Missing a trick not playing Shorey?

[Scarface]

Yes the last 2 performances have been defensively better with Harte in the team, but I think this is down to the change in formation, rather than Shorey being dropped. In my opinion Shorey has been our best player this season, so are we not missing a trick not having his distrubtion and delivery within this formation?

I would bring in Morrison and Shorey tomorrow, as this can only make us stronger.

Discuss...

[SPARTA]

He'll be back soon. He probably spoke out of turn... Agree though, he's been pretty consistent and should be first on the team sheet. Harte for his set-pieces I can agree with, but his lack of pace will bite us again soon.

[GreaterTorontoRoyal]

From the OS:
West Ham Preview
Team news
Royals: Brian McDermott has no fresh injury conerns. Alex McCarthy and Sean Morrison are both ruled out.

[RockheadRumple]

He'll be back soon. He probably spoke out of turn... Agree though, he's been pretty consistent and should be first on the team sheet. Harte for his set-pieces I can agree with, but his lack of pace will bite us again soon.

Not against Collison it won't.

[Scarface]

From the OS:
West Ham Preview
Team news
Royals: Brian McDermott has no fresh injury conerns. Alex McCarthy and Sean Morrison are both ruled out.

Ok if fit I would bring back Morrison and Shorey ASAP.

Agree it would seem Shorey was yet another player to speak out of turn with McDermott this year.

[LightwaterRoyal]

If McDermott has been dropping those players who dare go against him, while we may not agree at least he has grown a pair of balls.

[phil in cornwall]

His bad positioning lost us two goals against Arsenal and he single-handedly lost the game at Man City.

Why should Brian want him back?

[CayeneMatt]

Shorey had an alarming dip in form lately compared to when he 1st came in.

Not sure what Ledge's excuse is thougb.....

[SPARTA]

If McDermott has been dropping those players who dare go against him, while we may not agree at least he has grown a pair of balls.

To spite his/our face... Yes it's good he's put his foot down, but you don't see other PL managers handing out suspensions left, right, and centre because the ego's speak out. At the end of the day, yes they need to know you're boss, but you also need them to play. He's learning, he's still a young manager, but at what cost?

[Royal Ginger]

It's entirely possible that Shorey's totally knackered. He played every minute of 16 strait games (one including extra time), and he's no spring chicken. On top of that he wasn't playing that much at West Brom. Maybe he just needed a rest.

[Millsy]

Yes the last 2 performances have been defensively better with Harte in the team, but I think this is down to the change in formation, rather than Shorey being dropped. In my opinion Shorey has been our best player this season, so are we not missing a trick not having his distrubtion and delivery within this formation?

I would bring in Morrison and Shorey tomorrow, as this can only make us stronger.

Discuss...

Completely agree. Harte is a TOTAL defensive liability such that he actually isn't a defender in the slightest.

Our change of formation and strategy has given us our good defence (which to be fair isn't hard when you're putting 50 men behind the ball).

Harte is/was only every useful for deliveries nd as an attacking side that was our focus. But now we need to be a defending side he is he wrong option. Shorey any day for me, alas as we have no one better.

[Royal Prince]

I prefer Shorey, but I'm a bit fed up with people knocking Harte defensively.

Yes he's getting towards the end of his career and lacks pace, but lets be honest he never really had any to begin with. Instead he's an extremely clever defender, not only with great positioning sense, but he also knows just about what he can get away with to get the better of his opponent. Yes it's not always pretty but it's bloody effective.

Just the other day he came up against one of the quickest and most nimble players in the league in Dyer, but he had him in his pocket all afternoon. Not once was he seriously caught out, and that's not just down to our overall team defensive mentality. Throughout the game Harte was constantly aware of the threat from Dyer and he'd do everything he could to negate it. On several occasions when Dyer laid the ball off and tried to turn Harte was tight enough to his man to stick out an arm/leg to catch him. You could see how hacked off Dyer become as the afternoon grew longer, but despite his complaints to the ref Harte eventually received a final warning but no more.

Sorry to rattle on about one game, but I guess it illustrates my point. Yes I prefer Shorey, but Harte is possibly the most intelligent defender we've had at this club for many a year so to knock him defensively surprises me.

[billy1990]

I would stick with harte for now he has more experience, better in the air, better set pieces yes he lacks pace but his positioning is also better

[LightwaterRoyal]

Harte is more than capable at this level, he should have even gone to the Euros. His free kicks (shots) haven't quite been up to scratch bar one late on against Stoke that clipped the bar but I predict one to fly in and have the pundits jizzing very soon.

If McDermott has been dropping those players who dare go against him, while we may not agree at least he has grown a pair of balls.

To spite his/our face... Yes it's good he's put his foot down, but you don't see other PL managers handing out suspensions left, right, and centre because the ego's speak out. At the end of the day, yes they need to know you're boss, but you also need them to play. He's learning, he's still a young manager, but at what cost?

I agree that perhaps its cost us, particularly with Roberts as I think he has been so important for us, but Pog and Guthrie both seem to have come back as better players for their time out.

[Pandoras Box]

Shorey took the can at Man City - but how can you go on in the 86th minute while MC are hammering your goal and be immediately settled. Poor bloke had no chance of finding his feet.

[loyalroyal4life]

Shorey >>>> Harte, he has been one of the most consistent players for us.

How he can be dropped and ledge is still playing is a joke!

[M Brook]

Shorey wont play against West Ham. Its part of the deal that will see him leave for the Boleyn Ground in the January window. He's already had the medical.

(About 6 years ago!)

[UpThePrem]

I'd bring Shorey back and put Harte in as a defensive midfielder. Pearce and Morrison in defence could learn a lot from him and pace wouldn't be as much of an issue. Legs would be dropped. Guthrie and Karacan in the center with Kebe and McCleary on the wings. Pog up front.

[The Beardy Man]

Shorey has had a decent season, but his form has dropped off over the last few weeks. Harte has come in and looked steady, as well as better in the air.

For me, I think it depends on where we see the principle threat from the other team coming.

Teams attacking down the wing, I would play Shorey....but for teams trying to go through the middle I would play Harte, as his positioning and aerial strength are handy whilst his comparative lack of pace is not exposed.

[Woodcote Royal]

Shorey >>>> Harte, he has been one of the most consistent players for us.

In his prime, Harte was in a different league to Shorey and his left foot is still one of the best in the game (his right foot works as well ). I don't know how long his legs can hold out but, right now, he's showing that he's still got enough guile to compensate for his lack of pace, most of which he's never had.

Shorey should count himself very lucky to be back here but he's done well since his return and is unfortunate to find himself on the bench. However, it beggars belief just how far up his backside some of his fan club still reside. Whilst I think we were robbed at Citeh and the goal should not have stood, the ball would not have finished in the back of the net had Ian Harte been the defender involved. That's tough on Shorey but it's also why he's still on the bench.

When playing 4-1-4-1, I would be happy for Harte, who reads the game so well, to sit in front of the back four and Shorey to play left back, as this would get 2 of our better players in the team and I'm hoping Brian doesn't take too long to see the light