NO LONGER A RUMOUR - Karl Sheppard

[FiNeRaIn]

Doyle, Long ..... Sheppard (?). All bought cheap and sold on as a nice little earner.

You missed Mooney. Come to think of it we all did.

True, I missed young David from my short list, but in Karls own words, ''The history of bringing good Irish players through is something that intrigued me in to coming here''.There you have it. He's good.

Smashing, so If I go somewhere that has produced good english players and repeat those magic words ill turn into messi?

In.

[Stuka]

Yep hopefully he'll join the ranks of much loved Irish players at Reading.

Red sky at night etc

[bigmike]

The same muppets on here moaning about this signing were the ones moaning about Doyle when he signed..

Good on ya nice to see that you dont change..

Good luck to Sheppard Only has to score 4 goals this season and hes better than Simon Church was last season

[Stuka]

The same muppets on here moaning about this signing were the ones moaning about Doyle when he signed..

Good on ya nice to see that you dont change..

Good luck to Sheppard Only has to score 4 goals this season and hes better than Simon Church was last season

It's a glass half empty thing with a lot of people. Good luck to the man I say.

[RoyalBlue]

Hardly a great risk on a free and looks very promising.

Cannot believe the whingers on here. He could well turn out to be a good player in time so give the lad a chance.

However, in addition we could do with a proven striker who can make a real difference this season.

But there is no such thing as a free is there?! He's signed a 2.5 year deal and presumably he is not playing for no wages for that duration! No doubt he and his agent also got themselves a signing on fee?

As for those who say trust the scouts and the manager, some people compiled a growing list of their 'cheap' and 'free' failures on UR&G. Yet still others will maintain that price and quality do not tend to be linked more often than not. Nor will they accept that we probably used up most of our luck/good judgement in one go with Doyle and Long. In reality, such successes are extremely few and far between, no matter how good your scouting network and ability to develop players.

Just how many players are we now giving time to develop? How much are they costing us - and there's a lot more costs over and above wages, including opportunity cost (particularly important given RFC's very tight budgets) and what's happening whilst we are waiting in the hope that they develop?

[RoyalBlue]

The same muppets on here moaning about this signing were the ones moaning about Doyle when he signed..

And only true muppets expect to keep hitting the jackpot whilst investing next to bugger all in tickets!

I also suspect that people weren't moaning about Doyle's signing because, at that time, our incoming transfer policy did not revolve entirely around cheap punts on those who might come good in the future.

Doyle, Long ..... Sheppard (?). All bought cheap and sold on as a nice little earner.

You missed Mooney. Come to think of it we all did.

True, I missed young David from my short list, but in Karls own words, ''The history of bringing good Irish players through is something that intrigued me in to coming here''.There you have it. He's good.

Was Bennett not Irish? What about the young Irish midfielder we brought in? Can't remember his name but I think I last saw him playing in for RFC in a pre-season friendly v Kingstonian.

[westongeezer]

Why?











piontless signing

Why is it a pointless signing?

Are you trying to tell me that Church, Alfie, Hunt, Manset and Williams are going to fire us to the Premier League?

Two of those could do so but three don't look like they can and one is injury prone and not at all consistant.

Would you rather we stopped trying to improve the side?

Yes and no, the issues we have with our strikers mainly is service, our issue lie in our midfield imo, we are wide open to our back four and further more the likes of Alf and Hunt and Church is they need better delivery to them, why pay another wage for a striker of Blue Square quaility that i very much doubt will make the 1st team this season.

[roadrunner]

One of our more promising cheap punts, but I can't say I'm very hopeful after seeing the youtube clip of him.

He is unlikely to have a big impact this season, and personally I find it doubtful he'll make it here at all

*** Spaz post ***

[RoyalBlue]

One of our more promising cheap punts, but I can't say I'm very hopeful after seeing the youtube clip of him.

He is unlikely to have a big impact this season, and personally I find it doubtful he'll make it here at all on the limited info we've got. I certainly wish him all the best in his time here and hope he does come good. I won't be writing him off until there's some evidence he's a failed signing.

Strikes me as not the signing we need right now though. We've now seven strikers to develop and only one with a good scoring record at this level and he has injury problems. What we need is a couple who are ready to be in the team and scoring goals regularly from the start. I really like Le Fondre, Church and Manset, and I hope I'll like Sheppard, but liking doesn't mean they'll produce the goods we need.

Good god, great post.

