RUMOUR - Robert Beric

[tidus_mi2]

Who the hell are RMC? Either way until it's confirmed I wouldn't believe things that pop up on Twitter.

[URZZZZZ]

We move on

[Pepe the Horseman]

Spend the whole window dicking about trying to sign a player that we were never going to get. Sounds familiar. At least Yakubu isn't available.

[Lacoste]

Spend the whole window dicking about trying to sign a player that we were never going to get. Sounds familiar. At least Yakubu isn't available.

I would have trusted the likes of Pardew and Coppell to have or forward line sorted by now.

I just don't trust Clarke to pull a rabbit out of a hat here and sign a striker or two.

He is so blinkered.

[Froomes]

Spend the whole window dicking about trying to sign a player that we were never going to get. Sounds familiar. At least Yakubu isn't available.

I would have trusted the likes of Pardew and Coppell to have or forward line sorted by now.

I just don't trust Hammond to pull a rabbit out of a hat here and sign a striker or two.

He is so blinkered.

Corrected for you.

[Lacoste]

Spend the whole window dicking about trying to sign a player that we were never going to get. Sounds familiar. At least Yakubu isn't available.

I would have trusted the likes of Pardew and Coppell to have or forward line sorted by now.

I just don't trust Hammond to pull a rabbit out of a hat here and sign a striker or two.

He is so blinkered.

Corrected for you.

Hammond doesn't choose the players, he just does the business side of things.

We will end up with an over priced crock like Anichebe

[Froomes]

Exactly, after Beric had been identified how'd the business part of it go?

[Lacoste]

Exactly, after Beric had been identified how'd the business part of it go?

Can't force a player mate. I'm sure Clarke would want Ronaldo, but if the player doesn't want to come, not much more he can do.

Beric was always a bit optimistic IMO.

It's usually the manager who end up persuading players anyway. That's why we were so good at bringing in talent under Pards.

[Froomes]

You're right, you can't force a player.

All Clarke can do is tell Hammond who he wants, it's Hammonds job to get those players in. It really is that simple.

[LumpWarden]

Don't think you can knock Clarke and Hammond for the business done so far this window.

I have a bit more faith - if we don't get Beric we'll still end up with someone suitable.

[Unphased Royal]

Don't think you can knock Clarke and Hammond for the business done so far this window.

I have a bit more faith - if we don't get Beric we'll still end up with someone suitable.

Agree with this, the backing the owners have given Clarke over the summer has been strong, the only reason it seems we have missed out this time is because Beric has decided he wants the move to France. I don't think many would argue they are a bigger club, in a good league with some glory ties against top European teams like PSG. The added bonus is if he does well in France, bigger clubs could come in and pay a fraction of what it would cost to bring in a top striker from the championship, which usually end up being something ridiculous like £10 mill plus at the min.
I would imagine the club knew it was a long shot and have contingency plans that are already underway, but then again I've been disappointed by this club so many times it wouldn't surprise me to see no one else come in

[Ian Royal]

You're right, you can't force a player.

All Clarke can do is tell Hammond who he wants, it's Hammonds job to get those players in. It really is that simple.

I don't think you can knock Hammond for failing to get in an unrealistic target. By your rules its still Clarke's fault for not giving Hammond another target / agreeing to move on.

Not that I agree anyone's at fault.

[howser]

Not like it's the first time that Hammond has dillied and dallied around and lost a player, hopefully he hasn't been preparing the usual post window statement " we tried to do some business etc............................................."

[Uke]

Not like it's the first time that Hammond has dillied and dallied around and lost a player, hopefully he hasn't been preparing the usual post window statement " we tried to do some business etc............................................."

Because in no way was it the player and his agent who dillied and dallied around trying to take it to the wire

Transfer deadline works only in the agents' interest

[Froomes]

You're right, you can't force a player.

All Clarke can do is tell Hammond who he wants, it's Hammonds job to get those players in. It really is that simple.

I don't think you can knock Hammond for failing to get in an unrealistic target. By your rules its still Clarke's fault for not giving Hammond another target / agreeing to move on.

Not that I agree anyone's at fault.

I doubt very much that Beric is the only target Clarke gave Hammond!

Everyone gets it Ian, you're upset that Adkins got the boot (despite masterminding the worst Reading performances of the last decade), but not signing a player has absolutely nothing to with Clarke when the club has a DoF whose sole job is, as Lacoste put it, to handle the business side of things.

Hammond is very good at getting a bargain and selling players for profit, however he is very poor at closing deals for players other teams are interested in.

Personally I think this transfer window has, on the whole, been pretty decent, we are a decent striker away from being a very good team.

[Uke]

Hammond is very good at getting a bargain and selling players for profit, however he is very poor at closing deals for players other teams are interested in.

Personally I think this transfer window has, on the whole, been pretty decent, we are a decent striker away from being a very good team.

I would say he's good at not chasing players when it becomes clear we're only being used as leverage to get a better price from another club

Agree about this being a generally good window

[genome]

I am confident we haven't put all our eggs in one basket, Clarke has said that they are working on numerous targets. So I still think we'll bring someone in.

Besides, it's not like Beric was a guaranteed answer to our goal-scoring problems, splashing the cash doesn't ensure success. Look at Derby's start.

[Ian Royal]

Not like it's the first time that Hammond has dillied and dallied around and lost a player, hopefully he hasn't been preparing the usual post window statement " we tried to do some business etc............................................."

Yeah, dreadful we've only made about 7 or 8 signings.

[loyalroyal4life]

Charles Watts retweeted
Robin Bairner ‏@RBairner 21m21 minutes ago
Saint-Etienne have agreed terms with Rapid Vienna over the purchase of Slovenia striker Robert #Beric, according to RMC. #ASSE #ReadingFC

Charles Watts retweeted
Slovenian Football ‏@sloveniafooty 38m38 minutes ago
Robert Berić to @ASSEofficiel is a done deal, he is only a medical away from joining Saint Etienne. http://ekipa24.si/clanek/nogomet/sloven ... ki-pregled … @skrapid #asse

we move on

Shocked at this

[Royalwaster]

According to Austrian paper the Kurier it's not yet a done deal - ASSE have offered 5.5million plus add ons that could rise to 7million, but Rapid are holding out for more (wouldn't be surprised it includes a sell-on clause), so it's not yet fully agreed and could still collapse ... but I somehow doubt it. I think Rapid just want to squeeze out the max out of the deal.

Think the difficulty for us in this deal has been that Rapid didn't want to sell - and Beric was not throwing his toys out of the pram to leave - so that put his club in a very strong position. Only way we could have forced their hand would have been to offer a silly amount like 7million up front ....