CONFIMRED - Orlando Sa

[JIM]

He is a ROYAL at last.

[genome]

[tidus_mi2]

My first thread that is actually correct

You'll receive your ITK Cap in the post.

[Sutekh]

Hey looks like one of the criteria for joining Reading is answering a simple question correctly...

"I was most impressed by his answer to my question about why he wanted to come to play for Reading in the Championship. Immediately he replied 'I want to play in the Premier League again and Reading can take me there"

[Royalwaster]

Is this confimred yet?

[RoyallyFcuked]

This seems like a good signing for us. Just hope he is 5x better than Pog because would mean he was half decent.

[Ian Royal]

Huzzah. Although i can't bring myself to too much positivity. There's potential there but there's a fair question still over whether he'll be good enough.

Lots more holes to plug, but a step in the right direction after half a dozen backwards.

[bcubed]

Hey looks like one of the criteria for joining Reading is answering a simple question correctly...

"I was most impressed by his answer to my question about why he wanted to come to play for Reading in the Championship. Immediately he replied 'I want to play in the Premier League again and Reading can take me there"

Seems you are spot on - Quinn said the same!

[mumbo-jumbo]

Huzzah. Although i can't bring myself to too much positivity. There's potential there but there's a fair question still over whether he'll be good enough.

Lots more holes to plug, but a step in the right direction after half a dozen backwards.

Oh for heaven's sake cheer up Ian. The sun's shining and these two signings are great news. I for one am feeling a lot more optimistic about next season now. I think they show real ambition. Great work from everyone involved in securing them. As a beside, also a good move from the club to raise the concession age for season ticket holders to 23: this should encourage a younger, livelier crowd and improve the atmosphere.

[Millsy]

I have it on good authority that he is indeed Mass Sarr's brother.

[linkenholtroyal]

slightly less funny half brother of Louis Sa-Ha

[Ian Royal]

Huzzah. Although i can't bring myself to too much positivity. There's potential there but there's a fair question still over whether he'll be good enough.

Lots more holes to plug, but a step in the right direction after half a dozen backwards.

Oh for heaven's sake cheer up Ian. The sun's shining and these two signings are great news. I for one am feeling a lot more optimistic about next season now. I think they show real ambition. Great work from everyone involved in securing them. As a beside, also a good move from the club to raise the concession age for season ticket holders to 23: this should encourage a younger, livelier crowd and improve the atmosphere.

When I posted that either Quinn wasn't confirmed or I hadn't seen he was. Another big step in the right direction. But I stand by what I said. After recent direness I'm in no way going to get carried away celebrating how our problems are solved before a ball is kicked.

[Snowball]

When I posted that either Quinn wasn't confirmed or I hadn't seen he was. Another big step in the right direction. But I stand by what I said. After recent direness I'm in no way going to get carried away celebrating how our problems are solved before a ball is kicked

You seem like a who-p!ssed in my empty-glass, sort of chappie at the moment, Ian.

Sa, a Portugese International, 27, goal every 122 minutes over the last few seasons, shows some real skilz, at his best looks a cut above any of our current strikers.

Quinn, loads of experience, including 50 games getting Hull promoted from this league and 35+ in the Premiership. Hull fans say he's great, and he is exactly what our midfield has been lacking.

Pogrebnyak, seems REALLY up for it, and I expect him,if he stays, to have his best-ever Reading season.

Fosu, re-signed, looks excellent, a future star.

We will get (at the very least) a quality keeper, and (at the very least), a quality "war-horse" centre-back.

Hector is already a very good centre-back, and ought to start the season as he finished this one, AND GET EVEN BETTER. Cooper as third-choice has, IMO, great promise.

As things stand, despite defensive issue at RW-RB the McCleary-Gunter combo is excellent going forward (and I suspect Clarke will find ways to make that side less porous.

Left-back (Obita) isn't bad, but obviously a seasoned left-back would make us harder to beat. But I trust Obita to have a VG season even if he stays at left back. Form is temporary, class is permanent, and I think he will make a Premiership player.

= = = = = = = = = = =VG Keeper ==================

Gunter = = = Hector = = = Experienced CB = = = Obita

McCleary = = Williams = = Quinn = = = = (HRK/Fosu/Norwood)

= = = = = Orlando = = = = = Pogrebnyak = = = = =


Looks like a competitive first 11 for me, and will probably be improved on



Cox, Samuel, Blackman as 3rd/4th/5th strikers (ATM) looks not-too-shabby

Akpan, Norwood, Tishibola, Khul as central midfield cover


So, ATM, other than Kelly (if he stays) (and possibly, just possibly, Ferdinand) we are light in defence


But I' really pleased so far, with this squad

[Hoop Blah]

Not sure I'd call Sa a Portugal international Snowball. Yeah he's played for them, but it was one appearance, off the bench, in a meaningless friendly 6 years ago and, if Wiki is to be believed, was a bit of a surprise at the time and probably just because he was with the under 21s.

