Matthew Connolly Signs

[Hoop Blah]

It depends on what you see as a ball playing/creative midfielder as to how that would fit in with our other players and McDermotts approach.

Sidwell was a goal threat but not really a 'creative player'. Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward). Someone like Simon Osborne was a creative ball playing midfielder but certainly wasn't a luxury player in the way that a Sigurdsson is.

Howard has shown that he isn't so much a luxury player either, he's just not quite good enough at what he does to be part of this team. I think what we're after is someone a bit like a Howard but better.

Andrews fits that bill to an extent because he's a very capable player on the ball but likes a bit of graft too. He's similar to Legiertwood in that sense, albeit a bit more of an allround midfielder than Legiertwood who is more about breaking things up and playing it simple.

I suppose comparing to Premier League players, Andrews is more like a Parker or Adam than a Mata or Van der Vart type player that people seem to be implying we need in order to add creativity.

[melonhead]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

[BR2]

This looks a cracking signing but I'd be a little surprised if McDermott had him pencilled in as a left back (although it does sound like we might've been in the market for one).

Connelly, from what I remember of him, is very much a centre half who can play left back a bit. McDermott, much like Coppell, likes his fullbacks to be fullbacks and be ready and able to support the attack. I don't get the impression that Connelly really fits that bill. It could be that McDermott is looking for something a bit different (perhaps to release the shackles in midfield a bit?) and that's why he's gone for him.

Either way, another positive sign that we're looking at the right kind of players at the moment. It makes quite a refreshing change!

Same thoughts as you Hoops.
IIRC he is right-footed (May be wrong and Vision argued with me years ago about left-backs not needing to be left-footed which I disagreed with then and still do today)so we don't need another right-footed left-back to take the place of Griff.
.

Well you disagreed with it until I pointed out that Houllier played Carragher at left back for your beloved Liverpool for ages without too many complaints....

Arguably the best full-back in the last 10 years or so Lahm has played alot of it on the supposed wrong side

FWIW I always said ideally players should play on their correct sides if possible but from a defensive standpoint its not as much of an issue. It's probably more important in an attacking fullback sense in providing overlap runs and getting crosses in. If Connolly were to be more of a Cummings type and barely cross the hallfway line then in my view its not as much of a problem. Its why I'd probably play Cummings at Left back and Griffin at right back if that was the choice available even though Griffin himself says he played a lot of his early career at left back.

Anyway glad to clear that 10 year old debate up. It's clearly been worrying you

You left out Irwin which would make it 3 top class players in the top European sides during the past 20 years-hardly a substantive case.?

[Hoop Blah]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

But what?

[Royalwaster]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

Seem to remember hearing that he was going on loan to Wycombe on BBC Berks on Saturday or was it someone else in League 1?

[peterroyal76]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

I'm with you Melonhead...IMO Harps was unfairly criticized and was a big part of our success.

[melonhead]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

But what?

lol at comparing his creativity to sig, or putting him anywhere near a number 10 shirt
or is the on supposed to be a not?

[melonhead]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

Seem to remember hearing that he was going on loan to Wycombe on BBC Berks on Saturday or was it someone else in League 1?

i thought it wa spermenant, but yeah-gone to wycombe-spectacular fall from grace

[RepressedRoyal]

Aged striker who Blackburn couldn't get rid of quickly enough. Derby reject. And now a QPR reserve.

Who else is on the board of TSI? Mark Goldberg and Spencer Trethewy?

I'd forgotten about Trethewy!

Was Trethewy that guy at Aldershot? Classic stuff that, reminds me of Michael Knighton juggling on the pitch at Old Trafford.....he must wake up every night screaming............"if only I had raised 10 million!"

[Maguire]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

lol@

1) Harper being described as creative or a floating forward or like Sigurdsson

2) Him being your favourite player

I assume 2) is mainly because he's the biggest space cadet to ever pull on the hoops?

[Vision]

Aged striker who Blackburn couldn't get rid of quickly enough. Derby reject. And now a QPR reserve.

Who else is on the board of TSI? Mark Goldberg and Spencer Trethewy?

I'd forgotten about Trethewy!

Was Trethewy that guy at Aldershot? Classic stuff that, reminds me of Michael Knighton juggling on the pitch at Old Trafford.....he must wake up every night screaming............"if only I had raised 10 million!"

