Carrico Watch

[RoyalTank]

In my eyes he's a player who obviously possesses plenty of skill and flair, and his performances have been sufficient to warrant a starting place

I find it hard to agree with you, Guthrie has time and time again failed to illustrate skill and flair. I have really wanted him to succeed however bar a few games (yesterday being one of them) he has not been the stand out player that we had expected. This is not to say that he shouldn't be starting but he he has not been better than any other players.

[St. Brynjar]

In my eyes he's a player who obviously possesses plenty of skill and flair, and his performances have been sufficient to warrant a starting place

I find it hard to agree with you, Guthrie has time and time again failed to illustrate skill and flair. I have really wanted him to succeed however bar a few games (yesterday being one of them) he has not been the stand out player that we had expected. This is not to say that he shouldn't be starting but he he has not been better than any other players.

I would personally argue that yesterday and last week's performances were both to a higher standard than we've received from another central midfielder all season (discounting Carrico's cameo), and his role in the January 'mini-revival' was fairly big. Like the rest of the team he wasn't bad against Stoke or Chelsea either. The only centre mid we have that I'd rather start is Tabb.

[RoyalTank]

In my eyes he's a player who obviously possesses plenty of skill and flair, and his performances have been sufficient to warrant a starting place

I find it hard to agree with you, Guthrie has time and time again failed to illustrate skill and flair. I have really wanted him to succeed however bar a few games (yesterday being one of them) he has not been the stand out player that we had expected. This is not to say that he shouldn't be starting but he he has not been better than any other players.

I would personally argue that yesterday and last week's performances were both to a higher standard than we've received from another central midfielder all season (discounting Carrico's cameo), and his role in the January 'mini-revival' was fairly big. Like the rest of the team he wasn't bad against Stoke or Chelsea either. The only centre mid we have that I'd rather start is Tabb.

He has been ok, but he has not shown any skill or flair.

[creative_username_1]

In my eyes he's a player who obviously possesses plenty of skill and flair, and his performances have been sufficient to warrant a starting place

I find it hard to agree with you, Guthrie has time and time again failed to illustrate skill and flair. I have really wanted him to succeed however bar a few games (yesterday being one of them) he has not been the stand out player that we had expected. This is not to say that he shouldn't be starting but he he has not been better than any other players.

^^^

[Extended-Phenotype]

The boring reality is Guthrie's been tamely decent and doesn’t really warrant 20 threads of ridiculously fabricated scrutiny. Decent performance on Saturday, was our most accurate passer and made the most passes in the team. Didn’t produce anything all that noteworthy however, and still has a lot to prove.

Any more said feels a bit like overkill, especially on a thread about Carrico who also put in a decent performance on Saturday.

[melonhead]

did more in 45 minutes than danny has done all season

How many goals has he scored? Carrico that is

And how many has Guthrie scored?

thats pretty laughable.

[melonhead]

did more in 45 minutes than Karacan has done all season

Fixed

karacan has had 1 or two good games, either side of his injury


though i see your point

[Uke]

I don't think he wears one

He probably uses his mobile phone for the time

[melonhead]

The boring reality is Guthrie's been tamely decent and doesn’t really warrant 20 threads of ridiculously fabricated scrutiny. Decent performance on Saturday, was our most accurate passer and made the most passes in the team. Didn’t produce anything all that noteworthy however, and still has a lot to prove.

.

about right.
has none of the excuses the rest of our midfield have for being rubbish all year though.
hes quality, has premiere experience, should be doing better.

but he did ok on saturday, twice in a row where hes been decent.(shouldnt pick the negatives, everyone loses the ball in this team.)
well done that man. im actually drooling over a midfield of guthrie/carrico etc

[Alexander Litvinenko]

The boring reality is Guthrie's been tamely decent and doesn’t really warrant 20 threads of ridiculously fabricated scrutiny. Decent performance on Saturday, was our most accurate passer and made the most passes in the team. Didn’t produce anything all that noteworthy however, and still has a lot to prove.

.

about right.
has none of the excuses the rest of our midfield have for being rubbish all year though.
hes quality, has premiere experience, should be doing better.

but he did ok on saturday, twice in a row where hes been decent.(shouldnt pick the negatives, everyone loses the ball in this team.)
well done that man. im actually drooling over a midfield of guthrie/carrico etc

Yep, not far off the mark.

But I do wish Guthrie would improve his set-piece delivery. For a couple of months at the start of the season it seemed we could only score from corners and free-kicks - now we don't even seem to be able to do that.

[Sanguine]

I think there's an unnecessary amount of pragmatism on this board today. We all deserve some light relief, and should just enjoy a good performance and talking up the team like we have 10 Peles and a Zoff.

[melonhead]

carrico>>>>>>>10peles

[Sanguine]

I'm still enjoying that tackle on Gerrard, tbf. Was like Parky at his best, but with panache.

[Pepe the Horseman]

carrico>>>>>>>10peles

Can't disagree with that tbf. If he plays every minute of the rest of our fixtures, we'll stay up. No question.

[melonhead]

I'm still enjoying that tackle on Gerrard, tbf. Was like Parky at his best, but with panache.

parky with panache = the pefect midfielder

[Pepe the Horseman]

As far as Portugese midfielders go, Carrico >>> Panache.

[melonhead]

Carrico >>> Panache.

agreed

[Colin Cheeselog]

But I do wish Guthrie would improve his set-piece delivery. For a couple of months at the start of the season it seemed we could only score from corners and free-kicks - now we don't even seem to be able to do that.

Agreed. Last season and for much of this our main threat was Harte / Shorey's whipped in free kicks and corners, prompting Alex Ferguson to say "Reading have a great delivery of the ball - the boy Shorey whips them in, fantastic crosses".

The delicately floated ones on Saturday posed no threat whatsoever, and actually gave more of a goal scoring opportunity to Liverpool on the counter attack, when inevitably they were easily cleared.

[St. Brynjar]

But I do wish Guthrie would improve his set-piece delivery. For a couple of months at the start of the season it seemed we could only score from corners and free-kicks - now we don't even seem to be able to do that.

Agreed. Last season and for much of this our main threat was Harte / Shorey's whipped in free kicks and corners, prompting Alex Ferguson to say "Reading have a great delivery of the ball - the boy Shorey whips them in, fantastic crosses".

The delicately floated ones on Saturday posed no threat whatsoever, and actually gave more of a goal scoring opportunity to Liverpool on the counter attack, when inevitably they were easily cleared.

Agree that Shorey should be taking our set pieces. Harte's crossing as been utterly abysmal all season, although it's good fun trying to guess whether the bass will hit the first man or be caught by the keeper.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Season Stats - accurate crosses per game:

1. Nicky Shorey (2.9)
2. Ian Harte (1.5)

Our top two. So neither can be that bad.