I'm all for the positive outlook though, I think this weeks developments are good moves taking us in the right direction and Clarke seems to be doing some good business and it's quite easy to second guess his thinking which is often a good sign.

I agree on the left back issue though. If I were Clarke I'd be tempted to bring in someone like Zak Whitbread as a more defensive option at left back as he can then be the experienced cover at centre half (his more natural position) when Ferdinand inevitable breaks down in training again.

[SCIAG]

I agree on the left back issue though. If I were Clarke I'd be tempted to bring in someone like Zak Whitbread as a more defensive option at left back as he can then be the experienced cover at centre half (his more natural position) when Ferdinand inevitable breaks down in training again.

I like this line of thinking. I've said it before - we should be going for Maynor Figueroa. Whitbread is an interesting suggestion too though.

Another option at left back, cover at centre back, and it allows us to push Obita up onto the left wing. It strengthens at least three problem positions at once.

[winchester_royal]

Agreed with the general idea, but not sure moving Obita up to LW strengthens anything. He's been shocking there.

[Snowball]

Not sure I'd call Sa a Portugal international Snowball. Yeah he's played for them, but it was one appearance, off the bench, in a meaningless friendly 6 years ago and, if Wiki is to be believed, was a bit of a surprise at the time and probably just because he was with the under 21s..

We are a championship club, and Sa HAS played for the Portugal first team. I was totally aware that he wasn't/isn't an established international. At our level, however, one cap for the full side and representative honours at age-levels is a big deal IMO. Like Shorey, that long-established England full-back.

I'm all for the positive outlook though, I think this weeks developments are good moves taking us in the right direction and Clarke seems to be doing some good business and it's quite easy to second guess his thinking which is often a good sign.

Understood. You can cal it positive thinking (or suggest it's "over-optimistic" but honestly, I don't feel like it's anything but a fair assessment of the facts (interpreted) and a moderately realistic response.

Four weeks ago, had we said we would sign a "Portuguese International" who scores a goal every 122 minutes PLUS a player that the season-before-last played 50 games for a promotion-winning championship side, followed by 35 Premiership games, we'd've been laughed at by the doom-brigade. And, this, I think, is just the start. if beget the keeper and CB (and hopefully a LB) ex[ect us to challenged for the PO places (maybe better, and come January, I would then fully expect the Thais to cough up for the two players to get us over the line.

DreamLand

I agree on the left back issue though. If I were Clarke I'd be tempted to bring in someone like Zak Whitbread as a more defensive option at left back as he can then be the experienced cover at centre half (his more natural position) when Ferdinand inevitable breaks down in training again.

Yep. What's clear is what a messed-imp, unbalanced squad we had (and still have to some extent). I kiss the old-fashioned FB attitude of Griffin (for example)

HOWEVER

I think Obita is probably not quite a fullback, or a winger, but a decent attacking FB or perfect for a back 5. So if we had an old-fashioned "rock" at LB, would Obita be good enough at LW? Could he out-do what a developed Fosu could? I doubt it.

[Snowball]

Agreed with the general idea, but not sure moving Obita up to LW strengthens anything. He's been shocking there.

Agree he's not pulled up trees at LW and that his best position is probably attacking FB a la Gunter or WB.

If he was at LW at least we'd be solid defensively down that side.

[Ian Royal]

We do seem to have the wing backs to play an attacking back 5 (anything to get Gunter less defensively crucial - not that he can cross or shoot particularly well either). Hector can play out well, so it would be easy to settle into a more conventional back 4 by dropping the fullbacks deeper and pushing him into midfield
________________Keeper
_______Cooper_Hector_ McShane*
Gunter__________________________Obita
____________Williams_Quinn
___McCleary________________HRK??
__________________Sa

Williams and Quinn make the midfield more compatible with it too. But I think we're still left rather lacking the forwards to make it work.

I genuinely think we've got the same problem we've had since we fell out the PL the first time. Our squad simply isn't really built to play a particular way. Certain players in certain combinations fit one style, which is unsuited to others and vice versa.

[Hoop Blah]

Sa appeared to fall out with Berg because he wasn't built to play upfront on his own, and Berg was looking to play that way, so I think it's unlikely we'll see him at the top of that line up. I think it's much more likely we'll see Sa leading the line with Pogrebnyak (with Cox as cover) playing just off him.

If we get Donaldson he'll probably be the one to play up top on his own if Clarke wants to go down that route.

I can't see Clarke moving away from a back four either. It was fashionable for a while, and obviously Liverpool used it to decent effect more recently, but Clarke strikes me as a bit more old school than that.