I think someone has hacked Ian's account! Or are people finally beginning to spot some potential flaws in the Madjeski own brand football plan?

[andrew1957]

Hardly a great risk on a free and looks very promising.

Cannot believe the whingers on here. He could well turn out to be a good player in time so give the lad a chance.

However, in addition we could do with a proven striker who can make a real difference this season.

But there is no such thing as a free is there?! He's signed a 2.5 year deal and presumably he is not playing for no wages for that duration! No doubt he and his agent also got themselves a signing on fee?

As for those who say trust the scouts and the manager, some people compiled a growing list of their 'cheap' and 'free' failures on UR&G. Yet still others will maintain that price and quality do not tend to be linked more often than not. Nor will they accept that we probably used up most of our luck/good judgement in one go with Doyle and Long. In reality, such successes are extremely few and far between, no matter how good your scouting network and ability to develop players.

Just how many players are we now giving time to develop? How much are they costing us - and there's a lot more costs over and above wages, including opportunity cost (particularly important given RFC's very tight budgets) and what's happening whilst we are waiting in the hope that they develop?

I have been keeping tabs on our recruitment success rate since May 2005 and it is about 50% (i.e. 50% do well for us and 50% are sold on released without making an impact). That is brilliant by any standards. I doubt even Man Unt get anywhere near that.

It is easy to slag the club off for the cheap failures but we have made countless millions on the sucesses.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I suspect his propensity to score with his head might only encourage our fabulous log ball game though.......

Are you suggesting this signing will encourage a dirty protest?

[roadrunner]

Expect to see him as a replacement for Kebe, on the right side of midfield

Er, why? He's a striker and has also player right forward. Nothing at all about him suggests he can play as a right midfielder

[Woodcote Royal]

The same muppets on here moaning about this signing were the ones moaning about Doyle when he signed..

And only true muppets expect to keep hitting the jackpot whilst investing next to bugger all in tickets!

I also suspect that people weren't moaning about Doyle's signing because, at that time, our incoming transfer policy did not revolve entirely around cheap punts on those who might come good in the future.

At that time we were in the process of building the best side the second tier has ever seen thanks almost entirely to the lower leagues and Ireland.....................................in other words, further proof that our muppets NEVER learn.

[winchester_royal]

One of our more promising cheap punts, but I can't say I'm very hopeful after seeing the youtube clip of him.

He is unlikely to have a big impact this season, and personally I find it doubtful he'll make it here at all on the limited info we've got. I certainly wish him all the best in his time here and hope he does come good. I won't be writing him off until there's some evidence he's a failed signing.

Strikes me as not the signing we need right now though. We've now seven strikers to develop and only one with a good scoring record at this level and he has injury problems. What we need is a couple who are ready to be in the team and scoring goals regularly from the start. I really like Le Fondre, Church and Manset, and I hope I'll like Sheppard, but liking doesn't mean they'll produce the goods we need.

Good god, great post.

Sorry, but writing a player off based on a 1 minute youtube clip is a 'great post'?

[Optimist]

Pretty excited about this, he's got a Europa League goal on his CV so he's got something. But quite surprised we went for another striker as he becomes striker no.9 in our squad (that's going right down the squad list, including Gozie Ugwu), plus we have HRK and Antonio who can play up front.

"Karl can play up front or as a right-sided forward..." - Last time I checked, a forward was up-front! But if they mean right-sided winger, is that where we're going to see him play, filling the whole left by Kebe

[cmonurz]

Bizarre case of expectation management to mention possible lack of conditioning in the official notice of his signing.

[sandman]

Good luck to him. He's got age on his side so he could well be a success in the same way as Doyle and Long were. Those upset that we don't sign established names can blame Ferdinand and Keown.

[Forbury Lion]

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~2574374,00.html

Welcome to the club.

Looks pretty useful, especially when he gets his nut on the ball.

Joe Gamble MkII?

[melonhead]

I also suspect that people weren't moaning about Doyle's signing because, at that time, our incoming transfer policy did not revolve entirely around cheap punts on those who might come good in the future.

there was a huge ammount of moaning and complaining about the ointless purchase of irish nobodies


that year it was almost entirely cheap and free players who'd been released by other clubs
apart from lita who was still unproven at this level

[Barry the bird boggler]

I suspect his propensity to score with his head might only encourage our fabulous log ball game though.......

Are you suggesting this signing will encourage a dirty protest?

I feel another PANTS day is needed.....