That Alien investment consortium just didnt come up with the money.

Knighton was a complete basket case.

And Goldberg is the prime example of what can go wrong when a self professed fan takes over a club. He'd have paid 10m each for Roberts,Cywka and Connoly. Took him barely 6 months to bankrupt himself and almost kill the club. ELOL TeLOL & Thomas BROFLOLin

[mr_number]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

lol@

1) Harper being described as creative or a floating forward or like Sigurdsson

2) Him being your favourite player

I assume 2) is mainly because he's the biggest space cadet to ever pull on the hoops?

I'd argue that Harper was pretty creative. It never ceased amazing me how he kept on managing to make play go sideways.

[Libertine]

Harper was quite creative but on in the way that someone like Sigurdsson was (more of a number 10/floating forward).

lol

harps is one of my all time favourite reading players, but....lol

lol@

1) Harper being described as creative or a floating forward or like Sigurdsson

2) Him being your favourite player

I assume 2) is mainly because he's the biggest space cadet to ever pull on the hoops?

Can't be because that would be Robin Friday...

[Ian Royal]

LOL @ everyone failing to understand Hoop's (poorly written) post about Harper.

Harper was a creative player, but not in the same way as Sigurdsson who was more of a number 10 / floating forward. Harper was a creative player in that he picked the ball up deep and played it quickly and accurately into space for our wide attacking players to do damage with it, or for a forward to run into an empty channel to receive it. He kept us ticking over well and retained possession whilst keeping it moving.

We don't have that in the current side. Karacan just hooks the ball over his shoulder / plays it long, or makes a quick pass into someone who's already marked closely the majority of times. Ledge plays simple balls that rarely open up the space for someone to do something with. Or more recently (based on the last couple of matches I watched on RP) wins it well and then loses it with a poor pass or trying to do too much.

[Hoop Blah]

lol at comparing his creativity to sig, or putting him anywhere near a number 10 shirt
or is the on supposed to be a not?

That should've been a 'not'.

Harper was a creative influence on that team, but not in the way a player like Sigurdsson is, and not in the way the assist stats generation would recognise so much. Harper created a lot of our attacking moves but he didn't put in all that many last passes to create a goal (in snowball language he might've made a lot of half-assists, although I don't think they'd have been recognised).

I do remember that Murty once said that the teams internal stats (by the performance analyst they had) would nearly always have Harper top of their tables for creative passes or whatever they called them.

[Vision]

To be honest despite all the derision on here, the way Hoop and Ian have described Harper is pretty much what Jay Tabb does now.

It's not what I'd call particularly "creative" mind you but if its done right it keeps us ticking over and keeps up a quick tempo whicvh is how we want to play. Harper was better at switching play though but he also had the advantage of having attacking full backs* as a forward option which in the current set up Tabb/Karacan/Liegertwood don't.

* Its a huge bugbear of mine about this current team. A lack of penetration at full back stifles us.

[Maguire]

* Its a huge bugbear of mine about this current team. A lack of penetration at full back stifles us.

Absolutely. I understand it if you've got an old boy at full-back but you hardly ever see Cummings make it to the opposition touchline.

[Vision]

* Its a huge bugbear of mine about this current team. A lack of penetration at full back stifles us.

Absolutely. I understand it if you've got an old boy at full-back but you hardly ever see Cummings make it to the opposition touchline.

Cummings is one of the most bizarre players I think I've ever seen. In our half he's not only a very good defender but looks comfortable on the ball and passes really well. Yet on the rare occasions he crosses the half way line its as if he's never seen a football in his life before.

[Hoop Blah]

Fair point on Tabb there Vision, he does perform a similar role when he's playing (perhaps why he and Howard worked well together).

I'd add that Harper was much much better at it though. He was much quicker on the turn and his passing was infinitely better and also add the odd goal here and there (although not enough to make him a goalscoring midfielder admittedly).

Totally agree on the fullbacks issue. McDermott has bought in fullbacks who try to attack but they're just not doing it (Harte, probably because he can't get back like he used to) or not playing (Griffin and Mills).

[rfc2001]

I've wanted a James harper type player for cm. Someone who will retain possession better than Karacan and L,wood but won't charge forward.

Some are saying Cywka is a waste. McD has been in charge of scouting and reading for like 12 years. so most of the players we have seen over the years were down to him (Within Reason)

IN MCD WE TRUST