club took too long to think about it. If you have the oppertunity to move back into the Premiership after not having a consistent shot at it (due to injury) and noone is begging you to stay, it was no suprise at all that he left. The fact that he's back is great news, although he was a bit of a cock (the whole drink-driving and becoming a bit of a big time Charlie), he was a good footballer and helped Reading to move on up the footballing ladder. FWIW I think its bloomin' brilliant he's back, gives the crowd a lift, takes some pressure off of Doyler and provides more quality upfront. Plus Harper will be happy to have his boyfriend back

[rabidbee]

Great minds, eh?

Who told you that you have a great mind?

[Rusty royal]

The one big advantage both Kits and Blakey have is they know the way the team plays so can slot back in quite easily

[Sun Tzu]

If I were Kitson I'd have been disappointed if the club weren't willing to pay me what another club was willing to. He was a star performer over his years with the club, none more so than in the relegation season when he finished top scorer.

.

You'd be disappointed that a Championship club wouldn't match the wages on offer from a Premiership club ?

[Victor Meldrew]

I can't decide if this is good news or bad news.
We already have Doyle, Long, N Hunt and Lita challenging for places.
I can't help but think this is Coppell trying to push Lita and Long out the door.

Still, I think Kits will help greatly.

Long and Lita aren't really challenging are they?
A very sensible move for a player who is different from what we already have.

[readingfc13]

During the last season Kitson was touted as a potential England selection and whilst that most probably did inflate his ego some what, he surely realised that playing in the Premiership was the only way to achieve that ambition, especially with his age against him. Moreover having already rejected the chance to play for Ireland as he disagreed with eligability, the only way for Kitson to be able to play at the very highest level of football was to move from Reading.

Doyle on the other hand has remained ever present in the Ireland squad despite playing in the second tier and therefore surely a year outside of the Premiership at his age is not such a big sacrifice to his career. Of course this is only one very minor aspect of any decision to opt for a move away from Reading yet if we are to believe Kitson's ego is as big as often suggested then it must have played a part. I personally respect him for coming back and giving it another go. It shows he is keen to play football and despite his departure he is still keen to play for this club and rectify the mistakes of last season.

Whilst we as fans will be ever present at Reading Football Club, we must understand that whilst there is some degree of attachment to the club, it is still a career and a short one at that for the players. With Reading's recruitment policy of attracting lower league "rough diamonds" combined with our current position which is effectively between the Championship and the Premiership, it is clear that we are and will continue to be a stepping stone for players looking to reach the top. Whilst players are continuing to give their all as I believe Kitson did as did Sidwell, unlike others such as Shorey, I will continue to support them whilst they are in a Royals shirt.

[Sun Tzu]

I can't decide if this is good news or bad news.
We already have Doyle, Long, N Hunt and Lita challenging for places.
I can't help but think this is Coppell trying to push Lita and Long out the door.

Still, I think Kits will help greatly.

Long and Lita aren't really challenging are they?
A very sensible move for a player who is different from what we already have.

Long started the last game ahead of Hunt and Lita and scored the winner in the one before that....

What does he need to do ?

[Row Z Royal]

Great minds, eh?

Who told you that you have a great mind?

As a friend of mine often says, "Great minds think alike...and ours aren't bad either!"

[Snowball]

This sort of attitude is great when the team is rolling-over other teams, but it's a bit headless-chicken (or can easily get that way)

We don't CONTROL the game.

Yes, I've thought that - and moaned about it - for a while. It was true last season, too, when things started going bad. I don't think the team - or, perhaps, the coaches - are very good at going back to the drawing board, back to first principles, and starting again when things are no longer working. High tempo is good when it pressures opponents into making mistakes, or we can take advantage of a lack of readiness. If we are the ones who are disorganised, then we just waste possession when rushing. When things are bad, we just need to chill the oxf*rd out a bit, and do the basics well.

I'll have to stop discussing this, as I don't have any stats....

I remember thinking (last year) if we had Little... NOT as a dribbling winger, but as someone to relieve pressure
by holding the ball... Ditto those CFs who can hold the ball up (for other clubs!) We were pumping and flicking. If it works, OK,
but when it doesn't the ball comes straight back at us

[Snowball]

[quo

Long started the last game ahead of Hunt and Lita and scored the winner in the one before that....

What does he need to do ?

Do it again tonight, score or make goals, probably

[Sun Tzu]

[quo

Long started the last game ahead of Hunt and Lita and scored the winner in the one before that....

What does he need to do ?

Do it again tonight, score or make goals, probably

So much the same as anyone then really ?

[Uke]

I think you fickle fans should swallow your pride and be pleased he's coming back. You can't blame him for wanting to play in the Prem and earn more money, we'd all go for better, higher paid jobs if we could. It didn't work out for him, so get over it.

Bloody hell - a sensible post from Kes, and one that I actually agree with. Two novel experiences in one post

Great minds, eh?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86048&p=2110275&hilit=whoosh#p2110275

Are you sure it's not the second half of the proverb?

[Snowball]

Was Kits begging to go? We sold him and appeared to make a lot of money.

I'm sure at the time we thought we were stealing. He gets a year in the Prem and more in his wallet. Good luck to him.

I was criticising Lita recently for NOT being willing to be sold. He has effectively "cost us" 1.1 million quid as he's off anyway very soon


The anti-Kitson is VERY, VERY Stupid (even if you are right)

The manager and staff have decided, the team are either happy or not,
the bulk of the fans welcome it.

It is therefore time to SUPPORT the club and the player (whether you like him or not)

I REALLY don't like Lita, but I would never boo him.

I take that back. If we were winning 1-0 versus Birmingham and we needed to win to go up,
and he robbed Doyle sprinted the length of the pitch and scored past Federici, THEN I'd boo him

[Sun Tzu]

Was Kits begging to go?

He was reported to be one of the players who formed a queue outside the manager's door to ask for a move after we were relegated....

But then other players who are still at the club were ahead of him in the line so it's not really something to hold against him.

[papereyes]

Keown and Ferdinand must be well chuffed with these to recent loan signings...

Keown is in football management.

[Terminal Boardom]

At least it gives us something else to moan about

On a slightly different tack, is it just possible that James Harper has not been his normal self as he has missed Kits? Is this where we start to see a rejuvenated James Harper? I hope so. I can see it now. Harps plays in Blakey on the right who centres for Kits to head the winner against Birmingham which clinches promotion back to the prem. That will do for me!

[Hoop Blah]

If I were Kitson I'd have been disappointed if the club weren't willing to pay me what another club was willing to. He was a star performer over his years with the club, none more so than in the relegation season when he finished top scorer.

.

You'd be disappointed that a Championship club wouldn't match the wages on offer from a Premiership club ?

Depending on the clubs and the money involved, my knowledge of what my under performing teammates were on, and the timing of the offers, yes.

[facaldaqui]

No problem with Kitson and Little leaving; why shouldn't they go to a higher division club? Thrilled to have Little back, was so gutted to lose him. Kitson though said that the team spirit had been bad last season and that he'd been part of the problem. So I'd be nervous his return will create renewed dissension. However, Coppell is no fool, so, despite my qualms, I'm excited about the options Kits and Little now give us.

[rabidbee]

At least it gives us something else to moan about

On a slightly different tack, is it just possible that James Harper has not been his normal self as he has missed Kits? Is this where we start to see a rejuvenated James Harper? I hope so. I can see it now. Harps plays in Blakey on the right who centres for Kits to head the winner against Birmingham which clinches promotion back to the prem. That will do for me!

If Shorey does come back, then I want it to be him who scores the goal that sends us up at Brum's expense.