Dislike ex-Reading players

[harry]

PAul Holsgrove obviously.
Michael Meaker for just being rubbish despite costing a lot and looking like he really didn't care (which by all accounts he didn't)
Not a big fan of Jamie Mackie either. Thought he was right up there in the 'turn it on for the cameras' club and again made it pretty clear that this was not where he wanted to be.
Not convinced by the Guthrie haters thing about 'refusing to play'. He din't. He told the manager he wasn't in the right frame of mind to travel to Sunderland (?) to sit on the bench. I thought there were off the field issues going on at the time and whilst I think a highly paid player kind of owes it to his employers to tough it out, sometimes it's more honest to say your not up to it if you are genuinely struggling. Would we praise an inured player who hid his injury and tried to play but as a result weakened the team and put himself out for longer ?

Meaker and Mackie both class.

Depends how low your class structure extends
if you were able to justify your claim it would be interesting, but hard to see how either of them could be someone we'd be glad to see back given their generally poor attitudes and patchy at best performances....

Mackie was a tryer - assuming you mean Jamie. John was shown to be out of his depth as the team progressed.
Meaker was a chin who happened to score last goal at Elm Park. And little else in my view.

Btw I would welcome the opinion of Aliegcymn on this one as he/she/it seems to be posting everywhere but on this thread .....

[taipairoyal]

Both players always put in a shift, Meaker more of a ball player with very good close control, Mackie had real passion and was improving all the time as was his goal rate, really should have offered him a contract. Meaker really had the last laugh with that 5-1 drubbing by Bristol City.

[Nameless]

Clearly different players.
Meaker was lazy and lack of application meant he never made anything of what you rightly say was a decent set of skills. The amount he was valued at when we gave Osborn to QPR hugely inflated.
Mackie flattered to deceive too often. If you picked the right game he looked like a real effort player, but then watch the next few and he'd go back into his ineffectual mode. One hot streak for us didn't hide the fact that basically he was taking the money and laughing. Did nothing to suggest he'd be worth signing and 4 games for QPR since moving back that up.

[Forbury Lion]

Hated is a strong word, but I would blank the following if I saw them in the street and maybe give them an angry face

Danny Guthrie - Bad attitude
Matt Mills - Bad attitude
Andy McLaren - failed drugs test*
Byron Glasgow - failed drugs test*
Greg Halford - Something odd there, I've heard the rumors but not repeating them
Mass Sarr - Lazy
Royston Drenthe - Something odd there with the whole inviting fans round for FIFA / GO Karting
Phil Whitehead - Disappointed in him for throwing his gloves down in anger when the fans cheered Marcus Hahnemann
Andy Bernal - In the bushes
Graeme Murty - No problem with him, unless Dave Kitson is the secret footballer and Murty is the club captain of a Reading sized football club he mentions whose wives had started a charity & the captain decided to redirect proceeds from a charity auction to his own testimonial & who was hated by the players because he sided with the management instead of representing the players.
Jamie Mackie - Stuff he said when he joined QPR, no problem with his effort/performances at Reading FC though.

*Not even performance enhancing drugs which you could argue would have show commitment to giving their best rather than a total disregard for the impact on the club.


re: Andy Hughes - Gave 100% all the time to the best of his ability despite being played out of position, Volunteered to play out of position at left back for a while knowing he would be slated for it because nobody else was available due to injuries, Talked well about the club and was honest with the fans.... got stick for not being as good as we might have hoped, which was down to the manager picking him/the club not signing someone better, not his fault.
At a forum I attended (not a STAR one), while he was still at Reading he talked about his love of the game, how some players get affected by the fans booing/gasping at mistakes and how it affects them (was clear to me he was referring to Anthony Rougier) but that you have to switch off from it and give 100% and accept criticism as part of the package for being fortunate enough to play football for a living.

[From Despair To Where?]

