Rumour - Charlie Austin

[loyalroyal4life]

Linked with Forest, I think they will be strong for auto with him and mackie as a strikeforce

[ROKERITE]

Linked with Forest, I think they will be strong for auto with him and mackie as a strikeforce

That is a signing I'd very much like Reading to hijack. I know he failed the medical at Hull but I think he is so good that he'd be worth taking the gamble on. I fear he could be the key to Forest's automatic chances this season.

[TBM]

Linked with Forest, I think they will be strong for auto with him and mackie as a strikeforce

Not forgetting Cox

[Ian Royal]

Nottingham Forest seem to be quite confident in signing Charlie Austin this week. I had a quick look at their squad and if they somehow manage to sign Austin they would then have nine forwards/strikers available to them. What the hell is that all about???

We pretty much have one striker and another that doesn't want to play for us!

They could potentially have the following list of strikers for the beginning of the season.

Cox
Derbyshire
Henderson
Austin
Blackstock
Mackie
Miller
Paterson
Tudgay

Sounds like the Warnock approach compared to the Coppell approach. We all know how that one turned out.

[skipper]

Couldn't we just sign Blackstock off them?

[Ian Royal]

Couldn't we just sign Blackstock off them?

I'm sure we could if we really wanted to.

[SCIAG]

Linked with Forest, I think they will be strong for auto with him and mackie as a strikeforce

Not forgetting Cox

And Henderson... oh wait.

They may as well get Connor Wickham on loan and complete the set.

[FridaysGhost]

At least 6 Championship teams have significantly better Forward lines than we do (Speaking personally, I'd increase that to 23). We have one forward who has excelled as an impact player, one Forward who wants to leave, one Forward who uses a zimmer frame and recently celebrated his 54th birthday (fitness-wise) and Blackman. If we do not get an Austin, Rhodes, Hooper etc. we may as well give up on this season now!

[Pepe the Horseman]

Name the six

[SPARTA]

At least 6 Championship teams have significantly better Forward lines than we do

Go on then..?

Even neutrals seem impressed with the strikers we have here right now, yet we all bemoan what we have!

[Mike Hunt]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

[blythspartan]

Had anyone heard of Matej Vydra before the beginning of last season?

I would love us to sign Austin/Rhodes but it's not always the usual suspects that score the goals.

Hopefully, if we don't sign one of the obvious choices, we will find someone else who is as good, and if not, better.

[Millsy]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

+1

Except I suppose if Pog wants out so badly he realises the only way to do that is to really shine.

We're looking quite toothless. I envisage excellent possession play, with disappointment after disappointment in the final third. A frustrating season unless we gt someone or the strikers come good !

[SPARTA]

Had anyone heard of Matej Vydra before the beginning of last season?

I would love us to sign Austin/Rhodes but it's not always the usual suspects that score the goals.

Hopefully, if we don't sign one of the obvious choices, we will find someone else who is as good, and if not, better.

Stoke want Rhodes but Blackburn are asking for too much. That may change as the deadline closes in.

[Sweet FA]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

Why? I do think the Hooper rumours were a bit far-fetched, but why can't we sign someone with the quality of the other two? They're currently playing in the Championship, why wouldn't we be able to sign a player like them?

Despite the traditional defeatism on HNA/among the general fanbase, to an outsider we are undoubtedly one of the most attractive propositions in the league. We have a well liked, respected manager with a relatively successful record. We (allegedly) have bucketloads of money. And, most importantly in this instance, a fantastic set of wingers who (in theory) are capable of providing fantastic service to our forwards.

I see no reason why, if NA/NH/AZ have the appetite for it, we can't pull off a signing like this.

[Mike Hunt]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

Why? I do think the Hooper rumours were a bit far-fetched, but why can't we sign someone with the quality of the other two? They're currently playing in the Championship, why wouldn't we be able to sign a player like them?

Despite the traditional defeatism on HNA/among the general fanbase, to an outsider we are undoubtedly one of the most attractive propositions in the league. We have a well liked, respected manager with a relatively successful record. We (allegedly) have bucketloads of money. And, most importantly in this instance, a fantastic set of wingers who (in theory) are capable of providing fantastic service to our forwards.

