CONFIRMED Nathaniel Chalobah

[M Brook]

Could Guthrie be off? Another high earner no doubt.

Fingers crossed. Very over-rated and a high earner. I don't think we'd miss him. He's too inconsistant and injury prone.

Corrected for you.

[GH Royal]

Massive +1

[WoodleyRoyal]

done deal https://twitter.com/charles_watts/statu ... 9053285376

[genome]

TB

[Samrfc01]

We need a Forward.....and This wont happen

How you feeling mate?

[blueroyals]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

[Michael Meaker]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

Agreed, CM seems to be our strongest area. Not sure if Clarke wants a different type of CM or wants to change the system in some way? In any case, he is clearly a talented prospect so I'm sure he will improve the team / squad. In Steve we trust...

[Samrfc01]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

Agreed, CM seems to be our strongest area. Not sure if Clarke wants a different type of CM or wants to change the system in some way? In any case, he is clearly a talented prospect so I'm sure he will improve the team / squad. In Steve we trust...

We're 18th in the league.

Our midfield is being seriously over-rated here.

[Froomes]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

Can't say I agree with that at all...

Akpan, Kuhl, Guthrie even Karacan would have a hard time breaking into the teams above us. Norwood has his moments but is hardly consistent and Williams has a long way to go to get back to the player he was. Chalobah will stroll into our central midfield IMO...

[Ian Royal]

Not sure about this. If we've brought him in for midfield where we're already bloated it's an odd choice given our more pressing needs. If we've brought him in for centreback I'm a bit disappointed because I really like Pearce, Hector and Cooper and would rather they learnt together than helping Chelsea improve one of their player's there instead. If we were going to get a CB I'd have thought experience would be the most desireable trait we'd be looking for.

We're already short of goals, and putting him in a three man midfield must mean no Cox which removes another chunk of goals.

[paultheroyal]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

not.sure.if.serious.

[Ian Royal]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

not.sure.if.serious.

Guthrie, Williams, Norwood & Karacan is a very very strong midfield for the Championship, if we can ever get the balance and confidence right it should dominate most teams at this level. Left wing and upfront are our biggest problems, centreback & full backs less so, but certainly far more an issue than central midfield. The only midfield complaint we can have is that we don't really have a goalscorer there.

[winchester_royal]

I don't rate DW as much as some on here. He always puts in plenty of effort, but for me he has to run 50% further in games due to permanently being out of position. He also doesn't show for the ball enough, and when he gets it rarely does anything spectacular. Still a decent squad player, and has the energy to make an impact off the bench, but Norwood puts him to shame on a regular basis in midfield so yeah I'd agree with the theory of him being overrated.

Chalobah should be a class above anything else we have in the middle going by previous form, and also offers an option at the back if needed.

We may have plenty of midfielders on the books, but if the chance comes to sign a player of this quality in what is a pivotal position then (finances permitting) you take it.

[kwik-silva]

Please, please, please let him be a replacement for Hector for a few games.

[No Fixed Abode]

Reading turning into Chelsea. We're invading the club......SC, now NC............ Perhaps in future we can get all our youth team getting experience in the Championship with you guys.

[sandman]

Can he play up front?

[WoodleyRoyal]

Reading turning into Chelsea. We're invading the club......SC, now NC............ Perhaps in future we can get all our youth team getting experience in the Championship with you guys.

Fine with me we lend you fans the least you can do is lend us players

[genome]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

rofl

[Pearcehegone]

Excellent signing.
He will add that bit of creativity we have been lacking in the middle. Guthrie just doesnt seem that bothered/or never fit & Karacan is way away from full fitness. We can't expect Karacan to be back to anywhere near where he was before he got injured. He will need a few months yet. So we bring in Chalobah. Hes got quite a lot of experience already, something to prove & can find the net on the odd occasion (something our "best cm's in the league" almost never do). Looks to me as if Clarkie might favour 5 in midfield. Norwood/Williams/Chalobah with mcCleary & RKanu.

We are only 7 points from relegation & I think Clarke knows quite simply that we cant just wait for our players to get fit and hope they regain form of yester years. He also knows we cant rely on a totally inexperienced Kuhl and think he will be the messiah.

[3points]

What's the contractual position of our central midfielders? Aren't Jem, Akpan and Guthrie all out of contract in the summer? Perhaps this is a try before you buy deal for NC.

I'd seriously question whether Jem will ever get back in the team on a regular basis.