Andy Hughes had fantastic work rate, commitment and was a hugely positive influence within the squad. Had he half of Caskey's ability, he would have become a club legend.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

Guthrie was a total prick. He'd be about the only person I can think of that falls into that category. People like Mills, no issue at all, played well for Reading and moved on to a better job.

I'm sure we'll get people on here giving Pardew stick in the run up to the 1/4 final but he doesn't deserve it either. Did a good job for Reading and has never to my knowledge been anything less that respectful since he left.

This really.

I'd go as far as to say Pardew is my favourite Reading Manager. You'd miss those years if you lived through them. (Its quite clear that McDermott is from the same mold.) The mis-spell of a five letter word on THAT placard sums up the intellect of those that still hold animosity against him.

As for Guthrie, BMac stitched him up, tbh. I'm sure there's quite a few soft reasons (that we don't hear about) for players not starting a game. (For example, I'm sure that not all of Kebe's non-starts were legit). However, Guthrie started it, and he struggled with the non-complexities of social media. What makes his legacy worse is that some people used Guthrie's inability to start as a weapon against BM, AZ fell for it, and we had the 3 years of utter medioicrity as a result, so, yeah, thanks for that. Personally I feel he made his bed, he lays in it.

I don't really hate any ex-players, bar Guthrie, but as the OP is 'Dislike'

Jamie Cureton - Completely wasted his talent. He starts off as one of the best natural finishers you'll see with Reading. Refused to play for Pardew at Cambridge on the wing (Unlike Guthrie, he was actually on the pitch) which starts a terminal decline of his own making, before he sods off to Korea to play for Ian sodding Porterfield.

On a similar vein

Darren Caskey - Became unselectable way too early in his career, preferring to 'big fish-little pond' the end of his career.

Both of these players had potential to be BIG players for Reading, but chose the easier option when it mattered.

And finally, Pogrebnyak. Spends the last year of his contract courting Russian media, saying that he's coming home. Absolutely no mention that he might play for his contract here, like we all know he has absolutely no intention of doing. He is the stereotypical modern footballer - he is literally planning to retire on the proceeds of that one contract. He's done us all.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

Andy McLaren - failed drugs test*
Byron Glasgow - failed drugs test*
Greg Halford - Something odd there, I've heard the rumors but not repeating them

The third line relates to the first two lines, right?

You missed out John Mackie - racist.

[Wax Jacket]

re the OP

Andy Hughes was fcuking shit

No waxy, you're out of order here.

Andy, despite the pricks that got on his case, never stopped giving 110% whilst wearing the Shirt, never reacting to the wangkers that booed him.
Andy was often the difference between two sides in some big games in the early promotion seasons, scoring the only goal of the game to win games against the likes of QPR, Nottingham Forest, Watford away etc.

Any way waxy, this is about ex-players that are disliked on their return, not about disliking players out of ignorance.

OK, not re the OP then, just my opinion, and a chance to dig up my old beef about Hughes that charging round and being shit at football doesn't make you a good footballer

he couldn't play football

re the OP - players only really get hated when they move on to better things and do well, which hardly any of ours have done. mostly it's very much a case of meh, which it was with Halford

[MoorgateRoyal]

I seem to remember Hughes being very decent, especially when he played off Forster in a 4-5-1. He lost his way towards the end but I never, ever disliked him.

If a player has little ability but is a real trier, there is no reason to hate them. It's when decent players (or any for that matter) don't put in the effort, or prove to be real kunts in other ways, I start to dislike them.

Hughes did his best and was part of successful teams. He was also a popular member of the squad and he played until well into his late 30s so I think wasn't as bad as some make out.

[No Fixed Abode]

Dave Kitson?

Was anyone at that Cambridge away game when Kitson was playing for them up front with Reading's very own Marcus RIchardson? He was berated by Reading fans through most of the game "Ginger t055er" etc. He then kept sticking two fingers up behind his back to the Reading fans. Then he eventually signed for Reading.....

[leon]

hippo Hughes was shit but he really tried. And tbf that's half the battle and so bear him no ill will. In no particular order however.

