Players Released

[Hoop Blah]

Leigterwood (sic) was the best player on the pitch Saturday. Everything Guthrie has failed to be this season. Bizarre decision.

All about money - looks like we have no choice but to lose all the out of contract players irrespective of how good they are.

Well that and the fact that most of them have been in and out of the side and have dubious fitness records of late. We've seen how giving new contracts to older post-injury players, can come back and haunt us.

Shame to see players leave after their past glories of course, but apart from McAnuff I can't that we'd have wanted to keep any of the others for next season considering their age, style and Adkins need to create a squad to his liking.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Leigterwood (sic) was the best player on the pitch Saturday. Everything Guthrie has failed to be this season. Bizarre decision.

Massive + 1 on that. He looked in great nick & has clearly shifted a few pounds. Our loss someone else's gain...

[SPARTA]

Leigterwood (sic) was the best player on the pitch Saturday. Everything Guthrie has failed to be this season. Bizarre decision.

Massive + 1 on that. He looked in great nick & has clearly shifted a few pounds. Our loss someone else's gain...

Maybe the club know he doesn't have a full season in him any more. Also bare in mind Jobi's comments today - he was approached about a new deal but it was never one he was going to accept. We are slashing our wage bill in a big way. Who's to say Legs would have taken the contract had it been put to him?

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Yes very true. Being totally objective on Mikele, would you resign an ageing player after being out for over a year? I guess not...

Do you have a link to the Jobi quote at all Sparta?

I suppose a clean sweep, new captain, fresh impetus is required. The ghost of Jobi would be hanging around for the new captain which wouldn't be a good thing.

[blueroyals]

Don't forget Adkins will have some say in who got released - he'll have been keen to finally get rid of some players who don't fit his style of play..

[yappy]

Do you have a link to the Jobi quote at all Sparta?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mcanuff-ill-never-forget-five-7080787

McAnuff: I'll never forget my five 'fantastic' years at Reading FC

Jobi McAnuff has refused to criticise Reading following the club’s decision to end his five-year stay at Madejski Stadium.

Royals’ former captain, along with Mikele Leigertwood, Kaspars Gorkss, Wayne Bridge and Stuart Taylor, was told earlier today that he would not be getting a new deal .

The decision ends a hugely successful spell in the 32-year-old’s career but, speaking exclusively to getreading.co.uk, he was remaining philosophical about his exit.

“I’m not going to start getting into anything negative towards Reading,” he said.

“I have too much respect for the fans, who have been great to me, and I have so many friends who are still there.

“It’s one of those things. People have to make these decisions, it’s part of the game.”

McAnuff added: “My time at Reading has been fantastic. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable chapter of my life, a stable one as well.

“Five seasons is a large chunk of my career. I’ve captained the club with massive amounts of pride and enjoyment.

“I’ve had many great times, the Championship win obviously, and also some bad ones as well.

“But it’s been a fantastic experience. It’s a time of my career I’ll never forget.”

Jobi McAnuff celebrates the news that Reading have been crowned champions of the Championship in 2012.
McAnuff was told that he was being released just three days after Reading had failed to secure a play-off spot following their 2-2 draw with Burnley on Saturday.

And the former Watford man admits as the season wore on, he began to accept that his future probably lay elsewhere.

“To be honest it’s not really much of a surprise to me,” he said.

“Something was put to me in pre-season which was not suitable for myself. It was never anything I was going to accept and things haven’t ever moved forward from there.

“So I have to move on. It’s what happens in football but I certainly still feel I have a lot of offer.”

With that in mind, McAnuff will now turn his attentions to finding a new club for next season.

“There has been a bit of contact here and there,” he said. “I’ve got people out there who have been working on that for me.

“But my focus during that time has been to try and get Reading promoted.”

[winchester_royal]

He probably wants a >1 year deal on >10k... Never going to happen after our issues with Roberts/Ledge etc.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Cheers.

Reading between the lines, I would guess we only offered 1 more year & that's why he said no. Can't blame him for that really.