I see no reason why, if NA/NH/AZ have the appetite for it, we can't pull off a signing like this.

Whilst I agree that we would be one of the more attractive propositions in the championship, we are still Reading FC. I am not so sure that if push comes to shove they would shell out 6M+ for Rhodes while in the Championship. While we are not as prudent as we were before AZ came along, we are still being smartly run. I could see us bidding for Austin, but he would never pass our medical team, ala Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Also - with Rhodes, coming to Reading would be a sideways step. His next step has to be the PL. Although he did sideways step from Huddersfield to Blackburn, but hey...

[Elm Park Pasty]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

Why? I do think the Hooper rumours were a bit far-fetched, but why can't we sign someone with the quality of the other two? They're currently playing in the Championship, why wouldn't we be able to sign a player like them?

Despite the traditional defeatism on HNA/among the general fanbase, to an outsider we are undoubtedly one of the most attractive propositions in the league. We have a well liked, respected manager with a relatively successful record. We (allegedly) have bucketloads of money. And, most importantly in this instance, a fantastic set of wingers who (in theory) are capable of providing fantastic service to our forwards.

I see no reason why, if NA/NH/AZ have the appetite for it, we can't pull off a signing like this.

Whilst I agree that we would be one of the more attractive propositions in the championship, we are still Reading FC. I am not so sure that if push comes to shove they would shell out 6M+ for Rhodes while in the Championship. While we are not as prudent as we were before AZ came along, we are still being smartly run. I could see us bidding for Austin, but he would never pass our medical team, ala Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Also - with Rhodes, coming to Reading would be a sideways step. His next step has to be the PL. Although he did sideways step from Huddersfield to Blackburn, but hey...

Rhodes could be another Hooper, a PL club waiting in the wings (Stoke) for a fee to be agreed and they will then move in.

[Unphased Royal]

At least 6 Championship teams have significantly better Forward lines than we do (Speaking personally, I'd increase that to 23). We have one forward who has excelled as an impact player, one Forward who wants to leave, one Forward who uses a zimmer frame and recently celebrated his 54th birthday (fitness-wise) and Blackman. If we do not get an Austin, Rhodes, Hooper etc. we may as well give up on this season now!

This guy Stop it

[Royal Rother]

I know that he goes OTT, but he does have a point.

- Pog does not want to be in the Championship. So even if he stays, will he be like Shorey in 07/08?
- Le Fondre has hardly pulled up any trees when starting, even in the Championship in 11/12. And it looks like he cannot play up front on his own.
- Roberts is injured, and needed to exercise in that zero gravity runner a few weeks back. He may not be fit until Christmas, and then he has to get back up to speed. And then - he is 2 years older than when he came in and took the Championship by storm. Will he still have it?
- Blackman - Lets be honest - he has not showed us much since joining. But Adkins must see something in him to keep playing him, so I will reserve judgement until he has had ample opportunity.

This leaves the younglings. I would like to hope Samuel can come on, but it may be a season too early.

In conclusion, I whilst I do agree with FG's sentiments, I feel that he takes it too far. And I feel that It is all well and good saying that we must get Rhodes or Austin or Hooper, but in reality - it is never going to happen.

+1

Except I suppose if Pog wants out so badly he realises the only way to do that is to really shine.

We're looking quite toothless. I envisage excellent possession play, with disappointment after disappointment in the final third. A frustrating season unless we gt someone or the strikers come good !

Again, and it was YOU I responded to last time with this (on the Hooper thread a month or more ago), so why you no risten...?

Last season we had the highest percentage of all teams in the PL for Clear Cut Chances converted to Goals.

And we came 4th in the table for all Chances to Goals.

The problem was not converting chances - it was creating them!!!

Argue with stats all you want, there's always room for dispute etc. but for the team to finish 1 off the bottom to have the highest conversion rate is fairly amazing I'd have thought.

[NewCorkSeth]

Argue with stats all you want, there's always room for dispute etc. but for the team to finish 1 off the bottom to have the highest conversion rate is fairly amazing I'd have thought.

Is that true? well fcuk-a-dcuk that is interesting.. and goes with much of my estimations of our team last season!