Caskey - talented but lazy. Liked being Mr Big Bollocks and coasted. Got fat and wasted his abilities.

Razor Ray Houghton - yes at the end of his career but the performances he put in were a disgrace. I remember one game where he did absolutely nothing, put no effort in whatsoever apart from run the length of the pitch to have a go at one of his team mates about something. Contrast that with Peter Grant who was at a similar stage but used his intellect and experience to contribute on the pitch.

Guthrie - overrated and shit. But worse than that and the Sunderland incident there was his haircut. Just remember the haircut.

[Nameless]

Dave Kitson?

Was anyone at that Cambridge away game when Kitson was playing for them up front with Reading's very own Marcus RIchardson? He was berated by Reading fans through most of the game "Ginger t055er" etc. He then kept sticking two fingers up behind his back to the Reading fans. Then he eventually signed for Reading.....

No.
He wasn't an 'ex Reading' player at that point.
I think you misunderstood the question.

[No Fixed Abode]

Dave Kitson?

Was anyone at that Cambridge away game when Kitson was playing for them up front with Reading's very own Marcus RIchardson? He was berated by Reading fans through most of the game "Ginger t055er" etc. He then kept sticking two fingers up behind his back to the Reading fans. Then he eventually signed for Reading.....

No.
He wasn't an 'ex Reading' player at that point.
I think you misunderstood the question.

I'm glad you pointed out the obvious. What would we do without you?!
It's just funny that in most cases a player is 'hated' - but as soon as he signs for your club he's instantly liked.

Were you at that game Nameless?

[Winston Smith]

Dave Kitson?

Was anyone at that Cambridge away game when Kitson was playing for them up front with Reading's very own Marcus RIchardson? He was berated by Reading fans through most of the game "Ginger t055er" etc. He then kept sticking two fingers up behind his back to the Reading fans. Then he eventually signed for Reading.....

I seem to remember him doing it once, after about an hour of him taking some disgraceful abuse from our lot. fair play to him.

also, lol at this thread in general really

[Forbury Lion]

Andy McLaren - failed drugs test*
Byron Glasgow - failed drugs test*
Greg Halford - Something odd there, I've heard the rumors but not repeating them

The third line relates to the first two lines, right?

You missed out John Mackie - racist.

There are enough lines to go round.

[No Fixed Abode]

Dave Kitson?

Was anyone at that Cambridge away game when Kitson was playing for them up front with Reading's very own Marcus RIchardson? He was berated by Reading fans through most of the game "Ginger t055er" etc. He then kept sticking two fingers up behind his back to the Reading fans. Then he eventually signed for Reading.....

I seem to remember him doing it once, after about an hour of him taking some disgraceful abuse from our lot. fair play to him.

also, lol at this thread in general really

He also got eggy with the Reading fans over Ginger day.

[Nameless]

I'm glad you pointed out the obvious. What would we do without you?!
It's just funny that in most cases a player is 'hated' - but as soon as he signs for your club he's instantly liked.

And you accuse me of pointing out the obvious !
I bet not many fans loved Fat Frank when he was a Hammer...
And no doubt if Stevie G had made the move you'd suddenly have seen plenty of blue shirts with his name on.
It's the way it works. You hate a player when he's an opponent, you love him when he's kissing your badge.

And for the record Kitson wasn't hated when he was a Cambridge player, he reacted fairly understandably during one game but when we were linked with him there was no big outrage.

[floyd__streete]

He also got eggy with the Reading fans over Ginger day.

Eggy! Underused phrase, that. Last time I heard that expression used I had a step haircut and was wearing shell suit tracksuit bottoms*

*2013.

[From Despair To Where?]

I don't mind Halford, really. Yeah he was shit and spent far to much time with his mate Charlie but we got our money back and wound up Roy Keane in the process. That's a result in my book.

[No Fixed Abode]

Blimey! I'd forgotten this.

James Lambert.
On the last train from Paddington to Reading and he was a right kant. Most dis-pleasurable Reading player I've ever met.