[Ian Royal]

He probably wants a >1 year deal on >10k... Never going to happen after our issues with Roberts/Ledge etc.

Fair play to him someone is bound to give it to him. Shame he couldn't see out his career for us.

[SCIAG]

Legs has been excellent for us, but let's be honest, he's fourth choice at best and would only block the progress of Taylor, Tshibola and Kuhl.

I'm glad he finished his spell with us on a high, and I hope he does well in the future (he's definitely good enough to get another deal at this level).

[yappy]

Yeah I reckon McAnuff was in the same situation as Hunty last year. That decision turned out pretty well for us!

[Silver Fox]

Legs has been excellent for us, but let's be honest, he's fourth choice at best and would only block the progress of Taylor, Tshibola and Kuhl.

I'm glad he finished his spell with us on a high.

[winchester_royal]

He probably wants a >1 year deal on >10k... Never going to happen after our issues with Roberts/Ledge etc.

Fair play to him someone is bound to give it to him. Shame he couldn't see out his career for us.

Absolutely, and he deserves to have some security with which to end his career. He deserves it, and his performances over the past 12 months will ensure he gets it.

Our decision not to give it to him is still the right one though imo.

[Ascotexgunner]

Really pleased Ledge got back in the team for a couple games. He must have been so determined to avoid the last memory of him in a Reading shirt to be being booed off in Brian's last game.

Sad to see Gorkss go - despite the hate he gets on here he put in a fair few decent shifts in this season. Without him there's no way we would have won the league.

Mixed feelings about Jobi. On one hand, he's shown no signs of being inadequate at this level, and it's always sad to see a captain go. On the other, it's good for him to leave before the memories sour.

Not too fussed about Bridge and Taylor. Bridge was decent enough before his injury. His experience will be missed, his wages won't.


Cheers to all!

You've just saved me 10 minutes of my life by by typing in what I was thinking.

[RG7Fan]

Would have rather seen those stealing a living from the club who are still under contract released.

If they are still under contract they cant be released unless they are paid off / sold. And given that its only end of season + 3 days there's plenty of time yet for players to be sold (look at Kebe & Mariappa last year).

I expect letting Bridge go could easily pay for Hector & Taylor and then some, so it probably isnt the doom and gloom it sounds (I'm not saying its good).

[RoyallyFcuked]

Bridge was decent in the first part of the season, but its good for the wage bill to get an aging usually injured player off the books.

Not bothered about Taylor, probably earning far more than he deserved.

As for Jobi, Ledge and Gorkss, I do think the time was right to let them go, but I can only say thanks for the memories and wish them all the best.

[RG7Fan]

Thats got to be a least 200k+ on wages saved

I thought that my guess of 100k (including Roberts) was a little optimistic!

Fair bet to say all 6 may have been on at least 20K.
I reckon between 120K and 150K saved per week.

I'd be hugely surprised if all 6 of those were on £20k+ / week

Bridge - probably / yes (Chelsea / Man City + AZ signing)
Roberts - maybe / yes
Jobi - maybe / yess
Ledge / Taylor / Gorkss - I doubt

Even so, a good amount / week saved.

[kwik-silva]

According to Google Ledge was on ~£10,500 a week in 2011. Not sure how it knows that, but...

[bcubed]

Always sad to see established players leave like this
I thought Mikele was back to his best on Saturday and ran the game, as he did in 2012. Shame he couldn't get an extra year

[RoyalBlue]

Sad times

Realistic times.

Madejski created times!

He might have been a great businessman once, although not as great as some would make out. However, based on his performance at RFC over the past couple of years, were he a player I reckon he would also be featuring on the released list.

I fear this is just the start as the manic cloth cutter sharpens his scissors and looks to save as much money as he can following the bodged sale of the club and failure to deliver on the investment he said would be available in the January transfer window.

Always sad to see established players leave like this
I thought Mikele was back to his best on Saturday and ran the game, as he did in 2012. Shame he couldn't get an extra year

Agreed. I reckon that we could live to regret that bit of cloth cutting.